The Talimena Scenic Drive follows the spine of two mountain ranges for 54 miles through the Ouachita National Forest, from Talihina, Oklahoma, to Mena, Arkansas. It stays up on the crests of the Winding Stair and Rich Mountains, and on foggy mornings, you drive above the clouds while the hollows disappear beneath you.
The road never drops into the valleys. Without stops, the whole thing takes about an hour and 10 minutes.
But nobody does it without stopping…