Doin' 90
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Highway 43 will only last a couple of miles before reaching the junction with 90. If you're thinking about a coffee break or lunch wait just a bit longer. The sleepy hamlet of Noel, Missouri is only a few minutes away and is well worth a stop just for the atmosphere. Just before you turn in to town there is a dramatic overhanging rock cliff that makes a great photo op. If you have any Christmas cards to mail this is the perfect place to drop them in a mailbox. But don't call it "no-EL." Around here it rhymes with toll the way the locals pronounce it.
As you leave Noel eastbound on highway 90 you'll quickly get a taste of what's in store. As the road snaps to the right up a hill you'll notice the pavement is smooth. This road isn't made from the crumbling concrete of WPA-era Route 66 or the coarse asphalt just behind you in Oklahoma. It's a well-maintained stretch of asphalt with few blemishes and properly banked curves. Add to this the fact we only saw about 3 cars total in an hour and you have a strong candidate for Ultimate Backroad.
Most of 90 is made up of gently sweeping curves marked between 30mph and 45mph. Twisty enough to be interesting, but not to the point of being tiresome. None of them are the dreaded decreasing radius or off-camber type. Your passenger should appreciate this fact also. You'll snake through rolling hills, weaving between open pasture and limestone foothills. Eventually the countryside becomes less agricultural and more typical of the approaching Ozarks. The towns along the way are small and if any of them are a speed trap I've yet to find it. After Noel there aren't any sizable towns for quite some time. Most of them fall into the blink-and-miss-it category.
If your final destination is in Arkansas there are a couple of routes you can consider. The least interesting of which is US-71, which crosses 90 near the tiny burg of Jane. This highway has become a major north-south route through northwest Arkansas and is not terribly interesting. It slices southeast past Bella Vista and straight to the lair of Wal Mart in Bentonville. If you decide to continue east on 90 (and I highly recommend it) be careful crossing US-71.
Not far past the US-71 junction a couple of county roads will cut off that take you to Arkansas highway 94 and, eventually, Pea Ridge. The town of Pea Ridge isn't much to see but the battlefield memorial is worth a visit. In fact, it offers a 7 mile scenic drive of its own, complete with turnouts equipped with mysterious audio players from the `60s. Just east of the park you can join US-62 and remember what traffic is like again.
Continue further east on Missouri 90 and you can still cut south along yet more great roads. At Washburn you can turn south on Missouri 37 which quickly joins US-62. Alternatively, continue on 90 to Cassville and then take 112 south. This goes through Roaring River State Park and will also join 37. It's basically an out-of-the-way loop, but well worth it. From there continue on the US-62 and into Eureka Springs.
If you are ultimately headed for Branson you will probably want to cut over to Missouri 76 outside of Cassville. There are a variety of different routes that look potentially fun. But that's another story!
No matter whether your vehicle has two wheels or four, Missouri's highway 90 is a great drive. The first time I stumbled upon it we were returning from Eureka Springs in my Alfa Romeo GTV. We had a great trip home that year and have always tried to go "out of our way" through Noel ever since. And I think it's the sort of highway that defines the Sport Touring motorcycle genre. Nothing that will cause you to fear for your life, just nice twisty highway. It's worth the detour regardless of whether your handlebars are under the headlight or over your head.
©2000 J. Rex Brown www.places2ride.com
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