Stage 8 Report: Hot Springs Soaker

Saturday, June 3, 2017
Start: Stuttgart, AR
Finish: Hot Springs, AR
Bike Mileage: 91.4 mi
Cumulative Bike Mileage: 795.3 miles

Eventful day, a farewell day for our first van support driver, Patrick Weigand and a welcome to Api Firoozi, as they hand off the van keys in Little Rock airport, once again demonstrating the goodness in many people willing to provide a helping hand on this voyage cross country.

A few words about Patrick. While we were cycling about 800 mi Patrick needed to drive about 1500 mi due to mechanical bike issues and other needs. Laundry service, pick-up and drop off point service, all-around supportive of our efforts. But most critically, his knowledge of the roads from prior trips enabled regular adjustments to our itinerary to improve the journey and remove, as much as possible, more potentially dangerous roadways to avoid. Each evening Patrick and I shmoozed and adjusted for tomorrow and the next. A genuine mensch he is and we wish Patrick a wonderful trip scheduled to Iceland with his wife and son soon after returning home.

Pecan Groves in Keo, AR. Magnificent trees!

We departed Stuttgart at about 8:30am after a comfortable night sleep and usual basic hotel breakfast. Taking Rt165 westward, a straight flat road, not well traveled, through farmland bring sprayed with pesticide by small cropduster airplanes snaking up and down the fields from little Capps Airport, past some fine roadkill specimens of huge bayou frogs (see photo), past a nest swampy Salt Bayou at the small town of Coy, turned north on Rt31, then west onto Central High Rd, through gleaming corn fields along Henderson Rd, which brought us to shady, aligned in perfect rows, groves of massive Pecan trees. We turned left down Pecan Rd and arrived to the small town of Keo (mi25). No service station for water, two very nice ladies from Stuttgart, Misty Coker and Pam Holt, who were passing through the area after shopping in Little Rock, and who operate a Duck Hunting cabin, offered us some refreshing cool bottled water. We chatted with them about our journey and a fun photo-op with the paparazzi, at the front of the Bull Moose Boutique (women's clothing and house gifts-looked like nice things (if you'll ever be passing through Keo, AR then, ladies, check it out!) There was also a large antique shop in a barn which looked neat to explore.

Headed north on Rt165 for the final stretch into Little Rock, were at an exciting pace, when all of a sudden my left pedal crank arm decides to act up again after about 300mi from the last DIY fix. The crank just slipped off from the central shaft once again. Mike fiddled with it to try to re-bolt it but the metal was frayed inside and wouldn't hold. No chance of riding it we pulled off under a tree and called Api in Little Rock (she had just fortuitously arrived at the airport to replace Patrick). Half an hour later and only about 20mi from Little Rock here was Happy Api coming to retrieve us for her first call of duty as our support driver. We piled into the van, called a few bike shops in Little Rock, and headed straight there for consultation and fixing. Ended up having my worn rear tire replaced, had my new aerobar armrests installed (my hands are happy again!) at the bike store, Spokes (very friendly and helpful) - they diagnosed the problem with the crank, and referred me to another shop a few min away which had what I needed in stock - a new replacement Shimano Ultegra crank set which was installed by the huge shop, Arkansas Cycling and Fitness. Again, very helpful! Mike bought a new pair of more padded bib shorts.

We ate lunch at a great organic farm-to-table community restaurant, The Root Cafe, while waiting for the bike repairs. Delicious healthy sandwiches! Great mint brownie. Must go-to this place if you're in Little Rock, AR!

A good soaking rain when we departed from the AR Cycling shop. I was thrilled to have everything on my bike in working order again. Just shows you the unpredictability of a 3000-4000 mi bike trip on somewhat more fragile racing bikes rather than the usual heavier touring bikes you'd typically see being used by long-distance cyclists with their saddle bags attached in all sorts of burdensome ways. We were light and free with all our other needs packed in the van. Just carrying in our cycle jerseys the day's supply of eat-as-you-ride food rations, phone, wallet, vaseline for the butt, and sunscreen for the face and neck, and a small medical kit.

We had about 50-60 mi ahead of us to get to Hot Springs. We put in at a safe spot st the corner of Chenal Parkway and Kanis Rd a few min drive from the bike shop. Raining and intermittent sun-showers followed us out of Little Rock (unfortunately the bike fixing issues precluded us from biking through the heart of the city along the Arkansas River). Kanis Rd heading west was a gorgeous stretch of rolling hills in horse country. One of the nicest approx 20mi stretches we had been through on the trip to-date. The rainfall brought rapidly flowing streams alive with their job of moving water over picturesque rocky beds and through farmlands and horse fields. The road, of course, had its usual draining concerns as deep puddles formed at divets.

The car was approaching us at a good steady pace. I was pacing Mike at my rear. Huge puddle ahead on the left side of the single-laned path. Timing was if the essence. I accelerated. Mike hesitated. Uh-oh! A few seconds later I heard the splash from behind me. I was dry having made it through just fine. Mike took a soaker as the car, whisking through, tsunamid him with a tidal wave drenching him thoroughly.

Not to reader: you may think I may have had a pernicious intent in this little road stretch, and I might have, but after-all, today's ride stage was labeled months earlier: Stage 8: "Hot Springs Soaker." Indeed it was, at least for one of us...

After trying to control my laughter for the next few miles, we continued to Paron, headed southwest on Tt298 to Fountain Lake where we continued on Hot Springs Highway (Mike was a bit drier by then) into the town of Hot Springs, AR. The other kind of Soaker was awaiting us - the 800mi body tune-up the next morning; needed massage and hot bath soak I had been looking forward to over the past few days.

We arrived into town at about 7:30pm, met Api who was exploring the eclectic shops, and had a delicious dinner at an El Salvadoran place, Rolando's (amazingly tasty and healthy spinach and chicken "Popeye's Burrito," they called it (see foodie photo). Guacamole appetizer was 5stars as well! Kitchy funky town now, Hot Springs was the cats meow back in its hay day of the 1920s-1950s. Classic hotels constructed beside a series of Hot Sorings-piped Bath Houses (beautiful landmark buildings along what is called Bathhouse Row) where tourists and various wealthy stars of fame and fortune, gamblers, shysters, and alcohol smugglers during Prohibition, would partake of the Hot Springs.

Popey's Burrito to digest overnight, went to sleep looking forward to some R&R in the morning.

Bikeoo

Fragile cycles break

Biker spirit blazes on

Hot Springs soak beyond

Indexes:

Weather: (9)
Rain in afternoon-you feel soggy but it is cooling

Terrain: (9)
Flat in am, rolling hills in afternoon, nothing too strenuous until a good climb at end of day into Hot Springs.

Scenic: (8.5)
After horse country in afternoon there wasn't anything too exciting towards Hot Springs for about 25mi

Wildlife and a Roadkill:
W-frogs, turtles, beaver, songbirds
R-large legged Bayou frogs, turtles, armadillo, rabbits, skunk, ferret, coyote, white ibis, cranes

Endurance: (10)
Legs are strong. Motoring through now. Don't expect any concern with cramping if careful attention to fluid intake.

Bike Report:
D-all fixed in Little Rock. Bike shop guys there rock! Thanks! Great job-all systems go to Colorado for next tune-up.
M-no issues

Medical Report:
M-normal soreness and soakiness 😆
D-same, just a little drier

Still Having Fun: (10)
Massage and hot soak tomorrow am-well earned after 800 cycling miles in 8days. Sorry Mike-your unfortunate soaker earlier in the day was good for a few hundred miles of replay. Be happy! Waters are cleansing.