Arkansas | Little Rock Check-in 🤓

Spent half a day wandering around Little Rock – here’s a little recap of my trip ⬇️ 📍 First Stop – Asian House A restaurant close to our hotel 🏨 Address: 612 Office Park Dr, Bryant, AR 72022 The restaurant is fairly spacious, and you can dine in. I ordered Stir-Fried Rice Noodles + Fried Shrimp Fried Rice 🍤 The owner was super kind and even gave us a free hot and sour soup! 😋 ➡️ My Take: Noodles were good 👍 / Fried shrimp had a slightly fishy taste 🐟 / Soup was flavorful and tasty! 📍 Second Stop – Little Rock Central High School A landmark of the Little Rock Nine event – an important site in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. ➡️ Historical Background: In 1957, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. However, when school began in September, the state's governor blocked nine Black students – who had been assigned to this school – from entering, deploying the National Guard to bar their access. Even after the Guard was withdrawn by court order, hostile mobs continued to cause unrest. In response, President Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students. On September 25, the Little Rock Nine finally entered the school under military protection 🎖️. This event became a major symbol of the ongoing struggle for desegregation in America. ➡️ My Impressions: There’s a visitor center, and guided tours inside the school are available (check the website to book). We drove there and walked around the outside – we didn’t go in, but we could see flags from different countries through the tinted glass doors. At the most famous photo spot, many Black visitors were taking pictures. Seeing this meaningful gathering at a place with such a painful history was deeply moving. 📍 Third Stop – Arkansas State Capitol Compared to the capitols in Austin and Oklahoma City, this one looks relatively modest. Instead of a statue (reportedly due to budget constraints), the dome is topped with a 24K gold-leafed copper acorn 🐿️, symbolizing Arkansas’s rich forest resources. The three main bronze entrance doors represent the state’s three historical phases: Colonial Era Territorial Era Modern Statehood If you're interested, you can look up more about the state’s history behind these symbols! ➡️ My Impressions: The building is pretty grand! The interior lobby is free to visit (we didn’t go in). The lawn features several sculptures, each with historical significance and English descriptions. The Capitol faces a long, straight road – the view is really open and impressive 🌳. #TravelDiary #Arkansas #Little Rock