Mount Magazine Lodge, Arkansas

If you have'nt been to Mount Magazine since the lodge was build a few years ago, heres your chance to see the entrance. I'll get some overlook and inside videos at a later date.

Check out my last post.

I successfully posted a blogger video, the first that ever worked for me. Its at the bottom of the last post. This means no more relying on Youtube, if I can get it to keep working. I don't always drive like a bat out of hell. I just do it for the videos.

Ride to Hot Springs on Hwy 7

Last Sunday I felt like going to Hot Springs. I did'nt have a plan just a place I wanted to go. Have you ever done that? Just woke up one morning and felt like going to a particular place? It may have been the weather, I don't know. I know I took the mutt outside and the weather was fantastic, nice and cool. I checked the weather and the high was supposed to be 85 that day and that's all it took. I loaded the bike with my essentials and hit the road.
I took Hwy 7 since I had'nt ridden it yet this year. Just a nice slow ride between 50 and 60 mph. I made a couple of videos that day and got a little faster but that was for entertainment only. I'll put the videos in a future post after I upload them to youtube.

When I reached the Petit Jean River Bridge. I stopped for a couple of pictures. The pic above is of the old hwy 7 pilons.
The trip was uneventful for the most part, but thoroughly enjoyable. There were alot of bikes out in singles as well as groups.
Just before arriving in Hollis, I stopped at the site of the old Hollis CCC Camp (Civilian Conservation Corps). There are many sites on the internet where you can read about the CCC. Here are a few. http://www.cccalumni.org/history1.html

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=civilian+conservation+corps&start=20&sa=N&ndsp=20

Above is the chimney from the Activity Center at the Hollis CCC Camp.
I think its really nice, to see the trouble that Arkansas goes through to preserve historical spots in Arkansas. They put such emphasis on educating the public with vandalized markers like the one above. I'm guessing that this one is the same one that was in this spot ten years ago. At least it has something to read. Some of the markers have had the signs torn completely off, and they have been that way for as long as I can remember.

I stopped at Hot Springs Village and had a Extra Long Chilli Cheese Coni at Sonic.

I set my timer and had ten seconds to look comfortable, I think I did a good job.

I went on into Hot Springs adn rode up the main drag, then turned around and headed North on Hwy 7 for the trip back. When I got to Jessieville, I made a left on Hwy 298 which goes along the northern edge of Lake Ouachita. After a really nice ride I arrived at Story where 298 meets with hwy 27. I took a North turn here and followed it on to Danville and then to Dardanelle. I made a video riding on 27 between Rover and Danville. It's another great section of arkansas highway with plenty of twisties. A great day for a ride, I really enjoyed it. Enjoy but be sure to turn down the sound, once again I forgot to tape the mic. This is the first blogger video I've ever had work for me.

A Ride

Im thinking maybe Aug 30 for a long ride. Starting early and ending late. I have a route figured out already. Without getting into the exact route (it would be confusing), how about a trip North to Harrison then over to Eureka Springs, then up into Missouri and back down into Arkansas? Let me know if you want to go? I'll be leaving from from my house at 8 am and we can meet at Shilow Park, on Hwy 7 North Russellville. See ya there.

Todays Bikenight

The parking lot was crowded.

Did anyone show up for Bikenight? I was uhhhhh.....late. I did show up though. I went for a ride to Hot Springs and lost track of time. Fat Daddy's was closed. I guess I really didn't take this one too seriously since I hadn't told anyone in person. All I did was post it on the blog. So what did I expect?

I do intend to keep having them though, so keep watching the blog. Also, I'm thinking about posting rides. I'll try to go on a good long ride at least once every seven day break and whenever someone wants to go, that is if I free at the time. Just email me or make a comment on the entry I'll make when I finish this one.

I went ahead and had some events at todays bike night.

I won the hill climb. Above is a recreation.
I think I'll stop right here.

Dardanelle area

I went for a short ride yesterday in and around the Dardanelle area. Here are some pics I took. In case your not from here, Dardanelle is just over the Arkansas River about four miles from Russellville.

On the way to the River, I stopped on the Russellville side of the Dam and found this.
I can remember seeing this painting in school. http://ideas.aetn.org/productions/virtualtours/gov_mansion/gallery/gallery_pages?result_page=47

Entering Dardanelle, I stopped at the Courthouse. Dardanelle is in Yell County, which is one of the few county with two county seats. Danville became the first Yell County seat in 1840, later in 1885, Dardanelle became a county seat and it hasn't changed since.

If you read the plaque at the bottom corner, it mentions the Council Oaks, which is my next stop.

Council Oaks, where the Cherokee made a big mistake to the white man's advantage.

The lone remaining Council Oak.
A big tree.
Zoom in to read the inscription.
A large
very big oak, see the little boy at the bottom.

Next I went up the road to Dardanelle Rock. The picture doesn't do it justice, this is a very big rock. There are some ledgends about the rock. I wont go into those without doing research, which I may do later on. I know theres one about an Indian that jumped off the top.

Next, its on the veterans park along the river in the old part of town.

The three pics below are of Yell County Choppers, originally The Road House. The original Roadhouse is no longer standing. It was a few feet to the West and was an old white frame house. Yell County Choppers is located a few miles West on Hwy 22 out of Dardanelle.


I took Hwy 247 going home and found this. Awhile back, I went to Jerusalem and on the way back I found Mt. Zion Road. I went down it and didn't find Mt. Zion. Yesterday I was in luck, I found the Mt. Zion Cemetary. Its on Mt. Zion Road (a different one) in Pottsville on 247.

Arkansas's Dragon Tail

Its been dubbed Arkansas's Dragon Tail by some in the Motorcycle Riding world and I agree that it deserves the title. What am I talking about? Picture this... Take Hwy 7 North. When you get to where Hwy 123 takes off to the right, at Lurton, take that right and just keep going until you reach Mt. Judea. You'll start off riding the Dragon's back, then you'll hit the tail. At the tip of the tail is Mt. Judea. In my opinion, one of the best rides in Arkansas from a purely fun to ride point of view, although the scenary is also great.

I started the days ride by taking Hwy 124 N, I took some paved country roads also and ended up at Scottsville. I took Hwy 164 N, crossing the Illinois Bayou, then made a left on Broomfield road.

Old Church/School on Broomfield, along with modern convenieces.

This old house still being lived in was next to the Church.

After reaching Hwy 7, not too far North of Dover, I made a turn North. I eventually ended up at what was left of The Booger Hollow Trading Post. It was open for many years, I was sorry to see it close.
I stopped here many times while driving or riding through the mountain to have a Booger Burger. Back in the day when digging Ginseng was legal, it sure capped off the morning. I would usually get out of the woods by 1:pm and stop off here. Strange though, they were usually closed during Deer Hunting Season.
Home of the Booger Burger, hmmm hmmm.
The infamous double decker outhouse in the background.

A little ways past Booger Hollow, is God's little Half Acre graveyard. It's kind of a landmark in the area, a point of reference. Across the road is Gunter Pond. It's hard to find a pond in these mountains, it's pretty big too. If you go on past the pond on the dirt road (using a four wheeler or dirtbike of course), you'll enventually end up at the Northfork of the Illinois Bayou. If you turn left you end up on Hwy 16, make a right and if your lucky you'll end up either on Hwy 7 or old (dirt) Hwy 27. If your on an enduro, it should be great fun and wonderful scenary. Take a light break down Smallmouth rod and a crawbaby or three.

Some of the old graves if your into that kind of stuff.

Just before reaching Pelsor, I came upon this road washout on Hwy 7. This is the biggest I've seen since the one at Lurton a little further up the road, a few years back. Seems like it took a year before they repaired that one. From what I've gathered, this one has been here for at least a couple of months.
I would like to have walked down to my trailer and checked on it, but it was already nearing 100 degrees and its a steep walk. I took Cindy there once and Mark G. took his Suzuki. That was a big mistake, we locked our brakes up and slid to the first hairpin curve. I ended up riding both bikes out, Mark did'nt feel up to it since he had only recently purchased his bike. When I road them back up, I had to go as fast as I could while trying to miss any big rocks. There was no stopping, if I had stopped, it would have been over in a bad way. I trailbiked two street bikes out of there and I hope I never have to do anything like that ever again, it was scary to say the least.

Just North of Pelsor I stopped at the National Forest Fairview Campground to use the facilities.Clean toilet for a hole in the ground type.

My self portrait.

Not too far past Pelsor is the Lurton exit, Hwy 123. Turn here and your on the Dragons back. The fun starts here but quess what? My video is too large for youtube.

After arriving in Mt. Judea, I followed 123 to Hwy 74 and went West to Jasper. I was really hungry but to my bad luck, the Ozark Cafe was closed for vacation. I always stop there when passing through. I've even went all the way to Jasper just to get one of their Hamburgers, oh man they are good. I ended up going to the gas station and getting two donuts and a starbucks double dipper cold coffee. That did me fine until I reached home.

I found this old house in Dover about two blocks off of Hwy 7 to the West. Its part of the Jasper Museum which is next door and was closed. It had been moved to Dover for preservation from Osage, Ar. which is a little ways Northwest of Ponca, Ar.

The Cabin.
Cabin with water well, storage house and what looks like a small steam engine.
The pretty woman that lived in the Cabin.


<>I made one more stop before pushing home. I always stop at Rotary Ann Rest Area which is South of Pelsor. I sat around in the shade for awhile. Then hit the road, ending another good ride.