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.

Benefit Pool Tournament for My New Friends in Roanoke

The blog post below will give you details of my ride to Roanoke, VA this past weekend for the 2012 Blue Ridge Bike Fest, but I also wanted to take a few minutes and tell you about a benefit pool tournament my new friends at The Coffee Pot told me about while I was there.

AJ and his best friend Joy.

A. J. Leffler is 12 years old and suffers from a rare form of brain cancer.  AJ's currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments and has undergone grueling surgery to remove a brain tumor.  As you can imagine, medical costs are astronomical.  AJ's mom is a school bus driver and his dad is a retired vet, so they have both given back to their communities and country.  Break Time Billiards and  Saloon has
teamed up with AJ to sponsor a fundraising event.  Saturday, April 28th, Break Time will host a pool tournament.  Minimum donation is $10 for a buy in to the pool tournament or $10 donation cover if you don't want to play.  Still, everyone will be able to enjoy bands and guest performers and participate in an amazing raffle.  You get one free raffle ticket with your $10 donation and can buy additional raffle tickets for $1 each.  CHECK OUT THESE RAFFLE PRIZES:

NASCAR Race Tickets at Martinsville Speedway for the Chase Race
Tickets to the Black Dog Jazz Festival
Pool cues
Gift certificates
And more

Each ticket has 2 chances to win.  There will be food and additional prizes and a silent auction with great pieces of art from area artists.

So, if you live in the Roanoke area or might be there next week, join them in support of AJ and his family at Break Time Billiards and Saloon, 8118A Plantation Road, Roanoke, VA 24019.  The benefit and tournament will run from 2PM until 2AM.

Off to the 2012 Blue Ridge Bike Fest

The route to Roanoke, Virginia was meant to be primarily back roads. But, as most of my rides go, the hours sitting at the computer and playing with the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner mapping program was more like evening entertainment than actual route planning. To be fair, I did cover most of the intended roads. It’s just that I tend to get behind schedule and decide to jump back on the highways to make up lost time. This trip followed that same pattern. One of these days I’m going to learn to just give myself more time in the first place.

Ok, I admit it, the bikini contest was also a factor.

The stated purpose of this trip was to attend the 2012 Blue Ridge Bike Fest in Roanoke. The real purpose was to satisfy my urge to get out for another ride. I recently bought a new 2011 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra and I plan to tack on several thousand miles between now and say December. That means finding every excuse I can to hit the road. A biker rally a couple of hundred miles away fit the bill perfectly. So, I packed a change of clothes and hopped on the bike around 10AM on Friday the 13th and headed for Roanoke.

A prelude to the ride and one of the many great stops I made in Roanoke.

From a “get there fast” perspective, I had a couple of choices. One, I could jump on the interstates and be there in about 3 hours. (Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.) Two, I could take US-29 (a 4-lane divided highway) down to Lynchburg and then US-460 (another 4-lane divided highway) over to Roanoke and get there in about 3.5 hours. (Ugh, I’ve ridden up and down 29 for what seems like a million times, so another ride down it wasn’t very appealing.) Instead, I decided to see if there was anything between me and Roanoke that would make for an interesting stop.

Two specific things caught my eye. Schuyler, Virginia (I’ll explain why later) and the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. With those two stops securely in the plan, now it was just a matter of seeing what else I could work into the route.

One thing I typically do when plotting a route is determine where I think I’ll be around the time I get hungry. While there are always McDonald’s and other fast food joints along the way that I can hit in a pinch, every now and then I try to find some local tavern or bar that might surprise me with a good meal. 

 

For this trip, I was guessing I’d make it to Lynchburg around lunch time. I did a little “googling” and settled on a target for lunch. That location got worked into the plan and the ride was beginning to come together. The next step was to see whether I could use the route to collect a few points in Harley’s ABCs of Touring contest. I won’t go into details, but the ABCs contest is a creative marketing ploy for Harley to get people out riding their motorcycles, racking up the miles, deciding to trade them in for new motorcycles and keeping their loyal legions buying motorcycles. The more points you collect, the better the awards.  You know, good stuff like patches, decals, coins, etc.

One stop I needed to make was at the bank to grab some cash out of the ATM. I hate riding with no cash in my pocket and the wallet was severely thin as I rolled the bike out of the garage. I think I was probably 30 or 40 miles past my bank when I remembered that I needed to hit the ATM. Being a cheapskate, I really wanted to find a branch or ATM from my bank so I didn’t have to pay those damned ATM charges. It was probably going to be Lynchburg before I saw a branch of my bank, but I made a mental note to be on the lookout for a viable ATM. Hopefully, nothing would happen between home and Lynchburg that would require cash.

Waugh's Harley-Davidson in Orange, VA

I rode down US-29 as far as Culpeper, Virginia where I headed for the back road to Waugh Harley-Davidson in Orange. In the ABCs contest you get points for visiting Harley dealers as well as a bunch of different ways. Waugh’s seemed like as good a place as any to start. Plus, the back way into Orange takes you down Rapidan Road through a little village called Rapidan which sits on the Rapidan River. (That’s a lot of Rapidans in one sentence.) I spent just enough time at Waugh’s to take a picture and pick up a cheap couple of points for my ABCs.

Michie Tavern

The next stop on my plan was Michie Tavern. The tavern was established in 1784 about 17 miles from its current location and served as a local gathering place along the stagecoach route until the mid-1800s. It was bought in 1927 and moved in pieces by horse and wagon to its current location just down the road from Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. It opened as a museum in 1928 and is designated as a Virginia historic landmark. After a brief stop at Michie Tavern for a few pictures, it was on to Schuyler.

One of the many outbuildings with period-dressed hosts as well as tools and techniques from the early 18th century.

Meadow Run Gristmill at Michie Tavern.

Schuyler, Virginia is the birthplace and boyhood home of Earl Hamner. Hamner wrote the novel Spencer's Mountain and The Homecoming, which were the basis for his work on the TV series The Waltons. For those of you who are too young to remember, The Waltons was a 1970’s TV series that followed the lives of a rural Virginia family. You might remember, or have heard, the “Goodnight, John Boy” scenarios that ended the show each week. Hamner based the series on his childhood in Schuyler. 

Earl Hamner's boyhood home in Schuyler.

Schuyler was more or less on my path to Roanoke and provided a good excuse to ride some of the great state highways and county roads we have here in Virginia. I had gotten a later start on the ride than I planned, so I didn’t actually visit the museum, although in hindsight I wish I would have. Oh well, that just gives me an excuse to make another ride down there.

Walton's Mountain Museum in Schuyler.

From Schuyler, the route was supposed to include more back roads and, one in particular, VA-622, along the James River. But, like I mentioned, I was late getting started and since I didn’t have a dime to my name to even buy a Snickers bar and a Coke (my usual "on the road" snack), I decided instead to make my way back over to US-29 to make up some time and get to Lynchburg before I blew the entire day. VA-622 will have to wait for another day, but I’ll get to it sometime this summer.

The Rockfish River in Schuyler.

One of the best surprises of the day came as I rolled out of Schuyler and made the swithback turn from Rockfish River Road to Salem Road.  As one might guess, Salem Road crossed over the Rockfish River where a nice dam and waterfall greeted me.  To be honest, I didn't stop on this day, but it was one of the main reasons I decide to go back to Schuyler on my way home on Sunday. 

As luck would have it, I spotted a branch of my bank shortly after riding into Lynchburg. As luck would also have it, the drive up ATM was being serviced and they didn’t have a walk up ATM. I sat in the parking lot and waited the 10 minutes or so for the serviceman to finish up. Eventually, I was able to grab some cash and head on to the Stoney Badger Tavern for a late lunch. Fifteen dollars, an order of buffalo wings and one Abbey Wright Smoky Oak Scottish Ale later and I was on the road again.

I took US-221 from Lynchburg to Bedford. Once you get out of Lynchburg, it’s a 2-lane highway versus 460 being a 4-lane divided highway. At least I was able to feel like I was still staying true to my back roads roots.

Estes Plaza at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia.

Bedford, Virginia is the home to the National D-Day Memorial. “Why is the National D-Day Memorial located in little, bitty Bedford, Virginia?” you might ask. There’s actually a very good reason.

The Overlord Arch in Estes Plaza, so named for the operation that commenced on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

(Taken from the National D-Day Memorial website: http://www.dday.org/) – Like eleven other Virginia communities, Bedford provided a company of soldiers (Company A) to the 29th Infantry Division when the National Guard's 116th Infantry Regiment was activated on 3 February 1941. Some thirty Bedford soldiers were still in that company on D-Day; several more from Bedford were in other D-Day companies, including one who, two years earlier, had been reassigned from the 116th Infantry to the First Infantry Division. Thus he had already landed in both Northern Africa and Sicily before coming ashore on D-Day at Omaha Beach with the Big Red One. Company A of the 116th Infantry assaulted Omaha Beach as part of the First Division's Task Force O.

The sculptures in the beach landing represent the broad range of valor, fidelity, and sacrifice made during the landing at Normandy.

By day's end, nineteen of the company's Bedford soldiers were dead. Two more Bedford soldiers died later in the Normandy campaign, as did yet another two assigned to other 116th Infantry companies. Bedford's population in 1944 was about 3,200. Proportionally this community suffered the nation's severest D-Day losses. Recognizing Bedford as emblematic of all communities, large and small, whose citizen-soldiers served on D-Day, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial here.

Reynold's Garden at the D-Day Memorial patterned after the design of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force's shoulder patch.  The statue in the center of the folly is of Supreme Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The memorial is worth the trip if you are ever in the area. Bedford is only about 30 miles east of I-81 from Roanoke, so it's not too far out of your way if you are passing through Virginia on I-81. I recommend a visit if you can work it into your schedule.

One of the many moving tributes at the D-Day Memorial.

I arrived at my motel in Roanoke at 4:00 that afternoon. The rally had officially started at 1PM, so after checking in, I rode over to the Roanoke Civic Center, paid my $15 for my weekend pass and killed some time looking at the various vendors and their wares. The band, Guitardogs, were playing in the plaza when I arrived and the obligatory bikini contest was slated to start at 6:30 on the main stage.

This was literally the first thing I saw after entering the gate and getting my wristband for the weekend.  I think I'm going to like it here.

I'll be writing up a rally report for Bikernet.com, but I enjoyed the evening wandering around looking at motorcycles and all the “fixins” they make to go with them. The Gypsy Sons took the stage after the bikini contest, so I stuck around for a few songs, then headed off to find dinner.

The Wall of Death was roaring with excitement as they rode a go cart and motorcycles around it sideways.  Ain't centrifugal force great! 

I know I'll have at least a couple of buddies who will be ticked off if I mention the bikini contest and then don't include a picture of it on the blog.  Here you go, fellas!

The Gypsy Sons rocking it out for the crowds on the plaza.

I hadn't done any research on places to eat in Roanoke, but I was familiar with one trusted stand-by place where I knew the wings would be hot and the beer would be cold. That's right, I made my way over to Hooters. After dinner, it was back to the motel to do some research on places to visit and things to do the next day.

Saturday dawned with another great day for riding. I had a trip planned that would take me west of Roanoke, then snake back through the hills and valleys into Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech, then back to Roanoke for a couple of stops at places that look interesting. If all went as planned, I'd spend most of the day riding with stops at just about the right time to give my butt a nice break at a location where I could also wet my whistle.

Plaque at the April 16th Memorial at Virginia Tech.  I was visiting Blacksburg just a couple of days before the 5th anniversary of that tragic day that took 32 lives.

My first priority was breakfast. The night before I had stumbled across a place on the Internet called Texas Tavern. It had been around since 1930 and was open 24/7 serving hamburgers, chili, and other essentials. I decided to make that my breakfast stop. It was a wise decision. While I had eggs, bacon and toast, the guy two stools down from me had a cheeseburger and chili. At 8 in the morning! I love this place!

The Texas Tavern. A Roanoke institution for more than 82 years.

From Texas Tavern, I rode out of town eventually making my way to VA-311 and rode it north to a little cross roads called Paint Bank. Another 4 miles north on VA-311 from Paint Bank and you cross into West Virginia. I didn't go that far. I stopped in Paint Bank and absorbed the peacefulness that comes with being somewhere and nowhere at the same time. Paint Bank has a general store, a bed and breakfast and a restaurant. The store and restaurant share a building and the B&B, Depot Lodge, is across the street within a stone's throw. 

Paint Bank General Store with the Swinging Bridge Restaurant in the back.

Depot Lodge in Paint Bank.

The view from Tingler's Mill, the gristmill in Paint Bank looking back at the general store.

I retraced my route on VA-311 until I got to New Castle where I turned southwest on VA-42 (another great road) and took it to Newport where I grabbed US-460 east and rode into Blacksburg. I had one simple reason for going to Blacksburg. I was here to visit the famous (or is it infamous) TOTS. The real name of the bar is Top of The Stairs, but everyone refers to it as TOTS. Since I had never been here before, I figured today was as good a day as any to pop in. I had a good ol' Texas beer, Shiner Bock, which is difficult to find on tap here in Virginia.

The New Castle overlook on VA-42 with New Castle down below.

My next stop was The Coffee Pot. I found this bar online and was fascinated with the history of it. It was built in 1936 and became a roadhouse in 1937. It was built using the roadside architecture that was typical in that time and featured a coffee pot on the southwest end of the building. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has hosted a lot of great acts over the years like Willie Nelson, Rick Derringer, and Ritchie Valens. I had to visit it.

The Coffee Pot Roadhouse - You gotta go there!

The Coffee Pot did not disappoint. It was exactly like I imagined it would be. The bartender, Kelly, was serving 4 or 5 other patrons when I walked in and they all welcomed me like I was one of the regulars. I took a few pictures of the interior and enjoyed a couple of Virginia brews from the Starr Hill Brewery. I really want to go back to Roanoke just to visit the Coffee Pot and Texas Tavern again.

The dining area and the stage in the background that's hosted so many great acts.

The front of the fireplace in the Coffee Pot

The backside of the fireplace at the Coffee Pot

The booths in the Coffee Pot

A close-up of the booth back - Do you get the sense I really liked this place?  It was great!

I rode back to the Civic Center to see what was going on at the rally. The crowds were much bigger on Saturday and Untax't Whiskey was playing on the Plaza stage. The finals of the bikini contest were scheduled to start in a couple of hours, but by now my breakfast had worn off and I was getting hungry.  I decided to skip out on the bikini contest finals and go find some dinner.  I realize that jeopardizes my "man card", but I was hungry.

The crowds at the rally grew quite a bit on Saturday.

A restaurant had caught my eye while I was researching Roanoke the night before and I suddenly had a craving for shrimp and grits. That meant a trip to Blue 5 Restaurant in downtown Roanoke. Southern cuisine and craft beer. Sounds like my kind of place. Home to 46 beers on tap and their signature dish, Shrimp Creole and Grits. On my, it was good; REAL GOOD!

I decided to call it a day after dinner and rode back to the motel to plan the ride home in the morning. I was meeting Renee and friends at the Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill and needed to find out the time and figure out if I could squeeze in something interesting on the way.

Unfortunately, I chose the quick route back since I had about 195 miles to go and the gang decided on a noon meeting. That means there is little to write about. I rolled out of the motel a little before 6AM and took the US-460, US-29 route back. I did manage to squeeze in a McDonald's breakfast burrito and backtracked to Schuyler again to get better pictures than I did the first day through.  Unfortunately, I missed the first turn to Schuyler that would have taken me along the Rockfish River all the way there.  Instead, I used VA-6 and came into Schuyler the same way I had on Friday.

Another shot of the Rockfish River in Schuyler and remnants of the soapstone factory that once stood here.

Luckily, I got to sneak off US-29 in Madison and take VA-231 north. This is a nice ride between Madison and Sperryville with minimal traffic and enough scenery to keep it interesting. The road passes a few miles east of Old Rag Mountain, one of Shenandoah National Park's most popular hiking mountains. With it's proximity to Washington, DC, it's the most hiked and the most dangerous based on the number of search and rescue missions each year.

Old Rag Photo by Alan Williams from the Shenandoah National Park website at http://www.nps.gov/shen

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After a good lunch with great friends, Renee donned her helmet and climbed on the back of the bike to ride home with me. It was her first ride on the new bike and based on her enthusiasm when we arrived home, I'm going to paraphrase Sally Field's 1985 Academy Award acceptance speech and say, “She likes it! Right now, she likes it!”

Until next time, which hopefully will be soon, see you on the road to nowhere.