Day three..more gravel(June 12th)

OK, the firehouse was fine, but I was up a few times as the pills were "working" on me, but couldn't hear the numerous trains. My cot worked ok, but Jerome said I snored a lot. We're up at 6:30 & get ready to load up the trailer..at least ,today we actually start on paved roads! Over to the "Choo Choo Cafe" for a very good breakfast buffet & only 5.95! On the raod by 8:00 & headed for Antlers for lunch, but first, Barb just "has" to do "Jumbo Road". This gravel/dirt road..what else?..goes thru the back woods to Jumbo , Ok, where the last gas station, P.O. & general store, closed in 1975. (The pump showed gas to be 49.9.) This "Portage" was 71/2 miles & Bill did the driving this time. Me & Jerome stayed at the store to guard the bikes & wait on the rest of the riders. Barb & Parker head on toward lunch. After some pretty bad blacktop & a tough climb or two, we arrive in Antlers at a great pizza place! Homemade pizza & clazones-the Works! Now we decide to take Eric & Kathleen over to Hugo, as they are going to ride the "Oklahoma Freewheel", starting tomorrow. I drive the sag & Parker rides shotgun & we drop of the riders in Hugo, where there are already 100's of tents & activities going on. No circus in operation, but a few trains chugging by the old Harvey House. Hugo used to be a winter spot for a few small circuses & even has a "Circus animal" cemetary. We get ice & water for the riders as we will meet them in lovely Rattan, Ok and then head to Cloudy, Ok for our overnite. At least it's paved, for awhile, but just past the Cloudy store, it turned to..guess what? yep, gravel! Bill gets in at this point & we proceed to "Hannah's Bent Tree Cabins". Some places where we have to decide which way to go, but we get there ( thru the grace of god) & rumble down to the cabin..pretty damn' rough I might add. (My auto is taking a beatin'!) The cabin is right on Little River and a nice..one bath again. We unload the trailer & I go back to get the rest of the riders . Jerome has had two flats with a blowout thrown in for good measure. Larry proceeds on and makes it all the way! The showers are underway & we all get cleaned up and walk up to the cafe on site-The Bent Tree Grill. We even dip our feet in the cool waters of the river before walking up, sippin' a cool one. The cafe is great! Catfish dinners, baked potatoes & we also order sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch. Barb is lookin' at the route & asks the owners if they will help us portage over the gravel and avoid two trips, sure, why not? But it'll cost ya $40. I suppose it's a good deal as it's 10 miles to pavement in Pickens, Ok. 43 miles today & 2500' of climb. Back to the cabin & in bed by 10:15.