Motorcycling Heaven: Leaving Louisiana Bull Shoals-bound on Arkansas' Scenic 7 Byway

November 5, 2002


Motorcycling Heaven:
Leaving Louisiana Bull Shoals-
bound on Arkansas' Scenic 7 Byway
*****
By Jay Harrod
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

Note: This is the first of a two-part series chronicling the writer's motorcycle trip on Arkansas' Scenic 7 Byway from Louisiana to Bull Shoals Lake near the Missouri border.

When Louisiana 558 crosses the Arkansas line about 12 miles south of El Dorado, the stretch of pavement becomes more than a road. It becomes an icon for Arkansas with a reputation reaching beyond its borders. Ark. Scenic 7 Byway, which runs north and south through the west-central portion of state, epitomizes the natural beauty of Arkansas and passes through cities and towns rich in diversity and history -- places with stories to be told and people waiting to tell them.

I know what lies ahead as my father-in-law and I leave Louisiana behind and cross into my native state on Ark. 7. At least I think I do. I've traveled much of the road, but never the entire length within the span of a few days. Starting on a portion I've never seen, I soon realize our trip will be similar to finally watching a great movie that I've seen most of -- but only in parts -- from beginning to end. And I can't help thinking that watching Scenic 7 pass by from a motorcycle will be the equivalent of seeing that movie on the big screen.

Because we've departed Little Rock earlier in the day, our first overnight stay, at El Dorado, isn't very far. I'm glad we're stopping here. The legacy of the area's 1920s oil boom is evident in the architecture of the city's downtown district, which is situated around the 1928 Union County Courthouse. The boom, which started when the Busey oil well blew in 1921, caused the city to explode from 4,000 citizens to more than 20,000 in a matter of weeks. Unprecedented wealth enabled the city to replace hastily built structures with buildings that are well preserved today.

Our room, at the Union Square Guest Quarters, is directly across from the courthouse and amid more than 50 specialty shops and restaurants. While exploring downtown before dinner, I spy an old art deco theater. We walk in and are greeted by the manager, Ada Williams. When we tell her we're only interested in checking out the building, Williams offers a personalized tour of the 1929 Rialto Theatre that now shows first-run movies daily. The theater is amazing. Williams says she particularly enjoys seniors walking in and sharing memories brought about by the renovated structure. We end the evening by dining al fresco on El Dorado's square.

At breakfast the following morning, we discuss our plans for the day, which include a stop at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources 10 miles north of El Dorado. A lone diner in the small cafe overhears our conversation and offers his opinion of the museum. "Oh, you'll like that," he says. "They do a great job of telling the history of the oil around here."

Come to find out, our new acquaintance does, too. A native of the area, he is retired from Lion Oil Company and shares a few tales from his youth working as a roughneck on oil derricks. Once he learns our route, he's also quick to mention other points of interest in El Dorado and up the road in Camden.

Our destination for the day is 255 miles north at Jasper near the Buffalo National River. I know that by day's end we will have risen from the state's southern timberlands, through the Ouachita Mountains and Ouachita National Forest, over the Arkansas River and into the Ozark Mountains, a route abundant with twists, turns and scenic views. Our stop at the resources museum is brief and leaves me wanting to know more.

Our breakfast acquaintance had told us of a great catfish joint in Camden, but it's only mid-morning when we arrive. I don't know Camden very well, but I do know the town is rich in Civil War history. It's home to the 1847 McCollum-Chidester House, which served as headquarters for Confederate General Sterling Price then as headquarters for Union General Frederick Steele during the Federals' Red River Campaign of 1864.

Before Camden, much of Ark. 7 had consisted of four, wide-open lanes. As soon as we dogleg and cross under a railroad bridge just north of town, it doesn't take long to see things will be different between here and my hometown, Arkadelphia. The road is narrow and the trees form a canopy overhead as it parallels the Ouachita River. Twenty miles later, we've passed maybe two or three cars. It's easy to daydream on this shaded stretch of highway.

Scenic 7, as it enters Arkadelphia, is a couple of blocks over from Main Street. In 1997, a tornado wreaked havoc on the downtown district, but it's hard to tell these days. New shops and restaurants, many with owners determined to renovate or erect buildings with original architectural design in mind, have sprung up, giving new life to downtown.

I've always known there was something special about rounding the curve just before the Highway 7 Recreation Area at DeGray Lake north of Arkadelphia. This time the reason is clear: this is the welcome mat to the Ouachita Mountains. Around this curve, several distant ridges of the Ouachita range come into full view and a long, high dike provides a panoramic view of the lake. Maybe the realization comes about in part because -- for the first time in our journey -- the sun's rays have penetrated the clouds.
 

Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"