Market Day

And the rains came yet again with bright spots off and on all day but it didn't stop us!!!  We were off across the Clinton Presidential Bridge right after breakfast with a goal of getting to the Farmer's Market before stuff was picked over to much.  It sits near the river overlooking the ampitheater that is right along the water's edge. Note the large letters on the top of the building spelling out LITTLE ROCK

From its porch you can look out at this theater and the water (a picture I took a couple of days ago)

This River Market Pig sat in front of the entrance

Along the side road there were many little covered booths still well shielded from the rain drops but open and ready to do business.

Inside there were all kinds of delectable offerings straight from the farm or through local kitchens and craft rooms.

Various musicians offered a bit of music for entertainment as we shopped

We then walked along President Clinton Street at the front a few blocks to the Old State House which was the original capital building 

The ladies of Little Rock fought hard to keep it from being torn down in the late 19th century though it got more and more run down while serving as a medical school and several other things before being totally abandoned.  But they have now down a beautiful job of renovating the outside and are working on sections inside.  It acts now more as a museum first giving the history of the building but also displaying memorabilia of the past governors and their wives along with special exhibits.

Many of the women's clubs involved in the renovations are represented in this beautiful quilt hanging on the wall in one of the rooms.

This is the old legislative meeting room which obviously is now simply used as a meeting room.

This is a sample of what one of the original "parlors" might have been 

One of the special exhibits featured all of the Hollywood personalities from Arkansas and their films, many of which also had scenes taken in various areas of Arkansas including the opening scene of Gone With the Wind at an old mill in Little Rock. 

And as you can see by this wall of pictures there are alot from Arkansas including people like Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Dick Powell and a myriad of others

With displays like this 

Here is Ken with the Creature from the Black Lagoon

One of the things Little Rock is very proud of is its very long walking and biking trail along the river including two former railroad bridges that are now strictly for walking and biking to get from one side of the river to the other and use the trails on either side.

As a result there was also a huge display showing the history of the bicycle and many of the ties to the Little Rock area including a variety of races held in the area.

 Note this interesting fact about biking mentioned by Susan B Anthony.

This was an intriguing bike on display too

We then walked back down toward the market area passing this hotel with its intriguing display of tree trunk slices and then painted crystal on the wall.

Across the street is this very old but still well used hotel

Eventually we made it back to the market area where we found the Damgood Pies Restaurant.  There we sat on the upper deck overlooking the market, ampitheater and Arkansas River and enjoyed a fabulous pizza.

They work hard at providing lots of beautiful plantings as well as encouraging birds to populate the area.  These purple martin houses attracted alot of activity while we enjoyed our pizza.

After lunch we enjoyed walking along the river trail

toward the Presidential Bridge that again took us across to our home in the campground. But first we stopped to check out the Jazz Festival that was just getting under way and fighting the off and on rains we were having.  It was out on the vast lawn in front of the Clinton Museum.

We also strolled back down by the wetlands garden area that had been so badly flooded earlier in the week.  The waters are receding and we could actually see most of the statue we'd photographed our first day when only the head showed.

This woman was decorating a sidewalk area as we passed by

And from the bridge we once again looked back at the Clinton Library and Heifer International 

We arrived back just before the skies opened yet again soaking the area with yet more rain. So we just stayed in, relaxed and later enjoyed the light show on the bridge when it got dark.