Parot

Parot isn't a big town, as a matter of fact you cant get too much smaller. It does have a gas station with convenience store connected. It has a school and some houses but not much of anything else. Parot had a Church, well it still has a church, but I'm not even going to mention what kind of church it has now, not the denomination, not the style, nothing. It just doesn't matter, because in my opinion, and I know, believe me I know that my opinion doesn't mean much, but in my opinion an injustice was done to the town of Parot. I don't know if it was done because of fire, accidental or arson, or if it was replaced for modernization but an injustice was done.

Parot may not have a city center to speak of, it may not have a classy school or even a Wal-Mart. It had a Church though, a Church with class, one where I'm sure every Sunday, stories were told of the past and plans were made for the future. The old church had a bell tower above the foyer, something you don't see often.

Now Parot has a new church, one like so many others in today's world of mass produced buildings. The new one is built in the same spot as the old which is why I wonder if fire was involved. I feel for the old timers in Parot, looks like the modern world of plastics, metal and that familiar reddish brick has reached their little town.

A ride through Parot nowadays is missing more than a building, there is a link missing, a link with the past. As I went through town not long ago I wondered what it would be like to live in a small town and have its only landmark taken away. I stopped, looked around the new church for a plaque, a monument, something, but found nothing.

Its kind of strange but I know when I ride past the new church, its the old one I'll see. Somewhere there in the mist of time, it still stands. Children in their Sunday best playing in the grass, birds singing and the wind whispering through limbs of old oaks. The Paster at the front door will be inviting in the faithful, timeless, while the bell in the bell fry chimes.

Blue Mtn lake and a strange coincidence

On the same ride that I went to Sugar Grove on, I also went to Blue Mountain Lake. BML is a great place for camping and fishing and the roads in the area are good for riding. If you have an enduro you can see alot around there.

Blue Mountain lake


A bridge in the BML park, its a nice bridge with no water underneath, it just goes across a big grassy valley. Maybe its some kind of runoff area in case of flooding. I dont know.


When I was crossing the dam I saw something move on the side of the road up ahead.


As I got closer I could see it was a big billy goat. I was thinking this goat was in a strange place. I thought maybe the parks people had some goats there to keep the vegetation under control, made sense to me.


Now for the strange part. This is a long story and I wont go into it. Suffice it to say that I have a sister that I didnt know I had until a couple of years ago. After I got to know her she came to my house and I shared some pictures with her. When I got to these of the goat, she said something like, "Theres Herby!!! Hes alive!!!". She was positive it was her goat. Shes lives in Waveland just a short distance from the lake. Apparently Herby got loose and never returned, and ended up at the park.
Small world I suppose. So if you go to BML, go up to the dam, if you see a goat there. If its not Herby it may be one of his kids.

Sugar Grove

Sugar Grove, Ar is in kind of an out of the way spot. Unless your a roadrunner like me, you probably havent been there. I rode there a couple of years ago, it was my first visit.
This is how to get there. You go to the town of Magazine on Hwy 10 then go south on Hwy 109. You'll eventually get to a Y, the new 109 goes right and the old left. First take the left and go across the new bridge. Watch when you cross the Petit Jean River, because on the right looking from the new bridge you'll see the old Magazine Middle Bridge which traverses the Petit Jean River using old Hwy 109. This bridge is now closed to traffic but still standing.

Magazine Middle Bridge across old Hwy 109

Magazine Middle Bridge


I didnt walk down to the bridge because as usual I did'nt have time or because it was summer and snakey, ticky or chiggery. Back in the day when my main concern was riding all the roads in Arkansas I often passed up good chances for exploration, not anymore, I've slowed down. These days if the terrain is right (I hate chiggers) I explore. If there is a real fear of tick or chigger infestation then I take pics using the optical zoom on my Pentax.

You may as well turn around after looking at the bridge because the old highway turns to dirt shortly. If your driving or on an enduro just keep going and you'll end up in Sugar Grove. Otherwise go back and take the new road to the Junction of Hwy 217, make a left to go to Sugar Grove and a right to Boonesville. If you pass on through Sugar Grove you'll go for a few miles to a boat landing and the end of pavement. Just turn around and go back to Boonesville unless you have an Enduro, if so, just take your pick of dirt roads and you'll eventually get somewhere.

The ride is a good one, there is very little traffic and the roads have good surface. You can tell by the pictures that it was a steaming hot and sunny day when I rode there, but I enjoyed it, of course I always enjoy going places where the main tide of automobiles don't go. I may sound kind of strange but for some reason I enjoy stopping in at these little out of the way country stores when I'm tired, hot, exhausted, sweaty and barely able to speak. I get me a cold drink and a candy bar, sit outside on the whittling bench and cool down. If I'm lucky maybe theres someone from the area around and I can listen and learn about their home. You can learn alot about people and places from the stories tell and the shoes they wear.

I'm slowing down on my riding style, in the future I will take my time, visit more, explore and do alot more photography.

An old Sugar Grove Church (maybe school at one time also?)



An old house near the center of town.

A ride to Pinnacle Mountain

Have you ever been to Pinnacle Mountain? I've ridden in the area several times in years past. The mountain is just West of Little Rock. Just outside Little Rock off of Hwy 10, its a good ride or drive. Theres a trail there to go up, I've never done it but I have it on my list of things to do.

Cindy was feeling photogenic the day I was there so I took some pics of her. She was in an odd mood, she felt like going faster than normal. She liked for me to smooth out the curves and then really hammer down the throttle on the straightways. I like to hear her rumble, shes louder now than when she was younger, I guess her pipes are getting aged just right. After I first got her I had to turn my head to the side to hear her, now shes loud and I like it. I dont like her to get too loud, just a good steady rumble. I think I'll keep her for awhile longer, shes good to me.

Cindy and Pinnacle Mountain.



These are pics from below Pinnacle Mountain.

Branson Road Tour Rally 2003

This is a Harley rat bike I found at the 2003 Branson Rally. Hey, I shouldnt cut it down too bad, it did have two disk brakes up front.
(oh yeah, before I forget to tell you, dont bother with this rally, it sucked bad).



This bike was all chrome and silver.


The BMW enduro bike I would like to own.

Shirley Bridge

Have you ever been to Shirley, Ar. If you havent then nows the time. Actually wait till the fall foliage really starts showing good, which wont be long.
If you take a right a Clinton on Hwy 9 you wont miss Shirley. Its an old town with some old store fronts, good place for picture taking. Also theres the new bridge across the Middle Fork Of the Little Red River which have some good views. I spent quite a bit of time riding aroudn the area. The School on the way out of town going North has a walkway over the highway, which is kind of abnormal for a small Ozark town.
Shortly after you cross the new bridge you'll get to the old part of town, Hwy 9 make a turn here. Do youself a favor before heading out of town. Make a right on the old road, you'll go down a hill and soon you'll get to the old Shirley Bridge across the Middle Fork of the Little Red River.
The bridge itself is 153 ft. long not including the approaches so its a fairley long bridge. Where there used to be a wood decking its now covered with cement. When you get to the other side, if your riding like I was, you'll probably want to turn around and go back, because the dirt road starts there. Its an interesting bridge if your interested in old bridges. It was built in 1910 as a railroad bridge and rehabilitated in 1988 for vehicle traffic. Looking at it kind of makes you wonder what a train was doing there. Kind of a spooky area, especially when you get on the far side.

The approach to the old Shirley Bridge.

In the middle of the bridge, I wasnt worrying about traffic, only about 50 cars cross a day.

On the North side of the bridge, it gets kind of dark and dreary there.

Wanna do something different?

How about a trip on the only remaining car ferry in Arkansas? Thats right, theres one left in the state. Peel's Ferry crosses Bull Shoals Lake where Hwy 125 was coverered by Bull Shoals Lake when it was created. Its a 45 min round trip and operates during daylight hours year round. The one way trip on the ferry takes about 22 minutes, if it wasnt there the trip around would take an hour and a half. Its a good cheap thrill, as a matter of fact its free. Free rides are hard to come by but we have one right here in good ole Arkansas.

When I took the ferry I didnt just get on and turn around and go back, although alot of that happens in the summer when the camp grounds are full. I went on into Missouri and transitioned from the Arkansas Ozarks to the Missouri Ozarks. The state line is a short distance up the road after disembarking from the ferry. I've been across the ferry a couple of times and its worth the ride, even if only to say you've done it before its gone.

Waiting on the ferry.


Sharing a ride with Cedar Logs.


The Captains house.


The loading dock can be seen on the shore.


I took this pic while waiting on the Ferry, you can see it in the distance.


If you want to try it out go North to Bull Shoals. If you come North from Yellville, take Hwy 14 to 125 then on to the ferry. You can kill two birds with one stone on a trip like that. You get the ride North on Hwy 14 and the ferry ride. Hwy 14 is one of the most beautiful and exciting rides in Arkansas. I've ridden most of 14 and it is definitely one road in Arkansas you dont want to miss out on.