A beautiful day here in The Hills for a ride!!! It also happened to be my 40th birthday today. What more excuse does a fella need to go for a ride? We have a new state park lodge at Mount Magazine, the highest point in the state. I thought today would be as good a day as any to ride down and treat myself to lunch. It's a great moto destination made even better since the lodge opened last year.
A map of the first half of the trip:
Sometime around 10am, I headed out on the Nero Corsa East on AR-16 from Fayetteville. The route follows the White River Valley with nice views of the pastures and mountains:
At Brashears I headed South on AR-23, known as "The Pig Trail", to see what was happening at Turner Bend Store. It's a popular hangout for motorcyclists and people who float the Mulberry River http://www.turnerbend.com/store.aspx :
Not much happening, but I sat on the front porch for a while. Some college girls, camping while on spring break from Arkansas Tech, stopped in the store. Motorcycles are always conversation starters, so I sat and visited with one of them for awhile. They were pretty cool. They are going to spend all week camping at different campgrounds/parks in the Ozarks. Turner Bend is always a fun place to stop while out riding:
Here's a map of the area. Turner Bend is in the lower left of the image where the Mulberry River crosses AR-23. "The Pig Trail" can be a fun road on a day like today when there isn't much traffic:
Heading North from the store over the Mulberry River bridge:
AR-23 near the Cass Job Corps Center:
Nice section of road. I'll get to run this again on the return leg of my loop, but now I'm taking a right onto AR-215 to follow the river to Oark:
AR-215 is a nice little road. There is lots of camping here. Hunters in the fall. canoers/kayakers/off-roaders in the Spring and Summer:
The Mulberry River is a beautiful little Ozarks river. Very popular with people who are into floating:
More curves on AR-215. This tight right-hander takes me up over a ridge and then along the river:
Nice view of the Mulberry River. http://southwestpaddler.com/docs/arkansas7.html :
Not much at Yale, Arkansas these days except this old chuch and adjacent grave yard. The church sits along AR-215 right on the river:
Next I turn South on AR-103 toward Clarksville. This it a tight and twisty section of road that leads over the mountains from the Mulberry River Valley to the Arkansas River Valley:
I stopped at the switchbacks that overlook the Arkansas River Valley to snap a few pics of the Nero Corsa:
Guzzi Eagle flying high in the Ozarks:
Purty, ain't she ?
Now a look at the switchbacks that lead down towards Clarksville:
Steeper than it looks !!!
Once through Clarksville, I take AR-109 South across the Arkansas River. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarksville%2C_Arkansas :
Morrison Bluff:
The Catholic Church in the small town of Morrison Bluff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrison_Bluff,_Arkansas :
A neat old circa 1890 house in downtown Morrison Bluff:
I head East on AR-22 toward Paris, but something catches my eye and I have to stop again:
As some of you have probably noticed in previous posts, I have a thing for delapidated old houses:
This is another great example of late 19th Century farmhouses found in this part of the country:
Just down the road is the small town of Subiaco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subiaco%2C_Arkansas This place is known for the 19th Century Abbey and Academy. http://www.subi.org/ Founded in 1878 by Benedictine Monks:
Next is Paris. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris,_Arkansas Of motorcycling interest, this is the home of Hannigan Fairings. http://www.hanniganmotorcyclefairings.com/
From Paris, I head South on AR-309 up to the top of Mount Magazine and my destination, the new lodge. This map shows the mountain and the Petit Jean River Valley to the South. The lodge is the white dot in the middle. Mount Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753 feet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Magazine
The Lodge at Mount Magazine. http://www.mountmagazinestatepark.com/lodg...bin-rest/lodge/
Completed last year, it has the feel of some National Park lodges I've been in. Top shelf, for sure, with beautiful views to the South:
Nice day to relax on the porch. I'm gonna have to come stay down here sometime:
Lunch was good. I met a BMW guy named Randy as I was walking into the lodge. He was nice enough to ask me to join him at his table for lunch with he and his daughter. They had ridden up from Booneville on the South side of the mountain. Nice folks. Good food:
Nice waterfall feature. I pitched a couple of dimes in and made a couple of wishes:
The lodge overlooks Blue Mountain Lake to the South in the Petit Jean River Valley:
I took a few minutes to enjoy the views at the edge of the bluff. No hangliders today, but this is a popular launching spot:
I turn around and retrace my route, heading North on AR-309 to Paris, then on to Ozark. At Ozark at get back on AR-23 heading North. Here's another great old homeplace. The log home sits, barely visible, just beside AR-23 not too far North of the I-40 interchange:
Heading North on AR-23 takes me back by Turner Bend Store. This time I see a familiar bike so I stop to investigate. It's "Eeyore" from ADVrider. I sit on the porch for probably an hour exchanging motorcycle stories with him and visiting with other motorcyclists/bikers. It's much busier at 4pm than it was at 11am this morning:
Then it's North on AR-23 to AR-16 and back toward Fayettville. Good roads and light traffic allow for a sporting pace up this great section of highway:
A map of the return leg of the trip:
Nearing Fayetteville on Black Oak Road:
I stopped by my favourite watering hole, Jose's, for a quick margarita and to see if anyone I knew was enjoying the Streetside Patio, before heading home. www.oleforjoses.com
I was gone for about eight hours and something just over 200 miles. I did my partying on Friday Night, so this was a great way to spend my birthday. Motorcycling is theraputic. I always come home with a smile on my face!!!
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