Redfish and Pop go to Arkansas

It was not a very long ride and it was not a really exciting ride but at least it was a ride. Pop and I needed a break and we took one. We snapped a few pics along the way.

This was also my first ever trip on the '15 ES and coincidentally my first motorcycle trip on anything other than my Honda ST1300. Sort of special to me.

The two FJRs loaded up and ready to roll Sunday morning.



A very good friend and co-worker (BMW Brian) met us after we crossed the Mississippi River at St. Francisville. He rode with us for a little over an hour then he went home. We really like him and he has a very nice BMW R1200RT, we wanted him to keep going but he had other plans. Note the really cool late '50s Chevy Apache flatbed to the right.



Pop and I stopped for a break at the Fort Necessity Rec Area. Nothing there but two old fat guys on two shiny motorcycles...



We stopped again just South of Farmerville LA for a Dr. Pepper and a piece of fried catfish. You can barely see Lake D'Arbonne through the gap in the trees.



We made it to Arkadelphia Arkansas and spent the night. We had expected to get rained on most of the way but only got a few drops. It rained while we were eating supper then rained for several hours after we got back to the hotel.

After a hotel breakfast that was... interesting, we headed out on Hwy 7 then turned West for Mena Arkansas. I wanted to ride the Talimena Scenic Byway. We rode it before but I liked it and wanted to go back. Pop as usual was just happy to be out riding.

Me smiling and happy as usual somewhere around Caddo Gap.



Of course there had to be fog.



Lots of fog.



At least we had our "Fog Lights". The little Mondo Motos MM10 bullet LEDs are nice.



We stayed with it and it got worse. We were about to give up and turn around but things thinned out and got better.



Of course there was a landslide less than 3 miles from the end and we could not get my damned T-shirt. Oh well. At least the ride was pleasant, almost no traffic.

On the way back we stopped for a break at the Horsethief Springs pull-off.



We wound up on Mt. Magazine that evening to stay at the lodge. Arkansas seems proud of their state park lodges but I cannot see why. This place was a dump. And very small. And ugly. The view sucked. The restaurant sucked. The décor was pathetic. Don't go there no matter what you do.

I tried to get the whole length of the building in this shot but was not successful.



Around the back side.



We tried to sit on the back patio but the view was awful.



While we sat in rocking chairs on the back patio Pop was "shooting" buzzards. I can only assume they smelled the restaurant.



Of course we got the worst table at the restaurant.



At least looking out the window was better than looking inside the place. Yuck.



We actually had a great room and everything was wonderful. I highly recommend the Mt. Magazine State Park Lodge. As the highest point in Arkansas this is their flagship lodge and it shows. Great place, really.

Nice ... love your reports, but where is the anguish, the fights, the stoney silence over route choices?

Slacker!

Awesome RFH. Glad ya'll had good trip and a safe one also. I can only wish I could've been riding with you and your pop.

I smell sarcasm...

Glad you and Pops got out to enjoy a few (s)miles together... it's not the number of them but the quality. B)

After a very good breakfast in the lodge restaurant we headed North and East. We decided to cut our trip short because the weather was supposed to get Very Bad and there were some things back home that needed attention. We had dodged the rain for two days but knew our luck would not hold out much longer.

The one lane bridge on Hwy 123 West of Hwy 7.



Hwy 123 was a great little road but my back tire was not liking the chip seal surface at all. The Bridgestone wiggled and slipped and walked all around on that road. Once I got leaned over far enough to get off the "hard" center compound of the tire it would stick pretty good and run straight. It was taking all the courage I had to lean a bike that was moving around trying to go straight. I had no confidence in that tire. There was a definite line visible separating the two compounds on the rear tire. The soft side compound looked like I had attacked it with an 8 inch angle grinder. Pop was having a great time, I was sweating bullets. I hate that damned Bridgestone.

Back on Hwy 7 at the Rotary Ann Rest Stop. This was actually the first official rest stop built in the state of Arkansas.



Me handling hotel reservations at Nimrod Dam.



The two FJRs at Nimrod Dam.



There was a decent outflow from the dam.



Another good friend and co-worker rode up to meet us on his Street Glide. He got his new bike just a few weeks before I got my new FJR and he is getting ready to ride from South Louisiana all the way to Sturgis. He wanted to try a "shakedown" run and we were happy to see him. He really rides his bike and usually when I park my bike at work his is next to it. The color of his Harley is almost as nice as that of my Yamaha.



The next morning as we were packing the bikes for the trip home. We will call him Harley Mike and leave it at that.



I think the three bikes looked pretty good together.



And that is pretty much it. My '15 FJR got over 50 mpg most of the trip, Pop stayed comfortable and happy for all of the trip, and we never actually got rained on. I could not have asked for much better.

Loved it, Redfish. Thanks

Maybe a Michelin pr-3 or 4 back tire?

Well done. Enjoyed the play by play in real time. That was some very thick fog. I would have taken a break too. That weather coming from the west was scary. There will be other times.

Hey 123 is my favorite Arkansas road. I could run from jasper to Clarksville and back all weekend long

Nice RR......

You did good with your Pop RfH. Thanks for sharing the ride with us!

--G

Wait. You rode all the way to Arkansas and didn't stop for buttermilk pie in Oark? WTF man, what a waste of a trip.

Nice rr RFH. Wondered why you hadn't been posting lately. How are your ribs doing these days? Back to (semi-)normal yet?

Very nice RR Redfish!!

Thank you!!

Nice rr. It's great that you two can do things like this together!

Great RR, glad to hear you both had an enjoyable trip and the weather cooperated.

Mihalis fjr said:

Very nice RR Redfish!!
Thank you!!

Click to expand...

+1, Gunny; Outstanding, muchas gracias! JSNS, Gooberlandia!

Good stuff as always, glad you got Pop out for some RnR ala' bike style!

Thank you for the ride along!

Thanks for another great RR Redfish.

Looks like you and your Dad hit it just right for weather. It's nice when it turns out good on all fronts.