Arkansas

November, 2016

My first destination in Arkansas was Fayetteville because Comet was there. Comet, from the Bibbulman Track in Australia. She's a grad student there and of course I went to spend some time with her. Trouble is, grad students teaching and taking courses don't have a lot of extra time for visitors. But that's okay. I needed down time too. She shares a house with a couple of guys, Nick and Rohan, who are also so students.

Fayetteville is a charming college town, home of the Razorbacks. Quite hilly and leafy. Loved seeing fall colors everywhere after dusty, treeless Oklahoma…that’s for sure. Comet and I were able to carve out time from her busy schedule teaching, attending classes, and grading papers to go to a play and attend a college girls volleyball game. And go out for pizza and Korean food! It was a great change of pace since on the bike I don’t really get much night life. I’m typically asleep by 9 pm most nights:)

I had decided to stay there through the election which gave me nearly a week and I have some hiking friends up in Columbia Missouri who offered to drive down with new baby on their busy weekend to see me. Why don’t I rent a car and come up? And that’s what I did. I’m sure I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again, I’d rather bike for 6 days to get some place than drive for 6 hours! The 6 days will be most enjoyable. The six hours is pure torture! Everything goes by too fast and you don’t really see anything. You don’t meet any of the locals. You don’t smell the woods. People traveling in cars are deprived of so much. They just get there faster and more miserable. But time was an issue. Need to get south before the snow flies, so I drove.

Bacon and Meander I met on the PCT in 2010. They finished. I didn’t. But we’ve managed to stay in touch in each others lives. I’ve visited them when they lived up in Wisconsin with their families when I drove to Wyoming in 2011. So it’s been a few years. And they’ve gotten married and had a baby in the meantime.

That's baby Zinnia

   

Bacon and Zinnia checking out the mules

So lots to catch up on. They live in a darling rental house out in the country close to town and their landlord and his wife, who live next door, have become a members of the family.  The landlord, Tom Stewart, has a mule breeding and training farm.  And I got to go on a mule ride!

It was a beautiful fall day.  We helped to hitch up the mules...omg, those harnesses are heavy!  I think there's a market in ultralight harnesses.  Think how much happier your horses and mules would be!

All hitched up!

Tom Stewart, mule master

Off we go!

Look who's coming up the rear!

Tom and fellow mule master...

 I can't believe I didn't take one picture of Fayetteville or Comet and her roomies.  Where is my head sometimes I wonder?  I guess I just took the week off...I was on vacation:))

I got back to Fayetteville after my delightful stay with Bacon and Meander...so nice to see them again!  Now I had a few days (and a car) to wander around the town.  Much impressed, I must say!  They were busy decorating the town square for Christmas.  Yup, I could live there!  A few days to run errands, gather supplies, enjoy time with Comet, get depressed over the election results, and I was on my way.

Terra Studios Art Park, most unusual place to camp

The first night out from Fayetteville some locals sent me to an Art Park as a place to camp for the night.  What were they thinking?  No camping was allowed even though they had a lovely picnic area.  I talked with the folks in the gallery and they called the owner who agreed to my being able  to camp near the toilets if I made a $10 donation.  As it was nearing sunset, I opted to stay.  One of the more unusual places to camp, that's for sure!

My more typical camping spot in the woods

Cowboys and church, great combination

Camping under a full moon in an open field

Arkansas is such a beautiful state

So I camped on that lake, Cove Lake near Mt. Magazine

One of my favorite camping spots so far

Waking up to this, who wouldn't love it?!?

Ahhhh!!!!

This was first!

   Another pretty lake...Nimrod Lake

   Rain was coming.  I needed to stay put.  Found this federal campground, 1/2 price Senior Pass applied, showers and power, I'm in heaven! Practically the only one there.  On my way here, I came down miles of dirt road, my favorite road to ride, when a truck came up behind me.  I was on the left biking because it was smoother so he passed me on the right, waving his arms out the window yelling and smiling away.  He stops.  He and his wife get out to chat.  Turns out they had seen me pass through town the other day and were excited to see me again and be able to talk to me.  They had told a friend of theirs "now there's the kind of woman you need...she can take care of herself!  A real woman?"  This guy was Gomer Pyle if there ever was one.  Wish I'd gotten a pic.  But so sweet and so sincere.  His wife said he loves to live in the woods and knows all the names of plants and trees.  One of those special moments only a bike traveler gets to have.

Another beautiful sunset.  And even though I see many, I never lose the wonder.

The rain in that campground turned to hail...glad I wasn't on the road then.

And another night as I'm nearing Hot Springs, I got hit with a heavy frost!  Brrr!!!

The next day I cycled into Hot Springs.  This is a town I spent a lot of time in before I retired from Xerox 10 years ago.  I was designing an automated billing system for our scanning services center there.  This was definitely a destination for me.  First, I wanted to see if I could meet up with some of the woman I worked with when I was here.  Then I wanted to see the owners of the Inn I used to stay at.  I accomplished both.  Yet again, no photos of Kat and Amy, and our lunch together in town that Sunday.  I was so delighted they were able to come together last minute and catch me up on their lives.

From there I cycled out to Lookout Point Lakeside Inn on Lake Hamilton to reconnect with Ray and Kristi Rosset, the owners.  This place is truly a sanctuary.  I felt right at home being back there!  

Lookout Point Lakeside Inn, Hot Springs, Arkansas

How's this for a view?

Lake Hamilton, Arkansas early morning fog

After leaving the comforts of the Inn...and that's always a bit of challenge :), the next big event was Thanksgiving Day.  I really wanted to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner, best would be with a small family gathering if that should evolve.  First thing that happened that day was my finding a woman's wallet on the side of the road with the credit cards and cash still in tact.  Unable to find her phone number in it, I called 911 and we made plans for me to meet an officer up the road at a gas station.  I got there early and had time to meet some of the locals.

These guys were just in awe of what I was doing!

And then a young man, who's only job was to get ice, stopped by finding the ice machine empty.  Luckily they still had some in the back so while he waited for the ice.  We chatted.  He ended up inviting me to his family party where some 30+ people would be in attendance.  I just wasn't feeling up to a crowd and since it wasn't on my route,  I declined.  I wasn't feeling the greatest that day because of groin pain and thought it better if I not make my day any more difficult.  So after meeting the cop and handing over the wallet, I continued south.  Finding a leafy, woodsy, roadside spot in an enclave of houses to camp for the night, I stopped a bit early.  I just wanted to sit and soak up some of the setting sun.  It's winter and setting so early.  While sitting there, a neighbor in his truck swung by and asked if I needed any food.  Nope, I'm good.  What about leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner?, he asks.  I won't say No!

And so I got turkey, deep fried okra, sweet potato casserole, rolls, sweet tea, and chocolate cream pie.  

What is the pink/purple paint on all the trees?, I asked myself.  Googled it and found out it defines Private Property boundaries...interesting.

Starting to see bayous 

Feeling a bit like an animal in the zoo:))

Coming across Arkansas I saw the most beautiful forests and cycled lovely rolling hills.  I even met an Olympian, a young lady just back from Rio after medaling in Modern Pentathlon.  It was her 3rd Olympics and she's in her twenties!

Another day I found a wallet on the side of the road with money and credit cards in tact.  After a call to 911, I met up with a police officer at a gas station up the road.  He said most people wouldn't turn it in.  I begged to differ...I think most people would.  I told him that he just sees more of the bad side of people and I get to see all the goodness.  

Sometimes it feels like there are so many stories, too many to share.  Some days I capture well with lots of photos.  Some days I'm so caught up in living the moment that I take not a one.  This life is rich with people encounters, and that, for me, is the best part of the journey.  But that's not to belittle those quiet nights under the stars that I crave.  I sometimes ponder "what next?".  I've mentally tried on getting a small van and driving around the US, and Central and South America.  But the journey wouldn't be the same.  I'd be locked in a vehicle seeing the world from behind the glass, disconnected from my environment.  I wouldn't have the people encounters, the rescues, the acts of kindness, the rich conversations.  I'd be challenged by finding a place to park it.  A parked car creates much more concern and suspicion than a bicycle and a tent.  Now I would have gas, and insurance, and park fees.   And for a frugal person, I cringe at the additional costs.  So, I guess that's not the answer. 

 I'll keep cycling and keep pondering...