Texas 2015; Day 2

We left our motel this morning, gassed up, and were on the road at 7:40.  It was already 80 degrees and the sun was shining bright.  Highway 59 took us south to Highway 259, which took us to the Talimena Scenic Byway.this is Hwy 1 in OklahomaThis is Hwy 1 and follows a high ridge east and west.  Going east you end up in Mena, AR.  We’ve ridden it many times in the past.  My goal was to find a scenic outlook for a quick photo opportunity.  I wanted to go west on Hwy 1 but it was closed due to high water.westbound Hwy 1 was closed due to high waterHow does a road on a high ridge get closed due to water?  Anyway, we went east on Hwy 1, got our photoIMG_0461 and took off again on Hwy 259 southbound.

Our next stop was at Beavers Bend State Park located just north of Broken Bow, OK.  The park was closed due to high water.  What a pisser!just off Hwy 259 in southeast Oklahoma - park closed due to high water

We stopped at a Love’s in Broken Bow for gas and a break.  We enjoyed beverages inside the store and checked our maps before leaving.  Down the road a bit, Carl realized he left his atlas at Love’s and he did not want to return for it.  One atlas down.

The plan was to take Hwy 259 south across the Red River into Texas.  Wouldn’t you know, Hwy 259 was closed due to high water south of Idabel.  So we took Hwy 37 west and south to our lunch spot in Winnsboro, Richie’s Grill and Café, where we indulged in a buffet of fried fish, chicken, and ribs along with salads, sides, and desserts.  I ate too much.

Our accommodations for the evening were at the LaQuinta Inn in Tyler, TX.LaQuinta Inn; Tyler, TXIt was a steamy hot 95 degrees when we arrived at about 2:45.  The AC felt quite nice and we are looking forward to the pool later.

While preparing this blog I realized I left my extra special atlas and a Texas road map back at Richie’s.  So sad.  Two atlases and one road map down.  Carl believes we are too senile to be traveling anymore.

Despite the loss of two atlases and the heat it was a good day of riding.  Hwy 259 in Oklahoma was beautiful and fun to ride.  Our total mileage today was 259.

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/6157746945115592417?authkey=CJz_gOifjsmlLw

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