On the Way Back From Alabama For Uncle Vernon's Service

Ended up spending two nights in arkansas.  Stopped at a camp on Lake Ouachita Friday night.  Right on the water but pretty crowded.

Got up yesterday morning and drove to Mena, Arkansas.  Mena has a population of slightly over 5000.  Nice enough little town and seems to have all of the basics.  Highlight was a scenic drive along ridge of the mountains that stretch from Mena into Oklahoma.  Lots of pull offs with wonderful views.

On the way back I took highway 63 which runs along the valley to the south of the skyline drive.  Very nice country.  I was surprised that there was almost no traffic.  I did not see more than a double handful of cars on the entire tour if I exclude those in the towns.

I stopped at a Subway back in Mena and decided upon where to head next.  Spoke with Julie on the phone and she encouraged me to take an extra day or so before returning to Round Rock.

Using my gps on my phone, I spotted a route that headed south through the middle of the forest south of Mena. I headed that way and soon discovered that the GPS is perhaps not optimal for choosing a route.

The route began with a nice drive through some beautiful small farms with resorts sprinkled here and there.  But after 10 or 15 miles, the pavement ended.  The gravel road was graded and not too bad, so I continued on.

After another 10 miles or so, the graded gravel became caliche and rock!  I was too committed to turn around now so I pressed on.  My speed dropped to below 10 miles an hour on the better spots and to walking speed on most of the time.  I was thinking that the Casita might shake to pieces.

The road began to climb and I slowed even more.  Eventually I broke out of the forest into a wonderful panoramic view that made the drive worthwhile.  While I was sitting on the old CCC stone wall and admiring the view, a young couple driving a Jeep SUV came along from the direction I was headed.  At least I now knew that this would not be a dead end after all these miles of creeping along!

Finally came down the southern side of the mountain and found a recreation area called "Shady Lake".  I camped for the night and will head for Texas as soon as I finish my morning coffee.