rocker59
Cruisin' Guzzisti
NTNOA Lake O the Pines Rallye and GRIT Lindale Rally!!!
The plan came together that Michael D and Gordon, of Tulsa, would meet me in Mansfield, Arkansas Saturday morning 3 October. From there we'd head South towards Lake of the Pines near Jefferson, Texas for an afternoon at the North Texas Norton Owners Association 25th Anniversary Rallye.
My day started early. I finished loading my Nero Corsa and departed Fayetteville for Mansfield about 0715. It's a pretty easy run. I-540 over the Boston Mountains, then US-71 South from Fort Smith. Map Link
I arrived at our rendezvous point in Mansfield a little early at 0840 after travelling the 85-miles from my house. A 60mph average! Michael D on his EV and Gordon on his Norge arrived from Tulsa at 0915 and we topped off our tanks for a run down US-71 towards Texas!
Any US Highway on a Saturday is going to be busy and this day was no exception. Lots of traffic and a half dozen LEOs between Mansfield and our next stop, De Queen. Nice curvy road and a beautiful day, though, so I settled into a relatively subdued touring pace. Map Link
We arrived in De Queen about lunch time, so we topped off our tanks after travelling the hundred miles down US-71 and asked the attendant where a good local place to eat might be. "Easy", she said. "Ranch House. It's my favorite". Well, it's unusual to get such a quick and sure response from a convenience store clerk, so I figured it must be good.
Any cafe/restaurant whose parking lot if filled with muddy pickup trucks at lunch must be good. It was, and our waitress Shirley was a hoot! Sorry no pics from inside, but this is the place to stop in De Queen if you're hungry. Good food. Local atmostphere. Friendly folks!!!
After a great lunch, we mounted back up and departed US-71 for a great little road , AR-41, that would take us to New Boston, Texas, and points South! Map Link
AR-41 South!
Michael D following me through the curves.
Michael D and his '98 EV.
Michael D and Gordon close behind on AR-41.
After another hundred miles we arrived in Jefferson, Texas. We topped off with fuel and then headed over to the NTNOA Lake O the Pines Rallye to take in a little British moto action...
Sam Wheeler's Norton streamliner was a feature bike this year.
One never knows what he'll stumble across at a motorcycle gathering. A replica "Then Came Bronson" Sportster.
Nortons by the lake.
A cool Trident tracker!
Commando!
More Nortons.
Nice Ducati single.
A little MV.
A beautiful Ariel Square Four.
Vincent!
Another Norton.
Vintage American Iron.
An Enfield twin.
This MKIII was ridden down from Bentonville, Arkansas by the owner of Bentonville BMW.
The absolute coolest and craziest bike at the rally. It was ridden in from Colorado. The fairing is a cut-down Hannigan GT. The headlight is from a late-model Indian. The bike has inverted forks, triple disk brakes, single throat/dual injector efi (yes, electronic fuel injection). Unbelieveable what this guy has done.
After a few hours of fun, we departed Lake O the Pines for Hawkins, which would be our campsite for the night.
Lake O the Pines.
Skies were darkening. It didn't look good. Yep, rain was definitely on the way to Northeast Texas!!!
I about wore my riding buddies out with all the turns, but Farm Road 726 was a great little route from LOP to Gladewater. From Gladewater, it was US-80 to Hawkins and our campsite at Lake Hawkins. Map Link
FM-726.
Well, it rained on us the last few miles into Hawkins and it looked like it would be raining for awhile. We found the campsite on the lake that was set aside for us. Luck would have it that the rain slacked long enough for us to quickly set up camp. It's a good thing we did that, because just minutes after moving all my stuff from the bike to the tent, the monsoon (remnants from a tropical depression) set in and would not slack up for the rest of our stay in Texas!!!
There were a few hardy souls camping by the lake with us. Dan, Bill and his wife. I think that was it. Six of us nutty enough to sleep out in the rain... Dave and Nicole were hanging at the campsite visiting (and providing beer. Thanks Dave!) and after a bit, we all got together and walked across the road to a little dive honky tonk bar for beer and burgers. Convenient! Good food and cold beer on a dark and rainy night.... We all had a good time, then about the time that the house band tuned up, I decided to head back to the tent and get some shuteye. Most followed. A few stayed to listen to the band. They'll have to chime in about that...
Here I am in my tent listening to the rain coming down...
More to follow...
The plan came together that Michael D and Gordon, of Tulsa, would meet me in Mansfield, Arkansas Saturday morning 3 October. From there we'd head South towards Lake of the Pines near Jefferson, Texas for an afternoon at the North Texas Norton Owners Association 25th Anniversary Rallye.
My day started early. I finished loading my Nero Corsa and departed Fayetteville for Mansfield about 0715. It's a pretty easy run. I-540 over the Boston Mountains, then US-71 South from Fort Smith. Map Link
I arrived at our rendezvous point in Mansfield a little early at 0840 after travelling the 85-miles from my house. A 60mph average! Michael D on his EV and Gordon on his Norge arrived from Tulsa at 0915 and we topped off our tanks for a run down US-71 towards Texas!
Any US Highway on a Saturday is going to be busy and this day was no exception. Lots of traffic and a half dozen LEOs between Mansfield and our next stop, De Queen. Nice curvy road and a beautiful day, though, so I settled into a relatively subdued touring pace. Map Link
We arrived in De Queen about lunch time, so we topped off our tanks after travelling the hundred miles down US-71 and asked the attendant where a good local place to eat might be. "Easy", she said. "Ranch House. It's my favorite". Well, it's unusual to get such a quick and sure response from a convenience store clerk, so I figured it must be good.
Any cafe/restaurant whose parking lot if filled with muddy pickup trucks at lunch must be good. It was, and our waitress Shirley was a hoot! Sorry no pics from inside, but this is the place to stop in De Queen if you're hungry. Good food. Local atmostphere. Friendly folks!!!
After a great lunch, we mounted back up and departed US-71 for a great little road , AR-41, that would take us to New Boston, Texas, and points South! Map Link
AR-41 South!
Michael D following me through the curves.
Michael D and his '98 EV.
Michael D and Gordon close behind on AR-41.
After another hundred miles we arrived in Jefferson, Texas. We topped off with fuel and then headed over to the NTNOA Lake O the Pines Rallye to take in a little British moto action...
Sam Wheeler's Norton streamliner was a feature bike this year.
One never knows what he'll stumble across at a motorcycle gathering. A replica "Then Came Bronson" Sportster.
Nortons by the lake.
A cool Trident tracker!
Commando!
More Nortons.
Nice Ducati single.
A little MV.
A beautiful Ariel Square Four.
Vincent!
Another Norton.
Vintage American Iron.
An Enfield twin.
This MKIII was ridden down from Bentonville, Arkansas by the owner of Bentonville BMW.
The absolute coolest and craziest bike at the rally. It was ridden in from Colorado. The fairing is a cut-down Hannigan GT. The headlight is from a late-model Indian. The bike has inverted forks, triple disk brakes, single throat/dual injector efi (yes, electronic fuel injection). Unbelieveable what this guy has done.
After a few hours of fun, we departed Lake O the Pines for Hawkins, which would be our campsite for the night.
Lake O the Pines.
Skies were darkening. It didn't look good. Yep, rain was definitely on the way to Northeast Texas!!!
I about wore my riding buddies out with all the turns, but Farm Road 726 was a great little route from LOP to Gladewater. From Gladewater, it was US-80 to Hawkins and our campsite at Lake Hawkins. Map Link
FM-726.
Well, it rained on us the last few miles into Hawkins and it looked like it would be raining for awhile. We found the campsite on the lake that was set aside for us. Luck would have it that the rain slacked long enough for us to quickly set up camp. It's a good thing we did that, because just minutes after moving all my stuff from the bike to the tent, the monsoon (remnants from a tropical depression) set in and would not slack up for the rest of our stay in Texas!!!
There were a few hardy souls camping by the lake with us. Dan, Bill and his wife. I think that was it. Six of us nutty enough to sleep out in the rain... Dave and Nicole were hanging at the campsite visiting (and providing beer. Thanks Dave!) and after a bit, we all got together and walked across the road to a little dive honky tonk bar for beer and burgers. Convenient! Good food and cold beer on a dark and rainy night.... We all had a good time, then about the time that the house band tuned up, I decided to head back to the tent and get some shuteye. Most followed. A few stayed to listen to the band. They'll have to chime in about that...
Here I am in my tent listening to the rain coming down...
More to follow...
