13th May 2016 Lake Eufaula, Ok to Sallisaw, Ok 88.9 kms - 55.2 miles Up = 467m - Down = 501m
13th May 2016 - Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma to Sallisaw, Oklahoma.
I had been saying we were stopping last night at Checotah – but in actual fact we were 11 miles short of Checotah on part of Lake Eufaula which is a huge man-made lake created for flood control in this area. The actual campground we stayed at was called the Checotah / Lake Eufaula KOA. It was a lovely place to stop – just off the I-40 and 150 metres from the lake.
It is still a bit crisp in the morning, enough to need a jacket when setting off, but warm enough on the bike with just knicks and a bike-shirt. At the end of the day when we reached our destination, it was hot enough for Annie to have a swim in an outdoor unheated pool!!! In the evening it cools down to a comfortable sleeping temperature.
The sky was a lovely clear blue, sun bright and a very light wind when we set off - so an absolutely perfect day for biking!!!
We passed the signs in to Checotah after 10 miles of biking. Checotah has been “put on the map” recently as the home of American Idol series 4 winner – Carrie Underwood.
We “only” had 88 kms to go today, and managed to cut it out in under 4 hours of riding. We took one rest stop for a cup of coffee at “Warner” – the name reminding us of Sharon Robson!! It was a bit under halfway, and then we made it through to the Sallisaw KOA a few minutes after 12 noon.
Again the road shoulder was wonderful and the countryside just beautiful. Very lush paddocks and great herds of Angus beef stock in the main, but also Charolais. Just over halfway into the ride suddenly there was a lot of cropping – mainly maize. Large irrigation systems were in place across the fields.
After a few kilometres we saw the reason for the heightened cultivation activities as we crossed the very impressive Arkansas River. The bridge itself wasn’t too wide and of course – a whole lot of traffic happened as we were crossing, but we still took time to get a couple of snaps! I think we will be seeing quite a bit of this river in the next few days of travel.
Bit of excitement along the way as 2 carloads of State Troopers had a big truck pulled over and they were climbing into the back!! We rode around it and carried on!!
There are many lovely green trees dotted around here and they are very attractive. I can only imagine in Autumn what lovely colours there will be – and what a lot of leaves campground owners will be raking up!
A couple of our previous warmshower hosts said we’d love riding through this area – and how right they were. There’s nothing better than being out on a bike in weather like this in such beautiful countryside!! Loving it!!!
Oh ……. And should I mention – despite it being Friday 13th – no punctures today (the second day in a row)!! I thought that called for a celebratory drink of Toi Toi Sauvignon Blanc!!