It would be a long drive, so we left the KOA around 6:30 AM. We would take route 71 north along the western edge of Arkansas.
The divided highway was soon reduced to a two lane road that seemed to go through every small town in Western Arkansas. Making good time was impossible. Guessing that speeding tickets was a good source of revenue to the locals, we tiptoed through each town. The quality of the highway, depending on which county we were in, ran from pot-holes to glassy smooth.
About mid-way, we began hearing ominous chatter on the CB about an overturned truck. We then saw the ambulance. Finally, we passed the accident scene where one of the logging trucks had run off the road and crashed into a ditch. It was a big mess and the cleanup involved a crane to right the truck and gather up the logs. With so much logging in the area, at least the cleanup equipment was close at hand. We hope the driver wasn’t badly injured.
As we traveled north, the temperatures and humidity abated somewhat. Also, the land opened up enough in places for farming. To be sure, lumber was still the dominant industry and we shared the highway, such as it was, with lumber trucks. In Fort Smith, we picked up the interstate and had a smooth trip to Rogers, Arkansas. Our destination was the same campground we stayed in last September. We pulled in around 1:30 and set up. It was a relief knowing that we would be here a month. Best of all, we are familiar with the area.
The rest of the day was spent resting and talking with our fellow-campers. We went to bed early and slept soundly.