Popeye The Sailor in Arkansas

Remember Popeye the Sailor Man? Alma, Arkansas does and it erected a statue of everyone's favorite sailor to prove it. If you're a big Popeye fan, you can also check out the spinach can water tower that proclaims Alma the spinach capital of the world. The spinach can is found off U.S. 71 North and also proudly sports Popeye the Sailor man.

The first Popeye statue was built in 1987 out of paper mache and fiberglass. Tourists in cars and buses would stop by to see it, laugh and leave. Residents of Alma were a bit embarrassed by it all so they decided to either get rid of the statue or make it into something to be proud of. After much discussion and debate, paper mache Popeye was retired in 2007 and replaced with the bronze statue and fountain now in Alma's town square. The original statue is in a store called Kustom Kaps right up the street.

Why all the Popeye love in Alma? Alma is the home of Allen's Canning Company, which cans spinach. They are also home to the annual Spinach Festival held the 3rd weekend each April.

To see Popeye for yourself like Lil Dude Troll did, take exit 12 on I-40 and go south on US 71. Go through the traffic light, bear left, then turn right onto Fayetteville Ave./Hwy 162 into downtown. The Park is near the end of town, on the right.

Popeye and Lil Dude Troll in Alma, Arkansas

Remember Popeye the Sailor Man? Alma, Arkansas does and it erected a statue of everyone's favorite sailor to prove it. If you're a big Popeye fan like Lil Dude Troll is, you can also check out the spinach can water tower that proclaims Alma the spinach capital of the world.

The first Popeye statue was built in 1987 out of paper mache and fiberglass. Tourists in cars and buses would stop by to see it, laugh and leave. Residents of Alma were embarrassed that people were laughing so they decided to either get rid of the statue or make it into something to be proud of. After much discussion, paper mache Popeye was retired in 2007 and replaced with the bronze statue and fountain now in Alma's town square. The original statue is in a store called Kustom Kaps right up the street.

Why all the Popeye love in Alma? Alma is the home of Allen's Canning Company, which cans spinach. They are also home to the annual Spinach Festival held the 3rd weekend each April.

To see Popeye for yourself like Lil Dude did, take exit 12 on I-40 and go south on US 71. Go through the traffic light, bear left, then turn right onto Fayetteville Ave./Hwy 162 into downtown. The Park is near the end of town, on the right.

Troll at Toad Suck Daze - 2016

Monk Troll at Toad Suck Daze - 2016

Toad Suck Daze is an annual free-admission 3-day music, arts, and food festival held in Conway, Arkansas. It has been celebrated for over 30 years.

In addition to the music performances by mostly local artists and the many arts and crafts vendors selling their wares, toad races are held each day. For these races, visitors enter toads they have brought from home or that were bred in the community for this purpose. The toads are given names like Blaze, Thumper, Awesome Toad, Lightning, and Bullet. Champion toads in different divisions are awarded trophy's. Profits from the festival and sells of t-shirts and merchandise provide funding for early childhood educational initiatives and college scholarships to deserving kids residing in the county.

Venturing down one of the lanes for craft
vendors with other festival goers.

The legend behind Toad Suck refers to a time when steamboats traveled up and down the Arkansas River which runs alongside Conway. When the water was not deep enough, the steamboats tied up where the Toad Suck Ferry Lock and Dam now spans the river. While captain and crew waited, they spent their time over liquid refreshments at the local tavern. People living nearby commented, "They suck on the whiskey bottles 'til they swell up like toads."

Monk Troll had a wonderful time at the festival and says, "If you want to have a toadaly good time, come to Toad Suck Daze Festival!"

Festival food!

Monk Troll is NOT a midway prize!

Rides for young & older.

 

Troll and the Little Golden Gate Bridge

There's a miniature Golden Gate Bridge few people know about in Beaver, Arkansas. Lil Dude Troll knows about it though and went to see what it's all about.

Although only 554 feet long and 11 feet wide, it is a working bridge carrying Hwy 187 across the White River in one of the most scenic area's in all of Arkansas. It is the last remaining suspension bridge in this part of the country.

 Lil Dude say's be careful driving across this famous bridge as it is only one lane wide so you have to be considerate of any cars coming across from the other side. Fortunately, in the sleepy little town of Beaver there's not much traffic to worry about. It is a little unnerving though as you cross the wooden planks above the river below and hear it creaking and the whole bridge begins to wobble a bit. It's held up since 1949 so you should be safe - probably.

Troll At Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales

Rundown it is, but there's good food and friendly folk inside

In the Arkansas Delta town of Lake Village is a true down-home eating establishment - Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales. The name should be tamales, pies, catfish, burgers and soul food cause that's what the place is rightfully famous for.

Rhoda, the owner, and her son cook up some good home-cooked eats and have been doing it for a good long time. The place itself is a bit rundown, enough so that the uninitiated might be a bit scared to go in, but remember, small town cafe's don't stay in business unless the food is good and the owners are friendly. All are welcome here and you'll end up with a good meal and probably a good conversation with Rhoda herself!

 

David's Burgers and Woodrow Troll

Announcing the newest member of the Troll family - Woodrow Troll. Woodrow, his family members and good friends just call him Woody, was adopted a few weeks ago, and is now ready to join the rest of the family willing to share their travels and adventures. Welcome Woody!

Woody's first trip was to a David's Burgers establishment in Arkansas, a counter-serve chain offering a simple menu of house made beef burgers & fries, plus ice cream in a cool retro-style diner atmosphere. The staff is always very friendly, welcoming you as you walk in the door, saying thank you as you walk out and plenty of smiles and friendly service in-between. For several years now, David's Burgers has won the "Best Burger in Arkansas" award. Woody wouldn't go so far as to declare David's Burgers as the best in Arkansas as he has tasted many, but not all the rest and lots of folks would consider the Texas chain Whataburger to be better, but they are pretty darn good and Whataburger has only 1 or 2 locations in the state to offer competition. 



Good size burger, fresh ingredient's & fresh, hot fries
makes for a good meal for most folks.

One thing they offer is unlimited fries and that's a very good thing! They make their own fries right there on the premises throughout the day so they are always fresh. Every few minutes a server walks among the tables offering more hot fries to anyone who purchased an order with their burger. A burger and fries is usually enough to fill up a person, but if you are especially hungry, those extra fries will take care of it for you.

To finish the whole thing off, ask your server for a free sample of their soft serve ice cream. Vanilla, chocolate or vanilla/chocolate swirl. It comes in a little, tiny cup with a little tiny spoon, but it is just enough of something sweet that it perfectly tops off your meal. And the ice cream is good enough to really tempt you to come back some other time to get a whole cone or dish of it. It's pretty darn good stuff!

Woody likes the retro diner décor!

Woodrow says you should check it out. You'll be glad you did! 



 

Two Rivers Park Troll

Two Rivers Park is a 1000-acre parcel of land in Little Rock, Arkansas. Located at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Maumelle Rivers, this scenic park offers recreational uses such as walking, bicycling, horseback riding and family activities. About 450 acres of the park is wooded wetlands and the rest is mostly open fields. Both areas have paved and cleared trails.

Lil Dude Troll visits the park often and says if you happen to be in the area, it's a great place for a picnic and a lazy afternoon of laying back on a shady patch of grass watching the river roll by!

 

The County Fair

The County Fair

by Laurie Dawson

The county fair is a bright balloon
Carried on a string,
An ice cream cone and popcorn stand,
A many-splendored thing.

The county fair is a hundred things
All to see and do . . .
A daring act, a flower show.
It's cotton candy, too.

The county fair is the midway,
A kewpie doll for a prize . . .
A shooting match, a thrilling ride
For every age and size.

The county fair is blue ribbon day
For every canning mom
Whose jar is judged the best of all,
Such gay ones to choose from.

The county fair is the farmer's day
With prize steers in the rings;
The best crops, the fowls, the pets
The county fair's many things.

Toltec Mounds in Arkansas

Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park

A National Historic Landmark, the Arkansas Toltec Mounds site located in Lonoke County between the towns of Scott and Keo comprises one of the largest and most impressive archeological sites in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. The park preserves Arkansas's tallest American Indian mounds. Three mounds remain where 18 once stood surrounded by an earthen embankment 8 - 10 feet in height, a portion of which is still visible today. The two tallest mounds once stood 49 and 38 feet tall, astounding since the mounds were built one basket of dirt at a time. These ancient earthworks are the remains of the ceremonial and governmental complex which was inhabited here from A.D. 650 to 1050. Mound groups like this one were religious and social centers for people living in the surrounding countryside. The Toltec Mounds site had a small number of residents who were primarily political and religious leaders of the community and their families. 

The largest mound still remaining

There are no clues as to why the site was abandoned or what happened to the native Americans who built it.

Mound Lake is next to the mounds (you can see one in the background here)
and contains a large population of Cypress trees

Cotham's - Home Of The Hubcap Burger

With its false front, wooden sidewalk and rusty tin roof, Cotham's
doesn't look like much from the outside.

Cotham's Mercantile in the little town of Scott, Arkansas began life as a general mercantile store in 1917. Serving area farmers and plantation owners, it also served as a military commissary and as a jail for prisoners waiting to be sentenced by a circuit-riding judge.



In 1984, a small eating area was opened serving lunch for people in the community. Word about the quality and quantity of the food being served soon got out and people from Little Rock starting making the drive. It became a gathering spot for politicians like Bill Clinton, George Bush, and many other distinguished and famous folks.

The Hubcap Burger was much too big for a little troll to handle so
here is a regular-sized burger with fried green tomatoes

Little changed from the day it opened in 1917, it is now famous for a hamburger "big as a hubcap," large, perfectly cooked onion rings, and home-made fried pies. This small town "hole in the wall" institution has been featured on television shows like Rachel Ray's "Tasty Travels" and the Travel Channel's "Man vs Food" and Food Network Magazine voted the Hubcap Burger as the "Best Burger in Arkansas."

Regular-sized burger with deliciously crisp onion rings

Old merchandise from the days of being a military commissary
still line the shelves.

There's plenty of old, dusty stock items providing interest for just
walking around and looking while you wait for your food

Crystal Bridges Museum

Crystal Bridges Museum

At the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. A beautiful building in a beautiful setting presenting some true American art treasures.

In the cafeteria for a cup of coffee

 

Strolling the beautiful museum grounds

Hiking one of the trails on the museum grounds

Booger Hollow, Arkansas

Don't forget to count the coon dog!

 In Pope County on Scenic Arkansas Highway 7, Booger Hollow trading Post was built in 1961. It has been closed for a few years now, but in its heyday, it was quiet a tourist attraction. It consisted of the post itself, which featured hillbilly themed knick-knacks like corncob pipes, polished rocks, painted handsaws, hand-made quilts, and hand-carved walking sticks. It also sold hand-crafted items and goods like honey with a piece of the comb in the jar, sorghum, and lye soap. Items like the "Hillbilly Chicken Dinner" (a wooden box you opened to find only a piece of corn glued inside) and the "Hillbilly Lighter" (a wooden box which contained a match) were popular sellers. It also held a post office and sold fishing bait.

Next door to the post was a restaurant called The Chuckwagon which featured high-browed fair like the Boogerburger, the Boogerdog, ham sandwiches and frito chili pie. There was also a small store that sold cured hams. The main attraction though was the two story outhouse. The lower level was a real working outhouse, but the upper level was always closed with a sign on the front which said, "Upstairs closed until we figure out plummin."

Check out the full writeup on our sister site 1DustyTrack.com.

The famous double-decker outhouse

Bygone times