Dave and I had been kicking around the idea of a ride up to the Talimena Parkways in Oklahoma/Arkansas ever since our last trip together when we rode down to south Texas. Since next weekend is Mother's Day, and we both had "obligations", we decided that the weekend of May 6-7 was our best shot. Around here it's going to start getting HOT and putting it off is not a good idea. So we took off early Sunday, rode up Interstate 75 from Texas into Oklahoma, Turned East at Stringtown (it's had to find on a map) and took state highway 43 to Sardis Lake. From there we picked up highway 2 and then hit highway 1 (Talimena Parkway and rode that for 50 some miles) to Mena Arkansas. It was a very fun ride. We stopped a couple of time to take pictures, got hung up multiple times behind strings of slow moving Harleys and their chaise vehicles, but all in all it was a great relaxing ride. We got to Mena around 4:00. We were tired and decided to have an early supper. The Italian food place, next to the hotel was closed for the evening. We had planned to walk over and have a number of adult beverages but it was not to be. In fact getting adult beverages in Arkansas proved to be problematic in and of itself. We settled for a stuffed Pizza and bread sticks at Pizza Hut. Dave noticed a white Gold Wing parked at our hotel. He said it looked like it belong to Chad. I know Chad as a regular customer from the dealership. After a few text messages it was determined that it was indeed Chad and his buddy Ty. We decided to ride back with them in the morning taking the same route we had just traversed. That was OK with me, the Parkways is a blast to ride forward or backward. We met them for the traditional pre-ride McDonalds breakfast and we were on the road by 8:00. To say that we made good time was an understatement. We rode the Parkway at a brisk pace, unless hindered by Harleys, and didn't stop until we hit Atoka Oklahoma about 140 miles later. On the way up we were stopping about every 80 miles or so. Dave has been having trouble with the busted down foam in his Tigers stock seat and I knew he was dying. He was already researching seat options when we got back to town. I left the group in Sherman and made my uneventful way home, all be it at a slower pace. The wind had picked up out of the South and it was bouncing me around quite a bit. I was pretty tired when I got to the house. It was a fun trip but way too short.
It looks like you had a good day out - indeed so good that Dave is making a silent prayer to the great Triumph! Great photos and entertaining ride report! Thanks. :thumbsup: Over here I am getting fed up cleaning soggy bikes. I wish the procession of alternate rainy days over here would end, and we get some proper sunny biking weather on fully dry roads! Perhaps prayer is the answer!ray: SkiMad
It was a great ride and a wonderful couple of days on the road. I want to find a job that pays me to do that. Dave was on the ground fixing his pant cuff and the prayer picture was opportunistic. I am sure warm dry days are coming to the UK at some point in the future (or at least warm days.)
