Talimena National Scenic Byway — Local services in Le Flore

I've been here twice once in the late spring and once in autumn. This is one of the most beautiful drives in the country. On our late spring trip it was cool and we had light rain. The clouds were low over the mountains and they looked beautiful. We had family visiting from Australia on their first trip to the US and they lived the drive too. They got to see a road runner bird for the first time. It didn't look like the cartoon to their surprise. Oklahoma had prisoners clearing the roads and views. We maybe saw one other car the whole time. The green mountains and valleys were beautiful. We made another trip in the autumn on a weekend and it was incredibly busy. All of the turnoffs were full and traffic was backed up. I was surprised to see cars from all over making the drive. We saw cars from as far away as New York. It was very beautiful but we left the drive early and we found a beautiful white water river. The rains had made the river really move and we saw a black bear. We found a cute little Oklahoma town that had an old fashioned soda fountain so we stopped in for burgers and ice cream. You won't be disappointed if you...

Beautiful and peaceful drive with curves and inclines. Bring your lunch/snack and relax at one of the many stops with a beautiful view. There are tons of stops that is a pull over for you to get out and take pictures. There is usually a sign 500ft beforehand that tells you what vista it is. At the stop is also an information board. Some stops don't have either, but most do. The Panorama Vista is towards the beginning on the Missouri start. It's a curve around that let's you see both sides. Don't miss that one. I also like the Emerald Vista. You have navigate maybe a minute off the road(behind a camping site) to get to it. It is rolling mountains of green and gorgeous. The Arkansas side is my favorite for views and scenery and roads! Come on Oklahoma (you will notice the change). The day was a beautiful fall day for us. Cool and sprinkles of rain. This led to alot of fog up top and crazy wind that was blowing limbs on the highway. We had to dodge some. If you have a convertible and a non rainy day, this would be perfect. Make sure you and have a play list on your radio....

Attached are some pictures from my mounted camera.

Fun mountain road for fellow motorcycle and car enthusiasts. Make sure to get gas/food/drinks at the Shell in Talihina before you enter this route. There is NO gas stations before the scenic route. It's about 54 miles, so make sure you are fueled up accordingly. I went to the Shell in both Talihina and Mena to fuel up.

It was sadly too foggy for me to go above 30 mph, so I did not get the full experience.

If you have a 6 speed manual, 2nd and 3rd gear will be your best friend on the road. Due to the big elevation changes, the engine braking of lower gears is needed. Also, lower gears are needed to prevent lugging the engine.

I highly recommend people who plan on doing spirited drives to have an oil cooler. It is very easy to get your oil + trans fluid (for automatic guys), very hot on the steep hill climbs. I got my oil temps up to 230 to 240F. That is fine as I am running 0W-40 and at lower RPMs, so I still have adequate...