No Bluffing at the Bluff
Trip Start
Mar 31, 2012
1
4
10
Trip End
Apr 07, 2012
Where I stayed
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Sunday, April 1, 2012
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
And I followed you, Big River, when you called. -Johnny Cash
The nasty people of Selma played a cruel Aprils Fools Day joke on us a day early by hiding the hotels and restaurants. While we stayed at the Selma Inn, where the electrical outlets were so worn that the electric plugs would slip right out, no joke, we couldn't charge our electronics or access the blog to reply to those of you who left a comment (sorry). Literally a mile west of where we gave up the search, a Quality Inn and Holiday inn Express lube existed. I have no doubt that both of them offered free glasses of beer and blog writing technical assistance to any motorcycle travelers from Florida that stayed there on Saturday night. Aaargh.
We headed west out of Selma and chased our shadow along 80. Conditions could not have been nicer. 65 degrees with not a cloud in the sky, sun at our back. Beautiful!!!
We did go through Cuba, Alabama, which is where I thought Lefty and I'd run into the federales but we made it through okay. So far, so good.
Made it to Vicksburg and the National Park
http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm and got the visitors stamp. I now officially qualify as an Iron Butt. We saw the Cairo Museum at Vicksburg. This was the first ship in the history of warfare to be sunk by torpedo. Rode around Vicksburg and stopped for lunch at the Walnut Hills Restaurant
http://www.walnuthillsms.com/ . The fried chicken was wonderful (I have a picture) and the collard greens had a bit of sand in them, just like my grandmother used to make them.
We left Vicksburg about 1:00 local time and rode over The Mississippi River Bridge (that's the name, clever, huh?) to Louisiana, headed north on 65 and went into Arkansas. West on a little tiny road, not really two lane, more like a lane and 1/2 and rode INTO the sun for about 200 miles along farm land and woods to Arkadelphia where we are now.
Pooped is the word that keeps popping in my head for some reason. 500 miles each day for two days will do that to you, I guess. The Talimena National Scenic Byway is on the agenda for tomorrow at about noon. I've read about it for years and now I get to see it...provided I recover from the sun blindness by noon...
Talk to you tomorrow, pardners...
Comments
Hot Springs NP is 30 miles north of you on scenic Hwy 7. The NP is a series of turn of the century bathhouses that used the heated spring water in their spas. The visitor center is in the middle of the block, park out front on the street. There is a public spring water fountain at the beginning of the block to fill your water bottles. It's then a short trip west on Hwy 270 and Hwy 88 to Mena, AR where you will pick up the scenic byway. You guys are making great time. Ride Safe.
Looks like your having fun with long days and rides. They don't call it Iron Butt for nothing. Congratulations!
Congrats on your Iron Butt status!