Retired and Trippin

Our good friends, Mel and Trish, planned a weekend getaway ride to Van Buren, MO, located on the Current River in southeast Missouri. The weather was to be great (and dry, for a change) and the area provides some great motorcycle riding. We were to have five couples on the trip but the day before departure Carl and Marge had to cancel. Marge accidentally punted Carl’s bathroom scales and broke her foot. Four couples met at Midland and Renner in Shawnee, KS on Saturday, May 22nd at 8:30 am. It was sunny and 72. We were ready to ride. Our route for the day was Hwy 71 south out of the KC area to Harrisonville, MO; Hwy 2 east to Windsor, MO; Hwy 52 east to Tuscumbia, MO; Hwy 17 south to Iberia, MO; Hwy 42 east to Vienna, MO; Hwy 63 south to Rolla, MO; Hwy 72 south to near Salem, MO; Hwy 32 east to Salem, MO; Hwy 19 south to Winona, MO; Hwy 60 east to Van Buren, MO and the Rose Cliff Lodge at the Landing. We stopped for lunch at the Philly Cafe in Eldon, MO on Hwy 52. The food was gre

Friday; April 30, 2010 The brave participants of Chicken Ride 2010 met at Gail’s Harley Davidson ( http://www.gailsharleydavidson.com/ ) at 8:00 am on Friday, April 30 th , 2010. It was raining and in the mid 50’s. We were looking forward to a weekend of riding and avoidance of the chicken award (for screwing up). Our group included 6 Goldwings, 4 Harley Davidsons, 1 Yamaha, and 1 BMW. Our first stop was BJ’s Restaurant in Archie , MO for breakfast. It rained lightly all the way there. It was still raining when we left. As we approached Butler , MO it was raining heavily and the wind was blasting us. We exited 71 Hwy at the Hwy 52 exit and took refuge at a gas station and convenience store. As the rain and wind lightened we continued south on 71 Hwy. About 30 miles north of Joplin , MO the rain stopped. Life was good. We continued south to Rogers , AR , where we jumped on Hwy 62 east. We rode through Eureka Springs and then stopped at the Sonic in Berryville , AR. I