Meet In The Middle

[hppants]

I recently spent 6 days, 6 nights, and about 2000 miles riding with friends to and through the Ozark Mountains. I’ve ridden this area many times over the past 10 years, and it never disappoints. If you haven’t discovered Arkansas yet, by all accounts you are missing some of the best riding in the central part of the country. The entire western half of Arkansas has great roads, and the farther north you go, the better it gets. Arkansas maintains their roads impeccably, and the chip seal pavement they use has tons of grip, even when wet. Rider beware though, that grip comes at a price in the form of tires. Don’t leave home for the Ozarks without a fresh set of shoes under you.

The roads in Arkansas are twisty and technical, but predictable. The road signs for curves are consistent, and it doesn’t take you long to find good rhythm, and to ride in confidence. Arkansas cuts back the tree line from the roads a good bit, lending just a bit more visibility to the rider as he/she negotiates the curves, especially those with a decreasing radius. Early spring is a great time to ride Arkansas. The weather is already starting to warm up, but not too warm. The rivers are still too cold for the paddlers, but the hunting seasons are over. This leaves the roads pretty desolate for riders to enjoy.

We camped at the Shady Oaks Campground on Hwy 206 just south of Harrison. Mark opted for one of the sleeping cabins, and the rest of us pitched tents. The sites are good sized, and there is plenty of fire wood. The bathhouse is very clean with hot water. Ms. Terri took very good care of us there. I highly recommend Shady Oaks for anyone motorcycle camping in Arkansas.

The weather was very good. On Friday night, we got around 10 minutes of light rain. On Tuesday afternoon, I ran adjacent to a thundershower and got about 15 drops on my windscreen. Otherwise, it was dry, mostly sunny, and nice. Saturday and Sunday, temps reached the lower 80s, but by sunset, it cooled of nicely and every morning, we needed a jacket for breakfast. Good camping weather.

Josh, Mark, and I have formed good friendships over the years, traveling together. Winters in Illinois and Iowa are cold for those yankees, and we started kicking around a Spring trip back in January. Mid-march seemed like the right time for them, with spring break upon school teacher Josh, and conditions still way too cold for Mark the Poolman. We were also joined by Craig on Saturday, who was heading toward his DFW home from the Appalachians. At the last minute, my good buddy MikeP, who lives 3 miles from me, decided to meet us for a few days too, as even deep southerners get itchy for a long ride early in the spring.

In the spirit of sincere camaraderie, we all decided to meet in the middle. And it was a blast.

I hope you enjoy the pics.


Day 1, Thursday, Lafayette, LA to Ruston, LA, approx. 190 miles.

I started a group text with everyone, and it was a great way to keep up with the others, as we were all on different schedules, coming from different directions.

Mike left Lafayette early this morning. He has to be home Monday, so he will get a head start on us. We’ll catch up with him tomorrow. I rode the bike packed to work, and in the mid-afternoon, was able to pull my kickstand up and start my adventure. I just wanted to make some miles, so I took the interstate to Alexandria, and then continued north on US Hwy 167, arriving in Ruston about 6 pm. I grabbed a room at the Super 8 off Interstate 20, and the clerk there gave me $8 bucks off the room with my AARP card.

Not too shabby for $58.00, very clean and a comfortable bed.

In the parking lot, I met a man who was working in Ruston and had stayed in that motel a few weeks. I asked for a food idea, and he suggested this place:

I enjoyed looking at the hot rod porn while I was waiting to make my order.

This napkin art (if that is such a thing) was really neat.

Not too bad for $10.00. The ribs were kind of fatty, but the chicken was excellent.

After dinner, I rode back to my room, poured myself a little tottie, and watched some hoops on the TV, before falling asleep.

Day 2, Ruston, LA to Shady Oaks Campground, Harrison, AR, Approximately 350 miles.

I woke up early, well rested and excited to get into the mountains. After a little coffee and a bowl of cereal from the FCB, I packed my bike and at 7:00 am, I was under way before sunrise. In Fordyce, I decided to take Hwy 229. I’ve never ridden this road before, but it looked pretty twisty on the map and was heading in the general direction I wanted to go.

It was nice running adjacent to the southern Arkansas farmland.

I crossed I-30 in Benton, well East of Hot Springs and its traffic. I then took Hwy 298 and Hwy 9, both very good roads continuing north. I crossed I-40 in Atkins, where I stopped for gas. My intention was to skip over Russellville and get to Hwy 7, where I would just run that 75 mile roller coaster to the campground. However, I got a text from Mike indicating that all high passes were socked in badly with fog. So I shifted gears and chose Hwy 27 instead, knowing that they mountains there are far lower in elevation, and hoping the fog would not be a problem.

I crossed the Illinois Bayou and stopped, thinking about Josh, my Illinois brother from another mother. The minerals in the water give it a Jadish look.

Redbud and dogwood trees are blooming throughout the region, and we enjoyed looking at them all weekend.

As it turns out, the higher elevations were just as foggy on Hwy 27, and visibility was down to maybe 150 feet in some areas. I slowed down to about 30 mph and tried to relax. I was glad to find the US Hwy 65 early in the afternoon.

From there, it was a short run to the campground.

I started pitching my tent, and Mark arrived.

Home sweet home!

Not long after, Mike pulled in from a morning ride on his new Versys 1000LT. I quick check of the phone revealed that Josh is coming, but still a few hours away. So Mark, Mike, and I hoped on the bikes for some curvy fun.

This is lookout point on Hwy 7 south of Jasper. The weather is cloudy, but the view of the Buffalo River Canyon is still quite nice.

We turned south at Mount Judea. Hwy 123 south to Hagarville is 50 miles of motorcycle heaven, and arguably my favorite road in all of Arkansas. Sometimes I think the engineers at Yamaha designed and built my bike around this road – it’s that good.

At the top of a mountain, we stopped here.

The entry dirt driveway is short, but tricky. My gloves were resting on my tank bag, and one fell off. I put my center stand down and dismounted to retrieve my glove. After hearing my motor shut off, I turned around to see my bike tipped over on the left side. The soft dirt wasn’t strong enough for my kickstand.

This is something that has changed in me over the years. Some time ago, that little incident would have ruined my day, and perhaps even my trip. I would get infuriated with myself and pitch a fit. Now, it just doesn’t seem that important. Nobody got hurt. I scratched my left mirror and saddle bag, but otherwise, the bike was no worse for the wear. Getting all butt hurt over this stupid shit is too exhausting and pointless. So I picked up the horse, restarted it, and rode to meet the others at the trail head.

Mark is worried about a nagging knee injury, so he will stay with the bikes while Mike and I take the short walk to the overlook.

We found a surveying marker on the trail.

We were rewarded with a nice view.

That’s Hwy123 running along the edge of the mountain in the distance.

At Sand Gap, we jumped back on hwy 7 north and stopped in Jasper for dinner.

Mark picked a hogie of some kind, and Mike grabbed a burger and fries.

Chicken fried steak and trimmings for Pants. That biscuit was very flaky.

We stopped at the liquor store on the way back, and found Josh all set up at the campground. This one is brewed in Springfield MO – very nice flavor.

With some rain moving in, we retreated to the porch of Mark’s cabin for a short rest while the weather moved through. Then back to the camp site for a nice fire and some lie telling. It’s good stuff and I can hardly wait until tomorrow.


Day 3: Ozark Twisties – approximately 175 miles.

I slept well in my tent, my new pillow was a nice addition to my bike touring camping gear. Five minutes after first light, like clockwork, the crows start their music like some kind of natural alarm clock. I pop out of the tent and I can already tell it’s going to be a great day.

Mark made a pot of coffee and brought it over for breakfast.

Apparently, Josh can text without looking!!

After a nice breakfast of toasted bagels and coffee, we geared up and rode to our first destination.

The Glory Hole trail is on Hwy 16 between Fallsville and Swain. You must park on the side of the road and I must admit, that was a challenge for me, remembering my little oopsie from the day before.

It’s about a mile walk to the waterfall and Mark is still not sure about his knee, so he will stay back and take a nap in the shade. The walk in the woods was nice.

A city boy’s life is so architectural. The buildings are so square and they all look the same. The concrete is dirty and the air stinks at times. It’s noisy too: cars, construction sounds, music, people, etc – it seems that life in the city is so loud.

A walk in the woods is so peaceful for me. The oxygen that the trees and plants give off smells clean and is intoxicating. There is always plenty of room to wander and enjoy. And it’s quiet – wonderfully quiet. What little sounds you hear are so soothing. Birds chirping. Leaves rustling in the wind. Water running over rocks. Out in the woods, a man can find the inner peace that the real world suppresses. It comes up like a bubble that is released from under water. The headache goes away and the relaxation is fantastic. The exercise gets your heart pumping and your breathing becomes deeper and more cleansing. I love to walk in the woods.

We get to the hole, and there is some water running through it.

The better view is from the bottom, so we hopped from rock to rock, walking down to check it out. Josh is having fun exploring his surroundings.

I hear something coming from within that cave.

Now I see why they named it. This place is absolutely glorious.

For the return trip, we chose to follow the cascading creek for some more exploring.

We found Mark back at the bikes rested and ready for more adventure. So we mounted up and hit the twisties. In Kingston, we stopped for lunch.

 

[hppants]

My burger was good, accompanied by natural cut French fries.

After lunch, we rode through the Boxley valley, where elk are known to be seen. We got lucky and spotted a couple of these huge creatures. Their horns are short this time of year.

Having a good time.

By afternoon it’s getting warm, so I suggested we ride over to the Buffalo River at Carver to look around. We took Hwy 74 to get there, and Josh and I got to lean the bikes over a little in route. It was good fun.

Good views down at the river shore.

The smooth rocks are great for skipping. Mike is really good at that!

Josh and I took our shoes off and that water was real nice.

What a great day!

So now its mid-afternoon, and we all know what that means for Pants – sweet tooth!!!!

Beautiful country in these parts, my friends.

We rode northwest toward Harrison to a grocery for some supplies, and then stopped at the liquor store for adult beverages. This is a very refreshing beer and I enjoyed it.

Craig found his way to camp just in time for happy hour. This evening, we are going to cook.

Mike is sautéing the onions in some Andouille (smoked meat) for the beans.

I sliced up some avacados and boy, that stuff is finger licking good!!

Josh and Craig made some nice coals for the boneless chicken thighs.

A little Cajun seasoning will give them a nice kick.

Anybody want a sample?

Voila - Chicken fajitas!

Bon Appetite!!

Ms. Terri, the campground owner, stopped by for a fajita and some nice conversation. After dinner, we were treated to a nice sunset by the campground.

The happy juice was flowing nicely and everyone was having a great time. After dark, a few of us walked up the road to do some star gazing. Uh Mark – open your eyes if you want to see the stars.

Meanwhile, little did we know that Josh was conducting his own experiment… trying to determine his limit on tequila. Thanks to the miracle of science, we have solved this mystery. The answer is that Josh’s limit is somewhere between here….

…. and here!

What a wonderful day riding and exploring. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.

Day 4 - Ozark Twisties – approximately 200 miles

I woke up feeling dehydrated. Go figure, I drank like a fish last night with this bunch of filthy bikers. Ah well, a big drink of water and I’m ready to go.

The Iowan Albino Yeti comes over with coffee.

This morning, I’m going to cook a simple camp breakfast. Brown off one package of Jimmy Dean Hot sausage. Then crack a dozen eggs into the pot.

Stir it up well, add the left over cheese from last night, and bingo – breakfast!

Ah man, we are really roughing it out here.

Craig was nice enough to assume cleaning duties.

Mike has to head home today, so we wished him a safe trip south. The rest of us have more adventure to conquer, so we gassed up the steel horses and rode a short distance to our first stop.

I’ve been here before and it is a very nice and easy walk. We convince Mark to give it a try, and the four of us make our way toward the falls.

The water is running, but there is room to explore the caves.

Josh looks like he is on a mission heading toward the cave.

Mission accomplished!!

Back at the bikes, it’s getting late morning, so we take Hwy 21 straight south to our lunch stop. The Oark Store is a great biker tradition in Arkansas. Located on Hwy 215 in the village of Oark, north of Clarksville, this old general store has some fine cuisine.

It’s Sunday and the place is packed. Craig and Josh don’t seem to mind the wait.

 

[hppants]

I met some locals while we waited, and convinced them to share their table with us, shortening our wait. We had a nice time talking and cutting up with them.

Food was pretty darn good!

Blueberry pie, a la mode for Pants, thank you.

After lunch, more riding and more adventure. Looking quite well, my friends!!!

We hoped on Hwy 123 heading north. This is the one lane bridge at Haw Creek.

Damm fine set of motorcycles you all have!!

It was a tad warm at the rest stop. We got caught with our Pants down….

In Mount Judea, we turned west on Hwy 374. Do NOT pass this road up. It’s only 7 miles, but it is absolutely gorgeous as it winds through the mountain valley.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I think it really depicts our trip well.

I decided to play Killboy. Craig has a nice lean going through the sweeper.

And so does Josh!

We had great fun in the valley that afternoon.

We then decided to go to Harrison for dinner. I’ve eaten here many times, and it is very good.

Salad, Pizza, and a local brew. Not too shabby.

Back at the campground, with the fire stoked up, Ms. Terri walked over to bring us a special home made treat.

Another great day on a great trip.

Day 5 - Ozark Twisties – approximately 250 miles

I had to get up twice last night to make a beer deposit, but otherwise, it was a good night. Last night, I talked about possibly breaking camp and heading south. But the truth is, the weather is so nice up here, there is no point in wasting time with that. So we all decided to stay another night and enjoy another day of Ozark fun.

After coffee and breakfast, I led us to Push Mountain. In route, along highway 235 near Yellville, as we make a long right hand turn, the temperature dropped instantly and significantly – 9 degrees. There was no apparent reason for it that I could tell, but it sure was welcome.

Josh led us through Push Mountain, also known as Hwy 341. This is another wonderful road with amazing grip and great curves. I had so much fun following Josh there. He just picked up his 2015 FJR, having formally ridden a Gen 1 2004 FJR. He looked so comfortable and smooth running left and right through Push Mountain. At times, I became distracted staring at him and I had to fight myself and concentrate on my own lines to avoid the unthinkable.

On the south end of Push Mountain, we turned right on Hwy 14 for 1 mile to a nice roadside rest area. Josh has some kind of tire pressure monitoring app on his phone, and as you can see, we heated up the FJR tires pretty good on Push Mountain.

This is a nice place with good shade to cool off.

We turned south on Hwy 27 and rode into Marshall for lunch.

 

[hppants]

I’ve eaten here before and the food and service is good.

Mark has his work cut out for him, but something tells me he is definitely up to the challenge.

Nobody went hungry. I think Josh is due a few weeks before me!!

After lunch, we jumped back on Hwy 27 heading south to our next destination. Mark, Josh, another friend Allen, and I rode here a couple years ago, and wanted to return to a familiar stop.

This ranch bordered by the Illinois Bayou is one fine piece of property.

In route, I passed this white pickup truck driven by the ranch owner. He was a nice old timer that encouraged us to hang out and enjoy his beautiful land.

When we stopped here 2 years ago, we left some coins as a geo cache. We tried to find them, but were unsuccessful. So we decided to try again. Each of us grabbed a quarter and placed it on the rock. I studied the quarters and had an epiphany. It occurred to me that on this trip, each of us (and others) contributed equally and selfishly. Each offered his own talents and resources and the results were outstanding.

Looking at those quarters, it hit me. When it comes to matters of real importance, most assuredly, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.

We built up some rocks around our new cache and vowed to return one day in the future.

What another awesome day, man!!

Now in the afternoon, the temperature is in the 80s and I’m thinking about how to cool off. So we take a left on Hwy 16 and head to this place.

It’s a short walk down to the bridge, which is quite large.

There’s a trickle of cool water coming out of the rocks.

Josh and I decided to get serious about it.

We rode a short distance to the village of Deer, Arkansas, home of the Deer High School Antlers (you can’t make that stuff up). Josh is acting rebellious in the store parking lot.

After a nice drink of water, we doubled back to Hwy 7, which kind of serves as a nice north/south pikeway for the Ozark rider, and turned north toward the campground.

However, as is the case all weekend, we are in no hurry. If the mood suits us, we stop and sniff a bit.

In case anyone is wondering why I haven’t posted the daily routes, this should explain it. The fact is, once you get north of I-40, it doesn’t matter where you go. Close your eyes and point to the map. Moisten your index finger and wave it into the wind. Follow a brown sign. Flip tarot cards. Doesn’t matter – it’s a 5000 square mile playground and it is ALL good.

We stopped at the grocery store in Jasper for supplies, and back at the campground, it’s time to get down to some serious business.

Josh is sautéing mushrooms in some olive oil.

You’ve got to get the zucchini coated evenly for the best grill marks.

I ran out of Cajun seasoning, so we picked up some Grillmates Mesquitte rub for the pork chops.

It’s coming along nicely

I admit that I over cooked the pork chops a little. Not my very best performance, but as I recall, nobody turned their nose up at it.

After dinner, we sat by the fire and re-hashed the meaning of life. I think we’ve got this moto-camping thing down pat.

Day 6 – Shady Oaks Campground, Harrison, AR to the Ouachita National Forest, approx. 250 miles.

I had a great nights’ sleep. It seemed like I closed my eyes and 10 seconds later, it was 7 hours later. As I get a little older, I’ve come to enjoy and cherish a good rest.

Today we break camp and start heading our separate ways. Craig is going home today. He’s had a recent career challenge and has been gone for a week on some 2-wheeled therapy. He packs up fairly early and we wish him a safe trip home. Josh is also going home today. A career choice has been weighing on him, and I suspect he needs to talk to his wife face to face about it. I need to start heading south, but have 2 days to get home, so I’m going to take my time. Mark decides to tag along with me for a day, which was a welcome decision to me.

We shoot a quick selfie before parting ways with Josh. Shiny side up, my brother. I will see you soon.

I turn south on Hwy 7, and as I crest a big hill, Bruce Horsby starts his beautiful prose:

Sometimes I lead, sometimes I follow
This time I'll go where she wants me to go
She said maybe today, maybe tomorrow
Deep in the woods down the low valley road

While no one was lookin' on the old plantation
He took her all the way down the long valley road
They sent her away not too much later
And left him walking down the old valley road
Walk on
Sometimes music can make the difference between an ordinary ride and a GREAT ride.

As we ride through Jasper, we see Craig’s bike parked at the Ozark café’, where he has stopped for breakfast.

We stopped at Moccasin Gap for a bio break.

As we are standing there, we hear a familiar sounding engine. Craig has caught up with us and stops to say hello. He asked me if I’ve ever heard of Mt. Nebo and I tell him that I’ve been there many times. He tells me that an old timer at the Ozark Café’ suggested it, and we all decided to go there.

Mt. Nebo is on Hwy 155 just south of Dardenelle, AR. The road going up to the crest is very steep and has several 10 mph switchbacks. I highly recommend 1st gear and extra caution through this area. If you stall your bike (a real possibility), you will be sliding a very long way down.

There are two overlooks on the top of Mt. Nebo. This is sunrise point, my favorite of the two. Occasionally, hang gliders jump off this rock and soar among the birds in the thermals here. I’ve seen them once and it was a cool thing to watch.

No hang gliders today, but the peacefulness is just as nice.

And this is sunset point on the other side of the mountain peak, with a view of the Arkansas River below.

Now lunch time, and I hoped to eat at the riverside café I remembered from a past trip. But unfortunately, that place has closed and we decided to try this instead.

Enchiladas for Craig and Mark – pretty good food porn.

Fajita taco salad for Pants – that shell was crispy and not at all greasy.

After lunch, I suggested Mt. Magazine as this is to the West and generally in the direction of home for Craig. We hit Hwy 22 and ride along the lake shore, watching the fisherman enjoy their day as they watch us enjoying our day.

From Paris, we turn on Hwy 309, “The Little Dragon” as dubbed by the locals (not really), and climb to the top.

At 2,750 feet, Mt. Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas. Good views up there.

Now Craig has to start heading more west, so again we shook hands and bid him farewell.

Mark and I turned east back toward Hwy 7 to Petit Jean State park. I was thinking about hiking down to the waterfall, but when we got to the park, the thunder was booming all around us. We sat under the safety of the lodge and decided to pass on the hike.

My plan was to camp on the north shore of Lake Nimrod, just south of us. In Ola, we gassed up and picked up some food to eat later. I turned onto Hwy 60 toward the campground, and the smoke in the air is thick. After about 10 miles, I pulled over and told Mark that our campground must be on fire, so we have to come up with something else. I check the map and the closest campground is about 12 miles south of us on Hwy 27.

We had to negotiate about 100 yards of dirt road, but it was fine. This campground is primitive. It appears to be used as a hunting camp, but today hunting season is over and we have the whole place to ourselves.

We easily gather some wood and Mark got the fire started. Then we walked over to the overlook to enjoy happy hour.

 

[hppants]

After dark, it cooled off real well and we enjoyed our campfire.

I’ve had another wonderful trip, but it’s time to go home.

Day 7: Ouachita National Forest to Lafayette, LA, approx. 400 miles.

The temperature dropped 15-ish degrees over night and the cool air felt nice. I was expecting some rain showers to run through this area during the night, but all of that stayed well north of us, and is not moving well to our east. I think we will both have good riding weather for the home bound trip.

We left the campground about 7:30 am and took a very slow pace as I was scaring up a lot of deer still feeding along side the road from the night before.

Back at Hwy 7, Mark and I must split ways, with him turning north and I south. We will do it again soon, to be sure.

I don’t feel like riding through Hot Springs during the morning commute, so I routed myself around it. At Lake Ouachita, I stopped at the State park for a break. The colors on these shore rocks are interesting.

It was nice to sit down and just reflect for a minute. All too often, I’m chomping at the bit to be somewhere else. Everyday, it seems like I’m pushing and rushing, hurrying. Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m rushing for. I’ve trained myself to be so efficient with my time, it seems like I’m perpetually in panic mode. I do it also on bike trips, but everything is so much fun, it doesn’t seem so exhausting.

However, often on the last day of the trip, I get a feeling of needing to rush home. I start thinking about all that I’ve missed at home, and all that needs to be done. I’ve learned to try and suppress that temptation. Why cheat myself of the peacefulness of the last day.

The chores will be waiting for me no matter what time I get home. I’m going to take a few minutes and just enjoy this view.

I stopped at the Army Corp. of Engineers Park on Lake DeGray for a bio-break and to walk around. I’ve stayed at the campground here before and it is excellent.

The visitors center has an exhibit about the logging community that existed here some time ago. The story here is familiar to me as I have read it a few times before in my travels. The logging company sets up shop and brings jobs with it. They go through all of the trees in short order and move on. Families up root and scatter, leaving the former forest as a waste land. The CCC steps up, buys the land, and re-plants the forest, which we all get to enjoy today thanks to their fore thought.

I jump back on Hwy 7 and in Camden, I cross the Ouachita River and stop for lunch.

I’ve eaten here before and the food is very good. The cook there fried me up some wonderfully flaky catfish fillets. I know I can’t eat this way regularly at home, but on vacation, it is a real nice treat.

After lunch, I cross the Louisiana border in Juntion City as I hit reserve on the fuel tank. I should have stopped for gas, but decided that I’ve got at least 50 miles of reserve and I can stop a bit later somewhere along the way.

That was a really bad idea.

My GPS is telling me about all of these gas stations along my route in these little one-horse towns, but by the time I get there, they have closed or gone out of business. My reserve crosses 55 miles and I’m getting very worried. If the GPS lies about the next station 3 miles ahead, I’m going for a walk this afternoon.

As I crest the last hill, the bike farts and I pull in the clutch. I idle down the hill and coast into this wonderful oasis in the middle of no where.

$2.43 a gallon? No problem, I’ll take 6.5 gallons, please.

I grabbed an ice cream cone and sat on the porch.

I rode through Gibsland and stopped at a road side marker that depicts the location where the famous gangsters Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and shot 50 times by lawmakers. Uncharacteristically, I forgot to take a picture, though.

Further down the road, I did stop at this roadside art.

That was the last picture I took. I rode the last 80 miles on the I-49 slab, just trying to get home. I arrived safely on my driveway about 530 pm, having endured the dreaded afternoon bumper to bumper traffic impatiently. I parked my bike in the shop, and mostly left everything else alone. I always pull my tent and rain fly out of the stuff sack and drape it over my dining room table to dry. But today, everything else can wait. I took my wife out to eat and we discussed the highlights of my trip and of her week at home.

The more I do this, the more natural it becomes. But that doesn’t make it any less special. Each one of my motorcycle adventures is a wonderful gift that I give to myself. My present to me is the opportunity to get out of the box that is my mind. I allow myself to wander and explore. To take meaningful time and think about what is really important, and what is not. To be sincerely thankful for everything, especially the little things. To be proud of my accomplishments and my lessons. To look forward to whatever comes next, be it good or not good. To remind myself with confidence that the world is not scary, and I can handle the challenges that face me. To take witness that instead, the world is a really good place, where good people do good things for the right reasons. To cherish, respect, and honor the time I have, rather than just take it for granted and by association, waste it.

And sharing that experience with buddies from very far away doesn’t have to be impossible. You just agree to meet in the middle.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

 

[Bugnatr]

All of a sudden I'm hungry, plenty of food porn Pants. I have only ridden across the good parts of Arkansas once on my return voyage from EOM in 14. It didn't take long for me to realize I need to get back and explore more of this riding delight. Perhaps this fall I can make it to Hooterville and points near by, thanks for the report.

 

[graler]

Excellent!

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Great ride report hppants!!Also i liked very much the pictures!!

Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[Niehart]

All those pictures and this is only one I remember.

You, my friend, are a great story teller and a good camp site cook.

 

[JamesW]

Nice pics, helps with the cabin fever.

 

[FJRfarrier]

Wonderful RR Pants!!! the pictures are great, and the words speak well to many of us.

And it's great to see you pop into a few of the pictures!! Glad to see everyone enjoyed themselves and had a great trip!

Looks like I need to make it back down to Arkansas, so that state can redeem itself. Those pictures show that I sure missed a bunch.

 

[dcarver]

All of a sudden I'm hungry, plenty of food porn Pants. I have only ridden across the good parts of Arkansas once on my return voyage from EOM in 14. It didn't take long for me to realize I need to get back and explore more of this riding delight. Perhaps this fall I can make it to Hooterville and points near by, thanks for the report.

Wait until Feb 18 and I'll go with yah BuggyBoy!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Another great ride and report 'pants...y'all definitely know how to make the most of your trips!

--G

 

[Heen]

Thanks for the RR. You are getting me pumped for the up coming season (when decent weather get here)

 

[thompsonian]

Well done sir!! I always enjoy reading your RR posts!

 

[BkerChuck]

Wife and I read this last evening and this just made her more interested in trying moto-camping than ever.

Enjoyed it as always and love the pics!

Thanks for sharing and taking us along for the ride!

 

[BigDogRaven]

Outstanding report as usual Pants. Thx for sharing......

 

[gapiob]

wahou, very nice RR, thanks

 

[danh600]

Excellent RR Pants!

Man, it makes me want to go back to Arkansas so bad! That is a great place to ride.

We stayed in Jasper. Like you were saying in one of your post. Just point to the map and it's a good road. I don't think you could find a road that is not fun to ride leaving Jasper.