Well we are having to go to plan B for our moto vacation coming up in June.
It is not a bad change, just different. We started to call about the parks and the camping in WV and we were running into some serious dead ends. Most of the Civil War sites were very limited. Having to watch the opening of PA, WV, MD and VA was not working out well as everyone is on their own different time line.
So Jamie and I are headed to the Deals Gap area. Everything seems to be opening up and the camping is taking reservations as well. The riding is always good so it is a win-win. We will be taking the Jeep and Versys, so we can take all of our camping gear to stay for 8 days. It should be a great adventure. We will be staying at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge and Resort. We have reserved our camp site and it looks like a go so stay tuned. If you want to join us or are around the area during the week of June 6-13, then look us up and maybe we can ride some together. Just let us know.
Nothing better than riding with friends and having lunch in a beautiful location.
Everyone rides a motorcycle for different reasons. One of the main reasons I enjoy riding is the emotional stress that is released when I hear the sound of the bike and feel the wind as I ride down a twisty scenic section of tarmac. During these challenging times of the pandemic and social distancing, I feel it is imperative that we take care of our emotional well being.
One afternoon at work, I looked outside and noticed a construction crew eating a sack lunch, practicing social distancing. What caught my attention was the way they were laughing and enjoying each others company. Then it hit me! Let’s do a sack lunch ride.
Jump ahead a few weeks, we are at our local departure lounge. 7 riders, everyone excited to get out and ride, to interact with like minded enthusiasts. Today we would be taking an easy ride down the famous Pig Trail in Northwest Arkansas. Not a long ride, but it would be good enough to shake off the cobwebs and to spend a little riding time with friends.
We enjoyed a nice ride through the countryside. The weather was fantastic and the roads had very little traffic on them. The perfect equation for a wonderful day of riding. We made our way down the pig trail. The picturesque scenery, the surface of the newly paved road and the feeling of freedom was overwhelming. Just what everyone needed in these trying times.
As we rolled into the Turner Bend Store, we noticed the store had a line, waiting to get inside. This was not surprising as this scene has become very familiar for all of us. What caught my eye was the smiles and the happiness that these folks were expressing. This area is a popular recreation spot for Kayaking, Canoeing, ATV’s and for camping. No one was frustrated about the line, they were just enjoying being out and enjoying life.
We all had brought our lunch so we did not have to wait in line. We walked a few yards to get up to the waterfall area. The sound of the waterfalls, mixed with the orchestra of motorcycles riding by made for a very enjoyable experience.
We enjoyed our sack lunch with the company of our friends. The conversation focused on motorcycles, the trips that people were planning and how great it was to get out on the bikes. No one mentioned the current challenging situation. It was so relaxing, so normal. It was a wonderful lunch.
We all broke up and headed our own ways to get home. Many took the long way home, some just headed home. It was a very casual way to end the lunch. Many smiles were shared and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the day.
As Jamie and I rode home, we had a great conversation about how we were so privileged to live in such a beautiful riding area. How we were so excited to be back on the bike, enjoying some time with our motorcycle friends. It was a much needed grounding. We know that things will return to some form of normal soon, however this ride was needed to remind us, that no matter what we have going on in life, the one consistent way to create joy, is to get out and ride!
I just completed uploading my latest video. This was my commute last week talking about the current world situation and how it impacts our great hobby. It also has some great moments from one of my favorite roads MO90. I am so lucky that I live this close to so many great roads. We hope you all are doing well and staying safe and healthy. Have a great night everyone.
Unfortunately due to current world events, the Ozark Great Escape Just For Fun Event has been cancelled for 2020. I apologize for this as I know that many of you had been anxiously awaiting this ride.
I spoke with the hotel coordinator Patsy and she has cancelled ALL the rooms associated with our event. I would recommend that you all call and verify that your reservation has been cancelled.
The good news is I am going to start planning the 2021 event. The event will stay in Eureka Springs. Stay tuned for more information.
Again – I am sorry to pull the plug, however I think it is the responsible thing to do. I put in a ton of work and we had a great group of 35+ riders signed up. It will be better next year. Thank you all for understanding and being supportive.
Well Jamie and I have reached 10K on the 2019 Versys! This video is our little review. We love the Versys and we are looking forward to spending many more miles on her.
Hey everyone – we are 25 days out from our event and as you know, the day to day standing of COVID-19 is ever changing. I have cancelled the dinner on Saturday evening, however we would still have options with take out and delivery. Might have to do pizza at the hotel.
I am holding off as late as possible, however I am not very confident that this event will happen this year. I am hoping we see a change for the good in the next 7-10 days.
So hang in there. We have a generous cancellation policy at the hotel, so we will have plenty of time to cancel rooms if that is the course that we decide on.
Thank you all for hanging in there. We are in uncharted waters so we are all learning. Talk with you all soon.
We all love riding with friends and being part of a club, but have motorcycle clubs lost their appeal? I don’t think so, I think that we as club members need to take some ownership and get more involved in our local groups. Embrace social media and invite new members to this great hobby. I did a video, explaining some of my thoughts on this subject.
David Petersen wrote a great article on the Decline of Motorcycle Clubs that sparked my video. Go check out the article here. It is a great read.
Tell me your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks for stopping by and reading the blog. Don’t forget to watch the video.
I had been planning this weekend jaunt for more than a week. When I saw that we had the chance for great weather and sunshine, I knew I had to hit the road and go look for some bonus points. This is a quick little ride report from my 950 mile ride. I made some big mistakes, stupid decisions but enjoyed the hell out of the ride.
I told my wife Jamie that I would be leaving at 8AM sharp no matter what the weather. It looked to be in the upper 30’s by that time according to my trusty weather app. Well, my app sucks and is not very accurate.
It was 28° when I walked into the kitchen to get my cup of coffee. I decided to delay my departure by an hour. I left at 9am as it had warmed up to a warm 34°
My first stop was less than 2 miles from the house as I wanted to get my first bonus and to also make sure that my app was working. I picked up my first bonus points of the weekend. I headed off to visit a couple of airports in Springdale and Fayetteville. Things went smoothly and the weekend rally was on.
I rode down towards Fort Smith, with my route taking me towards Talihena Scenic byway. If you have not ridden this stretch of road, you are missing out. I did a spirited run up and back before heading down to Idabel OK. I picked up a couple of Creek bonuses before heading over to Detroit Texas and to pick up the big 6 points for the CT bonus list. I rode into that small “big named” town and found the sign that I needed to take the bonus picture and to document these points. All was well and good. I took the picture, submitted it and got a confirmation that the points were awarded. (More on this later) I jumped back on my trusty steed and pointed her in the direction of Bossier City Louisiana, my stop for the evening.
It was 4PM in the afternoon and I was still a good 120 miles from my room for the evening. I realized that I would be riding some in the dark. To be honest it is not one of my favorite things to do. I hit the road and passed up a good 15 points, as I rode by a minimum of 5 creeks. It was getting cold and dark, my thoughts were more on the critters looking to make me a bonus prize.
I arrived at my room for the evening. Our friends Becky and Jeff had offered me a place to stay and I was more than willing to take them up on their offer. After I unpacked the bike, Jeff and I rode over to meet Becky and to have some awesome Cajun food. We ate at Crawdaddy’s Kitchen. The food was very good and we exchanged stories and enjoyed each others company. I want to thank Jeff and Becky for opening up their home to me. Jeff’s garage is AMAZING! Talk about the ultimate man cave… wow! Becky had spent the entire day at the Canton Trade Days event selling her delicious Whoopie Pies, then comes home and has to play hostess. Thank you both again for the hospitality!
Sunday morning arrived and the weather was fantastic. I had a quick cup of coffee with Jeff and then headed out to Barksdale AFB for the 2nd bonus of the day. I got the first one 100 yards from Jeff’s house so the morning was off to a great start.
I bolted over to Minden airport for more points then jumped over to Hope Arkansas. I took a couple of small off road adventures and bagged as many points as I could. The last big stop of the day was in London Arkansas to grab a small town big name bonus. I rolled into home in enough time to take a shower before the Superbowl started! Jamie made me home made pizza. It was a great way to finish up an awesome weekend.
I made a couple of larger mistakes. One where I did not place the placard in the picture and another you could not read the location. You can see all of the good, the bad and the ugly for my submissions here. All in all it was a great weekend. I can’t wait to do it again soon. Ride safe everyone.
