The New York Times does not have the market penetration in the South that it enjoys in the North. This is a shame. As a result, it fell to the local newspaper that was placed by our hotel room door yesterday to inform us that Graceland was just voted the top musical attraction in the country. Thus proving yet again – that there is no accounting for taste. Our first stop in Little Rock this morning was Little Rock Central High School, the storied site of the Little Rock Nine. It astounded us that students Mariah’s age and younger, received such unconscionable treatment after the Brown vs. The Board of Education decision. We then traveled to the The Clinton Presidential Library because it was the second most interesting thing we thought we could see in Little Rock. As anticipated, Al Gore received only a courteous but brief mention from time to time, and Hillary was credited with having contributed significantly to the administration’s accomplishments over the years. Naturally, the well-designed, LEED certified Library fulfills its purpose by presenting the Clinton years in the very best possible light. What surprised and impressed me most, however, was the matter-off-fact inclusion of the unsuccessful impeachment hearings and the events concerning Ken Starr and Monica Lewinsky. The presence of these embarrassing matters compared favorably to Graceland where Elvis was depicted as never having divorced Priscilla or having gained a pound from the day he entered the army. Despite my musings on Graceland, know that seeing that particular site was not given much thought as we planned our cross-country trip. Rather, Mariah and I were motivated in large part by our desire to interact with people from different parts of the country. We reasoned that we would inevitably gain mutual understanding, insight and ultimately bridge gaps between our decidedly East coast views and those held by many residing outside the region if we created opportunities to exchange our perspectives. Arkansas has really tested this hypothesis. Billboards on its highways depict a world view that ranges from very uncomfortable to anathema to us. The final photo attached to this post was located near the Harrison, Arkansas, main Chamber of Commerce building.  It provides the clearest indication of the chasm between our beliefs. We couldn’t believe it existed.  We are looking forward to our drive through Missouri and into Oklahoma tomorrow.