Little Rock is located on the south bank of the Arkansas river near the center of the state.  The city is named after a small outcropping of rocks on the river bank.  Early settlers used these rocks as a landmark.  The city is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, and the mountains are what make this area so beautiful.

The Arkansas River and the USS Razorback, and USS Hoga

You don’t get a sense of the seasons changing in Texas.  At least not in the same way as living in the northern part of the country. So we thought this would be a great way to celebrate fall.

The trip from our home to Little Rock is four and a half hours, a nice drive for both us and the girls.  The weather was perfect and the closer we got to Little Rock the more the scenery looked like northern Wisconsin with huge evergreen trees bordering the highway.  Driving down from the mountains into Little Rock is my favorite part of the trip.  We have been through here several times in the past and I’ve always loved this part of the drive.

We chose the Little Rock North KOA, primarily because of its location which is close to everything we wanted to see.  KOA campgrounds are like any other campground, some are nice and some are worth avoiding.  This is a really nice campground with an abundance of trees and shade.  It is very quiet with the exception of road noise which really doesn’t bother us; that’s the price you pay for being close to highways.

Pulling into the campground the first thing that struck me was the smell of the leaves on the ground.  The ground was blanketed in brown leaves, and they were trying to rake up the current batch to make room for more.  The trees in this area are just beginning to change as the weather here is warmer than usual for this time of the year.  Believe me there is no lack of trees at this campground.  As you can see in the picture, a slight color change is starting to take place on the leaves.  With temperatures in the 50’s at night these won’t stay green for long.

No Shortage of Trees

As you might imagine, there are a lot of things to do in Little Rock.  First on our list was to tour the Rock Town Distillery.  Rock Town was the first legal distillery in Arkansas after prohibition ended, and this happened just six years ago.  This is a $7.00 USD tour, that takes 30 minutes covering the entire distilling process from grain to glass.  If you’re lucky enough to be over 21, you will get a free tasting at the end of the tour.

Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock Arkansas

You may want a designated driver for this one because you’re going to get approximately 16, yes 16, quarter shots.  You’ll start with Gin and go through their Bourbons and then move on to flavored Moonshine.  They were all good, some really good, and a few spectacular.  In the group we were in almost everyone agreed that the coffee flavored shine was the best.  Surprisingly everyone from our tour group disappeared after the tasting leaving Tammy and I to be the only ones that purchased alcohol.  This is in stark contrast to the beer brewery tours where almost everyone hangs around and will socialize after the tasting, and then buy beer to go.

The prices for their products are pretty reasonable in my opinion, and if you want to just get a sample pack, you will be able to really get a feel for what this place is all about.  Take it easy on the 100 proof Apple Pie though.

Sample Shine Pack

The tasting alone is worth every bit of your seven dollars at the Rock Town distillery, so don’t miss it.

Day 2 and were are off to see “The Old Mill” and the “Big Dam Bridge”.  Both are only about ten minutes from the campground.

The Old Mill

The Old Mill is really a 1930’s recreation of an 1850’s style mill.  Although it is a recreation, there are many authentic parts to this mill that date back to the 1800’s.  This mill was actually featured in the movie “Gone with the wind”.  The Mill is located in a residential area but you wouldn’t realize that once you step through the gate.  It is beautiful as are the entire grounds.  A word of caution; no pets.

The two-story Mill has no doors or windows to give the impression it is abandoned.  There is an incredible amount of work that went into creating this structure.  So detailed in fact that the wood planks made of cement can actually be identified by their tree species.  This picture shows that detail on the floor boards plus that is an original milling stone from the mid 1800’s.

The Milling Stone

The Mill has a stream going by that powers the water wheel, and then dumps our into a nice pond before continuing into the broader stream.  It appears that it is a home to quite a few friendly geese and duck families.  Crossing the pond is as easy as taking the bridge that is made to appear as if it was formed from twisted branches and tree trunks.

The pond in front of the old mill

The Old Mill really is an amazing place.  I’d recommend taking a lunch and just relaxing on the grounds.  If you only have time to see one place in Little Rock, this is it.

Next, on to the Big Dam Bridge.  Created in 2006, this bridge spans the Arkansas River and Murray Lock and Dam and at  a length of 4,226 feet, it is the longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in North America.  It rises 90 feet above the Arkansas River and 30 feet over the dam.  It was conceived as a way to boost the economy, but I haven’t quite figured out how, since there are no shops or restaurants next to the bridge but perhaps it pulls folks into the community.

The Big Dam Bridge

It’s a somewhat steep incline as you walk up the ramp leading to the bridge but easily accomplished.  You will want to stay to the right of the path as the bridge is frequented by bicyclists and joggers in pretty good numbers.  Looking down on the dam you will observe the locks and may see a boat or two going in or out.

The View From On Top Of The Bridge

It’s a bit of a round about journey to get to the bridge and the parking definitely doesn’t meet the demand of all the folks, so be prepared to circle the tiny lot several times to find a spot.  If you are traveling with your bicycle, then this is the place to go for outstanding biking as there are bike trails off each side of the bridge…next time.

Back at camp, Hannah enjoys the fall weather.

Day 3 is Sunday so we are kicking back and watching football then heading to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.  The plan is to tour a WWII submarine (USS Razorback), and a WWII tug boat (USS Hoga).  If you wanted to do so you could actually spend the night on the submarine in the crews quarters and then enjoy a continental breakfast in the morning.

The Razorback is not in dry dock, it is actually floating next to the dock.  It is a complete working submarine.  Therefore touching dials or switches is off limits. If you are claustrophobic, unable to go down or up ladders, or crawl through small door passages, this tour may not be for you.

The USS Razorback (SS 394)

The USS Razorback was responsible for sinking many Japanese ships during the Second World War including two Japanese destroyers.  It is an amazing tour as you go through the submarine starting at the aft torpedo room and moving forward through the crew quarters, galley, control room, officers quarters, and the front torpedo area.

Crew Bunks

There are 74 bunks on board the ship but since there were shifts around the clock it was not unusual for over 100 men to be working the ship.  The more senior your rank determined the location of your bunk.  Working on a submarine was a high risk job during WWII, so it was only manned by volunteers.  52 submarines never came home during the war.  Many of these are laying in unknown locations on the bottom of the ocean with their crews on board.

Officers bunk rooms and Galley were separate from the rest of the crew, but everyone, regardless of rank, ate the exact same food.

Front Torpedo Bay

Electricity provides all of the ships power.  Large Diesel engines are used to recharge the batteries only after the ship is on the surface.   The tour of the Razorback was amazing and something you could easily do more than one time.

We were not able to tour the USS Hoga because the EPA was requiring asbestos abatement on board the ship.  She is also floating in the water on the opposite side of the USS Razorback.

The USS Hoga – Pearl Harbor Hero

The USS Hoga is one of the Hero’s of the Pearl Harbor Attack.  Within ten minutes of the attack she was pulling sailors from the water, fighting fires, and pushing ships out of harms way.  For 72 hours the Hoga battled to extinguish other battleships fires.  She also pushed the USS Nevada to safety and out of the way so that the channel would not be blocked.  This is an amazing ship with an amazing history.

There is also a museum on site where you can learn more about these two ships and the USS Arkansas.  This is more than a “must see” if you are anywhere near Little Rock.  In my opinion this may be the reason you need to visit.

After the tour we went a few blocks away to Diamond Bear Brewing Co.  Here you can sample their beer with a flight of four, and have some food.  It’s a pretty limited menu however, and what they think passes for Wisconsin cheese curds……well let’s just say that being from Wisconsin it wasn’t what we expected.  Their beer is what I would call o.k., but they do make a really nice Bloody Mary beer.

Day 4, our final day in Little Rock.  It’s off to ride the Trolley and then try Lost 40 Brewery.

Streetcar stop

One thing we are starting to realize is that every time we try something here it exceeds our expectation.  The Trolley was just another instance of getting way more than you paid for.  At a dollar per person you get a fifty minute ride around North Little Rock and Little Rock.  Not only do you get the ride, the bus driver gives you a non stop historical tour.

Inside the Streetcar going over the Arkansas River

From the history of the city to specific land marks, you get detailed information block by block.  We can’t think of anywhere else you can get a deal like this…it’s amazing.

Oldest House in Little Rock

The First Capital of Arkansas

Next we ventured to Lost 40 Brewery.  Our previous Micro Brewery visit was somewhat of a letdown;  so we just weren’t sure what to expect.

Lost 40 Brewing

Lost 40 Beer Menu

This is a must stop for lunch and beer location.  I had the best pulled pork sandwich ever, and Tammy had a Ruben sandwich.  Both sandwiches came with zapps potato chips which were outstanding.  The beer was better than excellent, as was the food.  Tammy said she would be willing to drive four and a half hours just for the food…so we need to start making this a weekend retreat.  It’s hard to imagine a better beer or lunch anywhere.

In summary, after four days here in North Little Rock we only know one thing for sure; four days is not long enough.  There’s still plenty to do here and much more to see so this will be on the itinerary for next year again.

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