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Before we started our day’s adventures, we first saw the inside of Leo’s House of Gyros for the most important meal of the day. Leo’s was voted best Greek food in Arkansas for several years in a row. I don’t know that they had a lot of competition in this area, but I thoroughly enjoyed their falafel, served with a thick doughy pita and hummus. Their hummus was light on tahini so it tasted a little bland, and I would have loved a larger serving of the accompanying cucumber/tomato salad (it was a tiny dibble, about the size of one small falafel), but after weeks of rich heavy foods, this made my stomach very happy.

Fortified, we headed over to the Capitol Building to take the self-guided tour:

The state seal, in stained glass

The main rotunda and its amazing chandelier. It is approximately 12 feet in diameter, 18 feet high, weighs more than 4,000 pounds, and is suspended by a 73-foot chain. I took many pictures of this chandelier.

The Governor’s Reception Room

Rotunda from the 2nd floor

Rotunda chandelier, side view

Bill Clinton’s gubernatorial portrait

Rotunda chandelier, close up. See, I told you I took a lot of pictures of this…

Main entry bronze doors, purchased from Tiffany’s in 1910 for $10,000

We had a blast visiting the Treasurer’s Office.

One of the office staffers, Hap, invited us in to tour their beautiful vault. The vault is secured by four doors and three time locks, the main door weighing in at a hefty 11 tons.

Their office actually does payroll cashing so they keep a chunk of change on site at all times. Then he asked us if we wanted to see what holding $230,000 felt like.

What an odd and unexpected delight. He took Polaroid photos of us and presented them in commemorative sleeves emblazoned with the state seal. He gave us a stack of coins minted with the head of the Arkansas State Treasurer, Martha Shoffner. He was friendly and enthusiastic and just seemed delighted to show us around. In fact, everyone in the office was the same way, pointing out a rotating display of works by local artists, asking if we wanted some water before we headed on our way… It was really quite overwhelming.

And that stack of money? It isn’t as heavy as I would imagine. Maybe about the weight of a football.

Inner vault cabinet door

An olde tyme calendar

It was hard to top the glitz and glamor of the Treasurer’s Office, but there were still interesting things to be seen in the building:

The Old Supreme Court Chamber

The Senate Chamber

The House Chamber

And last, but not least, the 1st floor women’s restroom

The embroidered vanity bench celebrates Arkansas’ sesquicentennial

Fun!