Friday May 14, Henderson TN to Forrest City AR
I was in Henderson, not Selmer as I wrote in Wednesday’s notes. Today I plan to complete the loop that I started yesterday and head back toward the MS-AR line South of Robinsinville. I want to cross the Mississippi River somewhere other than at Memphis, and MS 49 has a crossing into Helena AR. Today was a nice little ride, especially in a couple of roads in TN and AR 4. But it gets very hot and the roads get very flat and straight too soon down in AR.
I take TN 100 out of Henderson to pick up TN 18 which is the same as AR 7 that I rode into TN yesterday. I stop for breakfast at Sharon’s Kitchen ( have grits ) in Bolivar. While I’m eating I notice a Beemer heading down the road in my intended direction of travel.
After breakfast I’m putt-putting along on AR 7 and notice a guy laying against his bike taking in the wonder, so I turn around to chat for a bit. Met Jason a young guy from MA. It turns out this is the rider that I noticed while I was eating breakfast. Jason simply decided that he needed to buy a moto and ride across America to the West Coast and then up the Pacific Coast Highway. He bought a used BMW K100RS and he’s doing it. I tell him what an excellent concept he is carrying out. More people should try it.
We ride along together for several miles and find MS 4 to be very pleasant, again being East of the mega-argi on the fairly famous fabulously fertile farming fields firstly formed by The Big Muddy. Jason is planning to ride I-State 40 for the most part because he has to be back home mid-July. He’s planning a fast dash to the coast and then ride the PCH North and then dash back home.
Soon Jason heads for the I-State and I head for the river crossing. It’s extremely depressing down here right on the river. Hotter than two hells, too.
The skies start to threaten up ahead and forecasts of severe weather are all around. Severe weather seems to be code words for tornado and the skies certainly are very very black. I pull into a service station in Brinkley to inquire about motels up the road. Forrest City is suggested to be the closest. It’s way to early in the afternoon to stop, but I don’t look forward to severe weather on a moto.
I wait at the station for a while to see if the storm blows past and see cars with wet surfaces coming from the direction if intended travel. I finally decide to try to beat to Forrest City and get parked before really bad stuff hits. For the most part I’m successful and get only a few rain drops as I get to the town. But as I’m cursing through looking for a motel, the water on the roads gets deeper and deeper. And eventually I’m riding in a light rain and at the same time see a motel. I barely made it but I’m mostly dry.
After I check in and park the bike, the really bad stuff hits. Hail as large as golf balls is banging hard against everything not covered. And the wind whipping hard. It’s more than a little scary.
After the first phase passes I’m checking the bike for damages and notice that one rear view mirror is cracked to a bunch of pieces. I can see that a hail chunk has hit the frame right at the bottom and caved in the mirror there and shattered the remaining part.
Weather forecasts and reports of really bad hail all around continuing though the night and into the next day. Welcome to Arkansas.
Wednesday May 12, Robinsonville MS to Selmer TN
Well, I ran across a nice surprise of a road this morning, US 51. It was a short hop East on MS 304 to get there. The road parallels I-55 and I took it South to explore more of this region. It must be on the Eastern edge of the delta mega-farming lands because it runs across pleasant small wooded hills. Lots of small towns and communities along the way. Eventually entered an area in which tree farming for paper making was a major activity.
I rode South to near Grenada at which point it was getting straight and flat. Picked up MS 7 to get back up into more forests and hills. It was pleasant ride, but the road is highly proved-up with very long straight sections and wide sweepers. Not technical at all. Probably there are no technical roads in all of Mississippi. But exploring new areas is the destination.
I’m not seeing high-water marks so much any longer, but the Mississippi River was high. Some of the fields have signs of recent standing water, too.
Chatted with Harold at a rest stop. Harold is a native of this region and has a great interest in things motorrad. Very knowledgable and was interested in my approach to long-range touring. Wished me well in my travels.
Rode MS 7 all the way back into Tennessee to get back into forests and small hills. Still kind of flat and straight in Southern TN, but very forested. Had a pleasant ride Eastward on TN 57. I recalled that this was a kind-of twisty road the last time Mary and I were here. I think it’s been re-aligned, as they say. Wide and smooth and not like I remembered at all. But, maybe it was wishful recalling on my part.
Motels have been very few and very far between all day. The usual case when we aren’t in major tourists areas, so I start trying to find a place. Took US 45 North, an almost I-State grade road searching for motels. Finally landed here in Henderson, South of Jackson. In the process I crossed the disaster that US 64 has become. I see that US 64 is designated to be a scenic route by the State of Tennessee. Not any more for me.
I’ve next got to get across the nearby part of Tornado Alley that is West of here. I figure that if I see one of those soon enough I can easily out run it. I’ll probably stay here for two days to take a break from riding. While moto road touring is great fun, it is not travel in the lap of luxury. Especially when heat, humidity, and big hot winds are parts of the journey.
Tuesday May 11, Milan TN to Robinsonville MS
The rains did pass through overnight and it’s clear today. It’s going to be hotter, too. I take US 70A / 79 into Memphis and locate the motorcycle store. Another nice ride through the country side. The people at the store tell me that I’ve picked the wrong route down into Mississippi and offer an alternate. The objective is still to get to my original road, MS 61, but not by the route that I had first set out.
So I putt-putt on down into Mississippi, along with millions of others on the same route. The objectives include seeing the Mississippi River and the mega-farming operations on the delta. The delta is fairly famous for fabulously fertile farming on vast reaches of bottom lands produced by the Mississippi River. The historical crop, cotton, however depletes the lands of important plant food, so there’s been a switchover to soybeans.
A short distance down AR 61 leads to Tunica and the RiverPark on the bank of the river. The river is running high and muddy and one road into the place is flooded over. I checked out the place and the river hoping a long string of barges would pass. John McPhee, in Uncommon Carriers, has written a piece about how the barge system works. I vaguely recall that he has other pieces about travel on the Mississippi.
A little more South gets me to MS 49, which leads to MS 1, a Scenic Byway. Friars Point is off the main road a bit and is home for the North Delta Museum. Also the birthplace of Conway Twitty as is frequently noted around the village.
I ride back up 61 to Robinsonville to get a room. It turns out that Robinsonville is home to part of the Mississippi Gaming Industry. Thousands on motel rooms at the “resorts” that have been built, Las Vegas style, out on the very flat former farm land. A very unusual sight. Huge buildings sticking up in the air out in the deep boonies complete with gaudy signs. I suspect the local natives have made deals for their land that was depleted by cotton and of little use unless much nitrogen is added back into the soil. I didn’t stay out at the resorts, but at a motel that supplies rooms after the resort rooms are all filled.
Monday May 10, Clarksville TN to Milan TN
Weather forecast, both last night and this morning, indicate rain that will blow through by early afternoon. Well, I waited until about 3 in the afternoon for the rain to blow over, but it never really did. I finally decided to take off during a lull between raining sessions.
I began to note lots of high-water indications well before i got close to Clarksville. The flowing streams are still very full, the gully that drains rain down from the hills are washed out. Water marks in the trees way above where limbs and leaves start to grow. Standing water in most fields and the edges of the roads are washed out and damaged.
Lots of high-water indications all around this town, with some major streets still closed. Lots of damage, too.
I take TN 13 kind of South and West. Not much rain right after I start, but get more rain as I travel. Now I’m seeing more and more flooding damage along the stream that is beside the road. The streams are so small that they don’t show on my maps. Even lots of debris washed down from the hills in the gullies that usually drain rain water.
I get to Erin TN, a piece of Ireland in Tennessee, and find the town basically in ruins. It’s a very small place, but houses, and other buildings, have been wiped out. Houses that were flooded but not broken up have the contents out in the yard. There’s. Large boat jammed against the side of a bridge. A service station, at which I was banking on finding for desperately-needed gas, is ruined. As I travel on down TN 13, the damages increase. Bridges. Houses, buildings, cars, farm land, everything along the stream has been hit. Even houses on the other side of the road from the stream have been wiped out by water flowing down off the hills. It’s a tragedy. While it seem that Nashville is getting all the attention, there are major problems well away from there.
I pick up US 70 / 79 at Waverly, the road I intend to take into Memphis. I stop here in Milan to let the last of the rains blow through. I picked a cheap-looking place, one of two motels in town, both cheap-looking.
It was a very short riding day.
Sunday May 9, Cumberland Falls VA to Clarksville TN
Lots of Big Road riding today. Primarily because I’ve run out of mountains, valleys, coves, hills, and dells. I’m fast approaching The Big Flats Barrier of KS, NE, OK, TX, and Eastern CO. As all the good topo fades behind me, the roads get straighter and flatter. Lots of big wide multiple-lane roads with passing lanes and wide shoulders.
It was a very pleasant putt-putt across rolling hills and beautiful countryside. Lots of horsy farming action around the Eastern part of the run, especially near Rugby. Fancy horsy farms, each one picture perfect. Nearing the Western end lots of big argi, again with many picture perfect complete with very nice houses set way back off the road. Might be related to the closeness of KY and also to the Tennessee Walker brand.
Generally, there seems to be more money for more people outside the deep boonies of the high mountains.
There were a few tiny-lines roads! But not many. Kind of cool cruising all day. Temperature in the high 40s ( F ) for about half the day and then in the high 50s for the last half. The temperature on the bike hit a high of 62 F late in the afternoon.
Landed here in Clarksville because the next place for motel reliability was way down the road. I’m writing this Monday morning and it’s raining with more moving in from the intended direction of travel. I’ll try to wait it out for a while. Maybe if the timing is right I can stop by The Motorcycle Store in Memphis tomorrow and check for necessary accessories. I’m estimating that I’ll need a rear tire by the time I get to Bentonville, AR. That’ll make the fourth or fifth time that I’ve stopped there for tires or service.
UPDATED WITH ROAD REPORT
I left the State Park on KY 90, a three-star road for sure, but very short. I have noticed that TN 52 / 53 is a Scenic Byway so I make a left turn and head down that way on US 27. As I mentioned above, all the roads today were kind of big. Pleasant touring rides, but not technical at all. Lots of beautiful countryside with the usual mix of regular houses plus a few MacMansions. Rode the Scenic Byway to TN 76 and into Clarksville.
While Nashville has gotten most of the attention regarding the really big rains of a couple of weeks back, I have seen high-water indications out here far from Nashville. And I will see these even down into Mississippi.
Sunday May 9, Cumberland Falls VA
Another beautiful day in Biker Trash Paradise up here in the mountains. Clear blue sky, crisp cool air and a most excellent road just outside the parking lot.
Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers.
Saturday May 8, Abingdon VA to Cumberland Falls KY
After the not so good day yesterday, I took a very slow morning and didn’t hit the road until well after 9. The first objective today was Cumberland Gap by way of US 58. Mary and were out this way a few years back, and looking at the maps, I can’t find any other way to get there. US 58 is a good ride, but the road is totally proved up and is wide and smooth having only wide sweepers. It’s almost I-State grade.
Wanting to bypass both Bristol and Kingsport, I headed North on US 19, another proved-up wide smooth road, after spotting a thin-line road, VA 802, that would get me back to US 58. Got to Holston and saw a local diner, the Holston Cafe. The owner’s name wasn’t part of the name, Road Cafe Rule Number 1, but the parking lot had lots of cars and trucks with local plates, Road Cafe Rule Number 2, so I pulled in. Hadn’t been on the road for much longer that 20 or 30 minutes. A real slow start today.
The owner was really nice and the food was great ( the Holston Cafe has grits ). The couple at a nearby table ride, but that Other Brand, so he struck up a conservation. A very nice and friendly couple. He’s a long-haul trucker and has cut back on his super-long trips. She rides with him on some hauling trips. And she has a cousin living in Saratoga Springs. Small world. He said he might take a little day putt-putt today. I chatted with them even tho my grits were constantly cooling whenever I was chatting and not eating. As I was putt-putting along later, I started to wonder if there shouldn’t be some kind of social protocol for this situation. Especially when it comes to ones grits getting cold.
Got back on the road. It’s a big-wind day and it’s also a little cool. Got to my thin-line road, VA 802, and was immediately surprised. The road is a disaster; very narrow, very rough, no markings, not even a center-line, and a deep gully for a shoulder. Not as bad as the worst parts of US 58 yesterday, but not good. Under these conditions, I always hug the far right side of my lane all the time. You never know when a local native is going to be barreling down the road and using all of it.
Luckily, after getting over the hills and into the first cove, the road became better. Then, when the road starts over the next hills to get into the next cove it gets bad again. I finally get into the valley that will lead to US 58 at Mendota and it’s smooth sailing, a real joy.
Make the run against the big headwind to the gap and into Middlesboro KY. Middlesboro is the hometown of somebody famous, but i’ve forgotten who ( or whom ). I pull into a service station to get some gas and a KY map. The only map available is one of those plastic-laminated jobbys and it’s $8.95 plus taxes and fees. Outrageous. I see the next twisty thin-line road that heads West, KY 74.
I notice that we’re in coal-mining country off on the right hand side. The road begins to deteriorate at about the same time. I start to have flashbacks from earlier today. I keep going and soon can spot one of those Mountain-Top-Removal coal mines up high. At about this time, the road is another disaster in the making. Soon, I notice ruts in the asphalt and the makings on the road disappear. I’m thinking this will be over as soon as I pass through this short mining section.
Well, it goes to hell in a hand-basket and continues for miles. No stones on the road, but the road almost becomes an un-improved mountain goat trail. And it goes up and over maybe three ridges and down into little coves under these conditions. Nasty. The road is so narrow that the trees block all the sunlight and I can’t sees any details about the road surface. It’s go slooooowww and be careful.
At the end of the nightmare, I cross the railroad three times and each time there are huge holes in the road and stones cover the tracks completely. Just as I cross the tracks for the last time I meet two crotch-rocket based road-runners. I think to myself that those boys are going to be very disappointed. Either that or I don’t know how to ride. The only other bikes I’ve met on this road.
But not 100 feet ( a few meters ) down the road I cross into Tennessee and the road becomes a marvel. Smooth and twisty and some wide sweepers. I have some fun to make up for the misery and do a little road running. And now I understand why the road-running crotch-rockets were on this road.
I’ve recently seen some additional Land of Small Houses. Tiny, square or rectangular houses. Many not in the best of condition. Lots of single-wides. And unlike on some of these roads deep in the boonies, I haven’t seen any normal-looking houses mixed in with these. These miners have a tough life, I think.
I get to the next road, US 25W heading North. I’ve got two other thin-line roads in mind that head West. But based on today’s experience I’m thinking I should take the shorter of the two. Soon, I see signs about this place where I stopped today. It’s another of the State of KY State Parks that have rooms and food. This one at Cumberland Falls State Park. Mary and I have stayed at a couple of these and some in WV, too, and have found them to be really nice. It so happens that the place is on the short road West. I get to the road, KY 90, and it’s a joy; smooth and twisty. And the place is nice, too.
I have my first sit-down at a table supper in three or four days. My usual veggies supplemented with high-value protein. In this case some of the protein is supplied by frog legs. I haven’t had frog legs since I stopped going to The Bay Area, as they call it. These aren’t prepared the same way as those out there. These are deep-fried in a big olde pan of oil, not gently sauté in butter and garlic and presented on a bed of rice or pasta.
Low temperature in the high 30s tonight. I’m thinking that it’ll be another slow morning tomorrow. I’ll have some extra coffee and take in the beauty here.
Friday May 7, Erwin TN to Abingdon VA
Took care of my laundry last night.
I stopped at this motel because there are two restaurants right across the street. Last night I discovered that both have been closed for over a year. That’s not a big problem because I almost always carry pre-prepared foods, but I was looking forward to a real sit-down at a table supper. I have a wide variety of most excellent pre-prepared foods, all basically high-grade protein based. Some are better appreciated if nuked up in a microwave, but can nonetheless be equally enjoyed even when not heated. I can easily make up a three-course meal from several entrees and associated accompaniments, hot or cold, or mixed. The presentation is primitive, but colorful given all the writing and pictures on the cans. Mary does a very much better job at this than I do. And she doesn’t yet fully appreciate my selections of entrees. But with three cans of entrees, with or without heating, I can whip up a pretty good supper of high-grade protein.
I left Erwin on TN 107 with two objectives; Roan Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Following those I planned to pick up US 58 to head Westward. TN 106 was a joy, but way too short. Beautiful coves and high ridges.
At US 19E I had a short hop down to TN 143 which becomes NC 261 at the top of the pass at the state line. TN 143 has been re-surfaced since we were last here and is very smooth and well marked. Fortunately, cutting and filling and straightening was not a part of the upgrade.
Zipped up to the pass and stopped to take in the beauty. Richard from the Bronx was also taking a break. He’s walking the Appalachian Trail from end to end all at one time making about 10 to 15 miles per day. Richard has a friend living in Saratoga Springs. Small world. From Roan Mountain he has a little over 1800 miles to make by about mid-October at which time the Northern end of the Trail is closed.
The NC side of the road hasn’t been re-surfaced yet, but it’s in good shape. It’s a long ride down and a ride up from this side is more fun than up the TN side.
NC 226 will take me right to the Parkway and when I get there I see signs that the Parkway is closed a few miles North. Since the road is not blocked off here I suspect that the closure is just past the exit to US 221, so I putt-putt up that way. A beautiful ride up here on the Parkway today. Nice and cool, lots of Dogwood budding out, lots of very long mountain views because the leafs are not out yet, and no other traffic. Wonderful. Especially enjoy the coolness because it’s getting really hot down off the mountains.
I take the US 221 detour and get back on at Grandfather Mountain and enjoy the ride up to the exit at US 21 to head North to US 58.
This part of US 58 turns out to be a work in progress. It’s nice and twisty as expected. But it’s also been neglected and there are loose stones on the road surface at almost every curve. I mean every curve, especially the very tight right curves. Stones all the way across the road. Stones from the other side of the road in my lane. Did I mention that the surface is in bad shape? Miles and miles of this stuff.
The road situation got much better somewhere East of Green Cove; the valley beneath Whitetop Mountain is very nice and then the road enters the Mount Rogers NRA and is a joy.
I pull into a cheap-looking motel in Abingdon and it turns out to indeed be cheap. I think I’m sharing my room with mosquitoes, flies, and spiders.
Thursday May 6, Townsend TN to Erwin TN
Another day of natural beauty plus tons of joy on man made machines. Wonderful !!
Another beautiful evening, too.
Roads rode today. NC 73 ( the Pigeon Forge bypass ) to Cade’s Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park GSMNP, and then to US 441 across the Park. Wonderful old-growth forest, cool fresh air, sparkling steam beside the road. Beauty. The road to Cade’s Cove and the cove itself are marvels. Over 700 people lived in the cove in 1850. US 441 across the Park is wonderful, too.
The Blue Ridge Parkway to NC 215. The Parkway was beautiful up high above the Springline and the Dogwood just beginning to blossom along the sides of the mountains. Rode 215 to Canton to pick up NC 209 off US 23. NC 209 was a wonder and a trip back in time. I’ve never seen so many genuine log structures or so many abandoned houses and barns. The road surface is in very bad shape, but well worth the effort to ride. Not a single wide sweeper on this un-proved up narrow two-laner. Rode through Luck, Trust, Spring Creek to Hot Springs.
Picked up NC 208 and NC 212 which became TN 352. Unlike NC 209, these are smooth surfaced and gave some wide sweepers mixed up with the twisties. Another beauty. Can be taken a few MPH above the posted limit.
Putt-putted into Erwin on a short stretch of I-State 26.
Met Walt in GSMNP. Walt is from Princeton MA and was ridding a Beemer, the GS model. He’s on his way to attend his son’s graduation from Clemson. We spent several minutes discussing the extraordinary intelligence of people who chose Clemson to continue their education. We also noted the other outstanding characteristics of these people. His wife will fly into Greenville for the graduation and then back home and Walt will make a fast destination run back to MA.
Met Bruce from Greensboro NC in Hot Springs. Bruce was also riding a GS. Fully accessorized to the max. Bruce knows Saratoga Springs because he’s a horsy farmer. The horsy farmers in Greensboro buy hay from Upstate NY because it’s very clean. The local NC stuff has lots of weeds and dirt in it. The truck drivers taking furniture up to Yankee Land and have empty trucks after unloading their loads. A hay broker will find the hay to be hauled back down NC.
Met a guy here at the motel just as I pulled in. He’s riding one of those Other Brands you usually don’t see actually on the road. He was taking his cleaning materials out of the side cases and proceeded to polish up his chrome. He had his ‘Tude turned up high and was not really engaged in chatting. And, only because I knew his ‘Tude was high, I continued to chat. It’s fun to do that.
I can’t begin to describe the natural beauty and wonders that I saw and experienced today. Beautiful mountains, beautiful trees, beautiful flowers, deep blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and sparkling streams along every road. Priceless.
Bypassing both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg while experiencing NC 73, triple priceless !!
later
Wednesday May 5, Blue Ridge GA to Townsend TN
More of the same; wonderful roads, beautiful mountains, blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Today I traveled from Blue Ridge GA to Townsend TN almost exclusively on narrow twisty two-laners with smooth surfaces. Not completely, because it’s getting difficult to bypass those places where we’re forced onto the proved-up versions on the good roads. If you’re a local and know all the back roads you can skip those.
Left Blue Ridge on GA 60 Northward into NC to pick up US 64 / 74 to head into the high mountains. Then US 74 to Andrews at which point the road becomes US 74 / 19 / 129. Rode US 129 into Robbinsville. The objective road was NC 143 out of Robbinsville, also known as the Cherohala Skyway. US 64 has been basically ruined for hundreds of miles across TN; a highly proved-up four-laner and US 74 is the same until about Andrews where it becomes a proved- up two-laner. US 74 frommabout Murphy NC to Andrews runs through a wide beautiful valley. And, a river runs through it; Valley River. US 129, on the other hand remains a narrow twisty two-laner; very narrow, very twisty.
US 129 and NC 143 are world-famous roads to Denizens of Biker Trash Land. US 129 is major twisty road and has been re-surfaced since Mary and I were last through here. It’s still very narrow and is one of those olde-timey hug the Earth’s surface roads.
Cherohala Skyway was completed in 1996 and so is a wide two-laner and unfortunately has mostly wide sweepers. This road could be ridden very rapidly, but the posted limit is mostly 35 MPH. A beautiful road that goes up high and runs along the ridges. Lots of long views of the mountains. It was very cool up there this morning and felt especially good.
The Skyway ends at Tellico Plains TN and I took a short break at the Biker Friendly service station on the outskirts of town. Not a lot of other bikers out yet so I didn’t get a chance to chat with other Denizens. Took TN 360 out of Tellicoa Plains with the next objective road being The Foothills Parkway. TN 360 is another beauty and intersects US 411 at Vonore. At 411 there were signs saying that US 129 was closed. I didn’t have to use 129 for too many miles to get to the Foothills Parkway, so I asked about where the road was closed. It was closed just beyond the entrance to the Parkway at the TN / NC line. So I rode TN 72 to 129 and then rode the Parkway to Walland TN. Yet another beauty through the mountains with lots of long views. Two full days of road riding and running.
From Walland I putt-putted here to Townsend near the West entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Tonight I’m in an EconoLodge that was previously a Comfort Inn. It’s a very nice place and the rate is very good, too. Last night I was in a Comfort Inn that was also very nice and reasonable. I suspect that these good rates will end as soon as school is out for the summer.
In addition to the most excellent road riding and touring and the nice and reasonable places to stay, I have additional very good news. I have found a road that bypasses both Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. I plan to do exactly that and be on top of Clingmans Dome early tomorrow morning.
Models Methods Software 