Cruising

This morning we left Branson behind with heavy heart. If you, dear readers, have never googled Branson (I made that mistake), then you will never know the entertainment you will miss. Karen read articles and books, and heard about Branson from friends that have been there. But alas, even thusly armed, we were caught with our pants down. There was so much to do and we did not allowed ourselves enough time to do it all. There were shows unseen, amusement rides unridden, shops unshoppened, and ribs uneaten. Truly there was a lot of things to do in this town. We should have allotted more time. Maybe next year.

So we left and cruised down highway 65 towards Little Rock. 65 is a fine highway, a little curvy in spots, and very scenic.

Post Office, Pindell, AR

This is a cute little post office that Karen liked,

so she made me turn around to get a picture.

This defunct restaurant was next to the post office. Maybe the name scared all the customers away.

Roscoe's Cafe

A little farther down the road on a bluff sat this restaurant. A bit friendlier name and a lot more inviting.

This is the view off the deck behind Roscoe's. The owner said people love to sit out on the deck in the good weather. She also told me that many mornings the fog settles into the valley below and it looks like there is a lake down there. I don't know if she is Roscoe or not, but she was pleasant to talk to.

Another photo of another valley off hwy 65.

With all the rain recently there were numerous little waterfalls along side of the highway.

This is the Old State House Museum. It was the seat of government for Arkansas from 1836 to 1911. It is the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. It has excellent exhibits and displays, and would be well worth seeing if you find yourself in Little Rock. Besides, it's free! We had a outstanding tour guide (retired teacher, amateur historian) who described the people and the history of Arkansas in not so PC terms. Hillbillies, police, and politicians all received the same non-sugar coated stories. Listening to him tell of the early history of Arkansas made it come alive. It was truly a wild area where many palms were greased, and there was a still in most backyards. He said that the term hillbilly probably originated in Scotland where a friend was called a billy. Below are a couple of photos in the museum that I really liked.

We had pizza for dinner (you realize that driving burns off a lot of calories), and retired to our room after taking a stroll along the waterfront park. Lots of things to see and do along the river. Reminds me of Portland.

Tomorrow is the tour of the Capitol, the Clinton Presidential Library, and a walk across the river on a railroad bridge. Standby for photos!

Til we meet again, I remain your "moonshin' " correspondent.