2019 Arkansas motorcycle trip
Day 4
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May 26
We found out yesterday that Wes has to leave Tuesday morning, so during his time here we will concentrate on riding. We can shop later.
 Patrick and Wes will lead a ride down the Pig Trail. The nice thing about that is I get to follow. I happily positioned my bike at the rear of the pack. Donna had major back surgery last fall so she wears a brace to protect her back.
 We're off! It's fun to follow...'Follow the leader' on bikes. Sometimes it can be a little like hide and seek.
 One of my aggravations about all the cameras I have used is the wide-angle lens they all seem to have. Mike is about fifty feet in front of me but the camera makes it look more like three hundred.
The route took us through Eureka Springs and down AR-23.
Another impressive house in Eureka Springs.
 Huntsville, AR. 10:29, mileage 100,517 - A quick stop for fuel and drinks. This little station was super busy. Wes even went to the next gas station to fuel up. The 'Guns and Coffee' store looked interesting but it didn't appear to be open.
Southbound through scenic northwestern Arkansas. It's a beautiful day.
 Patrick and Wes have ridden together for many years and are used to each other's style. Whenever we'd come to curvy roads or sweepers they'd be gone. It was fun to watch. The rest of us would just try to keep them in sight.
 One thing I noticed was how sad some of the volunteer fire departments looked. They were lucky to have a gravel driveway. Almost all of them had old trucks sitting outside.
 In nine miles we'll turn east on AR-16. The scenery reminds me of the hills in southern Indiana. What doesn't remind me of Indiana are the many (mostly dead) armadillos we saw. They look like an armored oppossum.
 AR-16 crosses the White River near Pettigrew. Here it is not much bigger than a creek. This is the same White River that goes passed our vacation house. We also have a White River back home. We ended up calling this road the 'Snake Road'. We passed a rattlesnake sunbathing in the road and later a big rat snake.
 When I was little we drove past a clear hilltop like this and Mom said it made her think of a place where Jesus would give a sermon. I always think about that when I see a clear hilltop. Memories from childhood.
 Here is a shot of the new GPS. I love the big, high-resolution screen. If I put my phone in hotspot mode the GPS will load a weather map. Searches and data entry are much easier, too. It is very easy to swap between the bike and my Jeep. Garmin did a great job on this new model.
 We pulled off at the AR-16/21 intersection to stretch and discuss lunch plans. We decided to head south to Clarksville.
 There was some sort of structure here that we explored. It looked like it might have been a scenic overlook structure before the trees took it over. It looked pretty unstable now. Probably some big, fat snakes hiding under there.
 This picture is full of questions. What did that building used to be? How long has it been there? Why was it allowed to decay? What is an abandoned camper from Colorado doing here?
 As we made our way south you could smell burning brakes. Soon we saw why. His brakes were on fire. I'm not an expert on Arkansas traffic law but I can't imagine the unflagged logs sticking out thirty feet behind the truck are legal.
 I took this picture for the beautiful view in the distance. Sometimes my camera is slow to respond, and I get a picture of a truck and telephone pole.
 We stopped at the intersection with US64 on the edge of Clarksville to discuss places to eat. We decided on the Taste of Italy restaurant. No matter where we go we always seem to cross paths with the US-6x routes (US60, US62, US64). Road trivia.
 We made our way through Clarksville to the restaurant. I didn't realize how far south we'd come until I saw signs for I-40.
 We were ready for a stretch and some air conditioning. The restaurant wasn't busy. I had spaghetti & meatballs and it was good.
 This being Memorial Day weekend the restaurant had set an empty table in remembrance of the missing soldier. Very classy!
 Clarksville, AR. 14:02, mileage 100,598 - A quick fuel stop at the nearby Valero station.
 Headed north through Clarksville and looking forward to more good riding. Despite some dark clouds there was no rain. I wasn't sure where we were going but I didn't care...I was following.
 We took AR-103 northward from Clarksville towards Oark. I had recently watched a Youtube video where people stopped in Oark to eat at a popular hamburger place. We'll be turning onto AR-215 instead.
 Riding motorcycles with good friends. Beautiful scenery. Beautiful weather. My sweetheart snuggled in behind me. Can it get any better?
The kind of sign motorcyclists love to see. Patrick and Wes are already on it.
 We stopped at a scenic overlook between Cass and Brashears. There are a couple nearby recreational areas and there were a lot of side-by-sides driving on the road. The parking was off-camber so I angled my bike somewhat. Advantage trike.
The scenic view. As we approached the Snake Road I saw a water moccasin that had been hit. This is a snake-y place.
 Mike wanted some spirits so we stopped at a liquor store in Huntsville only to find it closed. We forgot it was Sunday. John and I walked across the street to a Dollar General store for some supplies. I bought Buford a toy.
We made a slight deviation up AR-127 through the town of Alabam.
 Holiday Island, AR. 17:07, mileage 100,709 - We bypassed our normal turn off on AR-187 and went to a gas station up the road. This would become our local convenience store.
 We took Holiday Island Drive back to the house. It was nice seeing the flags displayed for Memorial Day. That evening Debby made stuffed peppers. Our neighbor came over and checked out the bikes. He used to ride and gave Wes some suggestions for places to ride in the area. Tomorrow Patrick and Wes will be leading again and I will be following. Ahhhhhhh...vacation.
224 miles. Click here for the next day's adventure.
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