New Mexico Tour, Day 2
[First Draft]
Another long day of driving, I arrived in Bella Vista, AR around 3pm. Bella Vista is a recreational community with mountain lakes, large forested lots and some of the best mountain biking trails in the country. I parked in the Bella Vista Community Church parking lot which abuts the Back 40 Trail and pedaled off. The trail snakes its way between the roads and homes and through the woods and ravines.
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| Back 40 Trail! |
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| Sweet! |
The trail has plenty of climbs and descents and admittedly I had to hike-a-bike in a couple of places. After biking three hours I had ridden just a small fraction of the mileage Bella Vista has to offer, but I needed to be in Oklahoma tonight. Initially, I drove due west on state road, but the setting sun was directly in my eyes. Barely able to see through the bug-covered windshield, I nearly hit some cyclists. "OK, turn around, I'm taking the Interstate."
As it was Saturday night, I had reservations (#36) at a Army Corp of Engineers campground on Oologah Lake, OK. I set up camp in the dark and wandered around the campground looking for the showers (my site was in the non-electric area). The showers were quite nice and soon I was clean, dry and tucked inside the Family Truckster.
My latest improvements to the Trucksters' amenities included a screened cover for the back hatch.
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New hatch screen
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| Fold-out table and kitchen |
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| Window mosquito netting |
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| Kickin' it in the Truckster |
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| Egg, cheese and Canadian bacon on a bagel |
Another big driving day, I left first thing. Driving out of the campground I noticed a large spider in the highway. "Wow, I need a closer look," I thought as I pulled over. On the payment was a massive tarantula determined to cross the highway. Apparently, male tarantulas migrate in the fall looking for mates. I saw several crossing this remote Oklahoma highway.
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| Oklahoma Brown Tarantula |
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| Back 40 route |
After a stop at Foss State Park for lunch (unremarkable), I arrived at Caprock Canyons State Park, Texas.
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State:
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Arkansas
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Date:
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2020-09-26
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Route:
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Back 40 Trail loop starting at Bella Vista Community Church with a shortcut on Muligan and Rago trails
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Distance:
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18 miles
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