Pic below of the Big River Crossing across the Mississippi River. The Big River Trail connects Memphis, TN to West Memphis, AR. It is a pedestrian/cyclist bridge that is attached to a railroad bridge. I wish all major river crossings could be this stress free.
When I rode across it several years ago, the trail wasn't complete. I ended up in a soybean field in Arkansas before sunrise the next morning and had to backtrack and get on Interstate 55 for about 2 miles, also in the dark. My tire hit something on the interstate that slashed the sidewall, but it didn't cause a flat. The tube was sticking out a little. I was able to use a dollar bill and some duct tape to patch it. That repair made it the entire trip.
I made it to Arkansas!!!
From what I've learned from biking in Arkansas, if you stay on state or U.S. highways you can depend on them being paved with at least a small shoulder. If your route calls for a named road or county road there's no telling what you're going to get. Example below.
This road above actually wasn't all that bad because the gravel was pretty well packed. I have been on some that had loose gravel that my bicycle tire would sink into. No fun!!!!
Pics below around Lapanto, AR. It's a neat little town that has a unique event the first weekend in October if folks have nothing else to do.
I also went through Black Oak. Almost all Main Street buildings are abandoned (pics below).
I made it to Jonesboro and will be camping at the Craighead Forest Park Campground. Jonesboro is a city of about 75,000 people. I have found that towns that size have no bike infrastructure and a lot of traffic. It made for some tense cycling, with some time spent on sidewalks when they were available.
Total miles today: 101.2
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