April 24: Joplin to Noel, Missouri
The rain that we were supposed to get yesterday afternoon actually came last night. It was a loud (from the thunder) downpour of the kind we rarely have back home in Utah. The rains came again right around sunrise, but by the time we were starting to pack up and get ready for our departure, the sun was starting to come out. By the time we left though, I could see dark clouds to the north of us again. I was afraid they might be moving our way, but as we headed south, it continued to clear up.
The road (highway 43 south of Joplin) was busy, but had a wide shoulder. At least until the town of Seneca, there was a nice shoulder. South of Seneca, the traffic level dropped off by quite a bit and things started to feel a lot more rural. The roads also started being more up and down. Most of the hills were not very big, but what they lacked in length, they made up for in steepness. Throw in a few curves here and there and it made for a very interesting ride today. The rolling hills are a big change from Kansas. “We’re not in Kansas anymore” as the saying goes.
It was 42 miles from Joplin to Noel. We could have gone further, but it’s a very short ride tomorrow into Bentonville — about 30 miles I would estimate — where we’re meeting my parents who are driving down from Minnesota to visit. I have a couple of scheduled events this week in the Bentonville area this week. I really can’t ride very far south of Bentonville until those events are done.
Pat checked us into Arthur Murray’s Hotel in Noel, Missouri. It’s a very cute and secluded little place on the outskirts of Noel. The highlights of the hotel are a deck overlooking the Elk River and the innkeeper’s dog, Daisy Mae, a 7-month old Basset Hound.
