Arkansas Ride

Riding is good for the soul. This past weekend I took a three day weekend and went for a ride. My homebase for these motorcycle peregrinations was Russellville, Arkansas where Princessbelle was taking a karate seminar. Brokerbelle was kind and patient enough to do the driving and to allow the abogado in leather to drift in and out of the motel room.

Friday, the ride went from Joplin, Missouri to Russellville, Arkansas with stops in Eureka Springs at a small leather shop where I shot the breeze with some other riders who coincidentally were also from Joplin and had just returned from a 2300 mile trip including stopovers in Sturgis, a motorcycle Mecca that is said to be past its prime. Next I headed South to Russellville.

Saturday, I headed out again and rode to Hot Springs on Scenic Route 7 . Hot Springs is an old resort town that is reinventing itself. There are long rows of renovated bath houses built around the old hot springs that were considered salutary for your health. Hot Springs has a number of old beautiful homes. It also has a renovated downtown area. Hot Springs is known for its horse racing track. Also when the horses are not running, people go to the track to bet on other races that are simulcast and are watched on satellite TV by the betters. Then it was time to return to Russellville back over scenic 7. On the way back I stopped at Ozark Springs National Park, Lake Quachita, and other local lakes. I arrived in Russellville in late afternoon and it was 102 degrees hot. And that is hot, I tell you.

Sunday, I left early and hit the road on Scenic 7 North and went through the mountains toward Harrison Arkansas. The route is beautiful but the morning run from Russellville north has the sun in your eyes most of the way. I took some pictures of the sunrise however. It was a great ride.

I headed past Booger Hollow, past the old Dogpatch amusement park which is in ruins and then to the Buffalo River. I hit Harrison and then decided that if I went to Branson, I could make it in time for our 9:40 worship service at the church I attended. I made it to Branson and attended the contemporary service just coming off the road in Harley gear. Well there were some wide open eyes since it is not a dress that most people wear to our church. However, the people recognized me and were kind, more or less, then it was time to hit the road.

So I headed down 76 and stopped at the Harley-Motorcycle leather store in Branson and milled around there until I got a call from Brokerbelle that it was raining in the Joplin area. I headed for Joplin after storing any thing that does not like water in the watertight bag that I always carry. I then headed the backroads to home going from Branson to Reeds Springs, to Crane, to Monet, to Wentworth, to Diamond, to Saginaw and safely back to Joplin with hardly a drop on me. Ah the adventure of going the farm roads at 60 to 70 miles per hours.

The ride was great. The roads were curvy. The air was fresh and I returned feeling better physically than when I left.

It was a great ride. I will be posting some pictures of the ride from time to time in the days following.

HarleyDad