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Published: January 2nd 2017
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I had heard about this town in numerous media - songs, TV, writings, etc. So when I saw that it was a great stopping point on my way between the Liberty Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, I decided to take the opportunity to explore. I've visited Kansas City, another city that's split between two states, but I think Texarkana - as the name implies - embraces that dual identity better. The city seems to be centered around State Line Ave, a street that literally divides the town down the border between Texas and Arkansas. The Post Office is also right on that border, and it's a great tourist trap for photographers. They've set up a "photographer's island" in front of the Post Office just for that purpose, so that you're not in the middle of the road but also out of the way of people coming to the post office for business purposes.
I got to town about 8:30 PM and found my hotel - the Wyndham Garden Texarkana - just off of I-30 on State Line Ave. Convenient. And nice, too. I recommend the location, the price, and the comfort. Texarkana doesn't apparently have a thriving night life, especially
not during the holiday season, so I saved my explorations for the next morning. Really the only thing that that added was daylight. I drove down State Line Ave until the Post Office caused the road to split on either side. There were a few people taking photos in front of the Post Office, so I decided to meander through the downtown streets.
There's not much going on in Texarkana on New Year's Eve, or maybe it was just a regular Saturday morning. The place was dead. None of the businesses were open, except the pizza place next to the Post Office. Honestly, it looked to me as though Texarkana had seen better times. Lots of the buildings were in disrepair, as you can see from the pictures. Maybe they are in the process of restoring some of them? Other than the unique dividing line between two states, there's not really much to recommend a visit to Texarkana, from a touristy point of view.
I had read in a brochure that there were some nice-looking homes along a street on the Arkansas side of town, so after I got my obligatory picture in front of the Post Office,
I headed that way. On my way, I saw a building that was unmistakably Art Deco, so I stopped, of course. It is the Miller County Court House, and it was fantastic. Nobody home, naturally, but I paid my respects. Then I was on my way to the historic homes. I didn't find any, but I did stumble across a unique-looking First Baptist Church nearby.
Before I got out of town I stopped at Bryce's Cafeteria on the Texas side of town. It was recommended, and I will pay that forward. They had so much good food - mostly Southern, mostly fried, but you don't really go on a road trip to lose weight, right? The staff was friendly and helpful, and there was plenty of comfortable seating. I probably gained 5 pounds from that meal, but I would do it again if I ever found my way in town. After lunch, I made my way to Paris, TX, for New Year's Eve.
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