Todays Ride - May 2023

[carolinarider09]

Headed out to Oklahoma to ride the Talimena Scenic drive.

Todays ride and some short videos. 



Videos

https://youtu.be/9ffwdjf10Ec

https://youtu.be/HfpWXxnXL7g

https://youtu.be/XfFSJBoacew

[carolinarider09]

Todays Ride -



We ran into some rain on the way to Tupelo so we found a nice place, on a lake near Cedar Bluff, AL, with plenty of parking, to stop and put on the rain gear.







And, about  an hour or so down the road we found a nice BBQ place for lunch.  Al & Micks in Snead, AL.  It was very good and not pricey.   We drove past it and then stopped to get some gas.  We decided we would go back for lunch.  When we first went by, the parking lot was almost empty.  20 minutes later, it was almost full. 

[Big Rick]

Thanks for sharing your ride

[carolinarider09]

Thanks for sharing your ride

 

[carolinarider09]

Today's ride, from Tupelo, MS to Pine Bluff, AR.  Not that far.  First 50 miles was basically four lane, then got into some rural areas in MS and AR.   

I like the rural areas but the roads, especially some of the roads in MS were in pretty bad shape.

In AR, roads a little better and what is interesting is that all the fields we rode through appeared to be rice.   Don't know for sure but.....

Here is the ride.



Here are links to the videos from today.

Riding in Rural Mississippi Near Marks, MS

https://youtu.be/xgBoBeK4cc4

Riding north to Matragorda, MS.  Nice rural area.

https://youtu.be/VFFN1nCCbOQ

Traveling west through rural Arkansas on US 49.  Maybe near Marvell, AR.  Looks like rice is being planted ..

https://youtu.be/B7IpOKocAII

Somewhere just north of Jonestown, MS we stopped at a brandy new gas station.  Still stocking stuff inside.,  Wife visited the restroom first (only had one) I visited or tired to visit next.  Door was locked.  Gentlemen could not find a key to unlock.  Tried the credit card trick.  Did not work. 

I went outside for the views shown below.





And the important view.

[carolinarider09]

Yesterday's ride.

We traveled from Pine Bluff, AR to Mena, AR to ride the Talimena Trail



Weather was ok until we got to Mena and then supper.  Rained cats and dogs and other stuff just after we finished dinner at Chopping Block Steakhouse.



The GPS said there was a delay on route near Hot Springs, so I let it re-direct me.   Ended up going through Hot Springs National Park which is sort of marginal, it would seem.  Small and right in the town of Hot Springs but....

https://youtu.be/EkzjivOnKqA

The route through Hot Spings National Park ended up taking us down a very "interesting" road, not a lot of elevation changes but there were some really sharp hairpin turns I was not real happy with. 

https://youtu.be/41rpxFXs1dY

And then on through Ouachita National Forest West towards Mount Ida, AR

https://youtu.be/l_fpwoOB82A

https://youtu.be/HtaE9k1H51g

[Valkorado]

I'm seeing 'em.  Nice pics, and a $weet rig ya got there.

[Beer van Huet]

Thanks for posting.
Great countryside, CR09.
Roads not really a challenge, I presume

[carolinarider09]

Roads not really a challenge, I presume

So far, with the exception of the trip through the Hot Springs National Park, roads in AK were in fairly good shape.  No issues with AR 9.

And I like sharing where I have been.  Might help the next person looking for a place to ride.

[carolinarider09]

Todays Ride:   We spent two nights in Mena, AR.  The plan was to ride the Talimena Trail from start to finish in Ok and then return to Mena via a different route.   

However, the skies this morning were overcast and it was very cloudy.  Visibility was ok here in Mena, but we were sure it was not that good on the Talimena Trail.  We were right. As you can see from the "map" below, we rode around the area a few times.  Took a trip to Rich Mountain to see the Rich Mountain General Store.  It was not the same as when we visited there in 2006 or our first trip (just me and three friends).   

So, here is were we rode today. 



So, at about 12 or so, we headed out to see the Tailmena Trail.  The first video is the first part of the trip. 
The second video is about 10 or 15 minutes later.  We decided it was time to return to Mena. 


At around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, we drove up to Rich Mountain and the Rich Mountain General Store.   Turned left at the store and headed back up to the Talimena Trail.  Visibility was much better.   However, the road is in very, very bad condition.  it's suppose to be a fun ride.  But dogging potholes and trying not to break the front end on a deep rut is not fun. 

First Try

Part One
https://youtu.be/MrRWTVWzCm8

Part Two
https://youtu.be/BMKWgjhF2ZU

Second Try

Part One
https://youtu.be/bBBEuvAnv5Y

Part Two
https://youtu.be/P4TBWMg9ZnU

The internet is a bit slow where we are staying here in Mena.  Upload is about 1.5 bmps or something like that, but less than two.   Downloads are about 20 bmps.   

Where we are staying.





Where the bike and trailer are parked.  The owners ride as well and made room for us under the "porch". 

[carolinarider09]

We headed back home today.  For about the first time, we are taking the almost identical route back home that we took to Mena.

Just because. 

So, here is the route we traveled today



Here is a video of us leaving the Mena Mountain Resort

https://youtu.be/AEjompGxz2M

And some views of rural Arkansas on AR 88 Headed East

https://youtu.be/MRL2AEIxUwI

In a previous post I mentioned some "switchbacks" on a road we took out of Hot Springs, AR.

Turns out the road was Black Snake Road and does run though Hot Springs National Park. 

So I did a search and found out that it was riddled with crime.  So.  Don't take Black Snake Road.  Oh, the road is also in bad shape.

Here is our ride on May 19th, 2023

https://youtu.be/ICt_LmwgWA8

[..]

 

[carolinarider09]

Todays Ride:  Same as the second third ride post but a little better because I took the "fastest" GPS way. 

The ride:



Crossing the Mississippi on US 49 East bound. 

https://youtu.be/65Mnym_1zXI

It is interesting, we took this same basic ride (going east as in the first three days) in August 2006.   The place we stayed at in Stuttgart, Arkansas is either no longer there or has changed hands. 

And, of course back then we got to see all of the Talimena Trail.   Oh well....

Today's ride, basically uneventful. 

[..]

 

[carolinarider09]

Today's Ride:   Rain 90% of the ride.  When we turned what I thought was north to get to Rome GA, the rain suddenly stopped.   

Not a real "scenic" ride but the roads in Alabama are much better than Mississippi.  And better than SC.

Georgia's roads, so far good.

[carolinarider09]

Made it home today.  Was a very nice day for a ride.  I thought I had a good route from Rome, GA to home but.... it was not to me.  Took us about six (6) hours to go from Rome to Newberry.  Heavy traffic on the route I picked I guess.   Also single lane traffic on one road had traffic backed up for a long ways.

Finally just told the GPS to "Go Home" and it did.  Still a lot of traffic. but... once we got around Athens, GA all was good. 

I will have to work on going west or east in Northern GA. 

No issues on the trip.  Rain on two out of nine days. 

This is what today's ride looked like.  Oh, one good thing, we were looking for a place to eat before getting home.  Just so happens we passed an Outback Steakhouse I did not know was there in a nearby town.  So....  Five or six people in the restaurant.  Food came out quickly and was spot on what we wanted.  So a good end to a day that did not start out to well.



Total miles traveled - About 2,000. 

[Jess from VA]

Thanks for sharing Bill.   

Spring is the best riding all year up here in VA, but I'm involved with home repairs and have to stick with it (while I have the good help).