Yesterday we spent part of the day riding around Bentonville, Arkansas. It was one of the best days we’ve had in a very long time. It was the perfect anniversary outing for us. My photos can’t do it justice. I hope my writing can. I feel like the best approach is to begin with a simple recap of the day in chronological order. But it’s going to take several separate posts to really convey the experience. Please be sure to read the next three posts to get more details.
To recount the day: first we walked from our hotel and picked up bikes at a local bike shop called SCOTT Adventure Lab NWA which is just off of the Bentonville Square. We rented 2 full suspension e-bikes made by a bike brand called Scott. Next we rode to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art via a bike path. We met 2 other couples and strolled the museum. Next, we rode our e-bikes to Yeyo’s to eat there again. Delicioso. Then we bought a locally made chocolate treat and said good bye to our friends. Next we rode the e-bikes to Osage park via a green way trail the traverses a Wal Mart Corporate park via a series of under passes. Next, we rode our bikes out to Lake Bentonville and the Bentonville Airport. We watched privately owned planes practice take offs and landings. Then we rode to a local bar called The Hub and watched some football on big screen TVs and shared a beer. Last, we returned the bikes to The Adventure Lab by 5pm. We walked around Bentonville some more and ate a meal at an old favorite restaurant of ours called The Flying Fish.
It was a great day that we both enjoyed together. The e-bikes provided a big boost. I had never ridden an e-bike before. The bike made me feel free. I could enjoy the day and not worry if I’d bonk and crash out and ruin the date. The trails that link up Northwest Arkansas are truly a dream. The section we rode is a major artery of the trail system that is paved and cuts through vast corporate property via a series of lighted under passes and tunnels. It’s surreal to actually ride through the type property that in most every other city of the country would most likely be gated off and have to be circumnavigated in a car in a drab congested line of traffic. Instead, you hop on an e-bike and chat and ride with your spouse of 25 years and feel the excitement of exploring and urban adventure. And you feel a slight stirring of hope. I mean, I don’t want to over extend the emotion of it, but I honestly was not prepared to be so delighted.
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