F this - I'm going to Alaska: Day 3

This morning I woke up in the "Rest Inn" somewhere around Goodwin, AR. To be perfecly honest, my first impressions of Arkansas coincided with my preconceptions. When I crossed the bridge from Memphis into AR, the first thing I noticed was the incredibly strong smell of French Fries. "OK," I thought, Arkansas smells like French Fries. Shortly after that, the strong smell of burning rubber hit me. Now I'm a car guy, and I can tell you there's good burning rubber (burnouts, racetracks, etc.) and bad burning rubber (tire fires, toxic dumps, chemical fires, etc.). This was definitely in the second category.

I bunked in the Rest Inn on 40 figuring I'd blow off Arkansas on the interstate and get it done as fast as possible. However, when I woke up the next day and actually got on I-40, I noticed that I was really tense. Lots of trucks, lots of strip malls and chain restaurants, and none of it the experience that I was looking for. I pulled over in Wheatley and had breakfast at the Dairy Dip, with some farmers discussing the greater mysteries of life (why dogs love eating horse patties, whether rattlesnake was good eating, etc.) I listened to some and as I was walking out, one of them (Ed) walked with me. "So tell me, what's a young man from new york doing at the Dairy Dip this morning?" he asked. I explained the background, the trip, and as I told him what I was doing his eyes started lighting up. We had a great conversation, which I won't get into here, but his most memorable and shareable quote was "Well son, now's a great time in your life to get a big ol' lick of the sucker." I agreed with that. Some other words he shared were "There's some trouble brewing, and the cavalry ain't coming. You're the cavalry." True words as well, and some that I wish more people subscribed to. (I'll try to refrain from getting too political as I write).

After that conversation, I rethought my view on Arkansas. I consulted the atlas, and saw that the state park I wanted to hit was north of 40, and that 40 itself took a southern route through Little Rock. Ok, I can take the high road and cut through some back roads and meet up with it. If it truly sucks, I can always cut back south to 40 and be on my way.

I went north from Exit 216, and as I drove the scenery just got better and better. The swampy, stagnant fields of Southern AR gave way to pine forests and mountains as I got into the Ozarks. Every time I pulled over for gas or a break, the people I met were friendly, inquisitive and encouraging. I started to get further away from the highway, and decided to try the county and fire roads (dirt roads). That was the best possible decision. While the highways stick mostly to ridges and cut through the countryside, the older original roads dip down to the valleys and work with the landscape, bringing you down to meadows, travelling alongside streams and rivers, and providing an opportunity to see parts of the country that time truly forgot (or never took the time to notice at all). There were valleys occupied by a single farm or home, tucked away in some of the most beautiful, pristine land I've ever seen. No more than a handful of people per month or even year would pass them, yet the pride that was taken in their appearance was incredible. I felt that I was intruding enough on such pristine beauty enough without stopping to take pictures, so you'll have to either trust me or make the journey yourself. I took some illustrative pictures, but the homes and farms that I saw are better left to themselves.