What to Do........

celeste

I need some help. Does anyone know Arkansas very well. My husband is going to Paris, Arkansas on business and I am going along for a mini vacation. We are coming back through Memphis to Kentucky. The question I have is this - We will be checking out of the hotel on Friday morning while he goes on to the site he is doing business with. I don't know anything about Paris other than it is a small town. First of all, I have no sense of direction and secondly does anyone know if there is anything to do in this little town for the few hours I will be "on my own." By the way my husband is a consultant "trainer" in the quality area of manufacturing. He is busy right now with TS 16949 Internal Auditor training. If anyone is looking into to that kind of training or any other in the quality area, let me know.

Remember the question at hand is Paris, Arkansas???? :-?

Don D

Hmmm. Are you really interested in sightseeing in Paris or trying to drum up business for the husband? I know exactly where Paris is and doubt there's much at all there other than the city limit sign and a couple of boarded up factories. You could drive to Little Rock and see the slab where the Clinton museum is going up, or swing by the Mena Arkansas airport where all the South American drug-drops occured 15 years ago, or drive over to Hot Springs to the horse track and beautiful lakes and spas. The mountains and ridges in Arkansas are breathtaking and the troopers are plentiful. They all look just like Jackie Gleason with shades on. I do suggest that your husband email the quality manager or ISO person at that facility and ask him to email you back with information about the Paris area and perhaps fax your husband a pamphlet on the area. This would do the trick. When going to Arkansas, ladies must remember to take along a well-worn pair of leather, high-rise, brogan boots and something to dip or chew. Madras shirts with seer-sucker clam digger pants is/are also the order of the day in Arkansas. Enjoy your trip and swing back through MS for some New-South warmth, biscuits, porch-rockin', road-trippin', hand cranked ice cream and cornbread (not all at the same time of course).

celeste

I'm only looking to fill about 4 hours off time while my husband is at the plant and he drums up his own business. I'm just wondering if there is a little strip mall and maybe a Wal-Mart or anything I can do with 4 hours or so.

Don D

If you're flying in, there's a mall. If there's a two lane, paved road, there's a Wal Mart. Seriously, if your hubby won't email the factory's quality person, then you can call information for the Paris Chamber of Commerce or Mayor's office if there's no Chamber. Either will be delighted you're coming to town to spend a few bucks.

bamahr

I bet Paris, Arkansas has a web-site - maybe the Chamber of Commerce can provide you information on a mall or something historic.

celeste

Sounds good...hubby thinks it sounds unprofessional for a consultant to ask where his wife can shop. We are not flying in because there is no way to get there from KY. I'll look into the ideas! Thanks for your help!

Don D

If your husband is a consultant, he is proven to be imaginative. How's this, "Say, Stan, I'm looking forward to spending time with you on the 10th. I've not been to Paris before. What's the area like? Can you see the foothills or the Ozarks? Is that where that famous annual religious "Passion Play" is done outdoors? I've heard about those Arkansas natural springs. I'd like to see something about the history of the area...have you got access to a brochure or does your area have a website?"

I have tons of out of state visitors and have for years. I'd not think one unproffesional who expressed an interest in my community. But, maybe I'm weird. Just pretend things were reversed and a visitor from Arkansas was coming to see you in Kentucky. Things ain't that different ya' know; what, 400 miles? Good luck.

celeste

I wouldn't mind telling a visitor about KY either but my husband thinks that he is there to work and should show an interest in the work at hand only. I guess that's why we are in "Human" Resources huh? I tease about being over-professional all the time. I don't know about you but I think he should loosen up.
No really, I don't think he would mind that much either but his contact is out on vacation this week (after I decided to tag along.)

jmpmo

Here is the website to the Chamber. [url]http://www.paris-ar.com/[/url] My husband and I travel to Arkansas a lot, so I keep this stuff close at hand.

Tony Kessler

celeste,
Here's a possibility that might take you just about four hours. Paris, which is halfway between Russellville and Fort Smith, is also about 30 miles south of Altus, Arkansas. Altus has several wineries (and tasting rooms) that you could tour if that sort of thing interests you. Interestingly, I read recently that a TV reality show is in the works that features Altus. Two well-to-do women were forced to live there for a month, and, of course, they hated it at first but ended up loving it, according to the advance press reports. I don't know much about Paris, but I suspect Don's description is pretty accurate. tk

Tony Kessler, director of editorial
M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC
(615) 661-0249 ext. 8068

celeste

I did some research on the internet also. I think Don is right, the population is 3700. But remember, my sense of direction is pretty sad. They at least have a Wal-Mart and I'm sure some other stuff (strip mall, book store, etc.) My home town has a population of 9,000 and I think I could occupy myself for 4 hours there if I could find my way back to pick up my husband.