I did Scenic Byway 7 through Arkansas today -- fun! I'd wanted to do 7 ever since reading about it in a motorcycle magazine a few years ago; I'd never been to the Ozarks before, so this was sort of like crossing an item off a to-do list. The Ozarks really made me realize what a spoiled Californian I've become -- overlooking a gorgeous green valley at one turnout, I had the conscious thought that "this is pretty and all, but if it were California, there'd be a view of the ocean here, too."

Buffalo River Canyon, along Arkansas' Scenic Byway 7

I met a trucker in the Rotary Ann vista/rest area who'd moved to Arkansas from the San Fernando Valley (CA) after being shot the second time. No word on what he was doing to get himself shot repeatedly.

Rotary Ann vista.

Scenic Byway 7 through the Ozarks.

I'd been looking forward to stopping in Booger Hollow ("population 7, counten' one coon dog") to go to the trading post, maybe get some tacky souvenir with the funny name. When I got there, though, the trading post and restaurant were both closed and the only being around was a starving cat. I gave him some of my granola bar (the only food I had) and he became a close friend, following me around and meowing. I sat on a chair on the trading post porch, looking around at this completely rural area, watching the cat trying to find food in discarded chips bags, and it suddenly wasn't a very funny place anymore.

Mena, AR, by the way, is in a dry county. Learn from my mistakes: stop at the liquor store at the county line.

289 miles today; 3758 miles total.

Next Day --> June 16: Mena, AR - Elk City, OK