Tuesday May 18, Bentonville AR to Miami OK
Got new shoes for the machine and got the mirror replaced and putt-putted into OK. The motor in the new machine is very hard on tires. Or, maybe more correctly, application, by the user, of some of the capabilities of the motor in the new machine is very hard on tires. Otherwise I would be projecting. That is, if a projectionee can be an inanimate object when the projectionory is a person. There are three ladies in my life who have professional experience in these things. Not the pop-psycho-babble stuff, but the real thing. So far as I am aware, none have identified any such deficiencies in me. I do not project.
Not much at all in the way of roads. AR 90 OK 43 are nice rides, but short. They just got me into the Eastern boundary of The Great Flats Barrier. Nothing to do but set the machine on cruise control and rack up miles and miles of the flattest and straightest roads and work my away across the Barrier.
The roads in Southern MO and Northern AR will have to sustain me until I get to the better parts of NM.
Monday May 17, Ava MO to Bentonville AR
Sun is out, got to go. Will take long-cuts to get to Bentonville.
Just as I wrote those words, a report of severe weather in OK. Large hail big big winds. Sounds familiar.
I left Ava on MO 14 heading for 125 so as to ride through another chunk of the Mark Twain National Forest. Both are great roads, easily 5-star Biker Trash grade. Still mostly sweepers, the ‘mountains’ here are kind of small, but the countryside is beautiful.
MO 125 becomes AR 125 at the state line. The ride was so good, that I continued South with the objective to ride even farther South on AR 7. I would then ride West a bit to AR 21 back into MO. And continue this pattern to get to Bentonville.
However, the first time I tried to ride on AR 7, it started raining. I continued West and tried to go South a couple of more times, getting wet each time. Rain and riding is doable, not much fun, but doable. But when it rains here the water comes down by the buckets full. Deep standing water on the road is not fun, and the threat of riding into huge-size hail is not sensibly doable.
So I continued West on US 62, a good enough road, but wide and very busy. Near Eureka Springs, the road becomes very twisty and almost makes up for missing the small-line roads.
I ride into Bentonville on the backroads and get to our usual motel.
A very good riding day, nearly Biker Trash Paradise grade. We definitely will get back to these parts.
Sunday May 16, Heber Springs AR to Ava MO
Another short day with heavy fog this morning, standing water on some roads, deep dark clouds, showers, and heavy rain. It has not been Biker Trash Paradise for way too many days now. But on a positive note, I did discover some most excellent roads.
My original concept for these parts was to ride North, turn left for a while, and then ride South and working gently ( yes, gently, not generally ) Westward in this manner. The original plan is no longer operational. There are lots of roads and countryside here that we’ve not checked out. It’s looking like another Moto Road Trip will be necessary in order to accomplish the original objective. The country side here is beautiful and the road surfaces are generally very good to excellent. But because the mountains here are not all that mountainous, there are many more wide sweepers than tight twisties. Many of the roads ride the top of the ridges so there are many opportunities for long views.
Sitting here looking at The Real Time Moto Road Trip Planner and writing those words is making me kind of sad. So many roads, so little time. I guess I could use a day or two after checking in at the dealer and cover some more territory. Next time we’ll hit AR about half way up instead of hitting the State so far South, and implement the original concept. Or, maybe on the way home.
My initial plan was to ride in the Ozark Mountains and then head North into MO. I use Mountains because that’s the official designation. Lots of hills might be a better description. Basically AR 5 would be the main way North, with long-cuts taken as roads of opportunity.
Met a group of five bikers in Mountain View, AR, not many miles after leaving Heber Springs. I had just ridden AR 5 over some mountains in the heavy fog. They had just ridden down from the North in heavy fog, some on AR 5 and some on AR 341. AR 341 is by far the better road, but those that came that way suggested that it wasn’t fun. I noted that my ride wasn’t fun, either. This is a group of guys making a two-day loop ride from Memphis. They’re on a schedule and are taking the fast roads back.
I decide to use AR 5 and save AR 341 for better weather times. It turns out that the fog is lifting and the ride from Mountain View to Mountain Home is wonderful. The road is in very good shape for the most part, but that varies by county. Mostly wide proved-up two-laner with mostly wide sweepers. Lots of beautiful views across the valleys and from the ridge tops.
I’m way deep in the boonies again and there are some interesting villages and fishing camps and fishing resorts along the way. It’s Sunday, and nothing is open.
Met Billy at a gas stop in Mountain Home AR. Billy is riding a ’92 Gold wing that has 86,0000 miles that he’s put on it. He is waiting for a few legal things to clear and then he’s heading for the West Coast. Billy has June 7 set as the departure date. We chatted about the wonderful opportunity we have. Billy says that we in the 50 plus age group have worked our butts off and deserve to be able to do whatever the hell we want to. He used ” 50 plus ” and I did not elaborate on the magnitude of the plus in my case. Billy didn’t offer that info for his case, either. I think he’s going to be on the fast track to get to the coast, so it’s not likely that we’ll meet.
I continue North on AR 5 aiming for MO. But not 10 miles out of Mountain Home, the rains hit. I pull into a service station to get out of the rain. A lady pulls in driving a big ole diesel and pulling a horse trailer loaded with horses. She has two flat tires on the trailer and she’s not happy and she shows her ‘tude by cussing like a sailor, as they say. I offer to help her and it takes about ten minutes for each tire because the little air compressor at the station is not quite up to the huge tires and high pressures. All the while she’s cussing while I’m working with the tires. About the time the tires are back up to pressure the rain stops. No major severe weather this time.
I continue up AR 5 and the road gets better, but still no twisties. I hit US 60 just across the MO line and turn West to pick up MO 95 to ride into the Mark Twain National Forest. Now we’ve found a most excellent moto road. I don’t have a MO map yet, so I’m not sure where I’m heading, but I ride on. I see all these local roads off MO 95 and as usual wonder where they go. I decide to take one and it’s a beauty. I arrive back at a main road and soon I try another unknown road. But this one starts to become a faint trail so I turn around and head back to that main road. Soon I find that I’ve arrived back on MO 5 and soon get to Ava MO. The skies are threatening again so I ask about motels down the road. The nearest reliable motel place is Springfield and it’s too far under the weather conditions. So I stop here. Not long after stopping, the rains starts and not long after that the heavy rains start.
Met George and Kim, log home builders. But that’s another long, long story.
All in all a pretty good day. This is very a good touring area and I hope we can make it back some time.
Saturday May 15, Forrest City, AR to Heber Springs AR
Lots and lots of water on the roadside today. The gullies are running like steams. Standing water in some of the curves. Roadside signs say Impassable when water is over the road. I don’t know if these refer to a specific location, or to the roads in general. So when approaching low places in the roads I slow down until I can see that there is no standing water.
Met a group of bikers heading for a hot dog / hamburger cookout up the road in Searcy. Just as I got into the edge of town I see The Flying Pig Bar-B-Que joint. I decide to pass on the hot dogs. The Que here is excellent and I recommend the place.
A very short day today. But the roads were for the most part were pretty good. AR 16 is a joy, but it was a kind of short ride. Tried to go farther North than here, but weather report said North AR was getting hammered, so I turned around and came back.
Two good ole boys are working on their super frou-frou Bass Fishing Boat. One is working and the other is maybe providing supervision while he dips his snuff. They say the boat plus trailer cost about US$55,000 and the huge diesel dual-wheelie truck that pulls it around must have cost about US$40,000. That’s a hobby that costs more than Moto Road Trips. They never did get the V-6 motor on the boat to start. Very likely the end of their weekend arrived early.
More rain and electrical storm while I’m parked, but no more hail.
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.
Models Methods Software 