Yesterday was our first full day of travel in 2008. We were up at 5:00 am and on the road by 7:00 am. I'm not a big fan of early mornings, so I wasn't at all enthused about getting up at O'Dark Thirty. We drove a little over 600 miles yesterday, mostly around and through Arkansas. Our first stop was Brockwell, AR, then on up to 412/62 to head over to Oklahoma. My experience with Arkansas highways and byways is basically limited to Hwy 63, which gets a little crazy from Black Rock to the Missouri state line at Thayer. Other than that, scenic route 7....there should be a warning on that highway. Wow. Crooked, steep, drop offs.....it's great for a motorcycle ride on a weekend afternoon; but other than that, not so good if you're terrified of edges like I am....but, oh so incredibly beautiful! So, I was a little bit apprehensive about the Arkansas roads in the northern part of the state. When we got on 223 out of Calico Rock, there was a huge yellow sign that said 'Warning: Crooked and Steep Next 20 Miles' Oh dear God. Thankfully, we turned off in about a mile onto hwy. 177...which only needs a warning around the Norfork Dam and Lake.....very crooked and curvy and looks like you're somewhere that you're not supposed to be.
So, Arkansas is a very pretty state. We crossed the Ozark Mountains on Hwy. 412 heading to Oklahoma. We went through several small towns and there are small antique stores and flea markets all over in there. Speaking of which, if you're interested in that kind of thing, go to Hardy, Arkansas on a Saturday. The whole town seems to be nothing but antique stores and flea markets. There are cars all up and down the main street, and people going in and out of all of the shops. It's very quaint and inviting. If you're traveling through Hardy, it's a good idea to take the Truck Route around the city center to avoid all of that. Hardy is on Hwy. 63, about 15 miles from the Missouri state line.
We went on last night to Morris, OK. We stop in there a lot to pick up salvage bikes that people need delivered. Then, on to Edmond, OK to pick up some antique furniture. The guy we picked up from was moving the big chest out of the garage (while we were in the trailer securing some of the other pieces). The chest was on wheels, so he was rolling it out to us, and one of the legs broke off about 2 inches up. Okay, so what do you do? It's his dresser, but it's also the person's that we are delivering to. Who is responsible and who is at fault? Good question. When we pick up a motorcycle or car or something like that, we have the person we are picking up from drive/ride it onto the trailer. Once it's on the trailer and we have done a Bill of Lading, then it becomes our responsibility. So, what about furniture, since we do most of the loading.....we can't be having our customers load their own furniture. One of those things that make you stop and think and try to take into account different scenarios and come up with solutions for the next time. A regret is no longer a regret if you learn from it....so, learn, learn!
We ate real quick at a Denny's in Edmond, OK, as it was after 10:00 pm by the time we could stop and eat. We try not to eat that late, but sometimes it can't be helped. Of course, we said we would have salad since it was so late.....but, the breakfast items looked (and smelled) so good! Yep, we were toads....we did the big breakfast thing after bedtime.
We went on to Chris's mom's house and stayed the night. We got to visit a little, but were so tired we didn't stay up too awfully late.
Recommendations: a day trip through Arkansas will turn up several antique shops and flea markets, lots of 'hillbilly' style restaurants and barbeque places. Arkansas is a beautiful example of the Ozarks landscape....lots of karst topography to explore. Scenic Route 7 is a beautiful motorcycle daytrip, or vehicle daytrip....numerous scenic overlooks and hillbilly treats along the way. You just have to get past the fact that there aren't many guardrails between you and several hundred feet beneath you. It should also be noted that Scenic Route 7 has been named one of America's most scenic Byways. And a day trip to Hardy, Arkansas is a real treat for anybody just wanting to get out and explore. Just make sure it's on a Saturday so you can enjoy the small town atmosphere, antique shops, and general feel of community.
Until later!
Christi
No comments:
Post a Comment