Day 10: De Queen to Mena
"When your mind tells your body to stop and your body tells your mind to shut up!"
Lance Armstrong
That was what today’s ride from De Queen to Mena was. Geesh! What a ride. I had rain, mountains, construction, heavy traffic, 18 wheelers that couldn't change lanes to keep from whipping me, it was dark, there where dogs (a pack). And I'm not in the farmland anymore ... no wavers. Not to whine but today was the toughest day of the tour. Luckily, when I got to Mena to the Limetree Inn, my room was ready. The Limetree Inn is a nice place. Everything is right here. Wal-Mart, McDonalds, onsite restaurant, etc. Hat's off to Marty Harvey and staff! Thanks for the room!
When I ate at their restaurant tonight, which by the way was a great home cooked buffet, my waitress told me about her daughter and how she loves to run. From what she told me the girl is a serious runner! The dinner crowd made me feel as if I were in Sherwood where everyone seems to know each other and laugh and tells stories. It was like a safe haven. As I was about to leave she told the folks at the table next to me about my adventure and the next thing I knew I was sitting at Rich Mountain Community College's TV production studio being interviewed. It was actually one of the best interviews so far mainly because the guy interviewing me had a daughter that was one of our burn patients years ago. He knew the compassion of the hospital. To Rudi Timmerman and the crew at Rich Mountain ... thanks, it was an honor!
I did have to go to the Wal-Mart and there was an award on the wall from that Wal-Mart for contributions to the hospital. There was a photo of Dr. Arrington holding a little baby. So here in Mena I've already come across the dad of a burn patient and a Wal-Mart that helped us be who we are! Thanks Mena ... we love you too! I did see some neat stuff today. There is an architectural outlet place just outside of Mena with so really cool stuff! So many times on this trip I wished I had a truck and my bank account thanks me that I don't! HA!
I saw the headquarters of the Christian Motorcyclist Association. It's a pretty big office on top of Iron Mountain. Even though it was raining I still pulled over and took a photo. I wondered if the headquarters is a big place for motorcyclists to stop. Reason I ask that is because there were a lot on Hwy 71 even with the rain. Now most of them did that cool motorcyclist hand down and out by the knee wave.
Just outside De Queen is a trailer park with a huge marijuana leaf painted on a big piece of plywood with a big red circle and slash through it. That's also where the pack of dogs were. Really pretty spooky place.
I know there are no kids in the town of Grannis this week. They all left for camp or at least that was the way it appeared. The whole crop had on bright orange shirts. I bet some mom's and dad's go out of the town in Grannis this week! The kid's are gone! HA!
I'm in Tyson-ville. Saw lots of chicken houses and several times I saw 18 wheelers with chicken crates pull into very small dirt roads. I also passed a processing plant that was right on the highway. Oh man, when you aren't ready for the smell, it can wake you up good. I got it in my nose hairs and I kept rubbing my nose. HA! If I could have gotten off my bike and run with my nose on the ground like I've seen dogs do I would have done it but people in little towns already give me the look. Guess I best not push it, huh?! Watching the weather here, I guess with the rain and now the sun, it has kicked the heat index into high gear. They are saying heat index for this afternoon could hit 110?! Whoa! It doesn't feel like it right now.
(late entry here: it didn't get that hot and is comfortable at 7:28pm)
Tomorrow is a 79 miler to Fort Smith. I will leave as soon as it's daylight and hopefully get there mid afternoon. I shouldn't have the big dog climbs that I've had; at least I don't think so. Fort Smith is listed as in the river valley. Please tell me that still means you go downhill! Hey Vince, if you're reading this, I can go downhill really fast now. I've had practice. Wednesday night I will be in Booneville and I got some great news today! If you've read my other journal on crazyguyonabike.com then you've seen the buddy list. Ron is on that list and he's coming up to ride from Booneville to where ever we end on Thursday. It was just the thing I needed. Several friends were going to ride but life happens and they weren't able to. It was really hard trying to figure out how to get someone to a point then get them back to their car. Just couldn't make it happen.
Hey, I got to see the ESPY Awards and what a great show! I think the best part was the Arthur Ash Award to the two athletes with disabilities. Did you see their stories? Man, what an inspiration! Today's ride is for all those who don't let a disability get in the way of their adventures.
Speaking of athletes...Jerome Taylor rocks!!!! Wahoo!!!! I would love to see the parade Friday when he makes his return.
Oh, speaking of inspiration, several folks have asked me who my inspirations are. That's an easy question! There are several and the first is my Dad. What a cut up! He taught me that you can do whatever you want to if you work at it. He always backed me on this trip. Worried a lot but backed me. Another is my trainer Rance. He's a good man and knew where to fine tune things in order for me to pull off the trip. He was always there motivating me to push a little harder. One other guy, and don't laugh about this, is our governor, Mike Huckabee. Look at what he has done to change himself. I can't imagine having that much to do and basically being able to ask for anything and still pull off the weight loss of the year! I'd be sitting in that big chair asking my assistants for Snickers and cokes all day. He's done a lot for our state and yep, he's an inspiration. Ok Ok, there is a "chick" inspiration too. It's my VP Andree'. And no, I don't have an eval coming up! She's smart, funny, very level headed and fair. She too has been behind me since the first day I thought about doing this trip. And she's a Java City junkie like me!
Baskin Robbins is across the street and it's the closest thing to Java City in Mena so it's time for my afternoon jolt!
Lance Armstrong
That was what today’s ride from De Queen to Mena was. Geesh! What a ride. I had rain, mountains, construction, heavy traffic, 18 wheelers that couldn't change lanes to keep from whipping me, it was dark, there where dogs (a pack). And I'm not in the farmland anymore ... no wavers. Not to whine but today was the toughest day of the tour. Luckily, when I got to Mena to the Limetree Inn, my room was ready. The Limetree Inn is a nice place. Everything is right here. Wal-Mart, McDonalds, onsite restaurant, etc. Hat's off to Marty Harvey and staff! Thanks for the room!
When I ate at their restaurant tonight, which by the way was a great home cooked buffet, my waitress told me about her daughter and how she loves to run. From what she told me the girl is a serious runner! The dinner crowd made me feel as if I were in Sherwood where everyone seems to know each other and laugh and tells stories. It was like a safe haven. As I was about to leave she told the folks at the table next to me about my adventure and the next thing I knew I was sitting at Rich Mountain Community College's TV production studio being interviewed. It was actually one of the best interviews so far mainly because the guy interviewing me had a daughter that was one of our burn patients years ago. He knew the compassion of the hospital. To Rudi Timmerman and the crew at Rich Mountain ... thanks, it was an honor!
I did have to go to the Wal-Mart and there was an award on the wall from that Wal-Mart for contributions to the hospital. There was a photo of Dr. Arrington holding a little baby. So here in Mena I've already come across the dad of a burn patient and a Wal-Mart that helped us be who we are! Thanks Mena ... we love you too! I did see some neat stuff today. There is an architectural outlet place just outside of Mena with so really cool stuff! So many times on this trip I wished I had a truck and my bank account thanks me that I don't! HA!
I saw the headquarters of the Christian Motorcyclist Association. It's a pretty big office on top of Iron Mountain. Even though it was raining I still pulled over and took a photo. I wondered if the headquarters is a big place for motorcyclists to stop. Reason I ask that is because there were a lot on Hwy 71 even with the rain. Now most of them did that cool motorcyclist hand down and out by the knee wave.
Just outside De Queen is a trailer park with a huge marijuana leaf painted on a big piece of plywood with a big red circle and slash through it. That's also where the pack of dogs were. Really pretty spooky place.
I know there are no kids in the town of Grannis this week. They all left for camp or at least that was the way it appeared. The whole crop had on bright orange shirts. I bet some mom's and dad's go out of the town in Grannis this week! The kid's are gone! HA!
I'm in Tyson-ville. Saw lots of chicken houses and several times I saw 18 wheelers with chicken crates pull into very small dirt roads. I also passed a processing plant that was right on the highway. Oh man, when you aren't ready for the smell, it can wake you up good. I got it in my nose hairs and I kept rubbing my nose. HA! If I could have gotten off my bike and run with my nose on the ground like I've seen dogs do I would have done it but people in little towns already give me the look. Guess I best not push it, huh?! Watching the weather here, I guess with the rain and now the sun, it has kicked the heat index into high gear. They are saying heat index for this afternoon could hit 110?! Whoa! It doesn't feel like it right now.
(late entry here: it didn't get that hot and is comfortable at 7:28pm)
Tomorrow is a 79 miler to Fort Smith. I will leave as soon as it's daylight and hopefully get there mid afternoon. I shouldn't have the big dog climbs that I've had; at least I don't think so. Fort Smith is listed as in the river valley. Please tell me that still means you go downhill! Hey Vince, if you're reading this, I can go downhill really fast now. I've had practice. Wednesday night I will be in Booneville and I got some great news today! If you've read my other journal on crazyguyonabike.com then you've seen the buddy list. Ron is on that list and he's coming up to ride from Booneville to where ever we end on Thursday. It was just the thing I needed. Several friends were going to ride but life happens and they weren't able to. It was really hard trying to figure out how to get someone to a point then get them back to their car. Just couldn't make it happen.
Hey, I got to see the ESPY Awards and what a great show! I think the best part was the Arthur Ash Award to the two athletes with disabilities. Did you see their stories? Man, what an inspiration! Today's ride is for all those who don't let a disability get in the way of their adventures.
Speaking of athletes...Jerome Taylor rocks!!!! Wahoo!!!! I would love to see the parade Friday when he makes his return.
Oh, speaking of inspiration, several folks have asked me who my inspirations are. That's an easy question! There are several and the first is my Dad. What a cut up! He taught me that you can do whatever you want to if you work at it. He always backed me on this trip. Worried a lot but backed me. Another is my trainer Rance. He's a good man and knew where to fine tune things in order for me to pull off the trip. He was always there motivating me to push a little harder. One other guy, and don't laugh about this, is our governor, Mike Huckabee. Look at what he has done to change himself. I can't imagine having that much to do and basically being able to ask for anything and still pull off the weight loss of the year! I'd be sitting in that big chair asking my assistants for Snickers and cokes all day. He's done a lot for our state and yep, he's an inspiration. Ok Ok, there is a "chick" inspiration too. It's my VP Andree'. And no, I don't have an eval coming up! She's smart, funny, very level headed and fair. She too has been behind me since the first day I thought about doing this trip. And she's a Java City junkie like me!
Baskin Robbins is across the street and it's the closest thing to Java City in Mena so it's time for my afternoon jolt!
posted by Geo at 7:28 PM
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