The next day we try our hand at a little local golf, cause what else are you gonna do, we all are terrible, but it was great to get out there and do an activity with Heidi.   Heidi made the demand before anyone began that frustration about the game would not be tolerated by anyone.  I don't know if it was the beer that kept us aligned, but we had a great time regardless of the scores, and as usual we all found at least one shot that will bring us back to this humiliating pastime once more.

Heidi has to head out of town the next day to the training course, so that evening we have a great dinner at the house and hang out.  Adam is BBQ'ing so it'll be good.  Before starting his landscaping business Adam worked as a manager for an industrial kitchen, he is an excellent cook.  He cooked up some steaks that would blow you away, of course the chef wasn't happy with them as usual.

The next morning we slowly get moving and I take a walk around the neighborhood.  Not so easy when you're in this area, the block I chose was about six miles, and it was so unusual for someone to be walking I was asked 3 times if I had broke down and needed a lift.  After I get back and take a shower it's time to take Heidi to meet up with her co-workers to go on her trip, first, it's time to eat.  They ask me where I want to go and I say, "It's got to be southern food and not a place we got in California!"  After some consideration a place called 'New Orleans' is chosen and Dad and I split a southern fried Seafood Medley full of Catfish, fried clams, fried oysters, hushpuppies, fries, onion rings, and for desert bananas foster. 

After lunch there's time still before Heidi has to go and on our way in Dad and I spotted the 'Grand Opening' of a new Wal Mart super center near where we are.   The opening was cool; they had a few extra vendors out in front including the "Orange County Chopper's" Gillette Razor bike recently done on the show of the same name.  The bike was nicer than the model they had promoting the razor, now that says something for the construction.  The Super Center is so big it should have it's own gift shop, which would also be cool because since I got into Arkansas I've yet to find a place to get another elongated penny or 51 cent penny as I like to call it.

Massive, but not much different than our Wal Mart's, I guess that's the point.  Adam talks me into getting a 3 day fishing license so we can go to one of the small lakes near his home.  Adam does like to fish, never been my thing really, it seems to always end the same.  After getting the license and some bait we slowly walk around the store checking out to see if there's anything that we can't live without, nothing really we bought all that stuff at Wal Mart before, time to drop Heidi off and get going.

  The next morning Adam and I head out a little late for fishing to one of the local lakes, Adam an experienced fisherman, knows the best we can hope for are some small Crappie and Throw away Bass.  He packed ultra light poles so theirs a little more fight and challenge to it.  I joke with him that you don't want much challenge when you bring me along fishing; I tend to drive fish as far away from where I'm fishing as possible.  As time passes this seems to prove out, after about 3 hours I hook into a small Crappie and bring it up, not even the legal limit.  Later Adam and I break off some rigging in the mouth of some fish out there, of course it was the biggest fish ever seen that broke our 4 lb test.  Resolving to come back later that evening with a 6 pack of beer to help alleviate any agony of defeat we load up the truck.  Sure enough the evening fishing was just as bad if not worse than the morning, except a sudden thunderstorm rather than our own boredom shut us out.  The next day is my trip to Little Rock so a quiet evening at the house is just fine.  

Later this week we see on the local news that a local man has caught a world record catfish in the area weighing in at 124 pounds, just a little bigger than the 8 ounce Crappie we got, but both of us are sure the one that broke our line was that guy.

Dad's plan is to take Hailey to her day care all week so I go with him in the morning then he's giving me a ride to the car rental place  afterward.  Hailey, is about as adorable and well behaved as any 2 year old I've ever met, long blonde hair, short little legs and Big eyes, she's got a cuteness about her that 's difficult to explain.

The Drive to Little Rock....

There are always two choices you can make when leaving on a trip. You can either try to make the best time possible or you can see how much you can experience in the time you have.  My Dad made sure I had an opportunity to select the later, about half way there I realized that his estimates of how much time it would take to get there were off by nearly an hour and a half, so I take full advantage of an opportunity to see a local car museum when the sign comes up.  Organization of Antique Motorcars Association has a building that turns out was donated and all the cars owned by the Rockefeller family.  The late Rockefeller settled into this area after he left New York and was responsible for bringing what industry this area has here.  When I exit the freeway I quickly realize that there are no signs directing me to the museum, not afraid to ask I stop the first person I see.  Basically two roads and I'm there, great doesn't sound far I just need to go up to the Jean Pettit Park on top of some hill.  Well it was about 30 miles or so off the beaten path through farming country but I finally get there.  The building is quite impressive for this area, obviously great care was taken in its Architecture to develop a unique yet fitting museum for the area.  Entering the museum there’s one attendant and only one other couple in the Museum which I could see most of from the door.  What I was looking for was some memorabilia; unfortunately their gift shop was only represented by the cookie cutter Arkansas wares that you can find at any point along the trip, nothing unique so I skipped it.  I did ask him about a 51-cent penny machine and he said they used to have one back when it was only 26 cents, it eventually wore out and they never fixed or replaced it.  I thought it somewhat odd that they wouldn't take the opportunity to fix a machine that did well enough to where out, but this was obviously not money making venture, even though admission was $6.00.

On my way out I Ask the attendant the best way out and he points out it is still actually the way that I came in, it turns out I must have missed the first opportunity at the museum and came the back way I should be leaving.  "Unless", he said "you want to go the back way to Little Rock."  "Oh yes!" I said, "This whole trip has been about the back roads.  He points me in the direction of interstate 10 that goes right into Little rock through the small farm towns of this state.  I wish I had paid closer attention to all the names of the little towns with populations like 50 or 160 but I was looking for the lawn art mostly.  On my way through one town I found the local car dealer with his entire inventory of 1 vehicle, I hope he gets lucky with the 350 people that live there, how'd you like to have those odds.  Another area where the most interesting sport must be watching the cars go by as all the folding chairs were located on the roofs of the houses lining the Interstate.  One of my favorites was a little town where the Sheriff's station was a trailer along with the grocery store, but sure enough they had one of the nicest banks I've ever seen.  Actually they had two, one was a beautiful brick and mortar local independent bank with large columns typical of most of the banks I've seen in the area and the other was its contrary. Union Bank, a nationwide chain, was in a mobile home.

Sod farms, Alfalfa, and Grazing cattle seemed to be about all the farming I found in this area, as I drove by one sod farm that looked a little neglected I got up to a sign that said it would be up for auction in a few more days, too bad really, it was a beautiful piece of property.  On another lawn I saw the largest Razorback yet, Razorback is the name of the University of Arkansas' Football team and is probably more strongly followed by Arkansas Natives than the likes of UCLA.  I've heard about them for many years since Adam's dad was a huge fan and I saw memorabilia all around their house.  This lawn sculpture stood about 20 feet high and 40 feet long, I think it was made out of an old grain storage container that was cut in half with the top laid on it's side for the nose, hand painted by the family it was an impressive piece of lawn ornamentation.  Finally, as I approach about 15 miles out of Little rock I start to notice more civilization, as the capital and second largest economy in the state this beautiful little back road seemed to me like an excellent place for executive level housing, it's only twenty minutes out of the city and offers a type of solidarity not found anywhere else. 

  I left Little Rock only an hour after I had arrived, short trip and I didn't have anything else to see.  As I started the trip back I debated taking some more time to 'Wander the back roads' my mind was made up after stopping for a bite at Hardee's (A southern Carl's Jr. the difference being hand scooped milkshakes, oh yes I likely the milkshakes) and discovering a side road on the map leading through the Ozark National Forrest, with spotted towns on the way.   This decision was reinforced as I drove west on the 40, the main road and part of route 66 at this point, my eyes started to get as heavy as my foot.  Typical, when I get terribly tired or bored, so a distraction is called for.  It was about another 80 miles before the turnoff and I trudged along until the then, stopping to get something to eat at a Hardee's, obviously now part of the Carl Karcher corporation as the Carl's Jr. Star is a prevalent feature.  

As I get off on the road leading through Ozark National Forrest my interest now has turned to the local cemeteries of the area; I stopped to get a few pictures of them, and especially of the memorials.  In this area upright companion memorials are very common.  In CA a side-by-side location and upright would go for around 25,000.00 I don't know what they sell for in this town of 255, but I don't think it comes anywhere close.  One of the other interesting notes about this area is the eating establishments.  The first sign I run across is Bella's Backdoor Barbecue, a quick glance showed that Bella wasn't kidding.  On the back-enclosed porch is a window that read "ORDER HERE".  I'm now terribly disappointed I stopped for Carl's, errr, I mean Hardee's, but quickly moved on as I knew this trip would take me a little out of the way, besides I'm nursing a little heartburn from that shake back at Hardee's.  The next one was Clara's Cafe, I couldn't tell if you had to knock on her front door or just walk on in, I expect the menu reads something like "Whatever I cooked for Dinner!".  And the last one was up the road a Bamma, and it was Bamma's Burgers, it even had an open sign.

This road winds up some of the tallest mountains of the Ozarks, not the Rockies mind you, but amongst their surrounding somehow impressive.  The scenery is virtually the same as the rest of the state except for the hills; the view is blocked by dense forests and greenery that seems to never end.  The forest is broke occasionally by a cemetery, vehicle boneyard, and home's ranging from falling down shacks to mansions.  About 2 hours into this journey I realize that I didn't have as much gas or time as I thought and hadn't seen a station in a while.  When I entered the forest I had 100 miles of gas or so and Fayetteville was only 61 miles away, thinking that would be no problem I ventured in hoping to only make one stop for gas before returning the rental.  Now I was a bit more concerned, on and on through small town with no facilities I saw my MPG average declining through the narrow and winding road.  At about 10 miles to empty and still 15 to Fayetteville a station arises, well station may not be the best description for where I got gas but it had a pump so it would work.  I'm quickly appreciation Dad's half tank rule when around the next bend a small town creeps up.

The corner store had no signs just 3 pumps, one out of order, one for Diesel, and one for me.  All three read "No out of state checks, No Credit Cards, CASH ONLY" in pencil on a faded and withered piece of paper taped over the pump, glad I still had cash.  After looking around for the unapparent entrance I went inside to 'prepay' for gas, cause that's what you do right?  Inside there's a cooler wood floors, two men smoking a cigarette on 8 foot fold away tables, looks almost like a makeshift cafeteria.  The laminate counter that couldn't have been installed too long ago was withered and broken due to cheap materials and craftsmanship a true example of the meager economy in the area.  The lady behind the counter reminded me of someone that time forgot.  A cigarette in one hand the thin silver haired woman takes my cash without saying a word.  While filling a van pulled up and immediately stereotypes of Hillbillies flash through my mind, it's hard really when just about the only guy you meet looks like he stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting pulls up next to you in his single strap overalls, no shirt and red handkerchief hanging out of his rear pocket not to categorize the entire group of people in this area.  While distracted by this irony the pump proceeded to go right past the twenty dollars I had left the lady, I wasn't thinking it wouldn't stop but in retrospect I don't know how there would be any other conclusion.  Fortunately, I had enough cash to cover the overage, I wouldn't want to think of the penalty Jim Bob would have had for me if I didn't.   After this gas station 3 more similar stops arise and then the outskirts of civilization begin to pop out of the forest once again.

About 45 minutes late I meet dad and Hailey at the rental car place and we head back to Heidi and Adams, it's been a long day and a great trip and this leg is about to come to an end.  Tomorrow will be mixed with work and reflection for me before flying out the next day to Albuquerque for the Keith’s Wedding. 

But before I go there’s still that little time for a hobby of mine; try to get my Dad to buy his dream car, a Corvette.  It just so happened that as I was perusing the lots I came across a very clean 1986 Corvette.  A little old but one of the body styles Dad prefers so it’s a candidate, the best part was the interior was very clean, it only had a 109,000 miles on it, didn’t leak had good paint and was less than 7,000.  Heck if it turned out he didn’t like it he could sell it for more than that in CA, I want to tell you I was able to get him down there to even take a look at it but needless to say I’ll have to try again another day.