While in Little Rock, Arkansas we did a lot of exploring, and enjoyed checking out the Arkansas River. One of the cool things we saw was the Junction Bridge near the Clinton Presidential Library. Originally built as a railroad bridge in 1884, Junction Bridge was then rebuilt in the 1970’s and was eventually converted into a pedestrian bridge in 2008. It is a life-span bridge crossing the Arkansas River and ties together the towns of Little Rock and North Little Rock.
This $5.8 million rehab project resulted in the 360-foot lift span being permanently fixed at thirty-eight feet above the river, with access provided by stairs or a glass-enclosed elevator. About eighty percent of the project was supplied by federal funds, with Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Pulaski County providing the remainder, as well as ongoing maintenance funding. The Junction Bridge was dedicated for its new use on May 17, 2008, and serves as an important link in the Arkansas River Trail system.
Today Junction Bridge is part of the Arkansas River Trail, and connects the popular River Market with the Argenta Historic District, ALLTEL Arena, and Dickey-Stephens Park. The bridge also completes a loop on the Arkansas River Trail formed by trails on the north and south sides of the river and the pedestrian-friendly Big Dam Bridge located seven miles to the west.
Since it’s completion in 2008, Junction Bridge has won a couple of awards! The Pedestrian Conversion Project was awarded the 08 Best Transportation Project and was also awarded the 08 Merit for Public Design.
One of the best parts of visiting the Junction Bridge is the fact that is part of Riverfront Park. This is such a cool park and definitely worth visiting. There are great views of the bridge and lots of places to take photos, including the silly one above.
Besides the great view of the bridge, you will also find that the history pavilion of the park takes you on a trip back in time. It is also home to an Indian Head statue which was carved by Peter Toth in 1975. This statue was one of approximately sixty Native American likenesses that he carved in all 50 states. The statue represents a tribute to Native Americans.
Riverfront Park is also home to more than 100 works of art across its 30+ acre campus. The highest density is found in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden. Sadly we didn’t have much time to check out the art sculptures, but did have a wonderful time walking around, reading some plaques, and watching the kids run around. Even our doggie seemed to have fun being out in the open air.
I-30 exit 141A, immediately south of river. Bear right, following signs for 2nd St. After two blocks turn right onto Rock St., then drive two blocks to Ottenheimer Plaza and Riverfront Park. You’ll see the bridge and parking to the left.
From the south
I-30 exit 141A. Follow signs for Clinton Ave. The ramp merges onto 2nd St., which quickly dead-ends. Turn left, then left again onto Clinton Ave. Drive 4 blocks. Turn right onto Rock St., then drive two blocks to Ottenheimer Plaza and Riverfront Park. Bridge and parking on left.
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is something I had wanted to visit and explore for quite a while. I was very happy to be able to see it on our latest trip to the area. For those that may not know, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum is in honor and dedicated to the artistic legacy of none other than Georgia O’Keefe. More about her life throughout this post. For now I want to share more about the museum itself. Continue reading “Georgia O’Keeffe Museum – Santa Fe, New Mexico”
Hi there everyone. In a couple of weeks, Gene and I will be heading to Albuquerque so I did some more research on the area and check out some of the things we wanted to do while in New Mexico. We have actually been to Albuquerque quite a few times and have fond memories of the Balloon Fiesta, and our Breaking Bad tour. However, there are always more things to see and do, or explore in a different city. Thus I did some research (so you don’t have to) and found 8 must-see attractions in the area. These are in no particular order.: Continue reading “Albuquerque, New Mexico- 8 Fun Things To Do in Duke City”
Gene and I have enjoyed many long weekend trips to Casper, Wyoming, and enjoy this little city a lot. Quite often we are there during the hotter time of the year or the cooler time of the year. For some reason, it just seems to have worked out that way. Thus, we have tried to do some museums and such when it is really hot out. If we are not at a museum, we are often at Frontier Brewing, or Backwards Distillery, lol. Hey, you have to support the locals, right? In all seriousness, we have enjoyed a few outside attractions such as the amazing Ayres Natural Bridge, and the beautiful waterfalls at Rotary Park. However today, I wanted to share a little about some of the best Casper museums in and around Casper, Wyoming. These are in no particular order:
In a complex building in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais, is the Centre Pompidou, It is named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France from 1969 to 1974 who commissioned the building, and was officially opened on 31 January 1977 by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. It houses the Bibliothèque publique d’information (Public Information Library), a vast public library; the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe; and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research Continue reading “Centre Pompidou Museum – Paris, France”
I love art as you can probably tell from some of my posts such as The Musée d’Orsay Museum, Art Institute in Chicago, and many more. You may also notice that I really enjoy impressionism art, and had to visit the Walker Art Gallery when we were in Liverpool, England. I had never heard of it until we were talking to some locals in Manchester who told us we had to visit if we liked art. Thus, we took some time one day to explore the museum. PSA, make sure to talk to locals when traveling. They have the best advice! Continue reading “The Walker Art Gallery Museum – Liverpool, England”
We have had a few fun times exploring Rapid City, South Dakota and the area since living here in CO. Of course we had to do the big attractions like Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse, but we also look forward to doing some more historical and local attractions on our next trip in May of 2022. With a budget in mind, I also wanted to do a few free things while in the area. Thus I did some research and found 7 free things around Rapid City that I think would be fun to do. Here is my list (alphabetically): Continue reading “Rapid City, South Dakota – My Top 7 Free Things on Our to-do List”
In late May of 2021 Gene and I took another road trip to Billings, Montana to see my niece and nephew who had just moved there. We had been before, but there was one thing we hadn’t seen on previous visits was Pictograph Cave State Park which is located about five miles south of Billings.
In June of 2019 we were heading to Omaha for a few days before I continue on to Des Moines, IA for the LWMS convention. We have been through Omaha once before, but never explored the area. We did go to watch an Angels vs Royals AAA affiliate teams play a game at Rosenblatt Stadium before it was torn down to make more room for the zoo. Other than that, it is a new city to us. Thus I decided to do some research and find some fun things to do while we are in the area. While a few charge a small fee, many of them are free. I look forward to our trip and creating posts about our adventures. Continue reading “Omaha, Nebraska – My Top 7 Things on Our to-do List”
In November of 2019 we did a staycation and spent a long weekend at the Hyatt Place here in Boulder, CO. While there we were able to do something that we hadn’t done since we’ve lived here in CO, we walked up and down Pearl Street Mall. Here is a little bit of trivia for those interested, the Pearl Street Mall was officially dedicated on August 6, 1977. It was nice to be out and about, but the most fun was watching all the street performers. It was a little chilly, but not too bad for the beginning of November. Continue reading “Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, CO – Boulder’s Commercial Artery”