CHICKEN RIDE 2015

DAY 1

It was the first Friday-Saturday-Sunday of May so it was time for the annual Spring Chicken Ride. Gary, the leader of this ride every year, started this event in 1978. It has taken place every year except one since then. I don’t remember the year but I joined in the early 2,000’s. It is a very good time.

We met at Gail’s Harley Davidson at 7:00 am on Friday, May 1st.  A beautiful day it was. Blue clear skies with temperatures in the low 60’s. Mark displayed the chicken because he is the one who had it at the conclusion of the 2014 Chicken ride. He earned the chicken by dropping his helmet while we were socializing in front of our hotel.

Gary led us away from Gail’s at 7:10 and we were off to our breakfast spot in Archie, MO. The previous year (and every prior year in which I was involved) this restaurant was BJ’s Rise and Shine Restaurant. Now it was under new ownership, had been remodeled, and had the name “Mama’s Kitchen”. The chow was still very good.Carl scored on a new menu item dubbed “The Mound”. On the bottom is two pieces of toast topped with a slab of ham topped with two sausages topped with bacon topped with two eggs topped with another slice of toast, all of which is topped with a generous quantity of gravy. That wasn’t quite enough so he added a side of hash browns.

Gary’s goal this year was to ride some roads that we had not covered before. We rode some routes that were definitely new for me.

We took off east from Archie - and rode through some small obscure Missouri towns; Creighton, Montrose, Iconium, and Wheatland, where we stopped for gas. Then it was on through Pittsburg, Louisburg, and Marshfield to Hartville. Somewhere between Marshfield and Hartville Doug provided some excitement. He was riding 3rd from last in our group of 15. Eric and I followed him and witnessed him drift off the right side of the pavement where there was no shoulder. He struggled in the dirt, grass and gravel for some time before returning to the highway. So . . . .  during our lunch stop in Hartville the chicken was passed from Mark to Doug.

The location that Gary stopped for the chicken transfer was, fortuitously, very close to LJD’s Family Café. Many of us had the tenderloin sandwich, which was good, but Bruce was wise enough to order the “Larry Burger” with a side of onion rings.

Our next stop was Houston in Texas County. Then we were off again and our route included Hwy 106 which was a scenic ride -through Eminence and Ellington. Hwy’s 21, 34 and 67 took us through Piedmont and Silva on our way to our day’s destination, Poplar Bluff.  While negotiating his left turn from Hwy 21 to Hwy 34 Doug went off-road AGAIN – and I caught it in a picture!He went right of the highway sign in the picture and through the gravel back onto the highway.  Since Doug already had the chicken there was no need for another chicken transfer.

Our ride today covered 440 miles with a high temperature of 73.

We spent the night at a Drury Inn, which provided us with a nice room, a buffet dinner (including three cocktails) and a buffet breakfast. BUENO!

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/6144834537897740017?authkey=CKDgzZLh65u2eg

DAY 2

Gary led us away from our hotel at 8:00. It was 54 degrees with blue clear skies. After gassing up in Poplar Bluff we were off for our second day of riding on this Saturday, May 2nd.

Gary’s route took us south into Arkansasthrough the towns of Corning, Pocahontas, Imboden and Cave City to Batesville, where we stopped for gas. Then on to Heber Springs and Greer’s Ferry,where we stopped for lunch at Bentley’s.

Unfortunately for Rod, he left his HD on while we were eating lunch. When he prepared to leave it would not start. The battery was dead, earning him the chicken.

There were two attempts to jump start Rod’s HD by pushing it – with no success. They finally got it started by using jumper cables and Gary’s Goldwing.

Our next stop was in Dover for gas and then we rode Hwy 164 west to Clarksville (nice ring to that name) and scenic Hwy 21 north to Berryville.

We stopped for the day in Eureka Springs after 390 miles in the saddle with a high temperature of 81. Our lodging for the night was a Best Western. We enjoyed some pizza, beverage and fellowship around the pool. The pool was surrounded by a 4 foot high wood fence with a locked gate and we had some fun watching old fat men negotiating the fence. I wish I would have thought to get some video.

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/6144839900436505969?authkey=CIzRi_fqiJ_yYA

DAY 3

It was our final day, Sunday, May 3rd. We took off at 8:10 under blue clear skies (again).  We rode north through Eureka Springs to Holiday Island for gas.It was then a short ride north into Missouri where we rode through Shell Knob and Aurora to Mount Vernon, where we took a coffee break – strongly requested by Joe.

Hwy 39 took us north to Hwy 54, which took us west (fighting a strong wind out of the south) to Nevada, where we gassed up and enjoyed lunch at a Dairy Queen, though some were not happy that Gary scrapped his original plan to eat at Smith’s Restaurant in Bolivar or Collins. We lost three riders in Nevada. Doug headed south to his home, Rod hightailed it north to Gail’s HD for new tires and Chuck left for a visit with relatives who live in the area.

As we rode north on I-49 approaching Harrisonville it looked as though we were riding into rain showers –but we escaped with a few very light sprinkles.

From there we all rode to our respective homes having enjoyed another Chicken Ride, courtesy of Ridemeister Gary.

Day 3 covered 265 miles so our total weekend mileage was 1,095.  I’m already looking forward to next year.

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/6144844780963825697?authkey=CPropffVvOn0rQE