Day 12 - ending at Searcy, AR - The Great Plains Trail - Sort Of

May 26, 2023

Day 12 - ending at Searcy, AR

Day 12 - Jacksonport, AR to Searcy, AR

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Got started with my day at 6:20am - write report, pack, and leave. I couldn't get the pictures uploaded, so I'll do that when I get to the nearby town of Newport, where I plan to have breakfast, or lunch, if I'm too late for breakfast.

This beautiful weather we've been having just keeps going on and on! Tonight would be another great camping night, except all the campground sites I'm sure are full with folks enjoying the long Memorial Day weekend. So my plan is to stay tonight and tomorrow night in a motel in Searcy. I have laundry to do and need to get to a Walmart to see if I can get a prescription filled.

I left the campground at 11:00am, then stopped when I got to Jacksonport to take better pictures than I was able to get last night. There's an old courthouse here which looks surprisingly nice considering the state of disrepair it was in at one time. It was open this morning for guided tours, but they start at the Visitor Center and I wanted to keep moving. I did peak into the front door and was quite impressed with the staircases at the front.

At 11:45am, I arrived at Sam's Diner, a small out-of-the-way place in Newport. There was a choice of specials and I went with roast beef with mashed potatoes, black beans, and cornbread. I've noticed sweet tea seems to be a favorite in this area so had that as well. Even with a three-bar 5G signal, my phone was having trouble uploading pictures, or even doing anything internet related. And my Gmail app was still not working, either. This was frustrating, to say the least. On the other hand I had a great meal, which was only $10, and it was a beautiful day. Outside, after recording noon mileage (4.8 miles), the phone started working again and I got the pictures uploaded in no time.

I was on my way at 12:45pm. They have a new bridge on the west side of town for getting over the White River. It's parallel to the old bridge, which is still there on the right. The owner of Sam's Diner had told me if the planners had stayed with their first proposal for the new bridge location, her building would have been bulldozed.

After the bridge, I took a left to get on AR-367, the best way to get to Searcy on a bicycle. Today's route wasn't as scenic as yesterday, but it was still flat, and I still had a good tailwind.

Passed a sign at 2:22pm showing I was in Possum Grape. Didn't see any buildings except a liquor store across the highway. I ran in to see if they had Gatorade and they did, so picked up two. This was the first time on this trip that I actually enjoyed a bottle of Gatorade while it was still cold. I rode through Bradford at 2:59pm. For a few miles past Bradford, I was regretting not stopping to take some pictures, because it looked like a small interesting town.

The closer I got to Bald Knob, The more I was seeing yard sales and flea markets along both sides of the highway. Bald Knob itself is definitely a tourist spot, with lots of small unique restaurants and places to buy things you'd buy when shopping on a vacation.

I took a quick look at a vegetable stand. The only local produce they are selling at the moment is Arkansas strawberries.

I arrived at my preplan motel choice - Quality Inn and Suites in Searcy at 5:09pm. I was hoping to keep my bicycle in the room with me. They wanted me to park it outside by their front door and have their security cameras keep an eye on it. I decided to call around some, and found a motel - Sunrise Extended Stay - that would let me keep my bike in my room.

After I got settled in room 105, I needed to decide where to eat. There are lots of choices nearby, and I decided on Rib Crib. I ate at a Rib Crib in Springfield, Missouri with my sister Laurie and her husband Bill in 2016, at the start of my Kansas trip. My meal (the 'Pigman') at this one was just as good. And I had room for dessert - peach cobbler with ice cream.

Back at the motel I worked on writing up and sending out my 'I've arrived' email. This email goes to my wife and a few others who want to keep a close eye on me. I still couldn't get my Gmail app to work, so tried using Chrome Gmail and that seemed to work, though there's no group addressing there so it was a bit of a pain.

Finally a shower and to bed at 11:45pm. Ahh, big pillows and a mattress!

Jeff

Spent: $10 plus $5 (lunch) + $5.20 (Gatorade) + $74.58 plus $5 (motel room) + $26.87 plus $6 (supper) = $132.65