Housekeeping and a Reconnaissance Mission

Last night we survived our 5th thunderstorm. It started raining at about 11:00 and didn't stop until about 8:30 this morning. The thunder and lightening didn't last too long and it was never very close. After initially waking up to the sound of the rain, and going through a mental checklist of making sure everything was put away or closed, I went back to sleep for the remainder of the night.

We had planned to ride over the river to Memphis, but with the weather we decided to stay in West Memphis and take care of some housekeeping details. First up was some charging of our various electronics. The laundry room was a perfect place to do that. There are several outlets and a couple of tables.

Once the rain stopped, we got on our bikes and went first for some lunch. As I had not checked an Arkansas Subway off my list yet, we went in search of one. Of course, Subways are never too difficult to find. A sure-fire bet is near a freeway interchange. Sure enough, I found one! Since the Subways in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas don't seem to serve coffee past 11:00, we hopped across the road to McDonalds so Christian could get his post-lunch coffee (and wifi, because he is unable to get online at the RV Park).

After the coffee and computer chores were completed, we rode over to a Kroger grocery store. Because Christian is heading to a different park tomorrow (in Memphis), he needed to restock food that doesn't require cooking. I will be staying at Tom Sawyer and just riding into Memphis tomorrow without my stuff. It will be easier for me to head toward Little Rock on Friday from here. I found a new thing at the grocery store. Quaker makes an instant oatmeal that comes in a ziplock bag. You can use as little or as much as you want. It packs easier and comes with less servings. I don't need a whole bunch because I just have, maybe, 5 more breakfasts (depending on how long it takes me to get to Little Rock).

We returned to the park. Christian wanted to dry his tent. I decided to do a reconnaissance mission for tomorrow's ride into Memphis. I rode down a road that a sign said was easy access to I-55 (the bridge we need to cross to get to Memphis). The road took me to Broadway (aka Hwy 70). From there I could see MRT signs again so I knew I was going the right way. I followed the signs as far as the entrance to the freeway. There appears to be a good shoulder on I-55. The return trip from Memphis is a little trickier involving pushing the bike up an embankment to get to the freeway. At least I won't be carrying any luggage. I rode back to the park and reported my findings to Christian

Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be sunny. Actually, the sun came out this afternoon, so it looks promising for tomorrow. The river is rising, but we'll be okay until Friday when I leave for Little Rock.

In the photos below, you can see the height of the river is right up to the edge. The other photo shows the final height of the river in 2011 (the same flood that closed Great River Road State Park). The problem is these places are on the river side of the levees. When the river rises, these places are under water.