Boys Fall Ride; Day 1

This trip was planned sort of spur-of-the-moment by Gary and Bill. I was fortunate in that they invited me along. My brother, Carl, was also invited but he had family obligations this weekend.

Leaving home at 7:20AM it was a chilly 42. We met at the QT located at 151st Street and 69 Highway at 8:00AM. At about 8:15 we departed southbound on 69 Hwy and exited at 247th Street eastbound -

which took us to Cleveland, MO. From there we took back roads to Archie, MO for breakfast at Mama's Kitchen.

We left Archie southbound on I-49 at about 10:30 and it was still just 55 degrees. Near Joplin we took Hwy 59 south to Neosho, MO, where we stopped for gas and a short break. It was 66 degrees in Neosho so I put the top down and it stayed down the rest of the day. In Neosho we caught Hwy 60 west a short distance to I-49 southbound (again).  The interstate took us into Arkansas -

and just south of Fayettville we exited to Hwy 71 southbound, the Boston Mountains Scenic Loop. At Alma, AR we caught I-40 west; I-540 south to Fort Smith and Hwy 71 south again.

During another gas stop in Fort Smith we started checking for lodging in Mena, AR, where we intended to stop for the day. No lodging was available in Mena so we stopped for the day in Fort Smith. My route today covered 325 miles and our high temperature was 78 degrees when we stopped in Fort Smith.

Next door to our hotel was a nice fish restaurant where we enjoyed a tasty dinner.

To see all the photos taken today click on this link: Day1pics 

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