Arkansas is Oklahoma with More Trees
Drove the whole ten hours instead of stopping over in Memphis or Jackson. Had to settle for a Days Inn on West End Ave. at 2:00 a.m. The hot, entomological hairdresser wife found a roach as soon as we got to our admittedly substandard room. That freaked her out. The roach was dead, an event that usually occurs when hotels spray Malathion or other insecticides. Alas, that didn't satisfy her, so the quest for bed bugs began at 2:10 a.m. She watched a porgram on 48 Hours about bed bugs, and now we can't sleep in a hotel without turning back the covers, beating the shit out of the mattress, and putting all our luggage on furniture so it won't ever touch the floor. Thanks, Stone Phillips. We'll be moving to the Scarritt-Bennett Retreat Center later today, so hopefully the presence of the Holy Spirit will have kept the bugs at bay.
On the drive here we got to see parts of Arkansas the wife hasn't seen before, including a sign somewhere east of Little Rock that encouraged us to "use the rod on your child, save their lives." We also saw a sign advertising Toad Suck Park. There are as many churches in Arkansas as there are in Oklahoma, it seems, but the doozy of all churches was just outside Memphis. A brick monstrosity joined by a hallway to a mini-me duplicate that was still larger than most churches. Tried to find a link to the thing, but no luck yet. I've never heard of a "First Pentecostal Church." Maybe it's UPC, but I can't imagine a UPC church this large, or gaudy.
We stopped off for dinner and drinks at the Holiday Inn in Forrest City, Ark. Trust me, it wasn't our first choice, but it was the only bar in town. The bartender kindly waived the $5.00 membership fee (damn dry counties) and I drank delicious $4 merlot which name I didn't bother to ask.
The only highlight was crossing the Tennessee River at about 12:30 a.m. and seeing the full moon lighting up the river islands, turning the water a beautiful, shimmery indigo, and seeing the fog nestled into the low areas like clouds among the valleys. It was one of the most breathtaking things I've ever seen. The hottie was sleeping and missed it. Maybe some zen moments are best because they are experienced in solitude. Peace.
Yeah, there is a big First Pentacostal Church in Tupelo as well...not sure what they are all about.
If you liked that view and have time to travel, head out of Nashville on the Natchez Trace for some beautiful country. You would be welcome to stay at La Maison Butts in New Albany should you ever come this way (about an hour from Memphis.
We live in a dry county (Union County, MS) and it sucks. I was cooking some seafood the other day that required a pale beer and all I had was stout, barleywine, and IPA's and had to sneak it back from Kroger in Tupelo or risk a $300 fine if I got pulled over.
Posted by: Jzzbassman | June 30, 2007 at 04:05 PM
Wait a minute...does a dry county mean that no alcohol is allowed to even be IN it (not just purchased/sold)? 'Cause man, that sucks.
My husband is from Arkansas; it's a beautiful state, but yeah, the dry counties and (to my perception) even *more* Jesusland© statements bug me.
His sis and bro-in-law still live there, and they think it's *great* that they live in a dry county ("less crime!" they say). Whereas I'm thinking, "doesn't that mean people just have to drive farther away to get their drink on and are more likely to overindulge (since they don't get the opportunity to drink moderately in their own county) and then drive home intoxicated?"
Fun times.
Posted by: ninjanun | July 01, 2007 at 12:08 AM
ahh. Tennessee is beautiful.
Arkansas is a little f***ed up though. "Please use the rod on your child and watch the child abuse rates go up"
I hop you are having a great time in Nashville in though you dont feel like you belong there.
Posted by: kristen | July 01, 2007 at 06:39 AM
A mention was made above of the Natchez Trace. Check out the Loveless Cafe only one stoplight east from the Northern end of the Trace after it winds down the hill.
Their schtick is a plate of biscuits and 3 jellies as an appetizer. When they are gone, they bring more.
Blackberry Cobbler is huge and heavenly. For more on that and others, see http://roadfood.com
Posted by: John Foster | August 08, 2007 at 12:14 PM
The "use the rod" sign from Proverbs east of Little Rock AR is still there in August, 2007. That reminds me of a letter to Laura Schlesinger posted on the internet. If my neighbors get mad at me, am I allowed to smite them? That sort of thing.
Posted by: John Foster | August 08, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Here it is, with more discussion on the urban legends page:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp
Posted by: John Foster | August 08, 2007 at 12:21 PM