I keep wondering when I am going to get bored with riding around. A few Friday's ago I went to breakfast and no one was there. Bummer. So I eat alone, played a game on my phone, drank a couple cups of coffee and just enjoyed watching the people.
After a while, I pay my bill, and leave. Getting on my bike, I had originally decided that I was going to go back to the apartment and relax for the day, but I just couldn’t do it. That bike turned all by itself north on highway 8 and soon I am in Oklahoma.
Many weeks back I was in Mena, Arkansas at a bike shop and had a chance meeting with a gentleman named, Jim. He showed me a road in Oklahoma, promised me a beautiful ride, and I decided to find it. Oklahoma is full of dirt roads, so there was no chance of my bobbing and weaving until I find the right road, like I normally do. So I give in and look on my smart phone and get a general direction. I didn’t do too badly since I found it on the first try.
It starts on the edges of the Ouachita National Forest as a pretty straight road full of hills but after I crossed OK144 and entered the spot on the map named Honobia, Oklahoma it became the road that Jim had promised.I blink and leave Honobia. Just a quarter mile outside town there is a sign to warn people of the dangers of the road ahead. For me all it did was to get my adrenalin flowing.
For the next 15 miles there are hills, twists, turns, and views. The leaves are changing and it is so hard to keep my eyes on the road but I manage. My bike and I take each curve and corner as one as we traversed over the Kiamichi Mountains heading towards US 257 and Talihina, OK. It was such a wonderful ride that I turned around and did again.
After 14,000 miles I have become very comfortable and yet I can still be overly cautious when I am riding on gravel or making a tight U-turn because if she goes over and I am alone I could be in some serious trouble. I can pick her up but I am not sure I could if she is on an incline. I have dropped her twice on gravel and on an incline and was unable to lift her by myself because I couldn’t get a firm footing.
At the end of my return over the mountain, I stopped in Honobia for a tush-break and an ice cream that I shared with one of the local residents that just sits outside the store to greet visitors.The town of Honobia has a general store and an RV park...that is it. The town does tote two VERY interesting things, one of its residents is said to be Bigfoot and its residents are extremely proud of their fishing prowess. They celebrate Bigfoot every year with a festival in early October and their fishing prowess is shown by hanging the heads of their catch on fences lining the road. I just saw the fish heads and thought they were baiting Bigfoot.
The ride and the views on this little road were magnificent and I thank God for such beauty and that I am capable to make these trips. With each turn, twist, curve, and crest of the hill I realize why I haven't begun to become bored with riding. I am at peace on the road and yet I want one thing...all of my riding buddies to see what I see. I want them all to see the view from my bike.
