CONTEST
The third person to email me at kevincitta@gmail with "DVD" in the subject line wins a copy of my State of Jefferson DVD! The DVD is a collection of my photography from Northern California and Southern Oregon as well as an awesome soundtrack by my brother Matt Citta and Twisted Arms Studios. The DVD will be mailed to you a.s.a.p.
With online donations of $1,941 and checks totaling $365, together we have raised $2,306 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation! We are almost half way to my goal of $5,000! Please help spread the word and if you can, make a donation. Thank you all very much who have donated already!!! To learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation please visit
http://www.wish.org/
To make a donation click the link on the right or go here...
https://secure.wish.org/ourfriends/029-000/kcitta.htm
August 24th
After a stop at McDonalds in Stilwell, Oklahoma for ice water and coffee and I started my bike ride into Arkansas. Oklahoma was very good to me but it was incredibly hot! The people were great, good drivers, and fun times overall! It was quite hot by the time I reached Arkansas shortly into the days ride. My bike seemed to be working ok but the chain was still skipping and I would be happy to get it to a bike shop. I biked down a couple of nice scenic country roads most of the day before reaching the highway into Fayetteville, Arkansas. There were a lot of nice rolling hills which were a lot of fun to bike down. I got a call from Stephanie at the Weed Chamber of Commerce shortly into my ride and was told that the Clarion Inn in Fayetteville had donated a room to me for the evening. Thanks Stephanie, and thanks Clarion Inn!!! I made another stop at another McDonalds part way through the ride to re-fill on ice water. Really happy to see the golden arches when biking in this intense heat. I arrived to the Clarion Inn mid afternoon and met Aron at the front desk who offered to give me a ride to the bike shop. Thanks Aron! The Clarion Inn was really nice with a big atrium and pool, nice comfortable room, and a very friendly staff. After a nice cold shower Aron gave me a ride to High Rollers Bike Shop. After taking a hammer to my sprocket and changing a couple of chain links my bike was back in decent shape. The clerk did inform me that I should replace some parts but it would be quite expensive and he thought I could probably make it to North Carolina without the repairs. Wish me luck! After leaving the bike shop I met up with Aron and his 2 roommates Gerrit and Jamin for some beers. We went to the Hog Haus Brewing Company and Aron bought my dinner and a couple of good beers, thanks again Aron! The brewery had a nice balcony overlooking Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville and the wings were very tasty! After dinner we headed up the street to another bar for a couple more beers. I took a late night cab back to the hotel and got a little sleep. Fun night with good people!
http://www.fayettevilleclarion.com/
After a stop at McDonalds in Stilwell, Oklahoma for ice water and coffee and I started my bike ride into Arkansas. Oklahoma was very good to me but it was incredibly hot! The people were great, good drivers, and fun times overall! It was quite hot by the time I reached Arkansas shortly into the days ride. My bike seemed to be working ok but the chain was still skipping and I would be happy to get it to a bike shop. I biked down a couple of nice scenic country roads most of the day before reaching the highway into Fayetteville, Arkansas. There were a lot of nice rolling hills which were a lot of fun to bike down. I got a call from Stephanie at the Weed Chamber of Commerce shortly into my ride and was told that the Clarion Inn in Fayetteville had donated a room to me for the evening. Thanks Stephanie, and thanks Clarion Inn!!! I made another stop at another McDonalds part way through the ride to re-fill on ice water. Really happy to see the golden arches when biking in this intense heat. I arrived to the Clarion Inn mid afternoon and met Aron at the front desk who offered to give me a ride to the bike shop. Thanks Aron! The Clarion Inn was really nice with a big atrium and pool, nice comfortable room, and a very friendly staff. After a nice cold shower Aron gave me a ride to High Rollers Bike Shop. After taking a hammer to my sprocket and changing a couple of chain links my bike was back in decent shape. The clerk did inform me that I should replace some parts but it would be quite expensive and he thought I could probably make it to North Carolina without the repairs. Wish me luck! After leaving the bike shop I met up with Aron and his 2 roommates Gerrit and Jamin for some beers. We went to the Hog Haus Brewing Company and Aron bought my dinner and a couple of good beers, thanks again Aron! The brewery had a nice balcony overlooking Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville and the wings were very tasty! After dinner we headed up the street to another bar for a couple more beers. I took a late night cab back to the hotel and got a little sleep. Fun night with good people!
http://www.fayettevilleclarion.com/
Hello Arkansas!
Quiet country road
Thanks Clarion Inn Fayetteville!
Nice indoor pool area
August 25th
Started the morning off at the breakfast buffet at the Clarion Inn. After filling up on food and coffee I got my stuff packed up and called Gerrit who I had made plans to go disc golfing the night before. Gerrit picked me up at the Clarion and we played a fun game of disc golf at the Fayetteville North Shore course. It was starting to get hot but there was a good amount of shade and a nice lake next to the disc golf course. We stopped at a sandwich and pizza place and Gerrit bought me lunch, thanks again Gerrit! He then dropped me off on the outskirts of Fayetteville so I could begin my ride without the heavy city traffic. It was a very hot and hilly ride and about halfway to my destination I was super tired and having stomach issues so I decided to get a room for the evening. I found a nice little motel in the town of Huntsville called the Faubus Motel. After a cold refreshing shower I walked next door to the grocery store and got a few things for dinner and rented a movie from a Redbox machine. Spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the motel and got to bed nice and early.
Started the morning off at the breakfast buffet at the Clarion Inn. After filling up on food and coffee I got my stuff packed up and called Gerrit who I had made plans to go disc golfing the night before. Gerrit picked me up at the Clarion and we played a fun game of disc golf at the Fayetteville North Shore course. It was starting to get hot but there was a good amount of shade and a nice lake next to the disc golf course. We stopped at a sandwich and pizza place and Gerrit bought me lunch, thanks again Gerrit! He then dropped me off on the outskirts of Fayetteville so I could begin my ride without the heavy city traffic. It was a very hot and hilly ride and about halfway to my destination I was super tired and having stomach issues so I decided to get a room for the evening. I found a nice little motel in the town of Huntsville called the Faubus Motel. After a cold refreshing shower I walked next door to the grocery store and got a few things for dinner and rented a movie from a Redbox machine. Spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the motel and got to bed nice and early.
The breakfast area at the Clarion
Huntsville, Arkansas - Crossroads of the Ozarks
August 26th
Woke up at 8:00 and was feeling a whole lot better! I stopped at the Madison Coffee House and did my previous blog update while drinking some pretty tasty coffee. I then had to bike down a very dangerous highway for the first 20 miles of the ride. There was a lot of traffic, including trucks, and the shoulder had a large rumble strip making it very hard to ride safely. There was also a lot of hills and blind turns so I had to be on my best defense to not get hit by the fast moving traffic. One of the not so fun parts of bicycle touring. I met a nice fellow who had pulled over to ask me about my trip. He told me of his love for bicycling and about his home in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. After the hellish highway I turned onto a nice quiet country road and was relieved! I started out with a nice downhill stretch to the town of Kingston where I took a beverage break. From Kingston I had a very large steep climb which was so difficult I ended up pushing my bike part way up the hill. When I reached the top of the climb I came across several farms and a herd of 9 deer running back and forth across the road just in front of me. I also had a coyote cross my path which is always cool to see. The scenery started to get pretty incredible as I entered the Ozark Mountains! With just another 10 or so miles to go I came to a very steep downhill which would drop me into Buffalo River Lost Valley. The grade of the hill was 11 percent which is steeper than most mountain roads even in the Sierras and Rocky Mountains. I stopped at the brake check station and tightened up my brakes some more for the decent. When I reached the bottom I was greeted to several large bull elk in one of the most beautiful valleys I have ever seen! It felt wonderful to bike through the valley and take in the breathtaking scenery. It was so very green and I saw hawks, cranes, more deer, as well as old barns and homesteads. Awesome part of the country! I stopped at Lost Valley Park where I had planned to camp for the evening. I was disappointed to find out that the campground was closed due to a spring flood that wiped out some of the campsites. There was a hiking trail at the park that I was told was really nice so I decided to hike it and find somewhere else to camp afterwards. The hike may have been the best hike of the trip so far! Although the waterfalls were dried up being late in the summer I came across many amazing rock formations, caves, and just beautiful scenery. I also saw a colorful little snake and a really cool looking walking stick. After hiking out of the woods I biked down the road a little ways to the quaint town of Ponca. In Ponca I found Lost Valley Canoe and Campground whose hours are posted as 9ish-5ish. It was 5:30 and I was happy to see they were still open. They had a really nice little grocery store and showers so I was happy. After paying the $10 to camp I was told I was the only one there and was offered the Bunkhouse for the evening. I couldn't turn it down, a bed, AC, electricity, and a porch with a swing. All for $10! I spent the evening going through the days photographs, listening to music, eating, and hanging out on the porch with a new dog friend I made. The stars were incredible with the milky way very visible! Fantastic afternoon and evening after a stressful ride in the morning!
http://www.lostvalleycanoe.com/
Woke up at 8:00 and was feeling a whole lot better! I stopped at the Madison Coffee House and did my previous blog update while drinking some pretty tasty coffee. I then had to bike down a very dangerous highway for the first 20 miles of the ride. There was a lot of traffic, including trucks, and the shoulder had a large rumble strip making it very hard to ride safely. There was also a lot of hills and blind turns so I had to be on my best defense to not get hit by the fast moving traffic. One of the not so fun parts of bicycle touring. I met a nice fellow who had pulled over to ask me about my trip. He told me of his love for bicycling and about his home in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. After the hellish highway I turned onto a nice quiet country road and was relieved! I started out with a nice downhill stretch to the town of Kingston where I took a beverage break. From Kingston I had a very large steep climb which was so difficult I ended up pushing my bike part way up the hill. When I reached the top of the climb I came across several farms and a herd of 9 deer running back and forth across the road just in front of me. I also had a coyote cross my path which is always cool to see. The scenery started to get pretty incredible as I entered the Ozark Mountains! With just another 10 or so miles to go I came to a very steep downhill which would drop me into Buffalo River Lost Valley. The grade of the hill was 11 percent which is steeper than most mountain roads even in the Sierras and Rocky Mountains. I stopped at the brake check station and tightened up my brakes some more for the decent. When I reached the bottom I was greeted to several large bull elk in one of the most beautiful valleys I have ever seen! It felt wonderful to bike through the valley and take in the breathtaking scenery. It was so very green and I saw hawks, cranes, more deer, as well as old barns and homesteads. Awesome part of the country! I stopped at Lost Valley Park where I had planned to camp for the evening. I was disappointed to find out that the campground was closed due to a spring flood that wiped out some of the campsites. There was a hiking trail at the park that I was told was really nice so I decided to hike it and find somewhere else to camp afterwards. The hike may have been the best hike of the trip so far! Although the waterfalls were dried up being late in the summer I came across many amazing rock formations, caves, and just beautiful scenery. I also saw a colorful little snake and a really cool looking walking stick. After hiking out of the woods I biked down the road a little ways to the quaint town of Ponca. In Ponca I found Lost Valley Canoe and Campground whose hours are posted as 9ish-5ish. It was 5:30 and I was happy to see they were still open. They had a really nice little grocery store and showers so I was happy. After paying the $10 to camp I was told I was the only one there and was offered the Bunkhouse for the evening. I couldn't turn it down, a bed, AC, electricity, and a porch with a swing. All for $10! I spent the evening going through the days photographs, listening to music, eating, and hanging out on the porch with a new dog friend I made. The stars were incredible with the milky way very visible! Fantastic afternoon and evening after a stressful ride in the morning!
http://www.lostvalleycanoe.com/
Entering the Ozarks!
Oh deer!
11%!!!
Lost Valley - Beautiful!
Cobb Cave
Eden Falls Cave
Tasty mystery berries, just kidding!
The Bunkhouse
My new buddy
Inside the bunhouse
No comments:
Post a Comment