Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Official state instrument Fiddle
Driving distances Little Rock to Eureka Springs 182 miles, Eureka Springs to
Mountain View 123 miles
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Little Rock
It's tempting for those who zip in and out of this leafy, attractive state capital on the
Arkansas River to dismiss it as quiet, maybe a little dull, certainly conservative. They're
wrong. Little Rock is young, up-and-coming, gay- and immigrant-friendly, and just
friendly in general. Downtown has perked up thanks to the burgeoning River Market dis-
trict, and the Hillcrest neighborhood is a tiny epicenter of cafes and funky shops. If you
know where to look, you'll enjoy this town.
Sights
The best stroll is in the River Market district ( www.rivermarket.info ; W Markham St & Presid-
ent Clinton Ave) , an area of shops, galleries, restaurants and pubs along the riverbank.
Little Rock Central High School HISTORIC SITE
( www.nps.gov/chsc ; 2125 Daisy Bates Dr; 9:30am-4:30pm, tours 9am & 1:15pm Mon-Fri mid-
Aug-early Jun) Little Rock's most riveting attraction is the site of the 1957 desegregation
crisis that changed the country forever. It was here that a group of African American stu-
dents known as the Little Rock Nine were first denied entry inside the then all-white high
school (despite a unanimous 1954 Supreme Court ruling forcing the integration of public
schools).
Eventually, President Eisenhower commanded the 1200-man 101st Airborne Battle
Group to keep the crowds at bay and escort the students inside, a pivotal moment in the
American Civil Rights movement. Today it's both a National Historic Site and a working
high school. There's a spiffy new visitor center airing all the dirty laundry and putting the
crisis into perspective alongside the greater Civil Rights movement.
William J Clinton Presidential Center LIBRARY
 
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