Doesn’t seem possible that a year has passed since our last trip to Arkansas. But you know how time slips away! Well let’s rally the troops and see who is going! “Easy G “ is busy working, “Happy Hour” the same!, Zack, the same, “Taz Tim” not sure., Everyone seems to be out of pocket. “Roadrunner” accepts the challenge.
We depart on a Wednesday, Hope to make Hot Springs Arkansas by nightfall. We meet in Fredericksburg for coffee before departure. We catch Hwy 16 and travel north. Llano, Goldthwaite, Hamilton, Glen Rose. We hit Hwy 67 at Glen Rose and travel through Cleburne, Alvarado, Cedar Hill into the southern edge of Dallas. What a traffic nightmare, Make the loop around south Dallas. Only one wrong turn, Not bad for us? We catch interstate 30 over by Rockwall. The traffic comes to a standstill. Stop and go! Mostly stop! Finally we breakout of the congestion. Time to rock and roll! 80 plus mph to Texarkana. Make a stop at the rest stop to wet the dry lips!
We arrive in Hot Springs just before dark. Check at a local tavern to locate the nearest motel. Just up the street. A restaurant is located right across the street. Check into the motel and walk across the street for some grub. After a drink or two and some food it’s time for some rest. 500 plus miles for the day. Not bad with all the heat and traffic conditions.
Next morning up Hwy 7 towards Harrison. One of the most scenic roads in Arkansas. The leaves are starting to turn. Golden orange and yellowish.
Beautiful! Awesome curves and turns all the way to Jasper. Nice scenic overlook just south of Jasper. Always a must stop. A restaurant is located right at the overlook. Get our first taste of Arkansas BBQ. Good stuff!, probably not as good as Texas BBQ! O well!
We make it to Eureka Springs, Stop to see Jim and Pam from down around home. After a short visit it’s off to Rogers. The destination for the Bikes, Blues, and BBQ rally. The event is held at the “PigTrail” Harley dealership in Rogers. The music event is held next door to the dealership. The music for Thursday night is a Bob Seger tribute band. Awesome band, this guy is named Seger, maybe kin. He looks a lot like him. We saw him last year. Worth the trip just to witness this band. After a few hours of music, it is time to get a room. Secure one just up the road. Met a few people from the rally in the lobby. Always good to meet friendly people. The bar is adjacent to the lobby. Nice to unwind after a long day on the road!
The next morning we meet up with Jim and Pam and ride to War Eagle. This place was an old mill on the river that would grind corn and other
products back in civil war days. Amazing that it still exists. Today it is still in operation. A piece of history. We do a day of curvy roads and stop at Jim’s motel for a cold brew!
After a short visit it’s back to Rogers for round two. Friday night we have a classic rock band. They do a wide range of music. All good! After a couple of hours of tunes, it is motel time again. Rooms are a little harder to find this night. Friday night, but we prevail, just cost a little more.
Next morning, breakfast in the motel. A guy says aren’t you from Texas? Matter fact I am! I met you in Bandera? Ok, Turns out I met him 2 years ago at the 11th street bar in Bandera. Small world!
Meet up with Jim and Pam again later in the day. More curvy and twisty roads. We do stop at a place called Natural Bridge. The path to the bridge is off the beaten path a little bit. The bridge is natural stone, probably 20 ft wide and 40 ft long. Underneath the bridge is all open to walk under.
Kinda a freak of nature, Maybe formed by a volcano. Very interesting. Glad we stopped to see it. Jim and Pam head back to the motel. It’s getting late, let’s find a room in Harrison. We locate a room in Harrison. Italian food next door. After a plate of lasagna, it’s time for some rest.
Next day, it’s Sunday, homeward bound. We run to Mena and catch the Queen Wilhelmina trail. Great ride over the mountain into Oklahoma. The road is pretty rough. Got to watch those pot holes. We angle over to Atoka, Sunday traffic, crazy. Only 3 traffic lights in Atoka, we catch them all. Hwy 75 all the way to Dallas. Crazy traffic, all running over the speed limit. From Dallas head to Ft Worth. It’s been many years since I traveled this area.
Could not recognize the roads anymore. We continue to Ft Worth and on to Benbrook. Quick stop to see Tanners place, “Roadrunners” son. After a quick tour it’s off to Granbury. We get to Bill’s house on Lake Granbury, just as he is rolling in. We visit for a bit and order up some pizza. Always good with a cold brew!
Next morning, time for the home stretch. We roll out down to Glen Rose. Meet my cousin for breakfast. Chat a bit over biscuit and gravy. Time for the road. “Roadrunner” heads back to Kerrville and I take a side trip to check on my property by Brazos Point. Hwy 56 from Brazos Point down through Morgan and Meridian, Cransfill Gap on down to Hamilton and Llano.
Another great trip, no breakdowns or injuries. Always good to see that front gate! On a sad note! I lost a good friend a few weeks back. A retired firefighter. He lived in Harlingen. We knew each other around 45 years. We worked together on his days off from the fire Department. We did mobile home repair and general construction. We worked hard and played harder! We knew each other more than 45 years and never had an argument! Pretty amazing. John, I called him “Frantic”, He will be truly missed! RIP!
Like I always say live life to the hilt, cause you never know when it’s your last trip!
LIVE FREE AND RIDE OFTEN!
DAD
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