PUBLIC VIEWPOINT Cyclists Love Northwest Arkansas

We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the many small towns and communities in Northwest Arkansas. Over the past six years, our cycling club, Silver Cycling, has made an annual 12-hour driving trip in late March to ride the beautiful Ozark Mountains. We spend four days biking into and out of many small towns andcommunities. One of our favorite stops is Jasper, Ark. Other routes included Ponca, Deer, Mount Judea, Parthenon, Harrison, Compton, Kingston, Boxley and St. Paul.

Not only are the roads, views and awesome climbs (and we do mean climbs) exceptional, but the people in the region make this area even more memorable. Community members and drivers along with us on the roadare patient and always provide plenty of room and often pass with a friendly wave. When we stop for water or food, we do get the funny look, but we always have great conversations.

To the waitress and family having dinner at the Deer Cafe, the woman on the back side of Mount Judea, to the store clerks at the gas station in St.

Paul, to the servers at Jasper Cafe, to the manin his pickup on the dirt road (when we got lost), to all the drivers and even the dogs of Northwest Arkansas, Silver Cycling thanks you.

Every year we find fun and adventure and will continue to return for our cycling adventure.

Trip photos can be found on our cycling website, Silvercycling.org.

TED SIEFKES

Burnsville, Minn.

Opinion, Pages 7 on 04/25/2010

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