Little Rock

On to Little Rock where we biked part of the River Trail -- the part that wasn't closed by flood waters of the swollen Arkansas River. We also biked the Big Dam Bridge which was retrofitted onto the top of the existing Murray Lock and Dam. At 4226 feet in length and 90 feet in height, it is the world's longest pedestrian/bike bridge built for that purpose.



We also visited the Clinton Presidential Library and Park alongside the river bank and adjacent to the Downtown area and the River Market (which was empty due to the 95 degree heat.) Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas for 5 terms, so this city is the perfect location for his museum.



Having to go through an airport type security check to enter, we learned that all presidential libraries, though built with private funds, are then turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration and as government buildings require security. The library visit began with a movie highlighting his life and narrated by him, and displays included memorabilia from his career, accomplishments year by year, gifts received from visiting dignitaries, speech excerpts, and included replicas of the White House Cabinet Room and the Oval Office (photo below.) It was a very interesting visit.




So okay -- where is the namesake little rock? And is there a big rock around here somewhere, too? After all, Illinois has both a Big Rock and a Little Rock near each other.