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7-10 day trip - Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi,Louisiana

mitchntx

Follower of Rev. Doug
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Mitch
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Warren
So I have this retirement trip swimming around in my head.

Mid September for a week or 10 days.

The rough route is ....
Mena, Russellville into southern Missouri and eastward.

Weave through Tennessee and Kentucky.

Swing south through Tupolo Jackson, and then to Natchez and Alexandria LA.

Then back through east Texas and home.

Thoughts and suggestions?
 
Since you're asking for thoughts...

Timing - wait a bit longer and you'll see some incredible fall colors.

Route - your ride sounds doable with perhaps a couple of high mileage days, but since this is a retirement ride, why not take more time and enjoy so many of the amazing side roads close by your route? I've spent 7-10 days just riding around Arkansas and Southern Missouri. There are so many fun places to see and so many side roads to enjoy.

I guess its about two different riding styles - one is to ride the main road and enjoy the ride and the other is to meander and enjoy the ride. Both are fun depending on your style and mindset.

Regardless of what you do it sounds like a great trip.
 
Sounds good! Ride the Natchez Trace? See the Elvis stuff and car museum in Tupelo?
 
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If you want some great riding in LA, MS and TX I can send you the gpx files from our spring trip to Vicksburg, they were some great roads to ride and you could always do them in reverse or use them as a basis for route planning. Let me know if you want them.


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Man....lots of GREAT riding roads in those areas.

Here's what I'd do....

Part 1
https://goo.gl/maps/h7oa2jRmvWG2 (some of the best roads in AR and MO 125)

Part 2
https://goo.gl/maps/8Ja69nsVPKA2 (back roads over to NC, then the Rattler, Dragon, Cherhola Skyway and then Natches Trace back south.

Then just head home at the bottom of the Natches Trace.

One word of warning about the Natches Trace, speed limit is 45 I think and it's enforced. It's not a challenging road and especially not at that speed. It's pretty, but it's a really long stop and enjoy kind of ride. Personally....I don't think I'd enjoy the whole thing but some do it and love it.

Anyway.... just an idea of a route that is doable in a week that would cover a lot of really great roads. Hope it gives you some ideas...
 
Kevin, please sir.

BC ... timing ... wait how long? days? weeks?

2WN ... care to join?
 
Kevin, please sir.

BC ... timing ... wait how long? days? weeks?

2WN ... care to join?

Love to but I just don't have the available vacation time. Someday when I'm retired I guess...

Having said that....depending on when you leave, I could meet you in Russellville on a Friday night if I left after work. I woudn't have to take any time off and we could ride northern Arkansas and Missouri on Saturday and then I head home and you head east on Sunday.

I am a decent tour guide for that area. I've ridden it quite a lot.
 
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I will shoot them over this evening. One thing I noticed on the NTP from Natchez to Jackson, speed limit was 50 or 55 but all the locals were running 70 in their trucks so I just tagged along with them. Only saw one deputy in that entire stretch and that was right as I was leaving Natchez.


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2WN - we can do that at anytime. Just say the word.

BK - good info ... look forward to it.
 
You're taking this retirement thing pretty seriously.
My vacation starts on the fifteenth of September.
I could try to keep up for awhile.
Sounds like fun.
 
2WN - we can do that at anytime. Just say the word.

BK - good info ... look forward to it.
Have plans Labor Day weekend?

I know that's a ways out....but July and August are pretty much booked for me.
 
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Looks like 2wheelnut has the first two days planned.
What's day three look like?

BK sent me a GPX file ... but I don't own a GPS.
Not sure what I was thinking.

Hopefully someone will show up with mad GPS skilz. I've been known to map out a day's ride the night before based upon a weather report, using a No. 2 pencil and a 2x3 notebook..

I know that kind of makes you pilot types a bit queasy ...
 
Lol...while possible to do in a day...my routes were intended to be 2-3 days each.

I suppose it just depends on how much you like to ride. :)
 
BK sent me a GPX file ... but I don't own a GPS.
Not sure what I was thinking.

Hopefully someone will show up with mad GPS skilz. I've been known to map out a day's ride the night before based upon a weather report, using a No. 2 pencil and a 2x3 notebook..

I know that kind of makes you pilot types a bit queasy ...

Download it in FurKot and print it out or get the pencil and write it down in your notebook.
 
Yep I was going to say furkot too. It will let you upload just about any Nav file out there and you can modify it, print it, print out written turn by turn instructions, book hotels. Cool website and it’s free.


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My last GPS, I recall saying furkot a lot ...
 
Yeah I had choice words to say when Garmin’s **** update ruined my GPS a couple of weeks ago.

I’m waiting for one of the new TomTom rider 550’s to arrive from Holland right now.


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Ohhhh....that’s one thing you can do for route planning too, TomTom has route planning online that works really well, you can even set the adventurous and hilly options too. It’s very easy to use and you can download it as a gpx for Garmin users too. TomTom users can just send it wirelessly to their gps devices.


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