Five Fun Things That Makes Little Rock ROCK

Photo Credit: Bruce N. Meyer

USS Razorback

It’s a safe assumption that anything in Arkansas with the name Razorback refers to the University of Arkansas mascot and the wild boars that once roamed the land here. They are nuts about their college sports teams here.

But such an assumption is a losing bet when it comes to the USS Razorback, which is anchored in the Arkansas River at North Little Rock as a part of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

In this particular case, the submarine is named for the Razorback Whale, also called the fin whale. The USS Razorback was commissioned in April 1944, served through WW II and four deployments to Vietnam, earning five battle stars. It’s been in Arkansas since 2005 and is open for tour and overnight sleepovers.

Sleeping in a submarine is just one of many unexpected and very cool things about the Arkansas state capital.

Purse Museum

Consider The Purse Museum – the only one in the world as far as anyone knows. With more than 3,000 kinds of hand bags on display, this is really a documentation of women’s growth as equal partners in American society. Think about it. When women owned no property, didn’t drive vehicles or have money of their own, they had no need for a container to carry keys and money and stuff. It’s a surprisingly thought provoking museum that guys should appreciate as well.

Little Rock Central High School

And while in the mode of serious thinking, schedule several hours at Little Rock Central High School and the adjacent National Park Service interpretive center. It was here in the fall of 1957 that nine African-American teenagers broke segregation in Arkansas as the only students of color in a high school of more than 2,000. It took the 101st Airborne Division deployed by President Eisenhower to keep these kids alive during this trying school year. 

You think your high school days were tough? Read the book “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Patillo Beals. She was the youngest of the Little Rock Nine, only 14-years-old when she entered the battle for civil rights. The high school is still operational and quite a beautiful building in its own right. Tours take you through the school so you can get a better feel for the pressure cooker it became in 1957.

Arkansas River Trail

After all of those intense emotions, blow off some steam on the Arkansas River Trail. Right now, it’s about 17 miles long, crossing the river a couple of times on pedestrian bridges. But each year, the city adds a few more miles and when complete will be nearly 90 miles, connecting 38 parks and six museums on both sides of the river.

People in the marathon running culture know all about Little Rock, placing it high on the list of must-run events basically because of the medal you get for finishing 26.2 miles. In the early days of the Little Rock Marathon, the medallion was a flimsy little plastic thing, a joke in the running world. So a few years ago, the medal got a remake and is now about the size of a dinner plate and weighs two and a half pounds. It’s the biggest medal of its kind in the world and everybody who runs marathons wants Little Rock in their collection.

Starving Artist Café

At some time during your Little Rock getaway, make a reservation for lunch or dinner at the Starving Artist Café in the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock. It’s basically an art studio and gallery combined. All of the work on the walls and in display cases is for sale, and often one or two of the artists is right there in the dining room working on a piece.

The performing arts are showcased on Tuesday night with a live broadcast on NPR affiliate KUAR. The show is called Tales From the South and includes musicians, storytellers, poets and authors. Whatever the show, the Starving Artist Café is a fabulous night of good food, good wine and great entertainment.

It’s totally unexpected in Little Rock and one of the five fun reasons this city really rocks.

What do you want to do most when you visit Little Rock?

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.