Coming Back Home - The Rest of the Story

Ok, we're picking up the ride where I left off about a month ago.  Heck, that's about average for me.  It seems a lot harder to find the time to write than it should be.  But, let's get on with the good stuff.

I left Paragould, Arkansas and continued my trek east on US-412.  It took me across the southeastern portion of Missouri, known as the boot heel of Missouri.  I crossed back over the Mississippi River and again got a view of how low the river was running.  US-412 becomes I-155 where it crosses the river and there are two bends in the river on either side of the bridge.  Both bends had sand bars that stretched across at least half of the river.

My first stop of the day was at the Parks Cemetery Ridge Confederate Memorial Plaza in Trimble, Tennessee.  I had read about a giant Confederate Battle Flag flying along US-51 which is also referred to as the I-69 corridor where a new interstate will ultimately be built linking New Orleans to
Chicago.  The flag is 20 foot by 30 foot and sits on top of an 85 foot flagpole.

The Road Glide below the hill that serves as the home to the Parks Cemetery Ridge Confederate Memorial Plaza.

The memorial was developed by the the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) which is a fraternal
organization dedicated to honoring the Confederate soldiers who served the Confederacy in the war between the states.  The park is near the Pierce Cemetery which is the final resting place of eleven Confederate soldiers.

Another beautiful day for riding and the hill where the memorial stands was particularly pretty and peaceful.

The SCV Camp 176 is the organization that developed and maintains the memorial.  Their Mission Statement from their Facebook page reads:

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.  The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America.  The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution.  The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.  These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.  Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces.

The state flags of the eleven states of the Confederacy fly around the memorial, in the order of secession.

I have spent most of my life living in the deep south.  My time in Alabama, Georgia, and Texas alone represent over 40 years of my life and the last six and a half years have been in Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy.  So, I think I fully understand the south and the respect for the men who died fighting for the south.  But I have to admit, I was slightly uncomfortable at this memorial and I can't really explain why.

I don't consider myself a "cracker" or a redneck, but I do consider myself a southerner.  I am proud of my southern roots and have no issue letting people know I'm from the south (just in case my nasally accent doesn't already give that away.)  Still, the memorial seemed to have a feel of not letting go of the Civil War and the issues that drove our country to take up arms against each other.  I don't necessarily think that's the intent of the memorial, but that sense was there for me just the same.

By most accounts, the southern soldiers did fight with a tenacity that amazed their Union opponents.  I think most of my discomfort arises when we try to use "states rights" as the honorable reason for going to war when in reality the right that was being infringed upon was slavery. That feeling makes it difficult to be a southerner who is proud of their southern roots without feeling like you condoned slavery in some way.

Then there's the other side of the coin (and we see it all the time nowadays) that if you allow the government to whittle away at your rights, where does it stop (think about how ridiculous it would have sounded 10 or 15 years ago if someone in government had proposed limited the amount of soda you were allowed to purchase at a theater or convenience store).  So, I can understand how 150 years ago the southern states felt like their rights were being deeply violated.  Cotton was the only real industry the south had and slave labor was the primary mechanism that drove cotton.  So, without slavery, the south's livelihood was threatened.

I get all of that and am certain that had I been a young man in 1861 that I too would have took up arms in support of the Confederacy.  But, with hindsight and the understanding of the past 150 years, I realize I would have really been fighting to allow one of the worst aspects of American history to continue and I think that's where the conflicted feelings come into it.  Still, I was really glad I stopped at this memorial.  I took something away from the visit that is as hard to explain as most of this whole section of the blog has been.  Don't worry if you are confused reading it, because I was confused writing it.

On a lighter note, I grabbed a breakfast burrito and a small coffee (having learned my lesson in Elkins, WV about large coffees a few days before) at McDonalds in Fulton, Kentucky.  I made another quick gas stop in Murray, Kentucky, home of the Murray State Racers.  Then, I headed for another of my planned stops, Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area (NRA).

The bridge over Kentucky Lake on US-68/KY-80 that passes through the Land Between The Lakes NRA.

When the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers were dammed to create Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, an inland peninsula was formed.  In 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated the peninsula Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in an effort to demonstrate how an area with limited timber, agricultural, and industrial resources could be converted into a recreation asset that would stimulate economic growth in the region.  The LBL is the centerpiece of the region's tourism industry.  LBL is nestled in western Kentucky and Tennessee and covers more than 170,000 acres and 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline.

This is pure speculation on my part, but if I had to guess, JFK must have owed a senator from Tennessee or Kentucky a favor.

Prepare yourself for a slight tangent here.  I'm going off in a new educational direction that will have you wondering, "What in the hell is he talking about?"  But, bear with me and maybe it will make sense at the end.

Most of you have heard of the Continental Divide (a.k.a the Great Divide) that splits the North America and runs through the Rocky Mountains.  In the U.S. this represents the divide between the flow of water with everything west of the Great Divide running to the Pacific Ocean and everything east of that divide flowing to the Gulf of Mexico, with much of it running through the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

But, there's a lesser known divide called the Eastern Continental Divide that runs through the Appalachian Mountains and divides the flow of water for much of the eastern U.S.  The Eastern Continental Divide runs southwest from about the New York/Pennsylvania state line in central PA, to northern Georgia where it makes a hard turn to the south and more or less splits the Florida peninsula right down the middle.  Everything west of the Eastern Continental Divide flows west to the Gulf of Mexico, again much of it through the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, while everything east flows toward the Atlantic Ocean through various watersheds like the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. 

Sorry for the hydrological divide lesson, but my point was (assuming I had one) that the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers flow from east to west and eventually turn north into Kentucky, where they flow into the Ohio River.  It's on this northern stretch that these rivers are used to form Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and give us the Land Between the Lakes.  Having grown up in south Alabama, rivers flowing north just kind of freak me out.  It's my problem, not yours.

On with the ride story and sorry for the tangent...I'll try to stay on point for the remainder of this post.

I made an attempt to go see King Arthur's Round Table at the Literary Park in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  It looked like it would be a cool stop with a big round stone table in the park as well as a sword stuck in a stone off to the side.  I did see it, but strangely enough, there didn't seem to be any parking nearby.  As best as I could tell, the nearest parking was in the lots at the Hopkinsville Community College and I assumed that would probably require a permit.  Plus, there were workers around the table, so I decided it wasn't worth the long walk only to find out the best picture I could take would include the city work truck in the background.  I kept riding instead.  If you really need to see a picture of it, you can go to the Roadside America site at: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12607

About 10 miles east of Hopkinsville sits another monument associated with the Civil War.  The Jefferson Davis Monument State Historic Site is a Kentucky State Park at the birthplace of Jefferson Davis in Elkton, KY.  Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America.  The park is located along US-68 and includes a 351-foot tall concrete obelisk. 

The base of the Jefferson Davis Monument was constructed of limestone quarried from the site.  The concrete walls are 8.5 feet thick at the base and taper to 2.5 feet thick at the top.

The monument is the tallest unreinforced concrete structure in the world meaning no steel or rebar was used to reinforce the concrete.  As one pour was completed, large chunks of limestone were left projecting up to connect it to the next pour above.  It is also the tallest concrete obelisk in the world since all of the taller obelisks are constructed with blocks of stone.  It is the third tallest obelisk in the world (behind the San Jacinto Monument, 567 feet 3 3/4 inches, and the Washington Monument, 555 feet 5 1/8 inches).

I passed through Bowling Green, Kentucky on my way to Oklahoma and decided then that I needed to make a point to pass back through on my way home.  I knew the National Corvette Museum was in town, but one of the things that caught my eye the first time through was the Historic Railpark and Train Museum.  What caught my eye was the historic train sitting alongside the museum.

The train includes a 1953 796 E-8 locomotive, a 1921 Railroad Post Office car, a 1921 Diner car,  a 1953 Pullman sleeper, a 1911 Presidential Office Car, as well as the typical red caboose. 

The 1953 796 E-8 locomotive painted in the Louisville and Nashville colors at the Historic Railpark and Train Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

I took a couple of pictures at the Historic Railpark and Train Museum and then headed for the National Corvette Museum.  I had to visit the Corvette Museum in honor of my buddy Tim Huggins who owns a Corvette.  The National Corvette Museum is located pretty close to the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green.  In hindsight I should have taken time to visit both museums, but at the time, I thought I needed to keep riding to make the most of my daylight.

The National Corvette Museum on the northeast side of Bowling Green.

As it turned out, I was less than 140 miles from where I would spend the night when I was sitting in the parking lot of the Corvette Museum.  I didn't know it at the time and was planning to go farther, but as usual, my plans changed on the fly.

I left Bowling Green and made my way east across southern Kentucky on the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway.  This is another one of those great parkways across Kentucky.  This one was named for the 52nd governor of Kentucky.

I continued on KY-80 until I reached London.  Here I made a stop at the Old Town Grill and helped myself to a couple of cold Bud Lights.  While sitting at the bar at Old Town Grill I decided to take a look at the map and determine how much farther I wanted to ride before dark.  I was guessing I had another hour and a half, but when I looked at the map, things didn't look that promising for motels down the road.  I did a couple of searches on the phone to see what I could find and ultimately came to the conclusion that I should just park it and call it a day in London.

The Budget Host Westgate Inn and R.V. Camp was right across the street and had a vacancy, so that's where I decided to spend the night.  After checking in, I made a marvelous discovery.  They had one of those massaging beds. 15 minutes for 25 cents. I actually didn't try it out, but it was a surprise to see the little slot for your quarters on the side of the bed.

I slept in a little the next morning and it turned out to be a good thing.  The day started out cool and the fog was pretty thick as a I rode through the hills and mountains of eastern Kentucky.  My ride out of London was on the Hal Rogers Parkway.  As best as I can tell, this one is named for a U.S. Representative from Kentucky who played a prominent role in getting the tolls lifted off the Kentucky parkways.  I think he is still in Congress (another one of those career politicians that I can't stand).  The Hal Rogers Parkway is the only parkway in the state of Kentucky that is almost exclusively two-lanes.  However, they do have truck lanes on the hills that allow you plenty of opportunities to get around slower traffic.

I had breakfast at a Bob Evans Restaurant (biscuits and gravy, baby!!!) near Pikeville, Kentucky.  My primary destination today was Matewan, West Virginia.  I've been trying to find an excuse to visit Matewan for a while.  It's home to a couple of significant events in history.  First, it's the area where the Hatfields and McCoys carried out their family feud for almost 30 years (1863–1891).  Second, it was the site of the Matewan Massacre in 1920 during the West Virginia Coal Wars that centered around a dispute between coal companies and miners.


I had a keen interest in both events and decided I had to make a stop in Matewan this time around.  Matewan is a town in far southwestern West Virginia on the Kentucky border.  The state border is defined by the Tug Fork River that runs along the edge of town from the northwest to the southeast.  The most prominent feature in town, if you don't count the railroad, is the flood wall that runs the entire length of town with huge flood doors that cross over the roads and railroad.

The white area you see to the left of town is the flood wall that runs the length of town.  The river side of the wall contains etchings that depict the regions cultural and industrial history.

One of the huge flood doors that stretches across the railroad tracks to protect the town of Matewan.

There was even a mini Statue of Liberty at the end of Main Street in Matewan right across from the Blue Goose Saloon and Inn.  It was too early in the day to make a stop at the saloon, but maybe next time.

I passed Randolph McCoy's homestead on the Kentucky side of the river as I approached Matewan.  That got my history juices flowing.  Unfortunately, most of the roads in the area are two-lane and don't have a shoulder, so unless you know exactly where you are going, there's no pulling off real quick and getting a picture.  I had to settle for knowing I'd be dismounting in Matewan and get my picture opportunities there.

The Welcome to Matewan, WV etching on the flood wall as you enter town.

Obviously, coal is a major industry in the area as is the railroad and timber.

Matewan came to stop shortly after I arrived as a coal laden train made its way through town.

Actually, Anse Hatfield (of the feud fame) made his living in timber and was one of the more well off familes in the area.

One set of flood doors where pedestrians can access the river from town.

I know you are probably more interested in the Hatfields and McCoys, but bear with me again while I tell you a little bit about the Matewan Massacre.  In 1920, the coal miners in the area were organizing a union.  Of course the coal companies didn't want unions and they were trying everything they could to intimidate the miners.  One of their tactics was to evict families of coal miners who were living at the mountain coal camp, just outside of Matewan.

The Stone Mountain Coal Corporation hired their own enforcers, the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, to evict the miners and their families from the company owned houses.  Baldwin-Felts had a reputation for being ruthless and brutal.  The sheriff in town was Sid Hatfield (a decent of the feuding Hatfields).  Long story short, the sheriff, his deputy and the mayor of Matewan met the Baldwin-Felts detectives at the train station and tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement that would prevent the eviction of the miners.  Instead, the lead detective, Albert Felts, served Hatfield with a warrant and tried to arrest Hatfield (the warrant turned out to be fraudulent).

It is still unknown who fired the first shot that hit the mayor, but Hatfield shot Felts next.  After the detective and mayor fell wounded, Hatfield kept firing, but Felts' brother, Lee escaped.  Lee Felts took shelter in the Matewan Post Office, and Hatfield eventually found him there and shot him. When the shooting finally stopped, the townspeople came out, many were wounded.  There were casualties on both sides.  Seven Baldwin-Felts Detectives were killed, including brothers Albert and Lee Felts. One more detective had been wounded.  Two miners were killed.  The wounded mayor was dying, and four other bystanders had been wounded.  The date was May 19, 1920.
The Governor of West Virginia ordered the state police force to take control of Matewan.  Hatfield and his men cooperated.  When the miners' union went on another strike on July 1st widespread violence erupted.  Railroad cars were blown up, and strikers were beaten and left to die by the side of the road.  Tom Felts, the last remaining Felts brother, had revenge on his mind.  When the charges against Hatfield, and 22 other people, for the murder of Albert Felts were dismissed, Baldwin-Felts detectives assassinated Hatfield and his deputy Ed Chambers on August 1, 1921, on the steps of the McDowell County Courthouse.

Less than a month later, miners from the state gathered in Charleston, WV.  They were even more determined to organize the southern coal fields, and began the march to Logan County.  Thousands of miners joined them along the way, culminating in what was to become known as the Battle of Blair Mountain.

This panel along the flood wall in Matewan represents the Battle of Matewan, a.k.a. the Matewan Massacre.

Now on to the more interesting tale of the Hatfields and McCoys.  Matewan is basically in the center of the Hatfield and McCoy territory.  Many of the resulting casualties of the feud occurred in the area surrounding Matewan and Matewan is home to the trail heads for the Hatfield-McCoy Trails for ATV and dirt bike riders.

I'm not going to give you all of the nitty-gritty details on the feud, but suffice it to say that the Hatfields and McCoys didn't like each other much.  If you want the details in an entertaining fashion, I recommend you watch the recent mini-series on the History Channel that starred Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as Anse Hatfield and Randolph McCoy, respectively.

The section of the flood wall for the Hatfields.

I did pass the site of the PawPaw Tree Incident where the Hatfields killed three of the McCoy brothers, Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud, in what they deemed as justice for the killing of Ellison Hatfield in 1882.  Ellison was stabbed 26 times and finished off with a shot during an election day fight that took place in Kentucky.  The McCoy brothers were initially arrested and were taken to Pikeville for trial.  However, Anse Hatfield organized a posse and intercepted the constables and their McCoy prisoners before they reached Pikeville.  The McCoys were taken by force to West Virginia to await the fate of mortally wounded Ellison Hatfield, and when Ellison finally died from his injuries, the McCoys brothers were themselves murdered in turn.  They were tied to pawpaw bushes and each was shot numerous times.

The feud reached its peak during the 1888 New Year's Night Massacre.  Several members of the Hatfield clan surrounded the McCoy cabin and opened fire on the sleeping family.  The cabin was set on fire in an effort to drive Randolph McCoy into the open.  He escaped by making a break for it, but two of his children were murdered, and his wife was beaten and left for dead.

I also passed by the Hatfield Cemetery where Anse Hatfield is buried.  It was another of those locations on a two-lane road that popped up before I could prepare for a stop, so I missed it.

The McCoys flood wall panel.

The corner of McCoy Alley and Hatfield Street in Matewan, WV.

I missed just enough of the Hatfield-McCoy sites that I need to make a trip back and spend a weekend in Matewan.  At least, that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

After my visit to Matewan, I had a 100 miles or so of West Virginia roads that ran along rivers and streams and made for a nice ride.  Once I got to Beckley, West Virginia, it was interstates all the way home.  I did sneak in one last stop to see the sign for the Greenbrier Ghost.  In case you can't read the writing on the sign, here's the story:

Zona Hester Shue died in 1987.  Her death was thought to be of natural causes until her mother began to be visited by Zona's ghost.  Zona described to her mother how she was killed by her husband Edward.  They ultimately exhumed Zona's body and an autopsy confirmed that she was indeed murdered.  As a result, Edward was found guilty of murder and sentenced to the state prison.  This is the only known case where testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer.

The Greenbrier Ghost sign near the Sam Black United Methodist Church in Smoot, WV.

The rest of the way was a mixture of interstates 64, 81 and 66.  I got home in time to join the neighborhood gang for a beer or two on Joe's back porch.  It was a great trip.  Here's the summary:

• 724 miles day 1
• 650 miles day 2
• 469 miles day 3
• 425 miles day 4
• 540 miles day 5
• 2808 total miles

When do we leave for the next one?

Coming Back Home - Day 1

I decided to take three days on the ride back home and give my tired, old body a break.  Renee headed for the airport around 8:30 that morning and I took off on the motorcycle.  She had the trip from hell airline experience all day taking about 12 or 13 hours to get home.  I spent about the same amount of time riding back across eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.  Only this time, I chose a route that took me across northern Arkansas and spent most of the day on US-62.

There were a couple of stops I wanted to make before I left Oklahoma.  One was only 25 miles down the road, but is a place I have passed many times over the years.  It's a Volkswagen Beetle graveyard where dozens of old VW Bugs sit rusting in a field.  I'm guessing they use them for parts, but they've been there ever since we've been traveling on OK-48, so it's become a part of going to Bristow.

The VW graveyard near Castle, Oklahoma.

From the VW graveyard, I had a few miles to go as I passed back through Okemah again (this was the home of Woody Guthrie).  There was another place I wanted to visit in Okemah.  It was the Highland Cemetery on the north side of Okemah.  Why a cemetery, you might ask?  Because I saw a grave site on Roadside America that I thought was extremely unique and wanted to see it for myself.  Take a look at the pictures below.

Barbara Sue Manire apparently had a great sense of humor.  Her headstone reads, "Our mom...her humor lives on".  Note the parking meter on the side.

Here's where Barbara's humor comes in to play.  The meter reads, "Time Expired".  I thought this was a great tribute to what I have to believe was a lady who loved her life.

From Okemah, I jumped on I-40 again and headed east.  As I was approaching Lake Eufaula, I noticed another motorcycle on the shoulder of the highway and the "Code of the West" says you never ride by another rider if they might need help.  So, I pulled off the highway and rode up behind the guy.

I immediately noticed that he only had one saddle bag on the bike which is unusual, but it could have been legit.  Instead, he told me he had left Oklahoma City that morning headed for Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  He was certain he had secured the missing saddle bag to his bike, but there he was with only one.  I told him I got on the freeway at Okemah and hadn't noticed a saddle bag on the side of the road.  He was waiting for a call from home where he hoped one of his kids would tell him the bag was still there.

I don't know how it turned out for him.  He was either going to head back home and get the missing bag or continue on without it.  So, there was nothing for me to do, but wish him luck and get back on the road.  I know he was bummed out because he told me he had his $300 leather jacket in that bag.  Let's hope it was sitting in the garage at home.

I made my way to Muskogee (you remember the old song Okie from Muskogee by Merle Haggard) to pick up US-62 and begin my trek east.  I also passed through Tahlequah.  It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome the Cherokee who were forced west on the Trail of Tears.

The federal Indian Removal Act of 1830 allowed for the forcible removal of the several tribes of Native Americans to new lands in the Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma).  Five tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole) were forced to leave their homes in the southeastern U.S.  Hundreds of members of each of the tribes died of hardship and disease on the trip to Indian Territory.  The removal of the tribes and their long trek west is memorialized as the "Trail of Tears."  Parts of US-62 traveled over the same area as the Trail of Tears, so this became one of the themes for day one of my return.

I made a lunch stop in Rogers, Arkansas at Ron's Hamburgers and Chili.  Apparently, it's a chain of places in Oklahoma and Arkansas, but I had never seen one before.  I had a bacon, cheeseburger and have to admit, it was pretty good.  It got me back on the road and off to my whole reason for being in northwestern Arkansas...a visit to  Pea Ridge National Military Park.

The battle at Pea Ridge was another decisive victory for the Union in the Civil War.  It was fought over three days of March 6-8, 1862 and involved more than 26,000 soldiers (10,500 Union and 16,000 Confederate).  It was one of the few battles in the Civil War where the Confederate forces outnumbered the Union forces.

The war was in its first year and the victory secured Missouri for the Union and drove the Confederate forces out of northern Arkansas.  The Union forces were led by Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis and the Confederate forces were led by Major General Earl Van Dorn.

The battle began when Curtis' forces moved south from central Missouri and drove the Confederate forces into northwestern Arkansas.  Van Dorn reorganized the Confederate army and launched a counter-offensive, hoping that a victory would enable the Confederates to recapture northern Arkansas and Missouri.  Curtis held off the Confederate attack and eventually pushed the Confederate forces off the battlefield.

Leetown battlefield at Pea Ridge.

It was near the Leetown battlefield that the Confederates were momentarily brought to a halt by a single man, Captain William P. Black of the 37th Illinois.  Capt. Black stood in front of the battery of six guns that were being attacked by the Confederates and blasted away with a Colt repeating rifle until he was wounded.  His act earned him a Medal of Honor and gave the artillerymen time to save four of their six guns.  The Confederates swarmed over the two remaining guns and, for a moment, it seemed as if they had achieved a breakthrough.  But, Union reinforcements on the west side of the battery came to the rescue and drove the Rebels away from the guns.

Replicas of the six guns defended by Capt. Black.

The battle continued in an area near the Elkhorn Tavern.  The tavern changed hands during the battle and served as headquarters and hospital for both the Union and Confederate armies, depending on the day.  When the fighting around the tavern began, Joseph and Lucinda Cox and other family members hid in the building’s cellar.  They remained in the cellar for three days and nights as the battle waged above them.  When the fighting finally subsided on March 9th, the scene around the tavern was one of devastation, with the bodies of men and horses scattered across the battlefield.

The replica of the Elkhorn Tavern was built in 1865 following the burning of the original building by Union troops in 1863.

It was at the Elkhorn Tavern that I met Mr. Dave Lewis.  Mr. Lewis is an independent historian with the Benton County Historical Society and was a pleasure to talk with.  He had abundant knowledge about the battle, tavern, and the area around Pea Ridge.  He certainly brought the story to life and made the visit extremely enjoyable.

Mr. Dave Lewis, my host at the Elkhorn Tavern at Pea Ridge.

The elk horns on the top of the tavern were the origins of its name. Mr. Lewis likes to tell the children that an elk tried to jump over the building and fell through the roof.  That's why no one is allowed on the second floor because they might get kicked in the head by the elks hooves.

There was an abundance of wildlife at Pea Ridge.  Several deer stood along the road as I passed through, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a shot of them.  But, this little guy was an easy target for my camera.

You see references to the Osage Trail and Butterfield Trail as you travel along US-62 through northwestern Arkansas.  The Osage Trail is associated with the trail used by the Osage tribe.  The Osages were semi-nomadic in nature, resided mainly in the Missouri and Arkansas area and were similar in culture to Northern Plains' tribes.  The Osage were ultimately removed from Arkansas and settled in Kansas.  By the time they negotiated the treaty of 1865, the Osages had reduced in population by 95%.  Only 3000 Osage people walked across the Kansas border into their new land.

The Butterfield Stage Line route was established in 1857 to link the cities of St. Louis, Missouri, and San Francisco, California.  In the 1850's, the mail was America’s lifeblood.  As the new country expanded west of the Mississippi, Congress recognized the need for an overland mail service to the Pacific.  When gold was discovered in California in 1849, bringing over a quarter of a million people to the West Coast, there was a huge demand for transporting mail, supplies, and passengers.  At the time, the usual route was by boat, either around South America or with an overland crossing in Panama, both of which were time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous.  After California threatened to secede if a faster mail service was not established, Congress voted in 1857 to subsidize a mail run from the Mississippi River to San Francisco.  It required that supplies and passengers also be safely carried in twenty-five days or less.  The six-year, $600,000 contract was awarded to John Butterfield, a former stage driver from New York, who was one of the founders of the American Express Company. (above text from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture)

Mr. Lewis let me know that the Stage Line only ran through this area for a little more than a year.  The primary reason for limiting the Line on this route was due to bushwhackers along the route.  Butterfield felt he was losing too many horses, men, stagecoaches and passengers (listed in order of importance).

This opening in front of the Elkhorn Tavern is part of the original Butterfield Stage Line route.  The old road continues through the clearing you can see just past the cannon.

I continued my ride down US-62 and thought about my buddy with the lost saddle bag as I passed through Eureka Springs.  I had spent more time at Pea Ridge than I planned, so as it got later in the day I began to wonder whether I should be looking for a motel or just keep riding.  It was too early to stop, but my concern was that once I passed Mountain Home, AR, motels were going to be few and far between.  I decided to gamble and kept riding.  I was hoping Walnut Ridge might offer a place to stay overnight and figured I could get there around sunset.

I had a planned stop in Walnut Ridge anyway, so it was convenient to at least take quick ride up and down the main roads to see if there was a motel.  I didn't find one, so I decided to get a quick picture of the local attraction and get on down the road to Paragould and, hopefully, find a place to sleep there.

My stop in Walnut Ridge was to see the Beatles at the Ridge tribute.  This sculpture was dedicated on September 18th, 2011.  The unveiling last year coincided with the 47th anniversary of the Beatles’ visit to the town.  The story goes like this...

The Beatles landed at the airport in Walnut Ridge late on a Friday night in 1964, en route to a weekend vacation just across the Missouri border.  Their arrival was a secret and low key affair, but word had leaked out in the community by the time they departed on Sunday, two days later, and a crowd was waiting to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four.  The visit by the world’s biggest rock band is now legendary in the town.

The sculpture is 10 feet high and 20 feet wide and is made of heavy weight aluminum.  It was hand etched with over 500 man hours by artist Danny West.  It features life-size silhouettes of The Beatles made from heavy carbon steel plate, and the backdrop of Abbey Road is hand ground on 1/4″ thick aircraft aluminum plates.  The entire street scene is featured, along with more than 30 hidden references to Beatles song titles, and album names.  There are also a few hidden surprises that were added in by the artist, that are unique to Walnut Ridge.  As lighting changes throughout the day, the hidden details in the sculpture can be seen.

The sculpture is on display in Beatles Park on SW 2nd Street.  The Beatles, All You Need is Love, was playing over the loud speakers to give the park a great feel at twilight.  It was actually pretty cool and I was glad a took the time for a quick stop.

The picture doesn't do it justice, but the scheme behind the silhouettes is from the Abbey Road album cover along with some secret additions placed by the artist.  Things like a US-67 sign, a 57 Chevy, etc.

This picture and details of the history of the sculpture are from the City of Walnut Ridge's website.  This picture gives you a better idea of the detail in the etching.

I rode another 25 miles in the remaining twilight to Paragould, AR and found a Quality Inn that could put me up for the night.  There was a Mexican restaurant attached to the hotel, so dinner included a couple of bottles of Coors Light and enchiladas.  It was a nice finish to a long day in the saddle that included almost 12 hours and 469 miles.

Hopefully, I can get the last two days of the return trip posted soon.  Thanks for reading.

Off to Oklahoma Again

Renee decided she would fly to Oklahoma and spend a few days there, so she worked it out so that she was there for her and her mother's birthdays.  That seemed like a good reason to take a road trip, so I made my plans too.  The biggest problem was trying to find a route to Oklahoma that I would find interesting.  I've made the trip a few times and it's getting harder to find a route that I haven't used and still make decent time.  I wanted to make the ride out in two days, so interstates were inevitable, but I still wanted to see something new.

I booted up the computer and went to work on finding something between here and there that would be worth a quick stop.  The return trip was planned for three days, so I had more flexibility on it. One of my favorite websites when I am planning a road trip is Roadside America (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/).  It lists all kinds of weird attractions all over the U.S.  Between that site and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (http://www.flavortownusa.com/), I can usually find something to capture my attention.

I dropped Renee off at the airport to catch her flight, then made a beeline back home to jump on the motorcycle and head the same direction.  I took my usual route across West Virginia through Elkins where I refueled the bike and had breakfast.  I ordered an Egg McMuffin and a large coffee.  Needless to say, I never finished the coffee.  McDonald's makes the coffee so hot you can't drink it quickly, so I had to toss most of it and get back on the road.

This statue sits outside the Hiawatha Trading Post in Elkton, WV - I didn't have the heart to tell them Hiawatha was a male. It's a good think I didn't say anything because I found out later it is Minnehaha, the wife of Hiawatha.

The temperature hovered around 60 degrees most of the way across West Vriginia, finally warming up in Weston.  I read about a guy in Weston who had a large stump in his front yard (Roadside America).  During the last Presidential election, he decided to turn the stump into a symbol of free speech by placing steps up to the top of the stump and inviting people to climb up and say what was on their mind.  It was his own little version of the "stump speech".   

Unfortunately, he must have decided in the last four years to eliminate the ease of free speech in his front yard.  The stump was still there, but instead of an invitation for jumping up and voicing your opinions, it now serves as the home to several vases of flowers.  I didn't bother for a picture, but did get distracted enough to pull out in front of an oncoming pickup truck when I pulled into the street.  I hate it when I do stupid stuff like that.

My next scheduled stop was at a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Triple D).  The restaurant was the Smokey Valley Truck Stop in Olive Hill, KY.  I use a GPS on the motorcycle, but the mapping software in it is pretty out of date.  It took me into Olive Hill, but to the wrong area.  I decided to blow off the stop and as I headed out of town, I noticed a place right by the interstate (like you would expect of a place called Smokey Valley Truck Stop).  The place looked closed and since I had already wasted more time than I wanted, I kept going.  I went and checked on the Triple D website and they recently updated the listing for Smokey Valley Truck Stop as "rumor closed".  I think I can confirm that for them.

So, I was only a few hours into my ride and had missed on two of my planned stops and my primary two websites had let me down.  So much for making it a more interesting ride.  On the upside, I decided it was time to haul butt and get further down the road.  One of the nice things about Kentucky is the various parkways they have.  They're not interstates per se, but they give you the same speed and limited access that the interstates do.  Each one is named after a prominent Kentucky politician as best as I can tell.

I took the Martha Layne Collins (first and only female governor of Kentucky) Blue Grass Parkway out of Lexington with the intent to make good time.  I had a motel room booked in Bowling Green, but I knew if I could get there quickly enough, I could cancel it and get further down the road.

My next stop in Kentucky was Cave City which sits just outside Mammoth Cave National Park along Interstate 65.  There were a few sights in the area that I had on my list.  Mammoth Cave wasn't one of them because I didn't have time, but given the tourist attractions in the area, there were plenty more.

Here's what I did find. 

Wigwam Village Inn #2 - This is a motel where you sleep in a wigwam.  It's a throwback to the old travel lodges that used to be on all of the old highways in the US.  This one caught my attention because I had also visited the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ (see the blog entry on that ride at http://irregularramblingsofaregularguy.blogspot.com/2010/07/las-vegas-arrival-fisher-house-ride-day.html) a couple of years ago when I made my ride out to Las Vegas, so I thought, why not visit this one too.

"Rooms" at the Wigwam Motel in Cave City.  Their catch phrase is "Sleep in a wigwam tonight".

From Wigwam Village, I headed into the heart of the tourist traps, Kentucky State Highway 70.  KY 70 is the main road off I-65 to Mammoth Cave National Park, so it is lined with RV parks, Dinosaur World, pink elephants (advertising something to do with the lottery).  In other words, all kinds of junk.

Yogi Bear at the Jellystone RV park entrance.

The entrance to Dinosaur World. They had a cool Pterodactyl swooping over the gate at the entrance, but I didn't get a picture of it.

Rickety old carriage on the side of the road advertising the antique/souvenir shop next door.

Not sure what a pink elephant has to do with the lottery, but I saw this one along with cows and other animals outside the various establishments that sell lottery tickets.

I was ahead of schedule so I canceled my motel reservation in Bowling Green and decided to continue down the highway a little further.  I set my sights on Clarksville, TN.  As luck would have it, I got to town a little before sundown and found the Midtown Inn had a room available.  Plus, there was a Hooters directly across the street from the Midtown Inn, so all was good.  I finished the day with 724 miles and around 13 hours of travel time, including stops.  Not too bad.

The next morning I got up and headed out for what I knew was going to be a long day just because it was going to be mostly on I-40 across Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.  But, I started my day with a good breakfast at the Dover Grille in Dover, Tennessee. Two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two sausage patties and toast for $4.99.  What a deal!

A guy came in after me and asked about my motorcycle.  After that we spent the remainder of the meal talking about bikes and rides we had taken.  He rode a Honda Gold Wing and had traveled all over the U.S. too.  It was refreshing to have a conversation with a stranger about motorcycles that didn't include a story about a cousin who was killed on a motorcycle or a friend who was maimed. That seems to be the conversation of choice from strangers who walk up to you when you're riding a motorcycle.

On my way out the door my waitress asked me if my breakfast was good.  I told her it was great and she said, "Good. It better be. I cooked it."  It was and if I ever find myself in Dover again, I'll be back.

The Dover Grille - Not much too look at, but good food and friendly service.

My next stop was a visit to the Fort Donelson National Battlefield that sits just outside of Dover.  Actually, Fort Donelson was my real reason for even being in northwestern Tennessee.  I love visiting the battlefields of the Civil War and Fort Donelson was a significant victory for the Union Army.  The formal surrender of Fort Donelson took place at the Dover Hotel, also called the Surrender House, which was only a few blocks from the Dover Grille and now part of the National Battlefield.

On the morning of February 14, 1862, Commander Andrew H. Foote's Union gunboat fleet, consisting of the ironclads St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Corondolet, and the timberclads Conestoga and Tyler, came sailing up the Cumberland.  For one and a half hours they exchanged "iron valentines" with the eleven big guns at Fort Donelson. The Confederates wounded Foote and forced the gunboats to retreat. At this point the southern soldiers thought they had the upper hand.

The Confederate Fort Donelson was located on the Cumberland River and provided protection to Nashville.  If it fell, Nashville would fall too, dealing a blow to the Confederacy. While it did a fantastic job in defending the Cumberland against a water assault, it ultimately fell to ground forces led by Ulysses S. Grant.

Brigadier General, Ulysses S. Grant was assembling his infantry.  He was receiving reinforcements daily and had surrounded Fort Donelson to the west and south pinning the southern troops between his infantry and Hickman Creek and the Cumberland River.  On the morning of February 15, the Confederate soldiers attacked the Union right hoping to break through and make their way to Nashville.  The two armies basically fought to a standstill initially with the Union Army retreating late in the afternoon.  The Confederates had a chance.

However, as a result of confusion and indecision among the Confederate commanders (Brig. Gens. John B. Floyd and Gideon J. Pillow) they failed to capitalize on their success.  Grant launched a counterattack and closed the Confederate escape route.  Floyd and Pillow managed to escape to Nashville and left Brig. Gen. Simon B. Buckner in command of Fort Donelson.

On the morning of February 16, Buckner sent a note to Grant asking terms of surrender. Buckner and Grant had been friends when they served together in the Army in California. Buckner had even loaned Grant money when Grant was forced to resign his commission in the U.S. Army under accusations of alcoholism in 1854. He was counting on their prior relationship to afford Grant the opportunity to offer him acceptable surrender terms.

Buckner was wrong.  Grant's reply was pretty simple, "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted."  Grant's reply earned him the nickname of "Unconditional Surrender Grant".

I love the language used in the Civil War and Buckner's reply to Grant's surrender terms captures it so well.  "SIR:—The distribution of the forces under my command, incident to an unexpected change of commanders, and the overwhelming force under your command, compel me, notwithstanding the brilliant success of the Confederate arms yesterday, to accept the ungenerous and unchivalrous terms which you propose."  In other words, "Screw you Grant, but I don't have any other choice but to agree to your terms."

The two generals met at the Dover Hotel to formally execute the surrender.  The Dover Hotel was built in the early 1850's and accommodated riverboat travelers before and after the Civil War.  Brig. Gen. Lew Wallace was the first Union general to reach the hotel.  He ordered his men not to gloat over the Confederate situation and told his brigade commanders "to move the whole line forward, and take possession of persons and property . . . [but] not a word of taunt—no cheering." An estimated 13,000 Confederate soldiers were loaded into transports and sent to Northern prisoner-of-war camps.  In September 1862 most of the prisoners were exchanged.

The Dover Hotel / Surrender House was my first stop as part of my visit to the Fort Donelson National Battlefield - Note the awesome looking Road Glide in the background!

The Dover Hotel sits on a choice piece of property alongside the Cumberland River.  It was a beautiful location and extremely peaceful on a sunny Thursday morning.  It is the location where Grant and Buckner formalized the surrender of Fort Donelson.

The fallout from the fall of Fort Donelson was tremendous in the scheme of the Civil War. Within days of the surrender, Clarksville and Nashville fell to the Union. The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, and railroads in the area, became vital Federal supply lines. Nashville was developed into a huge supply depot for the Union army in the west. Grant was promoted to major general and his subsequent victories at Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga ultimately led to his appointment by President Abraham Lincoln as commander of all Union Armies. 

There is also a National Cemetery at Fort Donelson that was established in 1867 and is the final resting place for Union soldiers and sailors initially buried in the Fort Donelson area. Today the national cemetery contains both Civil War veterans and veterans who have served the United States since that time.

The National Cemetery at Fort Donelson. The building you see is Cemetery Lodge and was built in 1877 and served as office and quarters for the cemetery keeper until 1931.

I had one more stop in mind before I drove onto I-40 and began my uninspiring interstate ride across Arkansas.  This stop was planned with Renee in mind.  She keeps bugging me to take her to Paris, so I couldn't miss out on a chance to visit Paris on my way to Oklahoma and rub it in when I got there.  I even got a picture of the Eiffel Tower to prove it.  Granted, it was Paris Tennessee, but hey, they have a replica of the Eiffel Tower there and I visited it, so I'm counting it!

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee. At 60 feet tall, the tower is a nearly perfect 1:20 scale replica of the original in Paris, France.

After Paris it was a mere 60 miles and I entered I-40 headed west toward Memphis.  Unfortunately, I had burned up a lot of time at the battlefield, so I had to scrap a couple of ideas for stops in Memphis.  I needed to make up some time.  Still, when your riding a motorcycle cross country, your butt usually dictates the stops and after another 60 miles or so on I-40, I needed a break.

I picked a spot in Cordova, TN that I found on Roadside America.  It's the location of what is billed as the World's Tallest Three Crosses of Calvary at Bellevue Baptist Church.  It actually was a nice park-like area where I could rest in the shade, so it turned out to be a good spot.

The three crosses at Bellevue Baptist Church sit just off I-40 at exit 15 (Appling Road).  The center cross is 150 feet tall.

While resting I remembered I still needed to get Renee a birthday present.  She's a huge Elvis fan, so I figured since I was so close to Graceland maybe I could swing by and get her something.  Luckily for me, I discovered Graceland Harley-Davidson and decided to make it my next stop.  I picked out a tee-shirt for her (and one for me too) and was soon on my way.

I crossed the Mississippi River and got a good view of how much the river is down right now.  It was the lowest I can remember ever seeing it.  Several portions of the river are either closed to navigation or restricted.  Seeing it that low really drove home how critical the drought situation has been in the middle of the country this year.  Hopefully the rains from Hurricane Isaac will help replenish it.

West Memphis, AR is a trucking mecca with the intersection of I-40 (running east-west) and I-55 (running north-south).  This is where I found my small self squeezed in with tractor-trailers in front of me, behind me and on both sides.  It was one of the safest spots too because I can trust the truckers to use their mirrors and actually take more care not to run me over.  Still, cruising at 75 MPH with the wind buffeting you and tons of steel all around can be a little stressful.

My plan was to take I-40 across Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma for the remainder of the day.  But, shortly after crossing into Arkansas, I saw one of those large electronic highway signs with this message, "Road construction in 75 miles. Expect long delays. Consider alternate route."  Holy cow, this is the equivalent of granting me permission to get off the interstate.  Don't mind if I do, so alternate route, here I come.

I pulled off the interstate at exit 242 and fueled the bike just outside of Forrest City.  US-70 runs south of and parallel to I-40.  It was the most obvious choice of an alternate route, but more than likely the alternate route of choice for everyone bailing off I-40.  So, I decided not to go that way.  Instead, I pulled out the map and looked for a route that would get me north of Little Rock where I-40 makes a 25 mile swing to the north anyway.

It was a great ride through St. Francis, Woodruff, Prairie, Lonoke, and Faulkner counties where farming was the primary industry and all I needed to do was dodge tractors and pickup trucks.  It was a nice change of pace from the interstate.  The only downside was the temperature was approaching 100 degrees and I was riding west with the hot afternoon sun cooking me every mile.  The additional time was also putting me closer to losing my race with the sun and riding in the dark.

I was back on I-40 in Conway.  The day was wearing on me hard after 700-plus miles the day before and I honestly began to think about stopping for the night even though I still had a few hours of daylight left.  Instead, I rode a little harder with only two stops between Conway and my final destination of Bristow, Oklahoma.

I found a good country music radio station that stayed with me most of the way across eastern Oklahoma.  The only problem was they had a slogan of "continuous hit country".  The problem was that the display on my radio shows eight characters at a time with a pause between scrolls.  So, it seemed like every time I looked down, this is what I saw.

This is what "continuous hit country" looks like when only eight characters can be seen at one time on a scrolling display.

I passed through Checotah, home of American Idol's Carrie Underwood, or so the welcome sign said.  The sun was setting as I exited I-40 to Okemah, OK.  Okemah is the hometown of Woodie Guthrie and had a couple of sights that I wanted to see.  The first was a statue downtown of Woodie with his guitar.  Woody Guthrie was a folk singer and songwriter from the 1940's and 50's.  His best-known song is This Land is Your Land and he was Arlo Guthrie's father.

The Woody Guthrie statue in downtown Okemah, Oklahoma.

Also in Okemah are the three water towers that stand side-by-side.  What makes them unique is that one is labeled "Hot", another "Cold" and the last "Home of Woodie Guthrie".  Gotta love that small town humor.

Hot and cold running water in Okemah as well as a claim to fame.

I rode the last 25 miles or so with the sun below the horizon.  But, I made it to Bristow in one piece and spent the next few days hanging out with Renee and her family.  Plus, my oldest son Jeremy and his wife Casey made it to Bristow from Texas on Saturday night to hang out with us for a couple of days too.  It was a good visit.

We met up with friends from Virginia on Saturday and had lunch at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill in Oklahoma City.

The tour bus sticking through the wall at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill.

Another view from inside Toby Keith's place.

I also made sure I got a shot of the famous Route 66 Shoe Tree.  The story says that the former resident used to see people walking down Route 66 back in the day and if they needed shoes, he gave them a pair.  Over time, people have thrown shoes in the tree.

The Route 66 Shoe Tree just east of Stroud, Oklahoma on the famous Route 66 that ran between Chicago and Los Angeles.

I will post highlights from my return ride later this weekend.  It includes another Civil War battlefield as well as a few other odds and ends.  See you soon and thanks for reading.