Okay, we have made some changes.

First, we aren’t in Oklahoma, as planned. Instead, we are in Arkansas. Not on Route 66, you note? Exactly.

Second, we said goodbye to Mike and Julie, but just temporarily. They have some things to do at home, but will be catching up with us in a week. They are already missed, but thankfully that will just be temporary.

Bill did two great things: he found the most magnificent Air BnB imaginable: enormous, perched on a lake, with a private dock and kayaks, ping-pong table, sculpted gardens, etc. Unbelievable. Second, he found a terrific cycling route, called the Razorback Greenway, that extends from Fayetteville to Bentonville, Arkansas, linking together wooded areas and river edges, and dedicated bicycle paths throughout. It’s not just a linear route, but an interconnected network of green bike paths. This is one of the best bicycle route systems that I have ever encountered. Better still, the route started at the end point of an immense bicycling festival, complete with stage music and a constant flow of happy cyclists. We were smiling the entire way. Well, Greg may have stopped smiling for an instant when he had a mishap with his trike that had him coasting backwards and flipping over, but a quick rescue from Matt and he was smiling again.

Arkansas has made a fabulous first impression – happy people, tolerant motorists, great food and a well-developed cycling culture make this an unexpected haven on our journey. It’s also a decided success in our strategy of venturing away from Route 66.

We will be here for one more day, then off to Oklahoma.