Jamie and I decided to spend this Thanksgiving exploring some of the back roads here in the Natural State. We spent the day enjoying each others company and just taking in the day. It was a laid back day with no schedule attached.
We stopped by War Eagle Mill as we wanted to try out the new drone. We got some footage and really enjoyed the morning learning more about our new DJI Mavic Mini. We are still learning, but I do think we are going to enjoy creating with our new drone.
We found great spot by a creek, to pull over and enjoy our turkey wraps. It was so cool just relaxing by the creek, not a soul in sight, enjoying our time together. We were very Thankful for what the day had to offer.
We finished up day, just exploring the back country. It was a great way to spend the day. We also made a video of the day. Go check out the drone footage. You can also see the pictures from the day here.
Beautiful colors and catching up with old and new friends.
Looking at the weather report, Jamie and I knew we wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather and ride. The good news was the LSBMW Riders had their annual Falls Colors Ride scheduled for that same weekend. We took a flyer and called the Pinewood Cabins and much to our surprise they had a motel room available. We really enjoy the cabins but this would work.
Then more good fortune… Yeeha sent me a text and asked if we wanted to meet up with him on Saturday and ride. As you all know I love riding with Yeeha and the wheels were set into motion.
Jamie and I got up early on Saturday, but on the cold weather gear and hit the road. We knew that after lunch the layers would come off, but for the morning start the heated gear was amazing! We hooked up with Yeeha at the Ozark Cafe for lunch. We love that place and today did not disappoint. Jasper was a busy place as bikes and jeeps the color watchers were all out in force. The jaunt from Kingston to Jasper was a slow ride as many color seekers were clogging up our beautiful Arkansas roads. It was a day to take in the colors and not focus so much on those awesome twisty roads we love so much. It was a beautiful day.
We got to the cafe around 11:30 and spent the next hour catching up and enjoying a wonderful lunch. The weather was indeed warming up. The afternoon ride looked to be a great one.
After lunch we headed down scenic Highway 7 before getting on AR 16. It was a beautiful afternoon. The colors were out and the traffic cleared up. It was a great combination for the perfect afternoon. We rolled into Mountain View around 4PM. We walked up the hill and got to visit with some of the Lonestar Riders group. It had been a few months since I have seen some of them. We stood around, kick some tires and just enjoyed the afternoon. Jamie and I did have dessert as the ice cream store was open and it looked too good to pass up.
That evening we all went to dinner at Anglers on the Scott River. The views are always nice and the food is always … so so… We arrived and there was a little mix up so we had to wait to be seated. When we did get a table, we got to sit outside on the deck. Now during the day this time of year that is a prime seat. However at night with the temps cooling down, lets just say not so much. We all sat around telling stories and enjoying each others company. We also had some entertainment as the hostess was a few sheets to the wind, if you catch my drift.
We had dinner, dodged some deer heading back to the room and after it was all over, it had been a great evening. We parted ways with the group and said that we would meet them in the morning for breakfast.
I don’t know why I looked so scared.. maybe the hostess was coming back.. haha
The next morning, the weather had changed. It was overcast with a little dampness in the air. We rode over to PJ’s Sunshine Cafe and had breakfast with some of the gang. We had a good meal and then we said our goodbyes and headed to our next destination. Some of the folks were heading on to Oklahoma to stay the evening before heading back into Dallas. Yeeha was headed for Queen Wilhelmina lodge for the night. Jamie and I would hit the famous Push Mountain before meandering our way across Missouri back to the house.
It was a great ride home. We never got wet, the colors were amazing and the traffic light. Jamie and I stopped and had lunch outside Cassville at a place we had never eaten at in the past. It was the farmer daughter Restaurant and what a nice surprise. The food was good and the service was even better. It was a little windy rising home, but nothing too crazy. It was a fun overnight journey and we were glad we ventured out. We got to meet some new friends and catch up with some old, so it was a great experience. We miss riding with our Dallas family.
Until next time everyone be safe out there! Let’s Ride!
Jamie and I took off and enjoyed a beautiful Sunday morning. We went across MO90 and enjoyed some of the early season colors. We enjoyed breakfast at Leroy’s Cafe, then took our time heading back to the house. Jamie took the GoPro and had some fun just shooting from a different perspective. We hope you enjoy the video. Leave us a comment. Thanks again for watching! Leroy’s Cafe – https://www.facebook.com/Leroys-Cafe-…
Jamie and I had reservations to attend this years overlanding event at Byrds Adventure Park. With the current state of the world, this event did not look like it would happen. Well the stars aligned and the event was a go? We packed our camping gear and loaded up the Jeep. Ron drove up on Wednesday to hang out before the event. He got up early on Thursday and headed to the event to pick out a good camping spot. Word had it that the event was filling up quickly. Jamie and I headed up Thursday evening after we got off work.
We enjoyed a nice dinner and finished up that first night by the fire. It was a chilly night, but we slept well. We put on some coffee and enjoyed a great breakfast at camp. Nothing tastes better than coffee on a cool camping morning.
We had lunch at the Deer Stand Cafe in Deer Arkansas. There was a small crowd, service was slow, but damn… the food was amazing! We enjoyed our sandwich and then headed off to the Falls.
We jumped in the jeep and headed off for a day of exploring with the only planned destination being car wash falls. We spent the entire day exploring forest roads and taking in the Arkansas countryside.
We had a strange encounter after the Falls. We drove down CR 5550. It was a nice trail, with some beautiful scenery. We were greeted by a pack of dogs, who thought it was a good idea to attack the jeep. The only casualty was our trash a roo. It did not make it as the dogs tore a big hole in the bag. We finished up the trail and made it back to camp in time to visit some vendors.
There were a number of vendors at the event and it made it enjoyable just walking around and dreaming of all of the upgrades that were possible for our rig.
We are big fans of a YouTube channel called Dome Life. As luck would have it Cody & Kellie were attending the event. It was great getting to meet them and to spend some time chatting with them. We were even in one of their videos. Their love of camping and the outdoors is apparent. They are very nice people and we hope our paths cross again in the future.
We cooked out at camp enjoying a nice meal and a wonderful fire. The temps were cool, but it made it more enjoyable to sit by the fire and chat about the day.
The next morning we got up, had a quick breakfast and headed over to the staging area. We were doing the moderate guided tour. We were excited, however a little apprehensive as well. Our stock JK was going to be put to the test. It was a fantastic day with some nice technical obstacles that were conquered by our JK. Not without a few bruises but it made it through and we had a great day and a wonderful off-road experience.
I want to take a moment to thank the folks at Natural State Overland. The event was well run, very enjoyable and the guided tour was a blast. Special Thanks to Joe and Spencer for leading our group and making sure we all cam out unscathed. It was a great time.
We finished up the day, spending more time in the vendor area and chilling at the campsite. It was a great event and we will be attending next year as well. If you want to see all of the pictures go here.
After this event, Jamie and I decided that we would spend some money on the JK to make it a little more capable. Nothing crazy but a few things that will make next years event even more enjoyable. Here are the highlights
Yeeha and I, decided at the last minute to escape to Gunnison Colorado for a few days of cooler temps, camping and getting away from it all.
One night I was sitting on the couch, contemplating where I wanted to go on a much needed vacation. I knew that Jamie would not be able to take the entire week off as she was back teaching face to face. I shot a quick note out on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to join me in NC/TN area. Yeeha sent me a note with the idea that we go to Colorado and do some camping. It took about 3 seconds for me to agree that was a great idea.
The wheels were set in motion. Jamie and I would attend the MSTA rally in Theodosia Missouri on a 3 day weekend. I would load up the jeep and the trailer, Jamie would jump in her Subaru and we would spend that weekend camping and enjoying the roads in the Ozarks. It was a fun rally, with some great folks. You can read all about it here. You can also see the video on our YouTube Channel.
When Sunday Rolled around Jamie and I picked up camp, got the vehicles loaded and headed off to breakfast. After that Jamie headed back to North West Arkansas and I hit the road for the 15 hour journey to Colorado.
I drove for a good 12 hours before deciding that I would try and get a few hours sleep at Hotel Jeep. As you can imagine, mu 6’2 frame did not get very comfortable in the front seat of the jeep. I did however get in 4-5 hours of sleep before getting up and finishing the juant into Gunnison. Nothing beats that feeling of fresh mountain air and the majestic sight of snow capped mountains. It always make me smile. I was meeting Yeeha at the Gunnison KOA around 2pm. Yeeha recommended the KOA and I have to say that it was a nice facility. We were also lucky to get a spot as most camp sites were booked up. I guess we were not the only people that thought escaping to the mountains of Colorado was a good idea.
We got the bikes unloaded and the tents set up. We enjoyed a nice meal at the campsite. The jeep is set up for these types of adventures so it was easy to cook on site. We had not seen each other for almost a year so it was great catching up. We sat by the “campfire in a can”, that Yeeha brought along and DAMN it was a great idea. There was a burn ban in Colorado, but this little propane driven campfire was perfect. Great idea Yeeha! We called it a night. Tomorrow we would ride the Black Canyon of Gunnison along with a few other great roads. Life is good!
We wanted to try and avoid eating in too many restaurants, so we could practice social distancing. This worked out so well. We only had two lunches outside of the camp ground. The rest of the meals we enjoyed at the campsite. I hope Yeeha liked the cooking.
We woke up Tuesday morning to temps in the low 30’s. It was chilly but we both slept very well. One advantage of staying at the KOA in Gunnison was the options to have electric. Yeeha had an electric blanket and I had my trusty Coleman Little buddy heater so we were good and toasty. I guess you could say we were glamping. My full sized air mattress also made sleeping very nice.
Today we would ride the Black Canyon of the Gunnison before heading up to Redstone via CO133. This beautiful road flows right along the river with great mountain views. We ate in Redstone at Propaganda Pies. It was a great day of riding. One thing that I have noticed on these trips is, if Jamie does not come along we do not get a lot of pictures. She is always taking shots while we ride, so I apologize for the lack of pictures. We got back in plenty of time to fire up the grill, have a couple of adult beverages and enjoy the cool evening.
photo credit to YeehaPhoto credit to Yeeha
We woke up Wednesday morning and it was COLD. The temps were down again in the low 30’s but it seemed colder this morning. It was toasty in the tent, but the minute you left that warm area … BAM that cold hit you. Now of course I had to get up a couple of times during the night to use the damn bathroom, so I got to feel the chill a couple of times in the night. I felt really bad for these two guys that had rode in the night before. One was from Angel Fire NM and the other from Dallas. They asked us if the weather was cold at night. We told them the situation, they did not feel it would be that big of a deal. When Yeeha went to the restroom this morning, one of them was in there with all his gear on using the hand dryer to stay warm. It was cold folks.
We took our time, ate a good breakfast and then hit 114 over to 149 and up into Creede. We had such a great morning of riding. No hurry, great (if not hazy) views. The wildfires from CA were drifting over into Colorado and sure made the sky a nice color of brown. It was still a nice view, just not as nice as it could have been. We enjoyed some colors on the way up to Smugollian Pass. We probably missed all of the color by 10-14 days. Having heated gear was nice on this little stretch.
We stopped in Creede for a quick rest as I wanted to stop in and get Jamie a new shirt. We looked around town and picked up some merchandise. We decided it was time to hit the road… Yes folks it is called foreshadowing haha.
As we loaded up and got our gear on, I remember thinking how perfect the day was. The temps were great, the company awesome and the roads were amazing. Yeeha took off and I was starting to follow. As I went to merge onto the main street, I noticed a truck coming down the road. I pulled in the clutch and was going to wait until he went by. Everything was going well until I went to put my right foot down. I hit some loose sand, my foot slid out from under me and since we were backed in an off camber spot, the bike started leaning to the right. At this time I was not moving, but the bike was. The weight took over and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, as was the Big Versys. A couple of nice gentlemen helped me pick up the bike. I was fine except for my broken pride. The bike however had some cosmetic damage. The biggest issue was the right Pannier and the right panel over the cornering lights. The hand guard took a little scuffing as well. It had been years since I dropped a bike. The Versys started right up and I was able to continue on the journey. I was upset with myself but realized it could have been much worse. If you want to read about the cost of repair, see this post.
We made our way up 149 to Lake city and stopped for lunch. We ate at the Lake City cafe. The place was very busy and the biggest disappointment was they were out of almost all the menu. It was basically take what they had left. It was decent, but we both agreed we should have eaten in Creede. We finished up the day taking our time back into Gunnison. All and all it was a great riding day, even with the little mishap.
We finished up the evening, having dinner at the campsite while enjoying a fire and some adult beverages. Tomorrow we are changing pace and taking the jeep out. Yeeha does not do much of the off road thing, so I picked out a little route that would take us up to 11,ooo feet with the great views. Nothing too technical, but should be fun.
We woke up to another chilly morning. We were in no hurry and it was nice not having to get into riding gear. Today we would do a little exploring in the jeep of the Paradise Divide above Crested Butte Colorado. We made a quick stop at Micky D’s drive thru and then we went to the trail head and had breakfast.
We did a large loop around the area. We made it to over 11,ooo feet. The roads were pretty easy, but the views were amazing. We did do FS811 and that was a little more exciting as it was very rocky. We saw a number of Subaru’s making it up. I want to come back in the future and do some dispersed camping. There were many scenic areas to camp. It was great spending some time with Yeeha, telling stories and enjoying the amazing views that Colorado always seem to offer.
We spent the entire day out exploring. We were in no rush and we just enjoyed what the day had to offer. Jamie and I think we have found the perfect combination when it comes to adventure touring. We load up the Jeep, bring the bike and spend the week, riding and jeeping while setting up a basecamp. It works well for us and allows us to enjoy all of our favorite hobbies.
It was a tad dusty on the trail.
We got back to camp in time to load up the bikes for the trip home and to enjoy another evening in camp. I have to say the evenings were amazing! the temps were cool, but the fire was good and we really enjoyed cooking at the site. We loaded most of the gear up before heading to bed, so that we could get a decent start heading home tomorrow morning. We were sad that the trip was coming to and end, but we were very happy we decided to escape for a few days.
We got up, finished putting our gear away and breaking down the tents. We said our goodbyes and hit the road. I decided to roll all of the way home (15 hours) and arrived to the house around 1AM. It was good to be home in my nice comfy bed, with Jamie by my side. I will admit that I was longing for more time in Colorado. It is still one of my favorite places on the planet. I want to thank Yeeha for joining me and making this trip a great one. Until next time my friend ride safe. I will be doing a video on the trip so stay tuned for that. If you want to see all of the pictures go here: Motorcycle pictures – Jeep Pictures.
We had just rode a spirited 125 miles. The Versys went over 15,000 miles. Then it needed a nap.
I guess that I have been lucky. I had not dropped a motorcycle in over 10 years. That streak ended a couple of weeks ago. Here is what happened;
Yeeha and I were visiting beautiful Colorado, we were staying in Gunnison and taking day rides out of there. The day that this happened we had ridden down CO114 to 285. it was a beautiful day and we were enjoying the cooler temps and the AMAZING scenery. Next up… Creed Colorado. This is one of my favorite places to visit while in Colorado. We rode up to Creede and I wanted to take a few minutes to park and get Jamie a souvenir T-shirt. Everything went well and I got the coolest shirt for Jamie. I was very happy with myself.
We geared up and Yeeha took off. I was taking my time getting my gloves on, I then put the Versys in 1st gear and took off. I notice a truck come into my peripheral vision, I pull in the clutch as I was going to come to a stop and allow the truck to pass… This is where things go wrong. I put my foot down, but at that moment the sand in the road does not allow by boot to adhere to the asphalt. My foot slips, the camber of the lot was not in my favor and the next thing I know, I am on the ground and my Versys is laying besides me. The kind gentleman in the truck, stopped and helped me pick up the Versys. I was not hurt, unless you want to speak about my pride….
This is the last picture taken of my pristine Versys.
So now I am just mad at myself, for dropping my beautiful machine. I start to access the damage. A great big scar on the right pannier, as well placed scuff on the side panel above the cornering lights and last but not least the scuffed up hand guards. I was not a happy camper, but nothing else was broke, the bike could be ridden and all everything else was good. I knew it would not be cheap to fix, but I was not stranded, I did not hurt myself and I was in beautiful Colorado. Life was good!
The Aftermath
So I contacted my good friends at Plano Kawasaki and Suzuki in Plano to get a quote on the parts needed to get my Versys back to 100%. The damage went as follows;
Right Pannier and color matched panel. This is something I do not understand. You can’t buy just one bag, you have to buy the bags in pairs. I know that they need to be keyed for the bike, but it sure would have been nice to replace the 1 bag and not have to buy the pair. Approx cost $1200
Now I know some of you are saying, that you would try and fix the bag yourself. I get it, but I also know myself and I know my eye would be focused on that darn bag every time I walked out to the bike.
The side panel must have come down and hit a rock, thus scaring the panel. This could have gone unrepaired as no one would see it unless they were looking. However I would have focused on it. Approx cost $300
I seriously thought about not replacing the hand guard, however I was spending a fair amount to get the bike back to 100% and figured that the cost of the guard was the most affordable of the group. Approx Cost $100
So for just around $2300 I will have a complete and non damaged Versys. I will be taking the Versys to Freedom Powersports in Fayetteville Arkansas this Friday for the 16K service, a new back tire and getting the new parts installed and re-keyed. Then she will be as good as new.
Here are a few items that we could not do without on our camping adventures.
We have been asked recently to link some of the items that we have for camping and for some of the things that we feel, enhance our camping experience. We are big fans of Dome Life and they have really inspired us to get out and camp more. Go check out their YouTube Channel. Not all of these products are utilized when motorcycle camping. However since we trailer and camp out of the Jeep we utilize most of these items on each outing. Listed below are a few links of the items that we use. We are not sponsored in anyway. We have purchased these items. So let’s get started.
Gazelle T4 Hub Tent – (Not a motorcycle camping option) This tent has been a game changer for our camping trips. It is so easy to put up and take down. It allows for me to stand up (I am 6’2) in the tent. There is plenty of space. It has great ventilation and the windows are awesome. It is built with quality materials and the zippers are strong. You can see our review below. The one drawback of this tent is the pure size of it. This will not be a motorcycle tent option. It barely fits in my 2015 Jeep JK. You can learn more about the gazelle on their website. I ordered ours directly through this site. – https://www.gazelletents.com/Product/gazelle-camping-hub-tent-7177
Kelty Gunnison 3 backpacking tent – My motorcycle camping tent of choice This is a great tent for the bike. Jamie and I have slept many nights in this tent. It is a snug fit for the two of us, however it still allows for our motorcycle gear to hang out with us. It is light and packs up nicely. It goes up quick and is a good 3 season tent. This tent is designed for compact use and it fits the bill for motorcycle camping. We love our Gunnison. You can still find this tent, however it is not in the kelty line up at this time.
Ozark Trail Himont 20F Climatech mummy sleeping bag. We have been using these bags for the past couple of years and they have done well for us. They are easy to store, keeps you warm and has been very durable. The price is right and we have zero complaints about these bags. I will say that we usually don’t camp in weather below the mid 30’s. With that being said these bags work well for our needs. Read more about them here. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Himont-20F-Climatech-Regular-Mummy-Sleeping-Bag/857849088
Nemo Cosmo 3D air Sleeping Pad When we motorcycle camp we utilize this product. It stores in small spaces, does not weigh alot and can be inflated using a built in foot pump. It keeps you off the ground and provides some comfort. We have spent many motorcycle camping nights on these pads. They are not cheap, but deals can be found. Check it out here: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/184657/nemo-cosmo-3d-air-sleeping-pad-long-wide
Intex Comfort Plush Queen air mattress I once heard, that if you make camping comfortable and easy, then you will go camping more often. This is the truth. Sleep is a key factor in Jamie and I having a a good camping experience. With the T4 Gazelle, we have plenty of space for this queen sized mattress. It sits 18″ tall and makes for a wonderful nights sleep. It is not small, however it is a no brainer for jeep camping. We love this mattress. It blows up easily and deflates and stores just as easy. Some of the best money spent for a great night of sleep. We liked it so much, we purchased the full sized one as well. It worked great a couple of weeks ago solo camping. You can see it here.
Mr. Heater Little buddy heater This little invention has been a last minute addition to the camping team. When heading to Colorado the temps were being forecasted in the low 30’s. Well they were correct and I was so glad I had purchased the little buddy for the trip. This little heater worked so well and made things very comfortable. It has a ton of safety features and lasted a good 6 hours on a 1lb bottle of propane. One of the best things I have purchased for camping. I am sure Jamie will appreciate it this fall. Check out this wonderful product here.
Coleman Propane Grill & Stove Combo This little stove has been great! Packs up small and has been very reliable. We love the grill side along with a cook top. It sets up nicely on our Tailgate table. We have purchased a longer hose to connect with our 1lb bottles to give us more versatility. The wind screen on the stove works very well and we have never had any issues with the stove staying lit. The price is right for this oldie but goodie. Very satisfied with our stove. You can read more about it here.
Outback Adventure tailgate table This is not an item that is needed to camp out of the Jeep. I will say that it has been the best thing I have purchased for the jeep outside of performance items. It is not cheap, however it has been utilized on every trip and it makes for a wonderful cooking experience. Do you have to have it? The answer is yes! it is amazing. Go check it out here.
Jackery Explorer 240 portable power station Some people would say that one reason people camp is to get away from electronic gear. I can appreciate that, however so many things that we utilize on these trips needs power. I go back to the adage of if you have fun camping and it is enjoyable, then you will do it more often. This little power station will charge cell phones, ipads, laptops along with having the ability to plug in basic household items. We use it each trip to inflate our air mattress. If the site does not have electric, this power station is a life saver. It powers our usb fan, along with lights and is very useful in charging gopro batteries and the like. It has made charging portable electronics so easy. Just throw it in the jeep while out and use the car adaptor for charging. It has stay charged on a recent trip for 5 days and nights without needing to be recharged. You can buy the bigger version if needed, however the 240 works great for our needs. Go read more about it here.
Luci outdoor inflatable lights – Solar powered These little lights are so versatile and give off good light, while packing up small and not having to plug them in to recharge them. They work really well inside the tent and I also use one in the back of the jeep when cooking in the darkness. These little lights are very affordable. Go check them out here.
Rigid 3 outlet charging ball This is the most convenient tool for using onsite electricity. It has the options of 110 plugs along with USB charging capability. It has become a speaking point when other campers see it at our site. Its versatile and weather proofed so it works well for camping. Another great factor is it is available at Home Depot. haha. You can go check it out here.
Alps Mountaineering silver square table This table is a great addition to any camp site. It folds up nicely and stores in a nice bag. It is sturdy and can be used to cook on or to place items off the ground. This little table works out well for us. It holds a 5 gallon water jug with no issue and is big enough to cook on when needed. Not the cheapest table, but well built. Go check it out here.
Bass Pro Eclipse end table This table is very compact, light and a must have. A great table to have for sitting around the campsite and relaxing. It has two cup holders and is very sturdy for its size. The price is right and this is a great addition to any camping gear. Look at it here.
Jetboil Flash Cooking System If your motorcycle camping this is a must have for a great solution for cooking on the road. It packs up small and is great for motorcycle touring. I use mine just as much Jeep camping as I do on the bike. Want a quick cup of coffee… this is your solution. Warms up water quickly and you can eat out right out of the cup. I love our Jetboil. You can read more or purchase from here.
Keynice USB Desk Fan with Clip Folks this is my favorite camping accessory. I do not enjoy being hot and I love having some air moving through the night. This fan fits the bill. It runs using our Jackery or any other power bank and it moves around a good flow of air. The clip allows for many options for placement. This fan gets used all of the time. We would not camp without it. Go get yourself one here.
That’s it for our go to items for camping. We want to know what your go to items are. Share in the comments so our readers can get more ideas to make their camping experience a great one. Until next time, have fun camping and enjoy the great outdoors. Remember to leave your area cleaner than when you arrived. Lets keep our forests clean.
Theodosia Mo is a wonderful little place in the middle of some of the best motorcycle roads in America.
Jamie and I had decided to attend the MSTA event in Theodosia Mo a few months back. I then decided to take some vacation to back up the event. Jamie could not join me as she was in school teaching. So I made the plan to load up the Jeep and get the bike loaded up on the trailer and head to the event. I would then leave directly from the rally and drive to Colorado to do more riding and get a little jeeping in as well. Let’s Ride.
We loaded up the jeep with all of the camping gear for an extended stay. I love our set up and it allows for us to get in some great riding while enjoying the finer things of camping. The perfect combination in our minds.
I took off for work on Wednesday with everything loaded. I was not 20 minutes down the road, before I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed a lot of sparks coming from the back of the trailer. I pulled over as quickly as possible, only to notice that the spare tire had broken loose and was being dragged under the trailer. I got the tire removed and it appeared that no other damage was done. I now had a passenger for the rest of the ride to the store. I worked most of the day and then decided to hit the road in mid afternoon. Jamie left home around the same time.
We both arrived at the Theodosia Marina and Resort around the same time. We set up camp on the top of the hill, overlooking the lake. We made a quick dinner and then walked around the resort. We caught up with some old friends and made some new. I always love the vibe of a good motorcycle rally. We did call it a short night as we were both tired.
It was a hot and humid evening, so we did not sleep very well. Today was going to be a good riding day. We were heading down to AR9 then into Mountain View to meet up with Bob and David, who were riding in from Dallas via Hot Springs Village. The ride was a good one, as that stretch of tarmac is good twisty fun. We arrived at noon and they were just rolling in as well. We had a great lunch and then headed back to the marina. The route back included a great jaunt to Push Mountain, one of our favorite motorcycle roads. We stopped at the 341 Market after a quick burst up the hill. The day was overcast, however it never rained. We never had to put on our riding gear. it was a fantastic day of riding.
David and Bob joined us for a Frito chili pie dinner at the campsite before walking around and chatting with the riders from all over the Midwest and south. It looked like 75+ riders and bikes attended the event. I am not sure of the totals. Jamie and I headed back to camp and went to bed early. The temps were cooler and we both were tired from the lack of sleep the night before. It was a good day of riding with friends.
We awoke after a good nights sleep. We ate a quick camp breakfast and then met up with the gang to ride MO125. This stretch of road had to be designed by a sport touring rider. The curves are well marked, the pavement flawless and banked in ways that make riders smile. We ended up at the RockBridge Trout Farm for lunch. We arrived just before the big crowd arrived.
We finished the day riding around the countryside enjoying the riding and the scenery. We got back in time to have some dinner and then attend the evenings closing ceremony. Jamie and I stayed away from the dinner, but did attend the drawings. It was a good evening and it seemed that all had fun.
We met the gang for breakfast on Sunday, before everyone parted ways and headed back home. It was another successful rally and one we will attend again in the future. We really enjoyed our time with old and new friends. After we said our goodbyes we packed up camp. Jamie headed home and I was on the way to Colorado. (more to come of that soon) Until then
Ride Safe Everyone!
If you would like to see all of the pictures from the event – click here
We have also done a short little video from the event as well. Check that out and subscribe if you like the video.
Jamie and I wanted to share a great location to stay while visiting the Deals Gap area. This gem is nestled in the beautiful countryside. It has wonderful facilities, including a great little restaurant. We spent a week enjoying their hospitality. Check out our little walk through of the lodge. We do not do it justice, but hoping you all get the idea. When you book your stay, mention that you saw our video and tell them Jerry & Jamie sent you.
The staff was friendly and ensured that we will visit again in the near future. Thank you for taking the time to watch.
The first episode of our Smokey Mountain Getaway is uploaded. Tell us what you think. Shoot us a note if you have any questions about our routes, places we stayed or anything else. Thanks for watching everyone. Be safe and Let’s Ride!
