ARKANSAS RICELANDS (LONOKE TO TEXARKANA) (Mark)

Cheri had the road atlas for Arkansas on her lap and we left Lonoke with a full tank of diesel and the interest in exploring.  Just out of town we saw a lot of area like this.

The primary commerce for this area involves rice, cotton, and catfish farming  . . . Yes you read that right, growing catfish.  Not sure what a catfish roundup might look like when it comes time to take them to market, but it probably does not involve a lasso.
 
When we got to this juncture we had to make a choice.

We decided to turn right and a few miles later we ended up in England.  It did look a little different than what I remembered, but I imagine things can change in the 33 years it has been since we were in the UK.

After leaving England we continued to wander.  This part of Arkansas has a significant amount of bayou and swamp.  It must have been very interesting to watch the roads being built. 

On a slight elevation rise is the town of Rison, which we entered looking for coffee.  County seat of Cleveland, the Courthouse and fairgrounds are here.

Rison also has another point of historical interest.

We did significantly more wandering after leaving Rison, but that story will be told in subsequent postings.