No power, no phone, no water. Also, it's either raining or freezing

Hello Everyone,

I write to you from the ominously named Devil's Den State Park, in northern Arkansas. It's an apt name as I've been having a devil of a time of late. Lest you worry, I'll say that I'm currently enjoying the amenities of a full service campsite, but it has not always been the case.

Firstly, my battery continues to cause me issues. It did not charge during my day of driving yesterday, so last night was another spent without power. It wasn't too bad, the temperature did not dip below freezing, and I at well on sandwiches. But it's not an ideal situation.

Secondly, my phone service has been very spotty. I spend most of yesterday, travelling from Chattanooga to North Little Rock without cell service. I know that people have travelled for eons without cellular telephones, but I like to keep in touch with friends and family, especially as a solo traveler, so being without it, but paying for the service, was frustrating. Fortunately, there are libraries and McDonald's along the way that have wifi service. In particular I stopped at the public library in Murfreesboro, just south of Nashville. As always, the staff were very polite and helpful.

Thirdly I don't have running water. I tried to put in a water filter the night before I left Tennessee, but wasn't able to get it sealed tight enough to prevent leaks. It was late and I needed to get to bed, so I just left it and haven't had a chance to get back to it. Again, there are work arounds. Particularly as I often stay in Walmart parking lots, bottled water is cheap.

Lastly, the rain and freezing conditions have conspired against me. Bentonville, Arkansas came highly recommended from several people and websites, and despite emailing in advance, when I finally arrived here, the guy at the bike shop said the trails would be damaged if I ride them as they don't shed water well and the freeze/thaw cycle makes them vulnerable. I'll respect their wishes and only ride a few trails tomorrow, but that was gutting to hear when I finally arrived.

I was hoping to spend a couple of days here, but given the conditions, I'm going to cut that short. It's too dependent on the weather to be this far north. I'm heading south again after this, to the more dependable weather of that liberal haven: Texas.

wes