Talimena Scenic Drive

A ride we love and have enjoyed several times... is the Talimena Scenic Drive in Oklahoma and Arkansas.  We've been lucky enough to experience the Ouachita Mountains in both the spring when everything is blooming and in the fall when all the autumn colors are in full force.

We always stay in Talihina... at the Hootie Creek House Bed and Breakfast.  The owners, Carolyn and Essex let us park the bike on the front porch, and Carolyn makes the best apple pancakes in the world!

The Hootie Creek House Diner

Downtown Talihina

The scenic drive stretches over the mountain tops... from Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas.  We've never seen him, but the area is declared as the home of Big Foot.  

 

There are all kinds of things to see along the drive... historical markers, parks, wildlife, and an old cemetery from the 1800's where some of the graves are marked with scratches on rocks.  

On this particular trip... we saw a very large turtle in the middle of the road.  I asked Cliff to turn around so we could go back and move the turtle.... I didn't want him to get hit by a car.  We turned back, I got off the bike and approached the turtle.  I was planning to just pick him up and put him in the grass.  However,  he was not the friendliest turtle I have ever met, that's for sure!  He had a snarl on his face, I swear!   Cliff started laughing, and said... "What are you so scared of, it's just a turtle, it's not like he can come after you or go very fast!"

The next thing I knew... the turtle moved with amazing speed toward me!  Cliff jumped off the bike to get a closer look.  He recognized it being an Alligator Snapping Turtle... then the turtle lunged at Cliff and took a chunk out of his boot!  I've never seen Cliff move so fast.

Now I'm laughing...  Um yeah... it's just a turtle, how scary can it be?

Long story short, Cliff punted the turtle off his boot, into the grass, and we sped away!

And that my friends... is another tale from the back of the bike.