Arkansas Trip – October, 2000

Saturday, 10-21-2000

Ray arrived at my house a little before 10. He took a short coffee break, and we got away about 10:30. It’s partly sunny and warm. We stop in Grayville for lunch, then ride on to the Garden of the Gods recreation area. This is a beautiful hilly, area with lots of neat large rock formations. We take several pictures, then ride over to the small campground, which is full. We had planned to camp there, but that is out, so we head back to Route 1, and ride on to Cave in Rock State Park, on the Ohio River. As we enter the town of Cave in Rock, cars are lined up on Main Street, waiting to cross the river on the ferry. It’s just a short ride to the park, on the outskirts of town. We find a nice spot in the primitive campground, near the bathroom. When we realize it’s the handicapped spot, we move to the next one, which is a little hilly. When the ranger comes around to collect out money, he says we can have the other spot, as there’s no crowd today, so we move back. We ride back to a gas station and get ice and a few snacks, then go back. I cook some rice, and Ray gets the beer cooling down. We have a good meal, and scrounge enough wood to get a good fire going in the elevated grill. We turn in around 9.

Sunday, 10-22-2000

We had a very brief, light splatter of rain in the early hours, but no real rain. We get up around 7 to a cloudy day. We eat donuts and have coffee, then pack up, and take SR 146 west. It’s a great road, curvy and picturesque. We had short periods of light rain, but never enough to stop and put on rain suits. Before long we’re at I-57, where we head South, and make some real time. We’re in Missouri about 11:30, and take US 60 to Poplar Bluff. We stop there at a Dairy Queen, and have some ice cream, and decide to change our plans to go clear across Missouri before going into Arkansas, and instead, drop down into Arkansas right away. We take 160 to Doniphan, then 142 to Thayer, which is really a great road. We take SR 9 to Salem, then US 62 to Yellville, close to our destination of Buffalo Point Recreation Area. This is where Ray and Terri stayed several years ago, and he is looking forward to staying there again. A ranger stops us, and says there is no water in any of the bathrooms, except for the group camp area, where he recommends we camp. We learn later they had a big septic tank problem, and had to close most of the restrooms. So much for showers. We go to the group camp area, which is really nice and rustic, and has no other campers. We pick a good spot, and get our tents up. Because of the bathroom problem, they let us camp free. Between this, and the low rates we pay all week due to Ray’s Golden Passport, we get by really cheap. Then we head back to the nearest convenience store several miles away, and buy beans, snacks, and drinks. We get back, and eat cold beans. There is no wood around, and no where that sells it in the park, so we light my citronella candle, and sit at the picnic table and talk. It’s actually very neat, with no one else around, and very quiet and dark. I know that Ray is disappointed about the park facilities, which means we probably won’t stay two days as planned, but I think it’s a real nice evening. The clouds cleared around noon today, and the weather is looking great.

Monday, 10-23-2000

We have coffee and some left over snacks. It looks like another great day. Ray wants to see the campsite he and Terri camped out several years ago. We head out on the bikes, Ray takes a wrong turn, and we end up at the restaurant, which isn’t open, but sets up on a hill with a beautiful view. We take several pictures, then go back, and find his old site, number 84. We walk down through the woods to the edge of the river, where he and Terri sat in chairs to cool off when they were here before. After that we pack up, go into Yellville, and have lunch at the Hilltop Restaurant. We decide to ride up to Forsyth, MO, where the IBMC campout was, and then ride back into Arkansas, and camp at Bull Shoals State Park. We take highway 14 West to 125 North, and ride across the free ferry. We take road 160 West to Forsyth, and I show Ray the city park where the IBMC camped a month ago. Then we head East on 160, to 5 South, which we take to Bull Shoals State Park, around 3:30. With Ray’s discount, we pay only $3.81 per night. We’ve had good weather all day, and it’s near 80, and the heat has tired us some. The campground is very nice, good showers, a small store, and very flat for the tents. There are a lot of RVs along one side, but we’re far enough away that it doesn’t matter. We can see a huge tower up on the highest hill, that we decide to check out tomorrow. I buy lighter fluid and some cupcakes at the store. We get a fire going, but it doesn’t burn very well. It’s a beautiful night, and we enjoy the weather, the conversation, and what fire we have. We go to bed about 9:30.

Tuesday, 10-24-2000

We wake up around 7, have coffee and some food, and take it easy. We decide to stay here another night, and spend today exploring the immediate area. We head West on 178, and in a couple of miles come to the town of Bull Shoals, and stop at a nice looking restaurant called the Wagon Wheel. The food is very good. We ride on, and see signs for the Tower of the Ozarks, the tower we saw last night. We ride up the very steep hill to the tower. It’s 200 foot tall, and located on the highest point in the area. We ride the elevator up to the top, take pictures, and enjoy the view. The owner tells us the tower is an old oil rig. After this we ride on, getting on an unknown road and enjoying the country sights. We finally come out on Highway 14, take 125 South to 235N, back to Yellville, and then on to 5 north back to Mountain Home. We stop for some groceries, and get lost heading back. We stop at a gas station, buy some beer, and finally figure out how to get back to camp. We’re running later than I wanted, and I’m worried that we won’t be able to buy more wood. We do make it, and after both taking showers, we get a good fire going. We cook the soy hot dogs we bought over the fire, and drink beer. A couple from Mexico, via California, comes down and talk to us for awhile. It’s been another great day, good weather, great roads, and beautiful scenery. The night is really beautiful. The beer gets to me, and I go to be around 9:45, but Ray is up until midnight.

Wednesday, 10-25-00

As usual, we’re up around 7, and it’s another beautiful day. We have coffee and sit around the campsite. For the first time, the tents are covered with dew. We wait until around 9, pack up, and head out. We have decided to take Arkansas route 7, which is supposed to be a great ride, and was recently written up in Rider magazine. We take road 126 to 178 to 62, the same way we came home last night, and then 206 down to 7. For the first several miles, 7 is really great riding, tight curves and great scenery. After a while, the signs warn of "crooked roads" and hills, but the curves seem to spread out and not be so challenging. We also get behind some slow traffic that is frustrating. We stop at several scenic overlooks, one at a gift shop where I buy Abby and Emily Indian necklaces. Also at Cliff in the Rocks, a restaurant and gift shop, which overlooks the Arkansas Grand Canyon. We take several good pictures, and talk briefly to a guy on a Ducati. We stop in Russellville at a McDonalds for a drink, and to decide on our next move. We check out the map, and decide to aim for Wooly Hollow State Park. This requires getting on I-40, our first Interstate riding, where we make great time, then get off on US 65 an head North. Wooly Hollow is a very rustic, pretty park with only a few campers. We talk to the ranger, Ed, who is from Chesterton (I believe), near where Ray lives. We get a great spot, and Ed says he will deliver the wood for us. We get set up, and I head back to town to get a few supplies, while Ray stays at the site. When I return he is talking to Ed, who has brought a good supply of wood. It turns out they both worked in the steel mills for the same company, only a few miles apart. We shower and get a great fire going. We have a great evening of relaxation and talking. Ray’s knees are bothering him noticeably more than usual though. We turn in around 10.

Thursday, 10-26-2000

I wake up screaming due to a bad dream (being attacked from the rear by an unknown killer, while resting in the grass on a hill). It’s another beautiful day. Once again our tents are dry. We have our usual coffee and snacks, and talk about the day to come. We pack up and get away about 9. We head on up highway 25, and stop for breakfast at a gas station/convenience store that is also a restaurant with tables in the middle of everything. While waiting for our food, an older guy with a grey beard starts talking to us. Turns out he leads motorcycle tours, and gives Ray his card and web address. We get on 67 North, and ride up into Missouri, through Poplar Bluff, which is much larger and busier that I expected, and finally to Wapanello Lake State Park about 3:30. I thought I had been here before, but it turned out I hadn’t. The campground is right on the lake, and we choose a spot near the shore. There are lots of geese scrounging around the whole place. We get our tents up, and decide to go back to a restaurant we saw a billboard for at the last turn before entering the park. This is a bar, where several guys are discussing and arguing about the World Series. Ray gets a large plate of spaghetti, and I have catfish. The food isn’t bad, but is more expensive that we expected. We ride back just before dark. This place has the nicest showers and bathroom we’ve ever seen at a campground, and we both enjoy it. The ranger agreed to bring our wood while we were gone, and he is good to his word. We get a great fire going, and the sky is incredible, with no moon, and no trees to block the view. Ray, who didn’t bring a chair, has the great idea of bringing his air mattress out, and lying by the fire. Without his knowledge, I sneak my camera out and take his picture. We finally go to bed around 10, knowing we want to get an early start, and make it home tomorrow.

Friday, 10-27-2000

We’re both up earlier than usual, shortly after 5. Strangely, I am again awakened by my own scream, with another bad dream. This time I had just entered my house, turned on the lights, but they didn’t come on. I hear someone drive up in the driveway, thinking it’s Carla, but not sure. I try the lights again, and, as before, an unknown killer grabs me from behind, I scream, and wake up. Ray already has hot water for coffee going. Just as we’re marveling that we’ve had no rain, it starts to sprinkle. We’re both surprised, even though it’s a little cloudy. It only sprinkles a little though, and stops. We pack up, and are on the road at 7:15. We take 67 South to 60 East, then stop at a McDonalds in Sikeston for gas and breakfast. It continues to be a little cloudy, and looks like there could be rain ahead, but never is. We make great time up I-57, and stop at Salem for gas, where we will part. It’s only 11:30. I hook up my headphones to the radio, and take 50 home, as Ray gets back on I-57, which will take him almost all the way home. I have an uneventful, pleasant ride, and arrive home at 1:15. Carla has already left to meet Josh in Evansville, so I unpack, start some laundry, and wait for her to return. It was a great trip, due to the unbelievable weather, and our plan to not try to ride too far in any one day. We were in all great campgrounds, had fires every night but one, and the scenery, roads, and company were the best.