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- Joined
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- Friday
Howdy,
FRIDAY
As usual, the best laid plans often go flying out the window to be replaced with adhoc on the fly plans. This weekend is to be no different. This weekend is a tour of Arkansas. I planned to take Friday off from work, John Morin would come over Thursday night from Austin, and then we'd ride up together during the day Friday. Beth and Debbie would drive up later and meet us. John and I were going to leave by noon at the latest.
About 5:00pm Friday evening, I realize things are not really going so well :| The new plan was for John to arrive early in the afternoon on Friday, we'd load all the bikes on the trailer and leave as soon as Beth and Debbie get off work at 3:00pm. The reality is that tt takes forever to get the bikes loaded, John does not arrive until 5:30pm and then we have to wait on my folks to bring us some stuff before we can leave. They arrive about 6:00pm. :?
We are finally on the road and heading North through East Texas via US 59. Getting away this late, it is nice to be in the truck and not riding. It takes us seven hours to reach Hot Springs, our start point for the tour. I had hoped to arrive in the early evening and to get a nice long night of sleep before starting the tour. No dice. We arrive at the hotel, unload the bikes and check in, and finally hit the sack about 1:30am 
SATURDAY
Saturday morning comes early. The imaginary snoring sounds coming from John have kept me from sleeping soundly 
Ear plugs help though. We head down to meet everyone out in the parking lot. Bill Joye and Andy Walker are present, but Andy's friend Art was unable to make it due to a family emergency. After a light breakfast everyone suits up and we are ready to head out.
Andy is on his Vtec VFR 800, Bill his Virago 1100, John on his BMZilla R1150GS, and Beth, Debbie and myself on our VFR 800's. A quick gas stop to make sure everyone is topped off and has a map, then we are off!
We head North out of town on Hwy 7. It is overcast and cool. As long as it stays this way, it will make for some very nice riding. Despite this being a holiday weekend, the traffic heading out of town is light and it does not take us long to reach the point where Hwy 7 gets to be really fun. Last year around Labor day, the state repaved much of 7 and it is incredibly smooth and nice now.
Debbie has never ridden pillion on roads quite this twisty so I am taking it easy to giver her a chance to get used to the feeling of the speed and lean angles. She's a good passenger though and I seldom even have to think about her being on the back of the bike. Also, I like to take it easy for the first hour or so until I get a feel for the pace the group is comfortable running.
The run up and over the mountains through the Ouachita National Forest is a blast. None of the curves are really nasty and we are running a nice relaxing pace. I'm a little concerned that the weather may turn sour as the clouds seem to be getting lower and darker. Just south of I-40, Hwy 7 flattens and straightens for the run into Russellville. We start picking up quite a bit of urban congestions here. However, there aren't many places to cross the Arkansas river that aren't congested. So we plod through the traffic and make our way to the small town of Dover for our first stop. The mood is light and everyone seems to be having a great time. The best roads are still to come 
Gas tanks full we keep heading North on Hwy 7. Not far out of town, we cut off onto a side road that runs along the Southern edge of the Ozark National Forest to the start of Hwy 123. Hwy 123 is a great road. It has thick woods coming right up to the edge of the road, in places it feels like we are riding through a tunnel. Unfortunately, the Arkansas highway department has not seen fit to completely resurface the road and instead has opted to simply do the patchwork treatment. Some of the dark patches are nice and smooth, others are nice and smooth but totally covered with loose pea sized gravel 
Our road scanning skills really get a work out on this stretch. We pull over at the entrance to a state park to take some pictures:
One of many similar creeks and small rivers
Debbie next to a typical curve with dark patchwork
The BMZilla in it natural habitat!
Butterflies behind the park entrance sign
John is soaked from his repeated bike washings 
And it is getting cooler, that should make for some interesting riding for him. We run the rest of 123, slowing for some really serious gravelled curves and then reach Hankin's Country Store on Hwy 7.
This place looks and smells old. The pay phone is even a rotary dial, something many people today have never seen, hehe.
The floors slope every which way, and finding the bathroom requires thinking like a rat in a maze. However, they have water and Snickers! The owner and a local are chatting about who owns what tractor now and what happened to the old tractor that got traded to the brother-in-law, and how much horsepower it made... We sit outside talking with other riders about their bikes and how much horsepower they make... Then is starts to sprinkle, ever so lightly, until John pipes in with, "If I have to go to all this trouble to get my rain gear on, it better rain good to make it worth it!!" Then it starts to pick up a little more... :|
After everyone suits up for the rain, we set out heading East toward Clinton.
As soon as we leave the parking lot, it starts to really come down. The wind is not too bad, but it is a really hard and steady rain. Have I mentioned how twisty the road is in this area? I back the pace down 10-15mph and get to work on being smooth on the controls. My new Pilot Road rear tire seems to be gripping great except for when I hit the occasional tar snake But it regains grip almost instantly. I think the first few snakes I hit really get Debbie's attention, then she settles in for the duration. The sky is hanging low on the mountains and is a dark dull gray in all directions. This is not going to be a quick shower.
When we reach Hwy 27, we stop to confer among the group. We are at a convenient point for cutting the route short by nearly 100 miles. The group consensus is that it is not likely to stop raining any time soon, and even if we cut the route short, we still have nearly 100 miles to go before reaching our destination. It is decided without opposition that we will take the most direct route to the day's end. The funny thing about Northern Arkansas is that the concept of "direct route" seems to have been defined by a group of drunken surveyors. We head North to Marshall and the rain picks up even more... :?
It seems that every little town we pass through is having their homecoming. We round a corner coming into town, there are maybe three or four houses, and tons of cars parked on the side of the road. We slow to get through it and then continue soggily on our way. One can only wonder what thoughts are going through the heads of the locals as we rumble past them in the rain. When we reach Marshall we stop for gas and decide now is a good time to get lunch.
We cruise up the road a few miles and find the Dogwood Cafe. Beth and I had been here last year and the food was pretty good. After everyone gets settled in and we make a soppy mess out of one side of the restaurant, the waitress takes our orders. I chat with a few other riders that are hoping to wait out the rain while eating. The food is average but this time the service is a little mediocre. This is a family run place and they seem a little shorthanded. While we are eating, I spot a ray of sun out the window! We all get excited at the prospect of the weather clearing. As we check out and get ready to leave, the sun vanishes and it starts to pour again :x
So far, I have been able to stay quite dry. My Tourmaster rain suit does a really good job. On the other hand, my Shoei RF800 with 85K miles on it is not doing so good. Water is pouring in around the visor and soaking the liner. It reaches the point where I can feel the water running down my cheeks and neck into the collar of my jacket!! At this point, it is mind over matter, I put all thoughts of discomfort out of my mind and just focus on getting everyone to our goal.
As we are heading North on Hwy 14 towards Yellville, it occurs to me that this road is incredible, even in a heavy downpour. The more I think about this the more fun I start having. I really enjoy being out in the rain in the woods. The trees and woods take on a whole new feeling. The green of the leaves is brighter, the color of the trunks more pronounced, the wispy haze lingering in the air just above the ground creating a spooky movie atmosphere. If I were alone, I would probably have done the whole route depsite the rain and my leaky helmet, but most everyone else is not so fond of the rain riding experience.
At Yellville, we pick up US 62 and run East to Mountain Home. We find the hotel and check into our rooms. The front desk people give us towels so we can dry off enough to sign the paperwork without making too much of a mess. They will certainly have to do a little mopping after we leave. Debbie tells me that she was having trouble staying awake during the rain!! I guess that means she's relaxed and comfortable on the bike, hehe. We get the bikes situated and unpacked then head to the rooms to get into some warm dry clothing. The wet stuff gets spread out all over the place in front of the heater vents so it can dry out.
The hotel actually has a nice restaurant right on the premises so we can just walk over. While waiting for the table we hang out in the lounge and have a few drinks. Let's just say the bartender got big tips! She knows how to make good drinks! Then we move to the dining room. The food is incredibly good! However, it is a bit pricey, averaging about $20 per person for the total bill. Afterwards we lethargically make our way across the parking lot back to the hotel. Most everyone is fairly beat from the tense rain riding and we all knock off early. Hopefully, it will be nicer tomorrow.
Sunday
Everyone is up and getting ready to go, checking out, loading the bikes, and things are looking pretty good. The skies are overcast but the ground is dry and the air is cool and dry. As long as it doesn't start raining again, this could be a great day for riding. My gear is still a little damp, particularly my helmet. I learned a while back to bring extra gloves so that is not a problem. The inside of my Sidi boots did not get wet and I have dry undies, I'm set!
John takes off for the Mc'Ds to get breakfast while we are taking care of the last minute checkout stuff. It is at this time that the front desk people inform me that we get a free breakfast at the restaurant, doh! That would have been nice to know sooner :x Too late now, we have a long day ahead of us, nearly 400 miles, and no time to waste. We head over to the McD to find John stuffing something down his throat as fast as he can. He sees us through the window, waiting on him, and chokes down the rest so we can get going. After a quick gas stop and conferring with John on how to get out of town to the road we want, we are on our way.
We head South for a run across the Buffalo River and down through the Leatherwood Wilderness area. The ride is incredible!! The clouds are hanging low in the sky and looking omnious, but the roads are still dry and grip is plentiful. It doesn't take very long to get back into the groove. The road has a great rythm that really lends itself well to a pace riding style. Debbie leans with me, reading the road as we go. I can see the line of headlights behind me, snaking along in a hypnotic weave.
After a particularly fun set of curves I pull over so we can get some pics of the bikes coming through a fast sweeper.
Bill
Andy
John
John is going so fast I miss the shot because I don't pan fast enough. He rides the big GS like it is his old Sprint ST. Fortunately, his jacket is big enough for him to tuck in the tentacles :wink: Being the guy taking the pictures, I seem to only get shots of my bike standing still (sans passenger), but it still looks fast
As with most great roads, this one ends before I'm ready for it to end. However, the nice thing about Northern Arkansas is that there are so many great roads it is usually not much trouble to get on another and all too soon forget about the one we've just left behind. Take highway 14 for example 
This road runs for many miles in a somewhat East to West direction across Northern Arkansas and has one of the most incredible selections of well paved curves I have ever ridden. It follows low lying valleys, climbs up the sides of mountains and runs along the ridges. Simply fantastic!
After a really stimulating and spirited run on 14 to Harriet, we stop for a quick break. I convince Debbie to try taking some video footage from the passenger seat. She's not wild about the idea of using her hands for anything other than holding onto the bike We convince her to just squeeze with her legs and lean like normal, everything will be fine... really... Right after we stop and then get going again, the pavement becomes a perfectly smooth strip of asphalt twisting through the woods. I take it easy for a few miles to give Debbie a chance to get used to riding "hands free" while trying to hold a video camera. She seems to be doing fine so I get back up to pace and focus on trying to be smooth so she doesn't get jerked around while filming. She holds the camera over my right should for a good bit and then tries getting some footage of the folks behind us. The wind is gusting pretty good and that combined with our speed makes it hard for her to keep the camera stable. After about ten minutes or so, she stops filming. When we reach Yellville we check out the footage.
Gas stop in Yellville on US 62 and AR 14/125
For a first attempt it is not bad. However, she was really having a hard time keeping it from shaking all over the place. Even with the image stabilization feature, it is bouncing around pretty bad. However, the camera angle is great, gives a good feel for the speed and the curviness of the road. Maybe I need to build some kind of mount to hold it so it looks over my shoulder? Then the battery dies... crap! I knew I should have charged it last night!! Oh well. Debbie is excited about the ride because she finally experienced what we've been telling her all along. Hold on with your legs and you can do what ever you want with your hands for the most part. Now she's a believer. As soon as we are back on the road, I can tell the difference in how relaxed she feels on the bike.
After a nice break and some snacks, we mount up and head South to our next road. The next hour or so is spent running ridges and looking out over sweeping valleys and scenic pastures. We are cutting over to US 65 via some back roads. This area is really nice. There is a quality about it that just tugs at something in me and makes me want to relocate really bad. It is just so isolated and seems withdrawn from the worries of everyday modern life. I think there is something in all of us that longs for a place where things are simpler and less hectic. Coming here really recharges my batteries and gives me energy for the grind when I get back home. Of course, it also just makes going home that much harder :?
When we get on US 65 we get into some of the only traffic we've really experienced all weekend. We got into some crossing the Arkansas River at Russellville on Hwy 7 yesterday, but that is pretty much a given considering the urban congestion and road construction there. However, once we've left the urban stuff behind, the roads have been basically empty. It's great, and this is a holiday weekend!! We grind along for a few miles and then head Southwest on another back road. We are heading for one of the best roads in the state, Hwy 123 South of Mt. Judea.
We stop in Pricetown so I can put on my sweatshirt. I am getting cold!
It has been getting cooler as the day wears on and it has been getting down into the low 60's and upper 50's. My hands are getting a little cold as well but I just don't want to do the thick glove thing just yet. The only thing here is Norton's Country Store and apparently it is not open on Sundays. They have 87 Octane gas only of unknown lineage. But this could be a good place to stop on future rides for a break. The elderly lady across the street is sitting in her rocker on the front porch and watching us with great interest. After bundling up, we give her a wave and then get moving again.
I found Hwy 123 on my atlas last year. I has to be one of the squigliest lines on the map. How could I pass this up? It does not disappoint!
It really starts to get fun just South of Mt. Judea
I learned the last time that I was here that you really have to keep your eyes peeled for folks blasting around on four wheelers (of the ATV variety). Apparently, ATV's are the favored mode of transportation around here. Don't be surprised if you come here and see an entire family chugging down the side of the road on a straining and smoking ATV. A mile or two after the "Crooked and Steep" warning sign, the road gets really crooked and really steep!
If you don't like really tight gravel strewn first gear switchbacks, you won't really like the climb up onto the ridge. However, it pays to be patient. I happen to like the really tight stuff as it is the most challenging when it comes to being smooth through the corners and using precise throttle control. I'm not so sure Debbie likes leaning over this far on such a treacherous looking strip of road and I know Beth doesn't really care for it. We take it nice and easy all the way to the top. Then the road runs another mile or so with a lot of 15-20mph corners.
Last year I rounded a corner to find my lane had washed down the side of the mountain Fortunately, I did not miss the warning sign. The sinkhole would easily swallow a mid-eighties American station wagon!! Remember those beasties? Anyway, this time they have repacked and reinforced the side of the mountain and built the support ground back up to the level of the road. It is not paved yet but instead is hard packed gravel for about twenty yards. This is immediately followed by a 15 mph right hander wet with run off from the mountain side. We tip toe through, make a few more curves and the road opens up to a motorcyclist wet dream!
Imagine 15 miles of this!
Once we are up on the ridge, Hwy 123 becomes a smooth ribbon of asphalt that twists and winds its' way through the scattered peaks for the next 15 miles. The only traffic I have ever encountered here is a four wheeler ATV piloted by some crazy teenage girl, and a few cars. Otherwise, there are no side roads and very few driveways. The curves have great visibility, are slightly banked and very smooth. The woodscome right up to the edge of the road giving me the feeling of being literally out in the middle of nowhere. Which highlights the point that if anything bad were to happen, it would be some time before anyone could get here to render assistance. This thought hanging in the back of my head helps to keep my throttle hand under control.
John after landing a wheelie...
Andy and his VTec VFR 800
Beth followed by Bill - 349 Kb mpg
http://sfriday.com/twtpics/052403-Arkansas/MOV01381.MPG
John pretending he's on a sportbike[/URL] - 1.2 Mb mpg
http://sfriday.com/twtpics/052403-Arkansas/MOV01382.MPG
I used my Sony CD200 digital camera to shoot the video segments. Not too bad for only 320 X 200 resolution at 16 fps. The camera will do up to 60 seconds of video per shot. Anyway, after standing around yakking about how great this road is, we get moving again and continue heading South.
When we reach Hwy 7 we find that the entire highway is closed to the North. We head South to Pelsor for a break at Hankin's General Store. While here, Beth decides she wants to cut the ride short and head back to Hot Springs. She is not feeling real good and the thought of riding another 250 miles doesn't sit well. I've noticed that she has not been riding at her usual pace and was wondering if something might be awry. Debbie volunteers to ride back with her so she won't be alone. That is both a relief and a stresser. Beth has very little experience riding with a passenger and the roads here are much more challenging than anything we have back home. However, both her and Debbie seem confident it will not be a problem. Not wanting to hold Beth back, I agree and after a quick pic they are off down the road and disappear into the woods. I'll be very relieved when we get back to the hotel and find them there :|
Beth and Deb heading out
Now that the ladies have left us, we can pick up the pace a little more and I can relax. After a nice break we decide to head back North on Hwy 7 and run Hwy 123 again. Let's just say I did not have to do a whole lot of arm twisting to get this suggestion to go over with the guys. Soon we are blasting along, slipping into the riding zone, that strange place where thoughts go away and all that exists is the experience of the ride. Before I know it I have already reached the end and have to pull over to gather up the group before we start our descent down the switchbacks.
Coming up switchbacks is far easier than going down them. Even in first gear I am having to break fairly hard to get the bike slowed enough to tip it over into the really tight 180 degree turns. I have to keep telling myself that the bike will not just fall over on its' side and to keep my head cranked around so I can look through the turn. It does not help that there are some good sized rocks scattered on the pavement. When my front tire hits one of them, it pops out and shoots off into the grass and gives me a good tush tensing workout. :P soon we reach the bottom and the road opens back up to the nice wide 25mph corners hehe.
My plan now is to head for the town of Jasper to get lunch. John and I have been talking about a place called the Cliff House Restaurant that is supposed to have great food and a really nice view. So we take another back road to cut back over to Hwy 7 just South of Jasper. It turns out that this little road is another gem! the bad news is that I am seeing small droplets of water on my face shield and windscreen :| While I personally am not too worried about riding in the rain, I know the rest of the guys would prefer it stay dry. Also, the temperature is dropping again and it is getting into the low 50's.
The clouds are getting lower and clinging to the tops of the mountains.
There is one spot that makes for great picture taking. There is a really pretty box canyon covered with thick lush pastures, huge rocks and lots of woods. Occasionally, along the tops of the ridges we spot beautiful homes perched high above the valley on the edge of the mountains. Their view is incredible. We stop for some pics. Too bad it is not a prettier day because this place makes a great backdrop for bike shots.
Andy taking in the scenery
Bill and his 98 Virago 1100
My 01 VFR 800
A great place for a Disc Golf course!!
The old and the new
While we are standing around, a little car pulls up with an elderly couple. I walk over to see if they need anything and they want to know if we need anything! How cool is that? I let them know we are just admiring the local scenery and thank them for their concern. Then we get back on the road.
At Hwy 7, neither I nor John has any idea which way to go to get to the Restaurant. I've never been there and don't know how far South of town it is. So we decide to go right and head towards Jasper. We never see it. However we do run a cool section of road that comes down of the mountains into town. There are signs everywhere for trucks and RV's to do brake testing before proceeding. Curiously, there are lots of skid marks near pretty much every corner all the way to town. At one particularly sharp curve, there are thick heavy skid marks that go right off into the woods, or at least what used to be woods. Now there is a bulldozer sitting there next to a huge pile of what used to be a semi-truck and trailer with some splintered trees mixed into the pile. that had to have been and ugly ride for the driver, I just hope he made it out alive. :|
The last curve coming into town is a big left hander that affords the opportunity to just keep leaning and leaning as it loses elevation. Then it drops us right into the edge of town. Jasper obviously lives on Tourism and not much else. There are little curio shops, cafe's, hotels and bed & breakfasts everywhere. There are also bikes everywhere! We cruise through town and find a gas station, then decide to just eat at the little diner next door. There is a good sized crowd of bikes parked out front so I figure it can't be too bad!
We park in front of the Arkansas House B&B
and walk next door to the diner.
Because the main entrance and eating area is clouded with smoke, we wind up eating on a covered porch next to CoCo the bear. There is a big cage with a sleeping bear right in the middle of the place. How exciting. So anyway, the waitress is exceptionally cute and Andy keeps finding things he needs her to bring out to us. Needless to say, she is not exceptionally bright :? But she is nice and puts up with our nonsense. the food is about what one would expect from a place called the Dairy Diner. Refreshed and relaxed, we mount up and hit the road. We still have a long way to go if we are going to finish the entire route for the day.
As we head West out of town, we get stuck behind a diesel truck belching obnoxious fumes. For several miles there is no where to pass and we literally just have to suck it up. It is still overcast and cool but the misting has subsided and the pavement is dry. A short straight finally appears and I make quick work of the truck, only to get stuck behind some put-putting little import car. :x It would not be so bad except that the road has become really twisty and fun and we are just chugging along. "Patience Grasshopper... soon the time will come..." And then another short straight appears...
For the next five or ten minutes, it is just me, the close in woods, and the undulating tarmac. I don't catch a glimpse of anyone in my mirrors so I am guessing they are still stuck behind the fumigator or the import. Bummer, there are perks to being first in line 
It is not long before I round a corner and a beautiful lake comes into view. Too good of a photo op to pass, so I pull over and start getting out the camera. Everyone else has caught up with me and they line up their bikes for the obligatory scenic shots. Do my eyes deceive me? Is that a hint of blue sky I see in the camera viewfinder?
Andy Wakker's VFR800 and his custom luggage
John Morin's BMzilla R1150GS
Makes me want to go canoeing
My VFR
If only the guardrail wasn't there But then I would not have been able to get this shot
Bill, John and Andy
Andy is worse than I am about taking lots of pictures, hehe. It is getting late in the afternoon so we get serious about knocking down some miles and cutting back on the photo stops.
The rest of the Westward run is great, just more miles and miles of smooth twisting pavement with almost no traffic. It is not long before we reach the start of the famed Pig Trail Scenic Byway. This is a wonderful stretch of two lane highway that winds through the Ozark National Forest. The woods come right up to the edge of the road forming a shadowy tunnel, the pavement curving out of sight into the woods.
Soon after the stat of the parkway, the road starts to get seriously twisty. The fifteen and twenty mile per hour curves are strung together like the back of a crooked snake. My front tire is nearing the end of its stable life and I am having to back down a little in the slow stuff to keep it from causing a nervous head shake when I lay the bike over into a turn. This causes Andy to run up behind me when we hit the really tight stuff. Judging the corner entry speeds is challenging because the corners hidden in dark shadows under the foliage. I focus on using the delayed apex to be sure I can see through the corners before I commit to the turn. This is more fun when my front tire is in better condition.
Soon the run is over and we come down off the mountain and into a low lying valley. The road straightens out and we head for the small town of Ozark. When we stop for gas Bill is a little let down. He's having so much fun he doesn't even want to stop for gas. I check with him to make sure we aren't running to fast for his Virago and he just grins even more. About 1/4" of his right foot peg is missing... hmmm...? We head South after getting gas and make our way to Magazine Mountain. The skies seem to be clearing a bit and the temperature has climbed up to the low 80's!! What a bizarre day!?
The ride through the mountains here is really nice. Magazine Mountain is the highest peak in the state at 2753 ft, I guess that is a foothill to some people though. It still makes for some great motorcycle riding. Unfortunately, the pavement is riddles with tar snakes and this makes the corners a little more exciting. As we come down off the mountain, we reach a painfully familiar corner. It is this corner that reared its' ugly decreasing radius head and gave me the excuse I needed to convert the bike from OEM Red to blue But that's another story...
Once we are down off the mountain, the roads level and straighten. Now we are just in the get home mode. The traffic is light enough that we can easily pass anyone in the way. We make our way East to Hwy 7 for the start of the last fun stretch of road for the day. It is getting into the evening and I'm hoping we get back before dark because Bill doesn't do night riding very well. As soon as we hit Hwy 7 and start running South, we really pick up the pace. The pavement is so wonderfully smooth after having been repaved last fall. The curves just flow one into another so seamlessly. It is almost hypnotic. All too soon, we reach the other side of the mountains and soon find ourselves on the outskirts of Hot Springs.
It has been a great day on the bikes. Everyone was totally in the groove and had a great time with no close calls. I believe we have done just over 420 miles for the day. I am quite relieved when I pull into the parking garage and see Beth's bike parked off to one side. It is pushing 7:30pm and we have to get serious about dinner. After everyone cleans up we meet in the lobby of the hotel to discuss dinner plans. We decide to walk down Bathhouse Row and see what catches our fancy.
We find out way to Shorty Smalls, a favorite of mine. When we walk in the hostess informs us that they closed five minutes ago, doh! It is Sunday night and most of the places are closing pretty early. We should have been quicker about getting ready for dinner. They direct us down the street to another place, the something or other bar and grill, and they are open till 10:00pm. So off we go.
Once we find it, it takes a minute to figure out how to get inside?! You'd think they would not hide the door if they want business. We get our names on the list and wait for our table. Meanwhile the live entertainment fires up for another round. It's way too loud, or I'm just turning into my Dad. I think it is a little of both. The female singer is schmoozing the old guys in the place and pushing the chubby wives' buttons. It's kind of funny in a sad way.
We get our table and set to ordering. They will be closing soon so Andy orders two beers because they can't sell alcohol after 10:00pm. The waiter offers to put the second beer in the fridge until Andy is ready for it. Our food comes out and is pretty good. Right before 10:00pm, several waitresses come over and start trying to take away everyone's drinks!! What the heck!? They inform us that they have to have all alcoholic drinks off the tables by 10 o'clock! What kind of nonsense is this? Then they inform Andy that he cannot have his second beer. Mental note, don't interfere with a Brit and his beer! Poor poor Andy, hehe. After dinner we waddle our way back to the hotel and settle in for the night. Everyone is pretty much whooped and we crash pretty early.
Monday
Time to go home. Bill and Andy have been having so much fun that they have decided to stay a little longer and get in some extra riding. They plan to do a loop around Lake Ouachita. We get the truck and trailer loaded and ready to go then say our goodbyes. Most of the ride back home is rather dull and unexciting, everyone nodding off (except me hehe).
Somewhere North of Jefferson on US 59, the traffic grinds to a halt. There is no oncoming traffic. Obviously something serious has happened. Eventually we make our way up to a nasty looking accident scene. We can tell that an eighteen wheeler was involved because about half of the trailer is left intact. The front half has been crushed like an accordion. All that remains of the cab is the frame and a few wheels. The DPS guys are holding up sheets to keep us from seeing the bodies and there are a few hearses parked on the road. On the far side of the trailer is a severely damaged RV camper. Whatever was pulling it has been completely obliterated and cannot be discerned from the carnage. We pass by, very sobered in the face of the reality of how quickly it can all go wrong. :|
The rest of the ride home is wet. We had planned on dropping off John so he could start cutting West towards Austin, but it just kept raining harder and harder. We finally get over to Madisonville and let him off there. I get the truck under a covered area so we can unload his bike without getting rained on. He suits up and says goodbye, aiming for a break in the storm on the horizon. We cruise on down I-45 the last few miles to Huntsville, eager to get home, saddened that such a fun weekend has come to an end and we have to get back to the same old grind. It just makes the expectation of the next trip all the more exciting.
[I've got some really cool pics from Andy that I will be adding later].
A Footnote
It turns out that the driver of the rig in the crash was a friend of the family!! He drove that day so one of his buddies could have Memorial Day off. It was supposed to have been his day off. The skid marks on the rig were three feet long. The RV was being towed by a dually truck that veered across the double yellow into the rig's path. Everyone was killed instantly in the near perfect head on collision at closing speeds of 70-80mph per vehicle. Hard to conceive of the magnitude of such a collision. this makes for the second husband lost to an accident for the wife of the rig driver. Life is hard sometimes. It really makes me appreciate what I've been given and the loved ones in my life.
FRIDAY
As usual, the best laid plans often go flying out the window to be replaced with adhoc on the fly plans. This weekend is to be no different. This weekend is a tour of Arkansas. I planned to take Friday off from work, John Morin would come over Thursday night from Austin, and then we'd ride up together during the day Friday. Beth and Debbie would drive up later and meet us. John and I were going to leave by noon at the latest. About 5:00pm Friday evening, I realize things are not really going so well :| The new plan was for John to arrive early in the afternoon on Friday, we'd load all the bikes on the trailer and leave as soon as Beth and Debbie get off work at 3:00pm. The reality is that tt takes forever to get the bikes loaded, John does not arrive until 5:30pm and then we have to wait on my folks to bring us some stuff before we can leave. They arrive about 6:00pm. :? We are finally on the road and heading North through East Texas via US 59. Getting away this late, it is nice to be in the truck and not riding. It takes us seven hours to reach Hot Springs, our start point for the tour. I had hoped to arrive in the early evening and to get a nice long night of sleep before starting the tour. No dice. We arrive at the hotel, unload the bikes and check in, and finally hit the sack about 1:30am SATURDAY
Saturday morning comes early. The imaginary snoring sounds coming from John have kept me from sleeping soundly Ear plugs help though. We head down to meet everyone out in the parking lot. Bill Joye and Andy Walker are present, but Andy's friend Art was unable to make it due to a family emergency. After a light breakfast everyone suits up and we are ready to head out.Andy is on his Vtec VFR 800, Bill his Virago 1100, John on his BMZilla R1150GS, and Beth, Debbie and myself on our VFR 800's. A quick gas stop to make sure everyone is topped off and has a map, then we are off!
We head North out of town on Hwy 7. It is overcast and cool. As long as it stays this way, it will make for some very nice riding. Despite this being a holiday weekend, the traffic heading out of town is light and it does not take us long to reach the point where Hwy 7 gets to be really fun. Last year around Labor day, the state repaved much of 7 and it is incredibly smooth and nice now. Debbie has never ridden pillion on roads quite this twisty so I am taking it easy to giver her a chance to get used to the feeling of the speed and lean angles. She's a good passenger though and I seldom even have to think about her being on the back of the bike. Also, I like to take it easy for the first hour or so until I get a feel for the pace the group is comfortable running. The run up and over the mountains through the Ouachita National Forest is a blast. None of the curves are really nasty and we are running a nice relaxing pace. I'm a little concerned that the weather may turn sour as the clouds seem to be getting lower and darker. Just south of I-40, Hwy 7 flattens and straightens for the run into Russellville. We start picking up quite a bit of urban congestions here. However, there aren't many places to cross the Arkansas river that aren't congested. So we plod through the traffic and make our way to the small town of Dover for our first stop. The mood is light and everyone seems to be having a great time. The best roads are still to come Gas tanks full we keep heading North on Hwy 7. Not far out of town, we cut off onto a side road that runs along the Southern edge of the Ozark National Forest to the start of Hwy 123. Hwy 123 is a great road. It has thick woods coming right up to the edge of the road, in places it feels like we are riding through a tunnel. Unfortunately, the Arkansas highway department has not seen fit to completely resurface the road and instead has opted to simply do the patchwork treatment. Some of the dark patches are nice and smooth, others are nice and smooth but totally covered with loose pea sized gravel Our road scanning skills really get a work out on this stretch. We pull over at the entrance to a state park to take some pictures:One of many similar creeks and small rivers
Debbie next to a typical curve with dark patchwork
The BMZilla in it natural habitat!
Butterflies behind the park entrance sign
John is soaked from his repeated bike washings And it is getting cooler, that should make for some interesting riding for him. We run the rest of 123, slowing for some really serious gravelled curves and then reach Hankin's Country Store on Hwy 7.This place looks and smells old. The pay phone is even a rotary dial, something many people today have never seen, hehe.
The floors slope every which way, and finding the bathroom requires thinking like a rat in a maze. However, they have water and Snickers! The owner and a local are chatting about who owns what tractor now and what happened to the old tractor that got traded to the brother-in-law, and how much horsepower it made... We sit outside talking with other riders about their bikes and how much horsepower they make... Then is starts to sprinkle, ever so lightly, until John pipes in with, "If I have to go to all this trouble to get my rain gear on, it better rain good to make it worth it!!" Then it starts to pick up a little more... :|After everyone suits up for the rain, we set out heading East toward Clinton.
As soon as we leave the parking lot, it starts to really come down. The wind is not too bad, but it is a really hard and steady rain. Have I mentioned how twisty the road is in this area? I back the pace down 10-15mph and get to work on being smooth on the controls. My new Pilot Road rear tire seems to be gripping great except for when I hit the occasional tar snake But it regains grip almost instantly. I think the first few snakes I hit really get Debbie's attention, then she settles in for the duration. The sky is hanging low on the mountains and is a dark dull gray in all directions. This is not going to be a quick shower. When we reach Hwy 27, we stop to confer among the group. We are at a convenient point for cutting the route short by nearly 100 miles. The group consensus is that it is not likely to stop raining any time soon, and even if we cut the route short, we still have nearly 100 miles to go before reaching our destination. It is decided without opposition that we will take the most direct route to the day's end. The funny thing about Northern Arkansas is that the concept of "direct route" seems to have been defined by a group of drunken surveyors. We head North to Marshall and the rain picks up even more... :? It seems that every little town we pass through is having their homecoming. We round a corner coming into town, there are maybe three or four houses, and tons of cars parked on the side of the road. We slow to get through it and then continue soggily on our way. One can only wonder what thoughts are going through the heads of the locals as we rumble past them in the rain. When we reach Marshall we stop for gas and decide now is a good time to get lunch. We cruise up the road a few miles and find the Dogwood Cafe. Beth and I had been here last year and the food was pretty good. After everyone gets settled in and we make a soppy mess out of one side of the restaurant, the waitress takes our orders. I chat with a few other riders that are hoping to wait out the rain while eating. The food is average but this time the service is a little mediocre. This is a family run place and they seem a little shorthanded. While we are eating, I spot a ray of sun out the window! We all get excited at the prospect of the weather clearing. As we check out and get ready to leave, the sun vanishes and it starts to pour again :x So far, I have been able to stay quite dry. My Tourmaster rain suit does a really good job. On the other hand, my Shoei RF800 with 85K miles on it is not doing so good. Water is pouring in around the visor and soaking the liner. It reaches the point where I can feel the water running down my cheeks and neck into the collar of my jacket!! At this point, it is mind over matter, I put all thoughts of discomfort out of my mind and just focus on getting everyone to our goal. As we are heading North on Hwy 14 towards Yellville, it occurs to me that this road is incredible, even in a heavy downpour. The more I think about this the more fun I start having. I really enjoy being out in the rain in the woods. The trees and woods take on a whole new feeling. The green of the leaves is brighter, the color of the trunks more pronounced, the wispy haze lingering in the air just above the ground creating a spooky movie atmosphere. If I were alone, I would probably have done the whole route depsite the rain and my leaky helmet, but most everyone else is not so fond of the rain riding experience. At Yellville, we pick up US 62 and run East to Mountain Home. We find the hotel and check into our rooms. The front desk people give us towels so we can dry off enough to sign the paperwork without making too much of a mess. They will certainly have to do a little mopping after we leave. Debbie tells me that she was having trouble staying awake during the rain!! I guess that means she's relaxed and comfortable on the bike, hehe. We get the bikes situated and unpacked then head to the rooms to get into some warm dry clothing. The wet stuff gets spread out all over the place in front of the heater vents so it can dry out. The hotel actually has a nice restaurant right on the premises so we can just walk over. While waiting for the table we hang out in the lounge and have a few drinks. Let's just say the bartender got big tips! She knows how to make good drinks! Then we move to the dining room. The food is incredibly good! However, it is a bit pricey, averaging about $20 per person for the total bill. Afterwards we lethargically make our way across the parking lot back to the hotel. Most everyone is fairly beat from the tense rain riding and we all knock off early. Hopefully, it will be nicer tomorrow.Sunday
Everyone is up and getting ready to go, checking out, loading the bikes, and things are looking pretty good. The skies are overcast but the ground is dry and the air is cool and dry. As long as it doesn't start raining again, this could be a great day for riding. My gear is still a little damp, particularly my helmet. I learned a while back to bring extra gloves so that is not a problem. The inside of my Sidi boots did not get wet and I have dry undies, I'm set! John takes off for the Mc'Ds to get breakfast while we are taking care of the last minute checkout stuff. It is at this time that the front desk people inform me that we get a free breakfast at the restaurant, doh! That would have been nice to know sooner :x Too late now, we have a long day ahead of us, nearly 400 miles, and no time to waste. We head over to the McD to find John stuffing something down his throat as fast as he can. He sees us through the window, waiting on him, and chokes down the rest so we can get going. After a quick gas stop and conferring with John on how to get out of town to the road we want, we are on our way. We head South for a run across the Buffalo River and down through the Leatherwood Wilderness area. The ride is incredible!! The clouds are hanging low in the sky and looking omnious, but the roads are still dry and grip is plentiful. It doesn't take very long to get back into the groove. The road has a great rythm that really lends itself well to a pace riding style. Debbie leans with me, reading the road as we go. I can see the line of headlights behind me, snaking along in a hypnotic weave. After a particularly fun set of curves I pull over so we can get some pics of the bikes coming through a fast sweeper.Bill
Andy
John
John is going so fast I miss the shot because I don't pan fast enough. He rides the big GS like it is his old Sprint ST. Fortunately, his jacket is big enough for him to tuck in the tentacles :wink: Being the guy taking the pictures, I seem to only get shots of my bike standing still (sans passenger), but it still looks fast
As with most great roads, this one ends before I'm ready for it to end. However, the nice thing about Northern Arkansas is that there are so many great roads it is usually not much trouble to get on another and all too soon forget about the one we've just left behind. Take highway 14 for example This road runs for many miles in a somewhat East to West direction across Northern Arkansas and has one of the most incredible selections of well paved curves I have ever ridden. It follows low lying valleys, climbs up the sides of mountains and runs along the ridges. Simply fantastic! After a really stimulating and spirited run on 14 to Harriet, we stop for a quick break. I convince Debbie to try taking some video footage from the passenger seat. She's not wild about the idea of using her hands for anything other than holding onto the bike We convince her to just squeeze with her legs and lean like normal, everything will be fine... really... Right after we stop and then get going again, the pavement becomes a perfectly smooth strip of asphalt twisting through the woods. I take it easy for a few miles to give Debbie a chance to get used to riding "hands free" while trying to hold a video camera. She seems to be doing fine so I get back up to pace and focus on trying to be smooth so she doesn't get jerked around while filming. She holds the camera over my right should for a good bit and then tries getting some footage of the folks behind us. The wind is gusting pretty good and that combined with our speed makes it hard for her to keep the camera stable. After about ten minutes or so, she stops filming. When we reach Yellville we check out the footage.Gas stop in Yellville on US 62 and AR 14/125
For a first attempt it is not bad. However, she was really having a hard time keeping it from shaking all over the place. Even with the image stabilization feature, it is bouncing around pretty bad. However, the camera angle is great, gives a good feel for the speed and the curviness of the road. Maybe I need to build some kind of mount to hold it so it looks over my shoulder? Then the battery dies... crap! I knew I should have charged it last night!! Oh well. Debbie is excited about the ride because she finally experienced what we've been telling her all along. Hold on with your legs and you can do what ever you want with your hands for the most part. Now she's a believer. As soon as we are back on the road, I can tell the difference in how relaxed she feels on the bike. After a nice break and some snacks, we mount up and head South to our next road. The next hour or so is spent running ridges and looking out over sweeping valleys and scenic pastures. We are cutting over to US 65 via some back roads. This area is really nice. There is a quality about it that just tugs at something in me and makes me want to relocate really bad. It is just so isolated and seems withdrawn from the worries of everyday modern life. I think there is something in all of us that longs for a place where things are simpler and less hectic. Coming here really recharges my batteries and gives me energy for the grind when I get back home. Of course, it also just makes going home that much harder :? When we get on US 65 we get into some of the only traffic we've really experienced all weekend. We got into some crossing the Arkansas River at Russellville on Hwy 7 yesterday, but that is pretty much a given considering the urban congestion and road construction there. However, once we've left the urban stuff behind, the roads have been basically empty. It's great, and this is a holiday weekend!! We grind along for a few miles and then head Southwest on another back road. We are heading for one of the best roads in the state, Hwy 123 South of Mt. Judea.We stop in Pricetown so I can put on my sweatshirt. I am getting cold!
It has been getting cooler as the day wears on and it has been getting down into the low 60's and upper 50's. My hands are getting a little cold as well but I just don't want to do the thick glove thing just yet. The only thing here is Norton's Country Store and apparently it is not open on Sundays. They have 87 Octane gas only of unknown lineage. But this could be a good place to stop on future rides for a break. The elderly lady across the street is sitting in her rocker on the front porch and watching us with great interest. After bundling up, we give her a wave and then get moving again. I found Hwy 123 on my atlas last year. I has to be one of the squigliest lines on the map. How could I pass this up? It does not disappoint!It really starts to get fun just South of Mt. Judea
I learned the last time that I was here that you really have to keep your eyes peeled for folks blasting around on four wheelers (of the ATV variety). Apparently, ATV's are the favored mode of transportation around here. Don't be surprised if you come here and see an entire family chugging down the side of the road on a straining and smoking ATV. A mile or two after the "Crooked and Steep" warning sign, the road gets really crooked and really steep! If you don't like really tight gravel strewn first gear switchbacks, you won't really like the climb up onto the ridge. However, it pays to be patient. I happen to like the really tight stuff as it is the most challenging when it comes to being smooth through the corners and using precise throttle control. I'm not so sure Debbie likes leaning over this far on such a treacherous looking strip of road and I know Beth doesn't really care for it. We take it nice and easy all the way to the top. Then the road runs another mile or so with a lot of 15-20mph corners. Last year I rounded a corner to find my lane had washed down the side of the mountain Fortunately, I did not miss the warning sign. The sinkhole would easily swallow a mid-eighties American station wagon!! Remember those beasties? Anyway, this time they have repacked and reinforced the side of the mountain and built the support ground back up to the level of the road. It is not paved yet but instead is hard packed gravel for about twenty yards. This is immediately followed by a 15 mph right hander wet with run off from the mountain side. We tip toe through, make a few more curves and the road opens up to a motorcyclist wet dream!Imagine 15 miles of this!
Once we are up on the ridge, Hwy 123 becomes a smooth ribbon of asphalt that twists and winds its' way through the scattered peaks for the next 15 miles. The only traffic I have ever encountered here is a four wheeler ATV piloted by some crazy teenage girl, and a few cars. Otherwise, there are no side roads and very few driveways. The curves have great visibility, are slightly banked and very smooth. The woodscome right up to the edge of the road giving me the feeling of being literally out in the middle of nowhere. Which highlights the point that if anything bad were to happen, it would be some time before anyone could get here to render assistance. This thought hanging in the back of my head helps to keep my throttle hand under control.John after landing a wheelie...
Andy and his VTec VFR 800
Beth followed by Bill - 349 Kb mpg
http://sfriday.com/twtpics/052403-Arkansas/MOV01381.MPG
John pretending he's on a sportbike[/URL] - 1.2 Mb mpg
http://sfriday.com/twtpics/052403-Arkansas/MOV01382.MPG
I used my Sony CD200 digital camera to shoot the video segments. Not too bad for only 320 X 200 resolution at 16 fps. The camera will do up to 60 seconds of video per shot. Anyway, after standing around yakking about how great this road is, we get moving again and continue heading South.
When we reach Hwy 7 we find that the entire highway is closed to the North. We head South to Pelsor for a break at Hankin's General Store. While here, Beth decides she wants to cut the ride short and head back to Hot Springs. She is not feeling real good and the thought of riding another 250 miles doesn't sit well. I've noticed that she has not been riding at her usual pace and was wondering if something might be awry. Debbie volunteers to ride back with her so she won't be alone. That is both a relief and a stresser. Beth has very little experience riding with a passenger and the roads here are much more challenging than anything we have back home. However, both her and Debbie seem confident it will not be a problem. Not wanting to hold Beth back, I agree and after a quick pic they are off down the road and disappear into the woods. I'll be very relieved when we get back to the hotel and find them there :|Beth and Deb heading out
Now that the ladies have left us, we can pick up the pace a little more and I can relax. After a nice break we decide to head back North on Hwy 7 and run Hwy 123 again. Let's just say I did not have to do a whole lot of arm twisting to get this suggestion to go over with the guys. Soon we are blasting along, slipping into the riding zone, that strange place where thoughts go away and all that exists is the experience of the ride. Before I know it I have already reached the end and have to pull over to gather up the group before we start our descent down the switchbacks. Coming up switchbacks is far easier than going down them. Even in first gear I am having to break fairly hard to get the bike slowed enough to tip it over into the really tight 180 degree turns. I have to keep telling myself that the bike will not just fall over on its' side and to keep my head cranked around so I can look through the turn. It does not help that there are some good sized rocks scattered on the pavement. When my front tire hits one of them, it pops out and shoots off into the grass and gives me a good tush tensing workout. :P soon we reach the bottom and the road opens back up to the nice wide 25mph corners hehe. My plan now is to head for the town of Jasper to get lunch. John and I have been talking about a place called the Cliff House Restaurant that is supposed to have great food and a really nice view. So we take another back road to cut back over to Hwy 7 just South of Jasper. It turns out that this little road is another gem! the bad news is that I am seeing small droplets of water on my face shield and windscreen :| While I personally am not too worried about riding in the rain, I know the rest of the guys would prefer it stay dry. Also, the temperature is dropping again and it is getting into the low 50's. The clouds are getting lower and clinging to the tops of the mountains.
There is one spot that makes for great picture taking. There is a really pretty box canyon covered with thick lush pastures, huge rocks and lots of woods. Occasionally, along the tops of the ridges we spot beautiful homes perched high above the valley on the edge of the mountains. Their view is incredible. We stop for some pics. Too bad it is not a prettier day because this place makes a great backdrop for bike shots.Andy taking in the scenery
Bill and his 98 Virago 1100
My 01 VFR 800
A great place for a Disc Golf course!!
The old and the new
While we are standing around, a little car pulls up with an elderly couple. I walk over to see if they need anything and they want to know if we need anything! How cool is that? I let them know we are just admiring the local scenery and thank them for their concern. Then we get back on the road. At Hwy 7, neither I nor John has any idea which way to go to get to the Restaurant. I've never been there and don't know how far South of town it is. So we decide to go right and head towards Jasper. We never see it. However we do run a cool section of road that comes down of the mountains into town. There are signs everywhere for trucks and RV's to do brake testing before proceeding. Curiously, there are lots of skid marks near pretty much every corner all the way to town. At one particularly sharp curve, there are thick heavy skid marks that go right off into the woods, or at least what used to be woods. Now there is a bulldozer sitting there next to a huge pile of what used to be a semi-truck and trailer with some splintered trees mixed into the pile. that had to have been and ugly ride for the driver, I just hope he made it out alive. :| The last curve coming into town is a big left hander that affords the opportunity to just keep leaning and leaning as it loses elevation. Then it drops us right into the edge of town. Jasper obviously lives on Tourism and not much else. There are little curio shops, cafe's, hotels and bed & breakfasts everywhere. There are also bikes everywhere! We cruise through town and find a gas station, then decide to just eat at the little diner next door. There is a good sized crowd of bikes parked out front so I figure it can't be too bad!We park in front of the Arkansas House B&B
and walk next door to the diner.
Because the main entrance and eating area is clouded with smoke, we wind up eating on a covered porch next to CoCo the bear. There is a big cage with a sleeping bear right in the middle of the place. How exciting. So anyway, the waitress is exceptionally cute and Andy keeps finding things he needs her to bring out to us. Needless to say, she is not exceptionally bright :? But she is nice and puts up with our nonsense. the food is about what one would expect from a place called the Dairy Diner. Refreshed and relaxed, we mount up and hit the road. We still have a long way to go if we are going to finish the entire route for the day. As we head West out of town, we get stuck behind a diesel truck belching obnoxious fumes. For several miles there is no where to pass and we literally just have to suck it up. It is still overcast and cool but the misting has subsided and the pavement is dry. A short straight finally appears and I make quick work of the truck, only to get stuck behind some put-putting little import car. :x It would not be so bad except that the road has become really twisty and fun and we are just chugging along. "Patience Grasshopper... soon the time will come..." And then another short straight appears... For the next five or ten minutes, it is just me, the close in woods, and the undulating tarmac. I don't catch a glimpse of anyone in my mirrors so I am guessing they are still stuck behind the fumigator or the import. Bummer, there are perks to being first in line It is not long before I round a corner and a beautiful lake comes into view. Too good of a photo op to pass, so I pull over and start getting out the camera. Everyone else has caught up with me and they line up their bikes for the obligatory scenic shots. Do my eyes deceive me? Is that a hint of blue sky I see in the camera viewfinder?Andy Wakker's VFR800 and his custom luggage
John Morin's BMzilla R1150GS
Makes me want to go canoeing
My VFR
If only the guardrail wasn't there
But then I would not have been able to get this shot Bill, John and Andy
Andy is worse than I am about taking lots of pictures, hehe. It is getting late in the afternoon so we get serious about knocking down some miles and cutting back on the photo stops.
The rest of the Westward run is great, just more miles and miles of smooth twisting pavement with almost no traffic. It is not long before we reach the start of the famed Pig Trail Scenic Byway. This is a wonderful stretch of two lane highway that winds through the Ozark National Forest. The woods come right up to the edge of the road forming a shadowy tunnel, the pavement curving out of sight into the woods. Soon after the stat of the parkway, the road starts to get seriously twisty. The fifteen and twenty mile per hour curves are strung together like the back of a crooked snake. My front tire is nearing the end of its stable life and I am having to back down a little in the slow stuff to keep it from causing a nervous head shake when I lay the bike over into a turn. This causes Andy to run up behind me when we hit the really tight stuff. Judging the corner entry speeds is challenging because the corners hidden in dark shadows under the foliage. I focus on using the delayed apex to be sure I can see through the corners before I commit to the turn. This is more fun when my front tire is in better condition. Soon the run is over and we come down off the mountain and into a low lying valley. The road straightens out and we head for the small town of Ozark. When we stop for gas Bill is a little let down. He's having so much fun he doesn't even want to stop for gas. I check with him to make sure we aren't running to fast for his Virago and he just grins even more. About 1/4" of his right foot peg is missing... hmmm...? We head South after getting gas and make our way to Magazine Mountain. The skies seem to be clearing a bit and the temperature has climbed up to the low 80's!! What a bizarre day!? The ride through the mountains here is really nice. Magazine Mountain is the highest peak in the state at 2753 ft, I guess that is a foothill to some people though. It still makes for some great motorcycle riding. Unfortunately, the pavement is riddles with tar snakes and this makes the corners a little more exciting. As we come down off the mountain, we reach a painfully familiar corner. It is this corner that reared its' ugly decreasing radius head and gave me the excuse I needed to convert the bike from OEM Red to blue But that's another story... Once we are down off the mountain, the roads level and straighten. Now we are just in the get home mode. The traffic is light enough that we can easily pass anyone in the way. We make our way East to Hwy 7 for the start of the last fun stretch of road for the day. It is getting into the evening and I'm hoping we get back before dark because Bill doesn't do night riding very well. As soon as we hit Hwy 7 and start running South, we really pick up the pace. The pavement is so wonderfully smooth after having been repaved last fall. The curves just flow one into another so seamlessly. It is almost hypnotic. All too soon, we reach the other side of the mountains and soon find ourselves on the outskirts of Hot Springs. It has been a great day on the bikes. Everyone was totally in the groove and had a great time with no close calls. I believe we have done just over 420 miles for the day. I am quite relieved when I pull into the parking garage and see Beth's bike parked off to one side. It is pushing 7:30pm and we have to get serious about dinner. After everyone cleans up we meet in the lobby of the hotel to discuss dinner plans. We decide to walk down Bathhouse Row and see what catches our fancy. We find out way to Shorty Smalls, a favorite of mine. When we walk in the hostess informs us that they closed five minutes ago, doh! It is Sunday night and most of the places are closing pretty early. We should have been quicker about getting ready for dinner. They direct us down the street to another place, the something or other bar and grill, and they are open till 10:00pm. So off we go. Once we find it, it takes a minute to figure out how to get inside?! You'd think they would not hide the door if they want business. We get our names on the list and wait for our table. Meanwhile the live entertainment fires up for another round. It's way too loud, or I'm just turning into my Dad. I think it is a little of both. The female singer is schmoozing the old guys in the place and pushing the chubby wives' buttons. It's kind of funny in a sad way. We get our table and set to ordering. They will be closing soon so Andy orders two beers because they can't sell alcohol after 10:00pm. The waiter offers to put the second beer in the fridge until Andy is ready for it. Our food comes out and is pretty good. Right before 10:00pm, several waitresses come over and start trying to take away everyone's drinks!! What the heck!? They inform us that they have to have all alcoholic drinks off the tables by 10 o'clock! What kind of nonsense is this? Then they inform Andy that he cannot have his second beer. Mental note, don't interfere with a Brit and his beer! Poor poor Andy, hehe. After dinner we waddle our way back to the hotel and settle in for the night. Everyone is pretty much whooped and we crash pretty early.Monday
Time to go home. Bill and Andy have been having so much fun that they have decided to stay a little longer and get in some extra riding. They plan to do a loop around Lake Ouachita. We get the truck and trailer loaded and ready to go then say our goodbyes. Most of the ride back home is rather dull and unexciting, everyone nodding off (except me hehe). Somewhere North of Jefferson on US 59, the traffic grinds to a halt. There is no oncoming traffic. Obviously something serious has happened. Eventually we make our way up to a nasty looking accident scene. We can tell that an eighteen wheeler was involved because about half of the trailer is left intact. The front half has been crushed like an accordion. All that remains of the cab is the frame and a few wheels. The DPS guys are holding up sheets to keep us from seeing the bodies and there are a few hearses parked on the road. On the far side of the trailer is a severely damaged RV camper. Whatever was pulling it has been completely obliterated and cannot be discerned from the carnage. We pass by, very sobered in the face of the reality of how quickly it can all go wrong. :| The rest of the ride home is wet. We had planned on dropping off John so he could start cutting West towards Austin, but it just kept raining harder and harder. We finally get over to Madisonville and let him off there. I get the truck under a covered area so we can unload his bike without getting rained on. He suits up and says goodbye, aiming for a break in the storm on the horizon. We cruise on down I-45 the last few miles to Huntsville, eager to get home, saddened that such a fun weekend has come to an end and we have to get back to the same old grind. It just makes the expectation of the next trip all the more exciting.[I've got some really cool pics from Andy that I will be adding later].
A Footnote
It turns out that the driver of the rig in the crash was a friend of the family!! He drove that day so one of his buddies could have Memorial Day off. It was supposed to have been his day off. The skid marks on the rig were three feet long. The RV was being towed by a dually truck that veered across the double yellow into the rig's path. Everyone was killed instantly in the near perfect head on collision at closing speeds of 70-80mph per vehicle. Hard to conceive of the magnitude of such a collision. this makes for the second husband lost to an accident for the wife of the rig driver. Life is hard sometimes. It really makes me appreciate what I've been given and the loved ones in my life.
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Here is a link to the directory in which they reside. I'll try to get back here and add descriptions later, seriously :wink: 
This was back when I was averaging about 25-30K miles per year and mounting new tires every few months! It was also a trip done as part of my Backroad Motorcycle Tours business that I started a little before starting Two Wheeled Texans. That got put on hold about the time it really started to take off because we had our first kid. With less time to organize tours and rallies, I shifted my time to developing the forum instead. I can't help but wonder what might have been... 