Ahr 2023

[K1DUDE]

Home. Had a blast. Thanks for letting me hang out!

[955i]

Jeff's home. Carl's home. Tyson and Cathy are home. Gentleman Mike Knox? Rob? Florida Mike? We know others are still on the road or taking circuitous routes to N.C., KS, and IN.

[955i]

Dude! Thought you were going to do it in two legs. Those bennys must have worked.

[K1DUDE]

I woke up early. I wish I had stayed one more day. Great to see y'all.

[Rob]

I'm home. Made it in Friday afternoon around 3;30. And I took a NAP!
This was not the greatest trip I ever took. Before I left I had tried to update my riding pants: the old ones had leaked severely coming home from Maggie Valley. I didn't receive the new ones in time, so I did some patchwork on the old ones.
Then on the second day of the trip, I put on the Gerbings only to find that they had died. I ended up detouring to Memphis on the way out and buying a new Hotwired jacket, which worked well when I needed it.
And then there was the flat tire on the bike Tuesday morning. In a big group effort, we put 3 plugs in the rear tire that morning, but when we went out for a ride, at the first stop the tire pressure was down to 18 pounds. So I limped on back to the motel, with Bill M's help. We called Mike Knox, who had bike issues of his own, and he bought a new Michelin Road 5 at the shop he was dealing with. Rather than try to mount the tire ourselves, I sent the tire and my wheel with Mike when he went back to the shop on Wednesday. Jeff Stewart let me use his truck to go get it when it was ready, about 60 miles away, so I could get it back on the bike Wednesday afternoon instead of after dark that night.

So I didn't get much riding done in the Ozarks, but I did have fun seeing all the folks. And without their help I might still be there. Thanks, y'all!

[wildbears]

Three separate punctures or three plugs in the same hole?

[Rob]

Three separate. Two within an inch of each other, and then another on the other side of the tire. And maybe a fourth hole, because the tire still was losing air.

[955i]

[Lee]

85 today
We took 21 from Clarksville North to Carr Lane Missiouri, then worked our way to Eureka Springs by riding over Beaver Bridge and Beaver Dam.
Kingston
The Librarian in the library next to the junk shop was fun to visit with and good looking.



Kingston has a square Traffic Circle

Ice Cream stop at the Big Scoop in Berryville
Debbie was served a tiny scoop. I wasn't sure if she would cry or rip the kid's head off .
She gets serious about about her icecream




A church was having car show in Carr Lane, Mo.







Tomorrow we'll ride down 23 to Turner Bend or Oark and back.

[Susan]

Arrived home safe and sound 2pm! What a great trip it's been! Thank you, Bill and Amy for feeding us!
SO good to see everyone and missed the ones who weren't there. Looking forward to AHR Spring 2024!!!!

[Lee]

Sunny and upper 70s today.



Guzzi had a paid tour in Arkansas

https://www.motoguzzi.com/us_EN/experience/arkansas/

Most of the bikes were the new liquid cooled Guzzi recently introduced.









Looks like tomorrow is the best day to head home.

[955i]

[955i]

[Lee]

Tyson we only had 5 or 10 minutes before the Guzzis left.
Visited with one guy who owns a 1250RS like ours. He liked the new Guzzi but liked the Shiftcam 1250 engine better.
I didn't realize it was a multi day tour until I saw the pickup with everyone's luggage pull out behind the bikes.
No cover on the pickup box.

[955i]

Shiftcam 1250 and 1300 would have quite fit more power. I've never found that to be a bad thing, even as I've "matured."

[Lee]

Arrived home about 5:00.
Most of the day was windy, sunny and warm. We did have a short 10 miles of rain.
We got lucky, the 20 to 25 mph wind was a tailwind most of the time.

If anyone passes through Monett Mo. and wants a good breakfast, check out the Cubs Cafe.
Eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast or biscuit for $8.99.
Debbie was happy, she got 5 pieces of bacon

[K1DUDE]

I was thinking about going to the library in Kingston.

[955i]

That Jeff! He's always a thinkin.'

[cabnfvr]

AHR 2023 via Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas (which we had to reschedule after my February heart thingy.) We knew we were taking a chance going into Colorado in October but it worked out. So without further ado, our Arkansas trip.

Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, AL. Obviously not much rain here in a while, but it's an interesting stop.


One of a few covered bridges in the area. Some galoot was standing on the bridge.


I saw a sign for the Houston Historic Jail in Houston, AL. It was made of wood with nails driven into the beams to make it hard to saw (or gnaw) your way out. Guess what the little hole is for!


We saw this mural for BB King on the Mississippi Blues Trail. A big round of applause for Susan not getting hit by a truck while taking this pic.


Speaking of the Mississippi, it's low. Really, really low. As Rob said, you can step across it.


After a few days on the road it was time to do some laundry. Set the fan on low and let 'er go.


Before Charles Lindbergh was a household name, he made a forced landing in Lake Village, AR.


DeSoto made it to Cado Gap, AR. This was his most western point. Then he went to Louisiana and got whacked. We went a few hundred feet down the road, changed a headlight bulb, had a popsicle, and petted a dog.


Somewhere in Arkansas, or Texas.


A small non descript town on our journey, but worthy of a stop.

[cabnfvr]

AHR 2023, part 2

This was an udderly awesome stop.


Heading west before sunrise. Yes, there were deer.


The Greenwood Grocery was an awesome breakfast stop.


Petrified Texaco and Cafe with a really nice Chevelle in the parking lot.


We happened upon this and just had to stop.

Texas BBQ, who doesn't!


Met a few terrible lizards after filling up.


The view from our motel parking lot in Shamrock, Texas


A love story, the first tree of the Panhandle. He took a wagon team 35 miles to find a sapling in the Texas Panhandle and brought it back to his wife, Susan's happy if I just go to the mailbox.

Our first and only day of rain.

[Martin_D]

Love the big knife !
And the rest of the pictures too :-)

[cabnfvr]

AHR 2023, part 3

This storm has tennis ball to baseball sized hail. It damaged house roofs. We detoured around Amarillo (by morning) and missed the worst parts. When the GPS weather app shows red, detour.


Palo Duro Canyon is a pretty place.


Pretty. other than the lightning and mud and stuff. We turned back once the rain started falling again.


Of course we stayed here.


Ladies and gentlemen, Tex Randall. And once again Susan didn't get hit by a truck while taking the picture.


Mid point of Route 66. People visit here from all over the world.


Where the buffalo roam. They were rather docile.


Because it was there.


Guess where we are. I wonder if their head gasket leaks? Susan almost got hit by a truck again. Susan and those trucks.


Washing off the worst of the canyon mud.

[cabnfvr]

AHR 2023, part 4

There was a bit of a mishap back in 1943 when a bombing crew out of Texas decided that Boise City was an enemy stronghold. One resident was quoted as saying, at 4:00 am, "God Damn Irene, they're bombing us!"


"Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn't didn't already have." We seem to find some really weird chit out there.


Speaking of out there, this is what it looked looked like when the fuel gauge took it upon itself to stop working.


Rio Grande bridge on US-64. It's all touristy now with vendors and a huge parking area. The last time we were here it was just the bridge.


Creede CO was closed so we couldn't get any ice cream for breakfast, but it was a beautiful ride.


Our timing was perfect for seeing the aspen trees.


It was this or the Barbie Museum.


Strange objects, especially a short while later at our very first Denny's visit.



1920's mail arrow in Hudspeth County, TX.

[cabnfvr]

AHR 2023, part 5

I'll put in a good word for y'all if you are ever down in this area.


Guess where we are.


Riding around observing things.


One of our favorite stops, El Patio Mexican in Presidio, just across from this mission. Susan didn't get in the road for this pic so she didn't almost get hit by a truck.


Whoo, it was hot in Terlingua.


Leaving Chisos Mountain Lodge in Big Bend. Look closely and you'll see the coyote. His mate was waiting across the road.


Great breakfast in Marathon. Met an ex Yamaha R1 racer and friend. They knew exactly what our S was and what she is capable of.

Del Rio. We saw our first ever dung beetle here!


Stop at Julio's Corn Tortillas and Cafe if you are ever in these parts. I had beans!


On the way to the Leakey Inn. Officer Sanchez is still on patrol.
???????