Don't miss the postcard shots...
Don't miss the postcard shots - vistas of the mountains and national forest can be found around nearly every turn.
On the way out of Salem is the Tye-Dye Shop-a funky shack straight out of the 60s. And hey, have you been noticing all the bike traffic 'round here, especially café racers? I'd say that was a sign, wouldn't you? Cruising down Route 19, the road rises then falls, dips then climbs, twists, turns and sweeps and then runs straight. It's followed by a series of roller coaster hills, some shallow and some deep, but all of them rising in elevation. I could swear the engineers designed this road just for motorcycles. A great number of the turns are banked and a lot of the straights have whoops (a series of shallow dips) built in. I'm wondering if it's even legal to have this much fun? Unfortunately, there are all kinds of vehicles lumbering around on this path, so caution is the order of the day. The crooks in a lot of the roller coaster hills are so deep that you'll feel like the bike is going to launch as it crests the hill. Man, what a dream! Just remember to ride within your skill level! The roads up to this point have been very smooth and gravel-free, but they have their share of road kill.
The Ozark Cafe in tiny Jasper,...
The Ozark Cafe in tiny Jasper, Arkansas, is the hot ticket for a rest stop and a hearty sandwich.
Route 21 was nice and 32 was even better, but Route 19 is why we ride motorcycles! Route 19 will stimulate your riding libido like a forbidden mistress. You won't be able to get enough while you're on, and you can't wait to get back to her when you're away! Below Eminence, Missouri, Route 19 really comes alive, but I suggest you stop in Eminence anyway, 'cause you'll be needing fuel. Don't pull over until you're leaving town, past the cemetery. Gas was cheaper there when I passed through.
This was about the time U.S. 160 crossed Route 19, so I leaned right and headed west. And was I ever surprised. For a major artery that guides a good chunk of traffic east and west across the southern part of Missouri, it turned out to be a pretty fun road. It had a nice series of whoop-de-dos, a bunch of hills to crest, lengthy sweepers, long throttle-twisting straights, and plenty of smoothness- considering the truck traffic.
I passed through West Plains, Missouri, home of country music's Porter Wagoner and felt that I should get a room. I bivouacked at the Cloud 9 Resort, which is private.
I was on the road again by 9am the next morning and back-tracked to Caulfield to jump on route 101 south to Arkansas' U.S. 412. Route 101 is a short connector with a lot of attitude that kicks in right away starting the day off just right. Leaning right on U.S. 412 put me heading west toward Harrison. Along the way I pass through the town of Yellville which one local referred to as "Yellowville." Uh-Oh I just remembered that I'm in Arkansas and I left my passport at home.
In Harrison I connect with Route 43 south and begin my all-twisties workout all over again. I'm actually climbing a mountain, crossing to the other side, then descending only to climb the next one. Somewhere in the midst of all these turns I picked up Route 74 heading to Jasper, Arkansas. Believe it or not, deliveries to these small towns nesting in the mountains are made by tractor- trailers.
Just a few miles west of Jasper on Route 74 I stopped to check out Wayne Carr's Motorcycle Tree. Wayne owned a construction company and managed to retire at the ripe old age of 47, moving from the northern U.S. to Jasper. Because these mountain roads are so curvy, they draw a lot of bike traffic. Being an All-American Boy, Wayne noticed all the iron from other countries sweeping past his front door, and took that as an affront to our economy. So he decided to send a message of his own. He went about and procured some Japanese motorcycles to hang from a tree in his front yard. Wayne also placed an American-made , '46 Chevy flatbed truck next to the tree, then hoisted a 650 Honda on the truck bed. He calls the motorcycle tree his Arkansas Wind Chimes. It's definitely a Kodak Moment.