Fall Foliage Ride 2009; Day 2; Saturday, 10/17/09

We left our motel around 9:00 am under cloudy skies with a temperature of 46. We hit a gas station in Mountain Home before leaving the town at approximately 9:15 am. We rode south on Hwy 5 through Calico Rock to Mountain View.

At Mountain View we took Hwy 9 south through Rushing and Shirley to Clinton, AR. We wanted to stop at a DQ for a break but, since there was none, we stopped at a McDonalds.

After snarfing down mocha lattes, cappuccinos, coffee, and/or ice cream we rode west on Hwy 16 through very small towns like Crabtree, Alread, Witt Springs, and Ben Hur. I believe it was near Witt Springs, where we had to make an acute angle left turn, that Carl decided to test the off-road capabilities of his Goldwing. He was able to maneuver it back on the road with the assistance of Marge, who was screeching in his ear and beating on his back. At Sand Gap we turned north on Hwy 7 and rode to the Who-Da-Thought-It store for gas. They had two pumps out front so it took awhile for our six motorcycles to cycle through.

Just 15 to 20 miles further north on Hwy 7 we stopped at the Cliff House Inn and Restaurant for a late lunch. The restaurant and parking lot overlook the Grand Canyon of Arkansas. It was a pretty view but not much fall color was visible here.

After lunch we backtracked south on Hwy 7 to Hwy 16 where we rode west through small towns like Deer, Nail, Fallsville, and Boston. At Hwy 23 we turned north and rode towards our evening destination, Eureka Springs, AR. Full bladders, however, mandated a stop at the Wal-Mart in Huntsville.

We arrived in Eureka Springs shortly after 5:30 and began our quest for lodging. This quest was made more difficult due to a communication problem between our fearless leader, Gary, and Rod. After riding back and forth on Hwy 62 five or six times we landed at the 1876 Inn. We walked a short distance east on Hwy 62 for dinner at the Café Amore, which served good Italian food. We ended up at a fine (and inexpensive) motel near the restaurant so . . . . . . all is well that ends well!

The temperature today fluctuated between 46 and 50, just like yesterday. It was much more enjoyable, however, because there was no precipitation and a little more sunshine. There were places on the route where the fall foliage was very pretty. I thought the prettiest places were along highways 16 and 23. The curves, the views, the absence of rain and, of course, the good friends, made for a great day of riding, despite the temperature. We rode a total of 280 miles.

For pictures from today and yesterday click on the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/goldwinger.shawnee/FallFoliageRide2009?feat=directlink

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