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Clinton Library Museum

By
Judy
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Flashback – Arkansas:



The William J. Clinton Presidential Library, 1200 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, Arkansas is – in one word – impressive. The library is a raised building overlooking the Arkansas River and its bridges. Locals refer to it as the ‘double-wide on stilts.’ The trailer reference has little to do with Clinton and more to do with former Governor Mike Huckabee, who lived out of a trailer, parked on the front lawn while the governor’s mansion was being remodeled. The Clinton Library is far from a trailer. The entire building is environmentally friendly with solar panels, recycled materials and energy efficient everything.

The three-story facility opened in 2006 and was financed completely through donations and contributions. Filled with a mix of black-and-white and color photos, the library details Clinton’s eight-year administration timeline from 1993 through 2000. There are interactive touch-screen stations, a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, biographical material of Clinton’s early years growing up in Hope, Arkansas and monthly binders to access the President’s daily schedule.

Most impressive were a series of hand-written letters from people like Fred Rogers (Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood) who praised Clinton for encouraging children to read, and there was a letter from Paul Newman. The Hollywood actor turned race car driver received a note from Clinton about a racing accident March 7, 1996. Newman responded, “Dear Mr. President. Thank you kindly for your note. It was a humiliating experience. I’m the only race car driver in modern history to crash off the circuit at 25 m.p.h.”

The other impressive section paid tribute to the Little Rock 9; a group of black students from Little Rock Central High School who tried to integrate the school in 1957. The story about the students was fascinating, especially since Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus defied federal orders when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial integration was unconstitutional. The Governor used the Arkansas National Guard to block entry to the school, but he was trumped when President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened and sent the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students to school.

Aside from the Clinton Library paying tribute to the Little Rock 9, there was also a life-size bronze statue of the nine students outside the State Capitol.

The Word on the Traveling Elvis Exhibit

By
Judy
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0
Elvis Museum, Memphis, 2021

ELVIS AT 21…

A traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute is on display at the Clinton Library through September.
Elvis Museum, Memphis, 2021
“Elvis at 21” features black-and-white photographs by Alfred Wertheimer. Hired in 1956 at age 26, Wertheimer was instructed to exclusively shoot promotional images of the rising star.
“First of all, he made the girls cry, and second he permitted closeness,” said Wertheimer.
The photos captured an intimate Elvis, sitting in a train car with a phonograph on his lap, or in a rare instance, standing alone in a train station – unrecognized. There were photos of Elvis lying on a couch using a pile of fan mail as a pillow; a bunch of letters torn to bits, lying on a table in the foreground.
“I’m not going to carry them with me,” said Elvis. “I’ve read them and seen what’s in them and it’s nobody else’s business.”
While in the Elvis exhibit, a woman said her husband busted her out for crying as she looked at the photos. “I mean he’s been dead since 1977,” said the husband

Guys just don’t get the impact of Elvis.

The promised note on the Elvis exhibit, then an update on the Clinton library visit — (See previous post picture HERE.)

A note from Germany…

By
Judy
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Past travels yield long-time friendships. This is a note from European (Germany) friend, Christiane.

Dear Judy,

When are you coming back to good old Bavaria????? The Lederhosenboys miss you a lot and I am sure you miss their gorgeous behinds!!

There is always a room for you in my house. We have had crazy weather, hot thunderstorms, hail and rain. It changes all the time, but I am still swimming every day. There are a lot of beer festivals going on, so think about it may be for next year.

Be careful on the road,

your German friend from Bavaria Christiane

Award-Winning Helen

By
Judy
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Many churches across the south have provided safe haven for me as I bicycle home from Austin, Texas.

Wheeling into Newport, Ark. last Tuesday I stopped at First United Methodist Church. A handful of administrators in the office spent about five minutes debating my request for a corner in the church hall where I could throw my sleeping bag.

They mulled what room I’d stay in, who would turn on the air conditioning, and how I would get a shower?

It was five minutes too much for Helen Bullard who was sitting across the room trying to send an attachment with an email. Helen swung her head back and said, “She’s coming home with me tonight. Problem solved.”

Helen was a get-it-done kinda gal.

“Well you’ve just been adopted by the 2010 Jackson County Woman of the Year,” said the pastor. “Pfft,” said Helen, waiving off the recognition and returning to her typing. A small woman, Helen wore wire-rim glasses, had collar-length blond hair and endless energy. She also had a direct demeanor and a common-sense opinion about everything.

“I’d like to know who made the rules about women and makeup,” she said.

We had been talking about her woman-of-the-year award and her invitation to President Clinton’s inauguration. “I mean men have it easy and Kenneth (her husband) can fit into that same tux for years,” she said. There was quite a bit of lamenting about women and fashion until Helen finally ended with “high heels should be outlawed.”

And we were onto other things.

Helen lived on a farm on the outskirts of town. Retired and a grandmother of twin teenage girls, she donated a lot of her time and was adept at volunteering friends as well.

“Hi, it’s me. You’re making beans for this summer cinema we’re doing,” she said, multitasking phone calls while we ran last-minute errands. “Two of my least favorite, beans and potato salad and we’re having both at this thing.” After solidifying a few more details, Helen hung up. “I’m not sure how they like it, but these people need to get involved,” she said. Volunteering came easy to Helen.

Aside from her work at the church, she was vice president of Keep Newport Beautiful, secretary of the local garden club, and head of the Newport Newcomers Club. Helen also started a free clinic in Jackson County and she and Kenneth often took home top prize in an annual catfish cooking contest.

The couple spoiled me with wonderful conversation, a fantastic homemade dinner of ham, coleslaw, cornbread, and a squash and bacon salad.

Kenneth was dressed in his designer of choice; Carhart.

He kept half an eye on the St. Louis Cardinals game as we talked about farming, how I planned to cross into Missouri, and what Helen was going to do tomorrow.

“Well, I don’t want you to fall over when I say I’m going to attempt to clean the house,” she said.

Helen was so dry.

“And I’m not a morning person so don’t expect me to be seeing you off,” she said, speaking in my direction. As I prepared to leave around 6 a.m. Helen was already in the kitchen, offering to whip up bacon and eggs.

After another two hours of conversation about Helen’s attempt to incubate eggs, a fox killing her first round of chicks, and Arkansas’s attempt at generating tourism with the Rock n’ Roll Highway 67…. I was on the road again, knowing if I was ever in Newport I had a place to stay.

Pittsfield, IL – Watson Hotel

By
Judy
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One of the lovely rooms in the historic William Watson Hotel in Pittsfield, Ill.
This pictures SO does not do the hotel justice.

Illinois “State Sovereignty, National Union”

By
Judy
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Big, industrial, steel bridge over the Illinois River.

Sunrise outside Havana, Ill.


Homeward bound…crossing the Illinois border

By
Judy
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Visited the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal, MO.



and finally………..one state closer to home!


Ride, ride, ride…..Hitchin’ a Ride

By
Judy
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Bowling Green, MO-
What are the chances?


Tom & Dick from Fond du Lac Express,
a moving company based in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Met them outside Crystal’s Restaurant in the
small community of Bowling Green, MO.
They were going back home this morning and had room
in their truck for one bike and one passenger.

For the record —

By
Judy
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FARMINGTON, Missouri – Crossed into Missouri last week Thursday, June 16.

Since beginning the tour May 18 I’ve collected about 1,600 miles, crossed Texas and Arkansas, experienced one flat tire, one broken spoke, one really-bad dog chase, saved one snapping turtle, suffered zero saddle sores, and cobbled together some totally awesome adventures.


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I can tell I’m not in the smooth south anymore as roads in Texas and Arkansas were pretty flatulent.

That means the road is really flat, right?


Exiting Poplar Bluff, MO and heading north there’s a lot more up-down, primarily because I’m at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.


Crossing through the beautiful Mark Twain National Forest on Highway 67 I pull into the small town of Farmington, MO. It is much like the Farmington in Washington County (Wisconsin) as both are bisected by a Highway H and both have that small, country feel as several homes had red, white, and blue bunting decorating the front porch. There’s the Farmington Press Daily Journal, the County Mart grocery and the Farmington city pool is across the road from a pasture full of cows.


One of the impressive things about Farmington, MO is the old St. Francois County Jail. It’s not like the famed Fillmore Turner Hall, but carries just as much history. Built in 1870, the jail is on the national historic register. On the north side of the building a plaque details The Jailbreak of 1932 when 31 prisoners huddled in the back of their cell as nine sticks of dynamite were used to blow a hole in the north wall. Five prisoners fled and were later recaptured, one was shot and another was shot and killed while climbing a fence that surrounded the jail. In the aftermath, the steel window that weighed 14 pounds was found two blocks away on top of the high school. In 1996 the jail was closed and years later the upstairs converted into a hostel for bicyclists. It’s called Al’s Place, in honor of Al Dziewa – an avid, local bicyclist who lost his battle with cancer in 2005. (See photo in prior post.)


The upstairs of the old jail was formerly the sheriff’s residence; the hostel retains much of the original architecture with thick wood beams running the length of the ceiling, exposed red brick and round windows. The city remodeled and upgraded the interior adding three bedrooms with seven bunk beds, two full bathrooms, air conditioning, a complete kitchen and a couple areas to relax on leather couches and watch TV or check the Internet. There’s also a laundry room and enclosed space on the lower level to safely store bicycles.


Many cyclists on the TransAmerican Trail, traveling east-west stop at the $20-a-night hostel. I just happened upon it via word of mouth and ended up spending the day.

The Katy Trail

By
Judy
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0

A portion of the famed Katy Trail,

a bicycle trail that caters to TransAmerican tourists riding east/ west across the U.S.

The Katy Trail even crossed this bridge which got me over the Missouri River.





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