Coming Home: Little Rock to Hot Springs, Arkansas

Due to lovely I-40 traffic being at a standstill (not due to snowstorms fortunately), we arrived to Little Rock much later than expected. At this point, we just checked into our hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat at Panera, and called it a night.

Nick was ready for dinner!

The plan for the next day was to do a mini tour of Little Rock itself, and catch up on some R&R before heading over to Hot Springs in the late afternoon to visit with Aunt Margaret and family. At this point, Nicholas needed a break from the car, but my brother Bobby was kind enough to take lots of pictures of their sightseeing from around Little Rock during the morning/early afternoon.

Here are some of the photos he shared with me:

 Little Rock Central High School which is now a historic site as well an educational facility. In 1927, construction of its current location was completed at the cost of $1.5 million. It remains the nation's largest and most expensive school facility in use today.

 Central High School was the focal point of the Little Rock Integration crisis of 1957 when nine African-American students (known as the Little Rock Nine) were denied entrance to the school in defiance of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of integration of public schools. The showdown between Governor Orval Faubus and President Dwight D. Eisenhower gained national attention.

Our great aunt Laura Margaret Stewart was a teacher at the school during this time period. She was one of the 44 teachers and administrators that was fired from the school for supporting the Little Rock Nine in their right to an education. I am so proud of her and the role that she played in this pivotal part of history, and I could not be any happier than to share my name with such a special lady. 



Later that afternoon, we made the hour drive over to Hot Springs, Arkansas to visit with Aunt Margaret. It's hard to believe, but she was 99 years old and still the same sweet lady we loved and remembered. She was having memory loss at this point, but even if she wasn't too sure who we all were she was very glad to see us- especially Nicholas! She couldn't take her eyes off of him the entire visit and kept waving to him and smiling. She also enjoyed hearing Bobby play on his acoustic guitar as did the other residents at the facility. The visit was short and sweet and a special memory from the trip.

 Laura Margaret Stewart

Meeting Nicholas for the first time.

  Being serenaded by Bobby on the guitar.




 

 This has to be my favorite picture.

 

We then spent some time visiting with my dad's great aunt Ruth (Margaret's sister) and her daughter Lisa- and her daughter Rachel- and her daughter Adalyn! Four generations of daughters in all! Adalyn was born a few months before Nick, and it was fun seeing the cousins interact (not too sure on the technical term for their relation).

Saying hi to Aunt Ruth

Cousins

After our visit with Ruth was over, we joined Lisa, Rachel, and Adalyn for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (I couldn't get enough!), and got some silly shots of Nick wearing a giant sombrero. It was great being able to visit with family who I don't typically get to see. We had a lot of catching up to do, and we had lots of fun sharing stories and memories.

Adios

 This concludes the story of trip to Tennessee and Arkansas. The next morning we got up and made the drive back to Florida over the course of the next two days. We had such a great time and I am so glad that I was able to take Nick to see all of his extended family. He is one loved little boy!