Started off at the state capitol here in Little Rock. Beautiful. See picture of fixture hanging from dome and the front brass doors were made by Tiffany. However, not to generalize, but I find the local people here very snippy - verging on rude. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. It seems to help that we are from FL. We must look like Yankees or something.
Almost forgot about bauxite in Arkansas. It's the state rock. When we were driving up here the other day I remembered from childhood that bauxite and hence aluminum came from Arkansas. Display on it in the capitol reminded me again.
We then stopped at the Heifer Foundation that has just opened a new Heifer Village educational center addition. The grand opening is this weekend. I had never heard of it but a man started it in the 40's with the idea "not a cup, but a cow". Kind of like give a man a fish or teach a man to fish idea. Anyway, it is now a huge foundaton with money coming from Bill and Melinda Gates among others. They provide farm animals and support services for farming and other businesses in over 125 countries including the US with the goal to eradicate poverty and therefore hunger. People who receive a cow, or goat, or chicks, etc. have to agree to pass on the gift to another poor person when the animals reproduce. Appears to be very successful. It is next to the Clinton Library and Clinton School of Public Service. The school and Heifer apparently cooperate.
Then on to the Clinton Library. As soon as we came in, a volunteer told us we could get recorded self guided tour if we wanted. Decided to do that. We were surprised when we started it later to hear Bill Clinton's voice. He narrated the whole thing. You would think she would want to mention that to encourage more people to use it. Kind of what I mean about people not into communicating very well. Great lunch in 42, the name of their restaurant as in 42nd president.
We feel like we didn't even make a dent in all of the stuff here. The main hall has a huge panel for each year of his presidency with a time line of things that happened. There are ongoing videos at each one and notebooks underneath with Clinton's daily appointment calenders and other great stuff. The room is lined with these little alcoves. Each alcove has a different theme like foreign policy, Hillary's role, the impeachment etc. Again, videos and lots to read. The pillars between the alcoves go up 2 floors and are filled with blue binders that hold some of the presidential papers. The important ones are in the archives building next door. I can't tell you how much there is to learn here.
There is a reproduction of the cabinet room where you can sit in one of the chairs and watch more videos on decision making and a reproduction of the oval office. More videos as Bill and Hillary present each room in the White House - what happened there and what they did to restore the rooms, etc. The third floor has personal memorabilia, gifts they received, lots of stuff on state dinners and people they entertained. More videos from the Press Corps banquets etc. Very funny. The orientation film is also great. Again Bill narrates the whole thing. You kind of feel that he is just having a nice chat with you through the whole thing - which of course he is. Just like he is saying, "let me show you what we got here." I think there were 30 audio stations as you walk around plus the stuff that is running all the time.
I would definitely come back. We were really pooped and didn't feel like we had done it justice. Huge thunderstorm just as we were leaving but waited it out and made it to the gift store. Some of the usual stuff but also some things signed by Bill for big bucks. Glad to be back at the rv to recuperate. It was just too much to take in and lots of standing to read and listen along the way. Raining on and off now.
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