‘Hope’ for some tourism fun

Getting the occasional business trip is nice. Being able to get in some sightseeing is even better.

I have a business trip next week to Texarkana, Arkansas. I know. I know. It doesn’t seem like the ideal business trip spot. Who knows?

However, after finding out about going there, I researched the area for possible after work activities and sites to see.

Hope, Arkansas – the childhood home of former President Bill Clinton – is about 25 miles from Texarkana. I like to visit historical areas of significance. The childhood home of any president would be a must-see for me. So, I did a bit of research. I have the address for President Clinton’s home. I have the address of former Governor Mike Huckabee, who also grew up in Hope. Huckabee was a Republican presidential candidate in 2008. What are the odds that a town of 10,000 turns out two presidential candidates?

I have checked out a bit of the Texarkana metro area. The main photo opp appears to be the Stateline monument at the post office. It has a marker for the Texas-Arkansas state line with map outlines of both Texas and Arkansas on it.

In addition, Jim Bowie, creator of the Bowie knife, has a statue somewhere in town. H. Ross Perot, the independent presidential candidate in the 1992 and 1996 elections, also hails from the area. There is a theater named after his family there.

So, hopefully, I can hit these spots over lunch or after work.