Ozarks!

[Joe Nardy]

Cathy and I just got home from a nine day trip to the Arkansas Ozarks. Bwringer and Wazz joined us for the first part of the trip. We spent last Saturday and Sunday getting to Eureka Springs where we spent four nights. Brian left Wednesday and Wazz left Thursday. Cathy and I went from Eureka Springs to Hot Springs on Thursday and left for home yesterday.

The roads were fantastic! There are constant elevation changes and curves ranging from long constant radius sweepers to 10 mph switchbacks. The roads were mostly in great shape, very smooth with few surprises. The best part was that there is virtually no traffic on the roads. We basically had the roads to ourselves. Route 123 from Mt. Judea to Hagarville was mind-blowing. Route 7 from Ola to Hot Springs was excellent too, not as technical as 123 but very scenic and fun. Route 90 between Washburn and Noel Missouri was great. 23, part of which is the Pig Trail was nice but the pavement wasn't in the greatest shape. There are more nice roads which I'll need to review my notes to remember but it's hard to go wrong in that area. I've been wanting to ride out there for years and it was worth the wait.

We're already thinking about an Ozarks 2012 trip.....

Thanks,
Joe

[FLHGSRay]

Never ridden in nw Ar, but I've spent thousands of hours north and east of there in Mo Ozarks. Beautiful riding, good roads, little traffic. I've heard a lot of good things about nw Ar, only a 4-5 hr ride for me. Need to try it soon.

[wazz]

Awesome, late season adventure !
Perfect timing, kids were back in school and tourists were few and far between.

Endless sweepers, one after another. Some technical stuff, but mostly perfect sweeping curves.
Pavement was expectional IMO, maybe 2 corners with a little gravel all week.
We had most of the roads to ourselves, you could run 50+ miles of twisties without seeing anyone else, no cars, no bikes, no LEO, no one.

Eureka Springs was a perfect place to base the trip, lots of inexpensive hotels and plenty of dining choices,many within walking distance from our hotel. The town itself reminds me of Galena, but quite a bit larger, with lots of shops and a historical past. They have made a effort to attract motorcyclists, with "Biker Friendly" signs at most businesses. Perhaps the term "Biker" is lost on the locals, but welcoming just the same.

I'm missing some highlights here, but regardless the area is highly recommended.

-greg

[bwringer]

Agreed on all points! Wish I could have stayed a bit longer to run some of the roads the other direction.

The lack of filth on the roads was amazing -- I'm used to Indiana roads where gravel and dirt is just part of the deal, and you get numb to riding between gravel chunks after a while. But in Missouri and Arkansas, even on a road containing hundreds of working farms, there was little to no debris.

With that said, there are some great roads that just end in gravel. Nothing dangerous, and it wasn't exactly heartbreaking to turn around and ride the beautiful, deserted sweepers of 220 or 219 back the other way. Just make sure you gas up at every chance. Arkansas is also a great dual-sport destination, should your tastes run to dirt and gravel.

Eureka Springs is a bit of a tourist trap, but all the competition keeps motel prices low. And getting lost in the "old downtown" was a fascinating exercise in low-speed maneuverability and clutch control on hills...

I'll also mention "Arkansas Adventure Rider", a great little shop in Eureka Springs that was very close to our hotel, and absolutely stuffed with real riding gear, parts, supplies, etc. The sign out front says "no skirts or earrings sold here" and he means it.

[conrail]

Always like to see pictures especially since I am not familiar with that area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OrwDpPw0vU&feature=related

[Joe Nardy]

Always like to see pictures especially since I am not familiar with that area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OrwD...eature=related

You obviously don't know us very well.

Greg, Brian, have you posted the hundreds of pics you took yet?

[wazz]

You obviously don't know us very well.

Greg, Brian, have you posted the hundreds of pics you took yet?

Ha, all of us were well over 2500 miles for this trip, and have virtually ZERO pics !

What few pics were taken are at meals or gas stops.
Way, way too many awesome roads to get carried away stopping for pictures and none our photo-journalists could make the trip. Next time.....

[Dogma]

Ha, all of us were well over 2500 miles for this trip, and have virtually ZERO pics !

What few pics were taken are at meals or gas stops.
Way, way too many awesome roads to get carried away stopping for pictures and none our photo-journalists could make the trip. Next time.....

Our Triple Nickel trip was like that. We need a way to snap pictures in the split second we spend blitzing past scenic views.