There’s nothing quite like a weekend escape to recharge and reconnect. A few weeks ago, I decided to combine quality family time with a healthy dose of adventure and headed to Fayetteville, Arkansas. With its stunning natural beauty and growing reputation as a biking haven, I knew it would be the perfect destination for a two-wheeled getaway. As I explored the Razorback Greenway, I couldn’t help but dream of the day when Kansas City’s Greenline project becomes a reality, offering similar opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy outdoor recreation and explore our city’s vibrant neighborhoods.
Until then, read more about my adventure and the benefits of exploring outdoor biking trails.
A few weeks ago, I took a short getaway to reconnect with family and go biking in an unexplored area. My sister, my cousin and I went on a 6 hour biking trip from Fayetteville to Bentonville on the 40 mile Razorback Greenway.
Taking into account that it was a 90-degree day in Arkansas, we opted to rent e-bikes from Phat Tires in Fayetteville. It was my first time on an e-bike and I loved it! Since the trail was pretty hilly it helped us to average around 15 miles an hour, which made the heat much less uncomfortable and we finished the trail in a reasonable time. Our e-bikes had three settings, Eco, Tour and Turbo. My setting was Eco, which provided less electrical assistance than the other two. The electric bikes are a great tool for balancing out skill levels in groups with different abilities (for example, my sister is pregnant).
It was so interesting to go through the countryside, over creeks, through little towns and forested areas.
The water bottle fountains sprinkled along the trail were really appreciated. We brought snacks, but stopped for lunch in Springdale, AR since it was about half way. The selection seemed to be good in that area.
We found a Colombian restaurant, Romero’s Cuisine, Toque Latino that even let us bring our bikes inside! The server was delightful and so accommodating. We had delicious batidos de mango (mango smoothies), ropa vieja (stewed shredded meat), plátano frito maduro (fried ripe plantain) and pollo asado (deliciously seasoned rotisserie chicken). It was such a welcome respite and their food fueled us for the rest of the trip.
After lunch we finished our route to Fayetteville, AR. In addition to seeing a lot of forest, we got in a little creek to cool down and enjoy the scenery.
After we had ridden over 30 miles and reached Bentonville, a local bike shuttle service Shuttle Hound picked us up and brought us back to our starting point in Fayetteville. They were able to load up to 6 bikes on the back of the van. The driver/owner was so friendly and a mountain biker. Hiring a shuttle was a game changer for us in order to keep within our goal of doing a little over 30 miles in a day, not 60 miles. Click here to see our highlight video of our ride.
Kansas Citians, if you’re looking for a weekend getaway to change up the scenery, I recommend biking the Razorback Greenway. We had such a fun time, saw new landscapes and exercised while spending family time together! If you want to learn more about having something similar in Kansas City, read more about the Greenline project here.