Day 20 - McAlester to Queen Wilhelmina lodge (AR)

While yesterday was the worst meal of the trip. Today was the best hotel. We are staying in the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge on the Talimena Parkway just across the border into Arkansas. We feel like we are in a ski resort in Aspen. Definitely a step up from the usual budget motels along the road.

I forgot to add yesterday that the tour leader bought some scales last night and we all did a big weigh in. I've managed to lose 9 pounds in 3 weeks. Not bad eh?

I think today is my new favourite riding day. Lots of rollers, beautiful scenery and several things to sidetrack us. We even got to practice our cyclocross. The signs said that the road was closed but we decided to keep going.. until we hit the construction zone and had to try and ride / walk across the dirt and dust. The pictures look pretty cool.

We also found an animal on the road that wasn't actually dead. I got to see my first live tarantula... from a safe distance.

I also found an inflatable rubber seat. The kind that you sit on in a pool. I tried to mount it on my saddle but it wouldn't stay on. Anything for a joke eh?

The cycling today was fabulous. The Talimena Parkway is possibly one of the best places to ride a bike in the US. It's a lot like the Blue Ridge Parkway but with no cars. Plenty of steep climbs, super fast descents and breathtaking views. None of the climbs are long but they are brutal. You'd go from 5mph to 50mph back to 5mph all in the space of a couple of minutes. My shoulders are sorer than my legs from all the standing / brute force climbing I had to do.

not sure whether it's because the days are slightly shorter, or that I'm riding a bit slower but, tour life is definitely easier these days.. apart from getting out of bed. We have 2 more 'easy' days of about 100 miles each before back to back 135 mile days in Mississippi. I should savour the moment eh?

One of original guys on our tour (Brian Stockbridge) was riding for charity. Http://www.nevus.org. He lost his son to a rare cancer several years ago. Brian unfortunately had to go back home half way into our trip. The charity organizer came out to meet us at dinnertime. We decided that it would only be fitting that we would help Brian and his charity out by carrying on his mantle. If anyone would like donate, please check out their website. Thank you.

Time to go outside to check out the fantastic views from the lodge.