A Quick Hop into Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas

May 21, 2019 – May 22, 2019

Written May 26, 2024

Traveling from Houston, Texas – approx. 6 hours and 45 minutes from Sam Houston Hotel in Houston to Courtyard Little Rock, Downtown

Arrival

Our stop in Little Rock, Arkansas was brief, a mere 21 hours. While I doubt, we scratched the surface of what the city has to offer, I saw enough to know that I’d happily return for a weekend or longer.

We arrived at Courtyard Little Rock, Downtown after a full day of travel (approx.10 hours on the road) at a little after 8:00 PM on a Tuesday night. This is later than I’d prefer to roll into a city/town, because I don’t feel like I get to take in all the sights and landmarks around me. Additionally, it also can limit options for eating dinner. Like now.  

The hotel is located right on President Clinton Avenue. Upon arrival I was unsure of where to park so I pulled onto the nearest side street and walked to the hotel lobby to inquire what to do. The hotel receptionist was wonderful, she suggested I check in right away, then go back to get my car and pull up to the front of the hotel to unload my bags and carry them to the room. After that go back to the car and drive around the back of the hotel to park in the lot. I did exactly that..

a view our room at Courtyard Little Rock, Downtown

Dinner

Once we were situated in the hotel room, we then scoped out where we could go for dinner. Luckily my traveling companion and I do not have dietary restrictions, which gives us flexibility when selecting somewhere to eat. We opted for a place that was walking distance from the hotel. Around the corner to be specific. Stickyz Rock‘n’Roll Chicken Shack, open til 11:30PM. Perfect! Even cooler than that, there was a path in the rear of the hotel that shortened our walk.

Stickyz was vibrantly colored, with fun knickknacks, cute little signs, and things to look at in every corner. A very eclectic and comfortable atmosphere. It was a quiet night, with a musician playing to a handful of patrons. We ordered an appetizer of Sticky Fingerz (chicken fingers), and we both had burgers. The food, the wait staff, the music, the atmosphere, all wonderful! We even discussed if we stayed another night or returned to Little Rock, we’d make it a point to return to eat here again.

Photo #1: Stickyz Rock'n Roll Chicken Shack events

Photo #2: a view inside Stickyz

Breakfast

The next morning, we had a bit of a slow start. I think I was recuperating from yesterday’s drive. For breakfast we headed over to Cathead’s Diner (permanently closed now). It was a few blocks away (10 min walk) from today’s destination anyway. We were heading to William J Clinton’s Library and Museum. Cathead’s Diner posted an all you can eat breakfast buffet, sounded like a great place to start off the day. I needed coffee, stat!

To get to Cathead’s Diner we used the free streetcar (you know how I love those!) a streetcar stop was about a block away from the hotel and there was another stop by the library museum. There was a little bit of a walk after we disembarked from the streetcar to Cathead’s, but we arrived in less than 10 minutes. I also think the strength of the sun might have made the walk seem a bit longer than it really was. The weather was a bit warmer than I’d prefer, mid-high 80’s but at least it was partial clouds and there wasn’t a lot of humidity. The restaurant was in a renovated factory, which checks off my “historic” part of my goals. Unfortunately, we arrived too late for breakfast, I was very disappointed and boycotted eating there (Yes, I can be childish at times). I did have a glass of water.

It was cafeteria style, so my companion went to grab himself some chicken and dumplings for lunch. The place was moderately busy and seemed like it was a hotspot for lunch. I enjoyed the cat theme, they even had “Litterboxes” written above the doorframe leading to the restrooms.

Photo #1: inside the Little Rock streetcar

Photo #2: a sneaky shot of the door decor leading to the restrooms at Cathead's

Museum

After breakfast we walked over to the Presidential Library. In truth, libraries and museums really aren’t my thing, but I’ve also never been to a Presidential Library so don’t know what to expect. The walk was quiet, we seemed to be the only people around. The library is situated alongside the Arkansas river and there is a bridge that you can walk across. The outside of the library was beautiful, it was a very modern building with glass windows all around on the top level. I don’t remember the price of admission, but I do remember that there was a difference in price if you wanted to do the tour too. I was expecting to learn about Bill Clinton’s childhood and his journey to the White House. Maybe it was and I missed that section. Because we were running a bit later than planned, we did not participate in a tour, instead we did a walk through the rooms on our own. Politics and government really aren’t on my list of favorite things either but being able to sit at a replica of the Cabinet room and watch videos on a screen in front of the chair was a nice experience.

Photo #1: view of Lake Arkansas from inside Clinton Presidential Library.

Photo #2: view of the replica of the cabinet room.

Wrap Up

On a guess, I’d say we spent about 3 hours wandering the rooms of the library, we hopped back on the streetcar around 4:00PM. We were the only riders, but the driver pointed out some interesting buildings and shared some stories about Little Rock on our ride back to the hotel area. As we disembarked, our Little Rock adventure was coming to a close, there was one more stop we needed to make. Souvenirs! Luckily Gifts of Arkansas was on the same street as our hotel, President Clinton Avenue. We picked out our t-shirts and magnets and about 30 minutes later we were in the car and off to our next destination.

Things I learned from planning this trip: a recurrent theme for me, but. Plan restaurant ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Take note of the hours, especially if arriving late to the area. Now that we have the internet and cell phones, there really is no reason to be unprepared.

Things I keep in mind when organizing a trip for myself: Come back for more. Little Rock seems to have a lot more to offer than what we were able to see. Spend more time driving around and drive the car to the Presidential Library to take advantage of some of the outdoor scenery.  Maybe visit in a different part of the year so the weather is cooler. I think Little Rock as a destination for a concert might be fun too!

Some information, such as baseball game information and directions were sought by using ChatGPT.

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