Fort Worth to Mena

This is my first time to ride the whole Talimena Trail, and it was a great day to do it. It was nicely cool, with mixed clouds and sun, and not a lot of traffic. A few pics:






I left the local QuickTrip at 8:20, a little later than I wanted, but no big deal. Getting out of town wasn't difficult at all. You know, our freeways are pretty good if all those people aren't on them. Note to self: come up with some way to entice 3/4 of the people in DFW to leave.

Anyway, I decided to scoot up 121 to Bonham, then over to Paris, and north through Hugo and Antlers. 271 north from Antlers was nice, except for one 100-yard stretch of gravel with only one lane.

I ate lunch at Mama's Place in Clayton. Had a really good bacon cheeseburger. Pressed on and picked up OK 1 in Talahina. Nice, nice road. My only problem was a group of dune buggies that wanted to go slow. But they pulled off at an overlook before too long.

Now I'm at the Ozark Inn in Mena, watching Brazil play Columbia. More tomorrow.

great wknd for a cruise

nice pics

shiny side up

sw & chili

More pics would just be more of the same. Pics of the vistas just aren't quite the same as seeing them.

Ate dinner at the Chopping Block in Mena, and it was good. For some strange reason, I had the shrimp (yes, the shrimp in Arkansas). Good French onion soup, too. I wondered if there was going to be a fireworks show in town, but they do theirs on the 5th this year . . . and in another town. No sweat. I watched some TV (Sergeant York) and hit the rack early.

Left town about 8:20 and got back on 88/Hwy 1. A couple of notes about the road: In Oklahoma, much of it was chip-sealed sometime back. It isn't bad, but you have to watch it at the pull-outs. I nearly dropped the bike coming out of one of those. Lots of loose gravel. Also, the surface was better in Arkansas.

I decided to go down 289 to Broken Bow instead of back through Talimena this morning. I like the twisties, but I felt like I'd had enough of the tight stuff. Actually, the northern end of 289 was very nice, lots of climbing curves up over the top, then some nice ones down the other side. In all it was a great road.

I took that to Idabell, then 37 and 195 to Paris. 195 was a surprise. Had some nice curvy sections.

I made it home after about an hour or two too long in the saddle for my old back. Still, a great trip. Safe, fun, cool in the hills, and not too warm even in the flat lands.

289 is nice. Glad you had a good trip, Danny.

195 has always been a favorite of mine

& 410, above it is good, as well

sounds like you had a good ride

sw