Russellville, Arkansas
July 7, 2025

Prefatory Note. If you have suggestions for interesting places to visit in Arkansas, please share them with me: edxceo@aol.com. I’m interested in great scenery and history. Thanks for helping me create my own Burke Modified TAT (“BTAT”).

July 5. Today was a fantastic ride on the BTAT. It began with a great breakfast at the Waffle House. I wish they had Waffle Houses in California. I rode over 200 miles from Waynesboro, Tennessee to Batesville, Mississippi. Every road on my trip was scenic and free of big rigs and fast-moving vehicles. I felt like my Garmin GPS was steering me away from the interstates, toll roads and busy highways. The day ended with a tasty Philly Cheesesteak sandwich at the Kennel Club.

July 6. This was an eventful day. The day started at the First Baptist Church of Sardis, Mississippi. I attended a Men’s Bible Study at 9:45am and the church service at 11am. After church, I was back on the highway riding through a lot of farm country and heading for Arkansas.

I was almost involved in a major automobile crash right in front of me.  On Highway 49, I was proceeding north when a vehicle passed me on the two-lane highway. Instead of moving back into the northbound lane after he passed me, the driver stayed in the southbound lane, even though there was fast-moving oncoming southbound traffic.  I was screaming in my helmet-“get back into your lane, get back into your lane!”   When the driver finally realized he was in the wrong lane, it was almost too late. He swerved sharply to his left, almost leaving the pavement, and the southbound driver slammed on his brakes and started a skid into my lane. A head-on crash was barely averted. Because of my close proximity, that crash would surely have involved me. I don’t recall ever being so scared. I’m so grateful no one was hurt.

Despite the scare, I had a really good day on the road. I crossed over the Mississippi River and entered Arkansas. I rode down to the riverbank and reminisced about my solo canoe trip down the Mississippi River in 2019.  I’ve booked a room at Days Inn in Brinkley, Arkansas and had a great dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

July 7. When I saw my route today would put me on busy highway 40, I programmed my Garmin Zumo XT2 to create a different, more adventurous, route. This worked perfectly. Garmin programmed a beautiful back-country ride that put me on scenic roads with absolutely no traffic. It was a real fun day.

I am having one of the best times of my life.

Thank you God.

Bill

Waffle House

First Baptist Church

Mississippi River

Mississippi River

Marville, Arkansas

Marville Arkansas

Convenience Store

Used car lot across the street