The Past Few Days

 Wednesday was a really hard ride day for me (Elizabeth).  It was REALLY cold again and I was a bit worn out from it, plus I was fighting off the start of a cold.  We had to fully gear up (wear pretty much everything we brought along), and while I was miserable but trying to NOT be, Steve was in the 'zone'.  He was feeling rested and upbeat which made it harder for me to slog along and try to not be the downer of the group.  He felt confident and light in spirits all day long - HOORAY!!  It was much needed nourishment for my weary husband.  We rode a total of 350 miles through Tennessee and into Arkansas.  We went through the heart of Memphis on the 50th anniversary of MLK's assassination, a sobering thought for us.  We passed the famed St. Jude's Research Hospital and Danny Thomas Parkway and crossed over the mighty Mississippi River which was amazing to see again.  As we pressed into Arkansas the green landscape and rolling hills and farms of Tennessee gave way to Arkansas swamp land and open fields.  We crossed miles upon MILES of swamp land.  We also enjoyed passing a massive Popscicle / Klondike factory in the middle of nowhere, it seemed.  We have noticed the further south we have ridden the pace of life has seemed to slow just a bit and the people we encounter have grown friendlier.  We have also seen more churches, more enormous churches, as we have journeyed.  At a gas station in the afternoon outside the outskirts of Little Rock a gentleman struck up a lengthy conversation with Steve about motorcycles and told us we should be thankful with the cooler temps as they were keeping the gnats at bay.  Apparently on any other day we would have had gnats flying all around us, even up under our helmets and shields.  That was a blessing.

We pressed on in our travels into Hot Springs on the other side of Little Rock, boyhood home of a former president.  We stopped to explore and stretch our legs near bathhouse row.  The center of Hot Springs is the oldest federal reserve in the US, today preserved as Hot Springs National Park. The hot spring water has been popularly believed for centuries to possess medicinal properties, and was a subject of legend among several Native American tribes. There were eight historic bathhouses to view and numerous grand old hotels and buildings.  It was fun to both walk and drive around.  We visited a geo-thermal filling station and indeed, the water is quite warm we learned as we let the hot water course over our hands.  

The day was dwindling away and Steve wanted a few more miles before stopping for the night so we continued the journey before we finally called it quits for the night in Glenwood, Arkansas, at an interesting Mom and Pop hotel called the Ouichita Mountain Inn.  We splurged on the garden tub room - I would hate to have seen what just a standard room was like - lol.  But it was clean and warm.  We walked down the hill from our hotel and enjoyed some Mexican style food before retiring for the night's rest.

God's goodness is all around us and we are so thankful for time in nature and with one another as we explore and rejuvenate.  Thanks for the continued prayers and well wishes!