Day 19. Conway to Brinkley, AR. 102 miles. After visiting friends and family over the last three locations, I pedaled off to Brinkley, AR to view to vast acreages of rice and soy beans. The road and the land around it was flat as a pancake and the only thing keeping the headwind down to a dull roar was the occasional spread of trees specifically planted to act as a wind brake. Mike prepped us this morning with a safety reminder that any overconfidence we may have gained could be dangerous. In other words, now is not a good time to be complacent or lose focus on the challenges of this ride. I think our team was really listening as all 12 of us "soft pedaled" for about 20 miles, following Martin and Jonielle. From the 20 mile point to the rest stop, we all picked up the pace and took turns pulling and navigating through the lush, heavily wooded countryside. The whole team was raving about the brownies that Mom brought with her yesterday (see photo below, Mom!). After leaving the rest stop, Peter and I worked together and rode the next 35 miles together, discussing why I attended the Air Force Academy, and what Peter's plans are for the coming years. Great ride through the country and wonderful conversation at 20 mph, how can you beat that! We pulled into the abandoned gas station for lunch and had a relaxing meal of sandwiches, grapes, oranges, more Mom's homemade brownies, raisins and my favorite, pickles. There was plenty of shade to go along with the food and a pleasant 78 degree, clear sky hovering in the background. Fully satiated, I followed about 4 or 5 folks out of the rest stop and I kept heading east as they organized their pace line. The road we traveled, Highway 70 east, was not really that busy going east, but there was a constant stream of 18 wheelers coming right at us. When those things pass by in the opposite direction, the blast of air will slow your speed about 2-3 mph. I estimate I passed 500-600 trucks in the 30 mile journey to Brinkley. One of the highlights along the way was my eyewitness sighting of "Craig's of DeValls Bluff." Craig's is known as a fabulous catfish/barbecue hole in the wall and I've finally seen it even though I was in a hurry to get to the hotel and get OFF my bicycle seat. Most of the terrain on this ride was non-descript, looking like the mile you just passed and the next mile you'll see. I did see an occasional horse and a dog or two, but nothing that created a longer term memory. The only other memory I have of this "head down ride" was of the "bumps" that were protruding from the asphalt as I approached the White River Bridge, the Cache River Bridge and about 10 other bridges. I could see the bumps in advance and I always trip to jump my front wheel over the bump so only my rear wheel absorbs the major impact. However, these protrusions were so large that even this approach didn't always work. For the whole ride, I figured my buddies behind me would work together to try and catch me so I kept pushing myself most of the ride. I kept my head down and pushed through a steady headwind to arrive at Brinkley about 2:37pm. I checked in, cleaned up and relaxed with a few laps in the indoor pool, followed by a short review of the state-wide newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Around 4 pm, one of our riders, Tom, celebrated his 50th birthday with us by sharing a couple platters of chicken with us that a good friend had sent to him. We followed the party with our daily rap, planning for tomorrow's ride and reviewing the longer term plans for our arrival at Savannah. I've had so much fun riding through Arkansas, enjoying its natural beauty and recognizing how kind and caring its people really are. In the morning we are bound for Mississippi and I will smile knowing that my team mates have seen some of Arkansas's unique place in America. Stay healthy, Steve