Day 9 – Sept 7

Today was a day of transition.  When I got this morning, the mountains were smoking!  The moisture from the rain later in the day yesterday and overnight was still hanging in the air as the sun was coming up.  It looked pretty neat. 

I left the Ozarks in my rear view mirror early in the day and then made my way to southern Missouri and into Tennessee where I picked up the Natchez Trace outside of Nashville by about 70 miles.  The Trace is 440 miles long and runs from Natchez Mississippi, across the entire state of Mississippi, through a corner of Alabama, and up to Nashville Tennessee.  The Trace (or trail) started when people would take their boats and goods down the rivers to be sold.  They would sell not only their goods but also their boats as there was no way to get the boat back upstream.  The only way to get home was to walk.

Because the Trace is now a parkway, there are no commercial vehicles allowed on it and the speed limit is usually 50 mph.  The parkway is well taken care of and usually is tree lined on one or both sides.  This makes for a very relaxed ride. 

Tomorrow I will continue down the Trace and then head towards New Orleans.

I have now completed over 4,500 miles on this trip and I have averaged 640 miles per day.  Many of you may ask “How (and maybe even why) do you do this?”  I believe the answer lies in 3 words: 1) desire, 2) preparation, and 3) equipment.

Desire: My desire is not to just put on miles.  If that was the case, I could do it much quicker by getting on freeways and interstates and just drive and watch the miles count up.  No, my desire is to see and feel the areas in which I ride.  I use all of my senses to absorb the feeling of the areas in which I am driving and experiencing.  As you know, part of the desire of this trip is to complete riding in 49 states on a motorcycle.  I have now added 6 new ones to the list (New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi).  Two new states still remain: Louisiana and Florida.  However, in addition to just the state count, there are many wonderful areas left to explore!

Preparation:  This is critical to help maintain the miles per day.  I spend time in advance of the trip scouting out the roads I wish to ride (twisty, curvy, mountain, river, etc.) and have them mapped into my GPS.  This allows me to keep moving during the day and not spend a lot of time looking at maps and determining where to go to next.  However, I still have the option to vary my route from those pre-planned in the GPS.  To me this provides the best of both worlds.  I also bring along state highway maps for all the places I plan to go because there are still many advantages of looking at a large piece of paper when trying to see how the whole route fits together.

Equipment:  One must have the proper equipment to put on long miles day after day.  For me, one upgrade I did this year was a new custom seat for the bike.  When I placed the order, I was told the production date would not be in time for this trip.  I was disappointed but there was nothing else I could do then.  Disappointment turned to joy when I found out they had made my seat early and it would arrive about 1 week before I left.  I love my new Russell Day Long Saddle (a little plug for the seat!).  I also purchased LDComfort (Long Distance Comfort) undergarments to wear.  They have a moisture wicking layer to keep moisture away from the body and also have the seams done differently.  Again, love them!  Proper boots, gloves, jacket, helmet, and others allow a person to ride comfortably for a long time and adjust to various weather conditions.

That is all for tonight.  I am spending the night at the Trace State Park outside of Tupelo Mississippi.  My camp site is right along side the lake.  Sunrise (if not raining – 50% chance according to the forecast) should be beautiful!

Day 8 – Sept 6 – Ride Report

Today was spent riding in Missouri.  I left Branson and headed north.  Part of the Ozark range goes into Missouri.  The roads continued to be good.  Again, I have attached a few samples.  In several places the trees created a canopy over the road.

At one point early in the day, I met 25 – 30 early cars – like Model A and Model T.  It was neat to see so many of them being out and driven together.  I am not sure where they were heading.

The weather changed this afternoon.  About 4:00 a heavy thunderstorm came through the area and the temperature dropped from the low 90’s into the 70’s.  I had to put on the rain gear and even pull over and seek cover a few times because of the heavy wind and rain. 

I am spending the evening at the Suttons Bluff National Forrest Campground near Centerville MO.  When the rain came, I started to look for a place to set up camp.  There were a couple of private campgrounds along a river but they looked pretty junky so I continued on and saw the sign for this place.  It said it was 8 miles back so I thought hard and decided to give it a shot not sure what others there would be.  I finally found the place and it is very nice and very peaceful.  I asked 1 person about cell phone service and he said if you go back up the road 3 miles where it comes to a T, you can get service there – it worked!  I looked on my GPS for food; it says nearest place is 18 miles.  Guess I will snack on trail mix tonight and get something in the morning.

Tomorrow I will complete the loop in Missouri and head into Tennessee to pick up the Natchez Trace.  I will explain more about the importance of this once I get there.

Day 8 – Sept 6 (Statler Brother Revisited)

The show last night was pretty good.  The show is relatively new; they did shows last year and then took the last few summer months off and last night was their first night back.  You could tell they were a little out of practice.  The emcee (more on him later - seemed to forget the words to a couple of songs!).  They only do this show 2 nights per week as they all have other work as well.

There were 4 guys in the group.  One is brand new to the group this year; he manages a shoe store at the outlet mall when not singing with the group.  Two of the guys are involved in or have their own shows that perform at other times.  The guy that brought the group together (he his a publisher/editor during the day) was the emcee had an interesting story.

The Statler brothers starting in 1955 as a trio when they were all in high school.  The emcee started singing with another group of guys in 1956 and stayed with them for 6 years and finally decided they were never going to make it big and told them he was quitting and recommended they do the same thing.  That group he was singing with was the Oak Ridge Boys – some of you may be familiar with that group!

They also shared some interesting facts and information about the Statler Brothers:

·         Only 2 of the members were brothers, their last name was not Statler

·         The Statler Brothers name came after they had another name selected but found out another group was also using the same name and was more popular than them, so they had to change it.  They were sitting around trying to come up with a new name and they saw a box of tissues on the fireplace mantle with the Statler Tissue and one of the members suggested they become the Statler Brothers and it stuck.

·         They were CMA group of the year for 9 straight years

·         Over the years there were only 5 members that were part of the group.  One of the original members got sick and had to leave, his request was that he was able to pick his replacement which he did.  Oak Ridge Boys have had over 40 people as member of their group during their time.

·         All the songs they recorded were written by one or more members of the group.

·         The Statler Brothers retired in 2002 and have never done any more shows, recording etc.  They all live in Virginia which has always been their home.

·         The first and last song they ever sang was Amazing Grace.  Gospel music was a key part to all of their music.

It is almost 8:00 in the morning now.  Time to finishing packing up camp and hitting the road.  More latter on today's ride.

Day 7 – Sept 5

Today’s message is from the soft side – it is called “The Dance”

Riding motorcycle can be compared to dancing.  The rider is the lead dancer and the motorcycle is the partner.  To start with, both parties must suit up and fuel up for this will not be a short dance.  The appropriate shoes (or tires in one case) are required for the dance to be performed.  Once properly prepared, the rider must swing his leg over his partner and tightly squeeze the partner between his legs.  Next the rider must put his hands and feet on the controls provided by the partner – for this is the only means the rider has to tell the partner how to move during the dance.  Once the music has started, in the case the road begins, the rider and partner must become one to be successful at this dance.  The music is often very different depending on where the dance takes place.  Sometimes the music is very predictable and carries the same rhythm for a long time, such as when riding the freeway.  The more interesting dance happens when the roads are ever changing as when riding in the Ozarks.  Here the music is constantly changing tempo, rhythm, and the beat.  Up, down, right, left.  You never now what the music will bring you next.  The road may provide some suggestions about what is to come such as road signs, but the rider must be prepared for everything because sometimes there are unexpected curves. The rider and partner must but be perfectly coordinated to stay in rhythm with the music. Sometimes the music likes to through in a few surprises as well; it may be some rocks on the road or even a dead critter such as a skunk or armadillo (I have seen enough this trip to know!) Again, the rider and partner need to be prepared to change their dance moves to whatever the music brings.  Falling during this dance can be a real disaster.  The rider and partner are not pushing themselves to their edge but pushing enough to have a very spirited dance.  When rider and partner are in perfect harmony, there is nothing prettier, more satisfying, and more fulfilling than along dance with the partner of your dreams! 

For other news today, I left camp early today and adjusted my route slightly so I could make it Branson MO. today.  I was hoping to see a show but I wasn’t sure the timing was going to work out; fortunately, it has.  I have tickets for the Statler Brother Review.  For those unfamiliar with the Statler Brother, they were a famous county group made up of 4 guys that did amazing harmonies.  This is not the original group but rather a group that performs their songs.  I will provide a review of the show in tomorrow’s update.

As soon as I arrived in town, I found a state park (Table Rock State Park) and set up my tent and took a nice cold shower.  It was cooler today, only 97 for a high, but a shower was definitely in order.

Other than having a great dance with my partner today, one interesting event was that part of the route required that I take a ferry to get across a lake to continue with the road on the other side.  It added a unique experience for the day.

One other interesting note is how small and young the deer are here.  Every fawn I saw today still had spots on them!  I saw one along the road (it was no longer moving – if you get the point) and it couldn’t have been move then 18” tall.  I mentioned it to one person and he wasn’t sure why they were born so late this year.  Strange.

Tomorrow I will continue my route through Missouri.

Day 6 - Sept 4

Today's ride was awesome!  I now better understand why people like coming to the Ozarks to ride.  I don't think there is a bad road out here!  

However, there really isn't much to blog about.  I have attached a few photos of various views but after awhile they all look alike.  The roads just go from one mountain top down into the valley and then back up the other side.  The mountains are not that tall; only about 2,000 - 2500 feet.  This is no comparison to Colorado where the passes often exceed 10,000 feet. I would compare it more to the Blue Ridge Parkway area in North Carolina.  The good part about the mountains not being that high is that they build roads more easily so there are many great roads to choose from.  One of the roads is called the "Pig Tail"; as you can image based on the name, it is very twisty.

In the afternoon I did a loop that went into southern Missouri and then back into Oklahoma.  I am spending the night in a state park campground in Oklahoma tonight.  It seems that the state parks now consider this past their prime season so they don't always have people around to collect money for camping and they don't provide any means for you to leave them money either.  This is the second night in a row in a state park with no need to pay.  Both places even had showers and electricity available to use.  All the perks!

Tomorrow I will ride back into Arkansas and finish the loop there and then head into Missouri.  I am thinking about seeing a show in Branson but not yet sure if the timing will work out.

Today's mileage was 481 miles.  Total mileage is now 3,262 - that is a daily average of 632 miles per day!  I have now ridden in 9 states on this trip.

P.S. - Yes it was hot again today.  Just before pulling into the campground about 6:00PM, the temperature on the bike was showing 108 degrees.  A shower felt really good at that point.  The high in Branson for tomorrow is only showing 97 - cool front must be coming through!

Day 5 – September 3

In many ways, today’s ride was in sharp contrast to yesterday.  About the only thing they had in common was the heat.  Again it was as high as 104 degrees while riding.

Today’s ride was about the backroads that America was built on; yesterday was about the freeways that now move America!  I started the ride on Historic Route 66.  This road was built in the 1930’s and connected Chicago with the West Coast.  It connected many of the small towns in the heartland of America.  As usually happens, time changed and Route 66 was replaced with a freeway to move people faster.  The freeways bypassed the small towns and small town America has been on the decline since then. 

After Route 66 I headed south and east towards Arkansas.  I was actually surprised with how green and even hilly and mountainous part of Oklahoma is.  The greenest area I have seen since leaving home.  There is one section of Oklahoma County #1 (that leads to Arkansas) that rivals the Blue Ridge Parkway.  You ride along the top of the ridge and have vistas to view on many occasions.  The rest of the day was spent riding many roads in Arkansas.  It is definitely living up to its reputation as a great place to ride; and I have only just begun! Tomorrow I have many more roads to ride here.

Tonight I am having a “mountain top” experience.  I am staying at the Magazine Mountain State Park.  The park is set at the top of the mountain, again with many wonderful views.

That is all for day!

Day 4 - Sept 2

I was up bright and early and on the road today at 7:00.  About 5 miles into the ride, I learned that part of the route I had made was actually on unpaved roads - bummer.  I had to break out the map and find a way to detour around the unpaved section and then get back on track.  A little setback but no big deal.  It was a gorgeous morning - around 65 degrees.  One of the areas I went through had many uniquely southwest styled homes.  Very different than what you see in other areas.

After getting back on track, I finished my planned route for New Mexico and made a run for the border (Texas that is!).  The route from New Mexico into Texas and across Oklahoma (Oklahoma City is how far I made it today) was not very interesting which I expected but there were a few points I can share.

First was the temperature.  While it started out very nice and cool in the morning, it was around 95 degrees when I hit the Texas border.  The worst part is - it kept getting hotter!  All the way across Texas and Oklahoma, the temperature ranged between 95 and 104.  It took a lot of water to keep cool and hydrated.  I ended up staying in a motel tonight because I couldn't find a campground later in the evening when I was ready to stop for the night.  Earlier when I could find campgrounds, it was too hot to even think about setting up a tent - it was cooler to keep riding.  Oh well, a good cold shower and some A/C is feeling really good now.

On my way across Texas I stopped at a rest stop a found a very interesting sign - see the picture below.  You won't find one of these signs where I come from!

I also did stop at the Route 66 Museum in Elk City,Oklahoma.   When I arrived, they told me they were closing in 30 minutes.  I decided to pay the fee ($3.00) and do a quick tour as long as I was already there.  It turned out that 30 minutes was more than enough time.  I had high hopes but they were quickly dashed.  This is one museum I should have just driven by and saved my time.  Oh well.

I can also say the terrain wasn't very exciting to see along the way but it did change from the rocky, dessert-like areas of New Mexico and west Texas, to the area around Amarillo Texas where they did a little farming to the red soil of Oklahoma.  Near Amarillo Texas I saw the largest cattle feed lot I have ever seen - there must have been 10,000 cattle there.  It was over 1/2 mile long - it just kept going and going.  I am not sure where they got all the food to feed these cattle as there wasn't much near there for crops.

Along the entire route today, it made me realize again how much "nothingness" exists in the western part of the U.S.  You can drive for many miles and really not see anything or anyone.  It truly is an area of wide open spaces.  

Today's ride was 688 miles.  New total is now 2,250 miles.  I have now added 3 new states to my "states ridden in" list: New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

Tomorrow I pick up Route 66 outside of Oklahoma City and ride a section of that.  From there it will be across the rest of the state and into Arkansas.  I am really looking forward to seeing the Ozarks there.  Everyone I talked to said it is really beautiful.  Time to find out for myself!