If you slab down, Eureka Springs is 240 miles from KC. But I always like the scenic route when I have the time. I made a decent 8-hour day of it. 331 miles on Friday. I lunched on 12oz of prunes from the Amish, where my faithful steed had just turned 33,333 miles.
I arrived in Eureka just before 5pm and checked into the HoJo Eureka. What a pleasant surprise that place is at $55 a night. Cold A/C, clean carpet, new fixtures, good beds, etc. I watched Nascar qualifying at Sanoma on Speed for a couple of hours. Chuck and the Squid Squad arrived at around 8:30 that evening and we rendezvoused at our usual Mexican joint for some grub. The huevos rancheros were better than I remembered. After-dinner beer and jokes out under the gazebo in back of the hotel.
Saturday morning found us at the Smokehouse with the karaoke lady and the “big-ass” biscuits. Neither failed to deliver on this hot June morning. Some jokes and speculation about me carrying Chuck up the look-out tower until we realize it’s pay to play. So it’s off on the bikes we go.
We get about 20 minutes south on HWY23 and Chuck has to pull over to tell the kids to pick up the pace. “Ride your own ride…..as long as it’s at my pace.” Huntsville and we’re stopping for energy drinks. This is looking like it might be a long day.
We made our way down the Pig Trail and stopped shy of Turner Bend and headed East on HWY215. That’s the video I sent you guys a link to. That’s me, yours truly, Mr. Mid-Corner Braking, Mr. Timid Entry Speeds. At the end of HWY215, with Chuck at my side, I took my helmet off, got a cool drink of water, and caught my breath for a bit in the shade. But then suited up as soon as I heard pipes approaching in the distance…. effectively robbing Ryan and Ivan of their much-needed break. “I feel bad,” I said to Chuck, with maybe a semblance of remorse. “We used to do that to you,” he said matter-of-factly.
Headed south on HWY 103, Chuck goaded me into a drag race on one of those long straights. It was a rolling street start, and by god I had him for what seemed like 100 yards. But then I experienced a loss of power that allowed Chuck to pass me easily. I immediately looked down at the instruments, only to realize I had bounced it off the rev limiter. In 27k miles, that’s the first time I’ve ever done that. How cool!
We used I-40 as a quick connect to HWY 7, which took us over to HWY 27. We’ve all been on the upper part of HWY27, but not often have we ridden that southern-most leg. And boy is it a doozey. Good road. Chuck blasts past a State Trooper’s Dodge Charger that was hiding in a bush. The Trooper settled for second best and lit me up. But oddly he lectured me for about 30 seconds and then sent me on my way. I’ve kept bluegill out of water longer than that and let them go. It was the quickest riot act I’d ever been read, a hodge podge of all the clichés we’ve heard before….quick reference to body bags and bikes being towed. I didn’t even take my helmet off and he didn’t even ask to see my license. I stayed on the lead lap even! Of course Chuck was long gone. We caught up with him about half an hour later. That’s where this pic was taken.
After 250 miles of riding on Saturday, we finally made it into Mountain View at around 6pm. In 90 plus degree heat and pure sun, we were all “cat-licked out.” Chuck decided he and the boys would eschew their drinking seeing as how it was going to be another 50 mile round trip to get a case of beer. Chuck in flip flops and NONE of us wearing helmets or any gear of any kind, we went and had Mexican food at the usual place. Afterward, we partook of the wondrous mountain music that Mountain View is known for. The heat and humidity didn’t seem to keep anyone away. What great atmosphere and charm that town has.
Sunday, we had breakfast at Hardees and parted ways. Ryan and Ivan both did quite well considering the oppressive heat and some of the difficult switch-backs they maneuvered on HWY23 and HWY103. They’re good fellas and I really enjoyed my weekend with the Squid Squad. 975 miles traveled when I got back to KC Sunday afternoon.
