Four Little Rock women spent $244 on a Pine Bluff outing

Four women from Little Rock spent a total of $244 on a day trip to Pine Bluff and the surrounding area this week. They combined that spending with a $20 gas budget for a single car.

The group’s itinerary began with a stop in Redfield. They drove to Mammoth Orange, a diner located along Arkansas Highway 365. The restaurant has operated since 1966. The building is a midcentury roadside novelty structure. Ernestine Bradshaw opened the business. She ran the place until her death in 2007.

The women struggled to find a parking spot. They circled the building before taking a space from a departing driver. Inside, they sat in a booth under a painting of the building by Little Rock artist John Kushmaul. They ordered a cheeseburger, onion rings, tater tots, fried okra, and corn nuggets. A single chicken tender costs $1.99 at the diner. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is $2.49.

Next, the group drove to The Pines shopping mall. The mall is abandoned. Only one store remains open in a corner space. It is a Dillard’s Clearance Center. This is the only such store in Arkansas. The shoppers described the experience as retail roulette. One woman spent $124. She bought a black vest, a toile button-up shirt, shorts, and socks. There are no returns at this location.

The group then visited Saracen Casino Resort. They played various machines. One woman found success at a slot machine featuring a laughing Buddha. She had previously played a similar machine in New Orleans and won. The rest of the group lost $60. They observed an older man in a red suit riding a Scootaround through the casino while smoking a cigar.

The final stop was High Bank Cannabis Co. in Pine Bluff. The group selected this dispensary because they liked the font on the sign. As first-time visitors, they received welcome packages containing a cannabis journal, a T-shirt, and information about terpenes. One woman purchased five bags of gummies. The items included The Source Island Time, The Source Kiwi Lime Pie, Bold Lemon, and Bold Pineapple Downside Upcake. She paid $60 for the purchase. New customers receive a discount.

The group drove back to Little Rock after completing their stops. They had spent $60 at the casino, $124 at Dillard’s, and $60 at the dispensary. They also spent $20 on gas.

The day included eating fried food in a unique building and shopping in an abandoned mall. They finished with a cannabis purchase in Pine Bluff.