How about some Motorcycle Mania

These pics were taken at Motorcycle Mania 3. Motorcycle Mania is a yearly event hosted by the Clear Channel Network in Little Rock. Its always held at the Clear Channel Complex. If I remember correctly MM3 was held in 2003. I've been to the 2003,4 and 5 Manias.I'll start today with some tank art, maybe tomorrow I'll have some pics of Black Oak Arkansas, the featured band in 2003. All I can say about them is they were great. Anyways, on with the tank art.






I thought the pink pitcher was a really nice color. I just cant resist a good still life, what old oil painter could?

Big Flat

No, not that kind of big flat. Big Flat is a town in Northern Arkansas. If your in Marshall you can take Hwy 27 up to Hwy 14 and make a right. If your in Mountain View you can follow Hwy 14 North out of town. Leaving from Mountain View you'll pass through 56,one of the only communities I know of that has numbers for a name. Theres nothing in 56, a few houses, thats about it.

Big Flat isnt a big town but it does have a gas station, store, some old store buildings and some really nice old houses.

Not much I can say about the pics, they seem to explain themselves. Its a quiet town.

Bif Flat is on one of the greatest riding roads in Arkansas, Hwy 14. If you can only make the circle from Mountain View to Marshall its well worth the trip.

Waldron, Plainview and Ola

I'll put some more on the blog later on about these towns but for now I thought I would just show a pic from each. While I'm at it I'll include a house on Hwy 10. I cannot remember where this house is on the Highway, I have an ideal its somewhere near Ola though.
This is a painting on the side of a bank in downtown Waldron.

Plainview, Ar. has one of the widest main streets I've ever seen, for a small town. Seems like its missing something. Maybe at one time there was a town hall in the middle of town.

This is the only picture of Ola I currently have. The building on the left is the old Tiptons General Store. In later years it moved up the street to the West and now its also closed.
Ola has a wide main street as well, must of been a habit in this part of Arkansas.

An old house somewhere on Hwy 10.

Went by my birthplace today, Ft. Chaffee, Ar.

The old main gate at Ft. Chaffee


The dedication plague in front of the gate shack. Ft. Chaffee was named after Maj. Gen. Adna R. Chaffee.



Old barracks, line after line of them.

The old hospital where I was born. Just a bunch of small buildings with walkways between them. Some of them covered and some open. It doesnt look very big in this picture, its actually a huge sprawling complex.

The American Historic Motorcycle Racing Association

I missed this race this weekend. For some reason, I didnt hear about it until a couple of days before the race. Obviously I read the wrong newspapers or get the wrong email notices.

Click on the title to read about it.

I know it was promoted by www.arkansasdirtriders.net

Hwy 28 from Danville

Its been a few years back, but I have some pics here of a ride I made West on Hwy 28 from Danville. Its a pretty good road, I enjoyed riding it. I made an all day ride of it, going on to Waldron and back to Danville on Hwy 80. The two roads run parallel to each other. The best ride for me was 28, 80 didnt have much for someone looking to take pictures.

Heres a few pics from Hwy 28. This is an old "fake front" store about a block off of the highway. I cant remember the name of the community.

The horses looked lonely in this picture.

Amazing how people can let a nice old home just fall apart.

This house would fit in on a Montana prairie.


Wing, Ar is a quiet little community West of Rover. It has some old houses as can be seen behind this beautifully preserved old church.

Missing a turn is sometimes a good thing

Last year I headed west with the intentions of going north up some of the Arkansas highways bordering Oklahoma. Well, I missed a turn and ended up in Ok. Not being one to pass up a new adventure, I kept going. I somehow passed a casino without stopping. It was tough, my wallet itched and my mouth watered. I kept telling myself to stop, then to go on and evenually I just kept going after stopping for gas for and a quick decision.

I made a a North turn and then after awhile a right and ended up back in Arkansas after what seemed like around 100 miles. I gotta to tell you about the roads in Ok. They just arent like the roads here in Ark. I was on highways, with guineas, dogs sleeping in the road, rocks, gravel, tree limbs and plenty of road kills. Strange how things can change by just crossing a border.

I was traveling East on Ok 101 when I crossed the Big Lee Creek bridge, an old through truss bridge.


I traveled on a short distance to the border of Ark where Ok 101 turned into Ark 220.

This was an old house in Arkansas just across the border from Oklahoma.



I made one more mistake that day, which could of been bad but luck was with me. If you follow Hwy 220 it will eventually end up att Devil's Den State Park. Thats not ncecessarily a bad thing but I didnt realize that I would be forced into riding on over 20 miles of dirt through the forest before ending up at the park. The skys were not looking good, I looked as if a downpour could come any moment. Me on a cruiser, on dirt in the middle of the forest going into valleys and over ridges and around tight curves was a real gamble. The road could of turned sloppy quick. I took the gamble and pulled into Devil's Den feeling pretty good about my ride.

You cant really see from these pictures but road got rough for a cruiser. There was logging going on and the gravel dirt mix was bad in spots. After it was over though, the ride was a one of my most enjoyable ever. I like the unexpected.