Wednesday, October 11, 2006

"Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!"

So why would a born 'n bred Texan ever even think about saying those words? Well, a funny thing happened back in early August of this year. A fellow FJR rider, fjrchik, started a post to get some of the DFW area owners together for a ride to NW Arkansas. It seemed like a great idea, so I checked my calendar and signed up to go along. Little did anyone know how large of a turnout it would generate. I was hopeful of maybe seeing 5 or 6 bikes go. I think our final count was something like 27 bikes from several states.

10/6/06
We couldn't have asked for better weather. Forecast in Dallas called for temperatures in the low/mid 80's. I started the day at about 6:30 with a quick stop at Starbucks to get a morning jump-start and to have a quick breakfast with the family.



The plan was for me to meet up with Ray at a gas station near the DFW airport at 7:30 and then head up to Plano together where we would meet up with the rest of the DFW riders by 9:30.
(FJR in mile-muncher mode)

By 9:30 am, eight FJRs were fueled up and ready to go. We headed out from Plano towards Greenville and from there made our way up to Paris where we had some wonderful french pastries in the shade of the Eiffel Tower -- ok, so Paris, TX isn't exactly like Paris, France but I still had a mean breakfast special for lunch at a little cafe that hit the spot as well as any fruiffy french lunch could ever hope to. From there we made our way north to the Talimena Parkway, http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/. I'd never been up there but give it a big thumbs up. The roads weren't very technical but the scenery really makes the drive worthwhile. We stopped for pictures and a stretch break before heading on down to Mena.
A few fuels stops later and we were rolling into Russellville. We arrived around 8pm and though it made for a long day, it was nice to have all the stops in between to make sure none of us were too worn out. That night we met up with a few other riders and discussed routes for the next day. After considering various options, I decided to connect with the group heading out at 10:30 so I could sleep in a little bit. Big props to Bounce who did a great job of leading us out there.

10/7/06
The morning of the 7th was absolutely gorgeous. High temperatures in the area were forecast for the mid 70's so the morning was crisp as I walked to the Waffle House for breakfast. A ham an cheese omlette and a couple of cups of coffee later and I was ready to fuel up and head out.
(FJR ready to slice and dice)

Unfortunately we found out that the previous days ride had been a little hard on Bounce's newly re-surfaced knee and he decided to take the day off. By 10:15 eight bikes were prepped and ready to head out.
Part of me wishes I had paid closer attention to the route we followed, but it really was nice to not have to worry at all about where we were going. It was just a matter of following along. I know at some point we hit Jasper on the way to lunch, but I guess I'll have to track Adam down sometime to find out exactly what roads we were on.
As to the roads that morning, I just can't say enough about how fantastic they were. A nice blend of medium and longer length sweepers with tighter sub 30 mph curves. Traffic was really light and it didn't take much effort to stay together as a group. The other riders were all fantastic and did a great job of giving one another plenty of space. No one had anything to prove and everyone rode their own pace.

Lunch was at this great place called the Cliffhouse. I wish I knew exactly where it was, but it seems to be a popular lunch destination for the two-wheeled crowd. We showed up a little earlier than they were expecting so we took some time to relax on the back porch and enjoy the great view.

We were soon seated and ordered up some tasty lunch. I ordered the special which featured beef brisket. As a proud Texan I set a pretty high standard when it comes to brisket, but I have to tip my hat to the folks at the Cliffhouse, though nothing out of this world, it was tender and definately a good choice. A cup of coffee later and some dessert and I was ready for a nap. Unfortunately the group was soon gearing up and ready to head out.

The afternoon ride was much more exhilerating as I tried to keep Adam in my sights while he led us through much more technical roads. Tight switchbacks with elevation changes forced my to keep my feet way back on the pegs while the big bike leaned a lot further than she ever has occassion to back home.
Traffic got a little heavier which made passing a little trickier, but all managed to stay together any my appreciation for the skill level of all the riders in the group moved to the top end of the gauge after watching them smoothly handle some really tricky curves. Adam and Mark did a great job leading us that day and really made me wish I could spend more time up there. By late afternoon we rolled back into the hotel parking lot and started lining up the bikes for a group shot with the other riders.
Seems we had trouble getting the final shot since bikes just kept pulling into the parking lot. That night over dinner, those of us that were heading back to DFW the next day agreed to be ready to roll by 8:30am.

10/8/06
Just like the previous day, the morning was about perfect. Tires checked, fully fueled we were soon heading out of Russellville. The morning had some of those postcard perfect moments where you wish you could quickly snap a picture from the back of the bike, like the one of the duck flying low over the lake surface. Scott had programmed the route home into his GPS the night before and led us on a very smooth route down towards New Boston. There was a funny camera moment when we stopped at a rest area for a break and someone pulled out a map. A huddle quickly formed to confirm where we were and where we were headed.
We pressed onward and stopped somewhere (I know... really helpful) for Mexican food. We managed to barely beat the church crowd and had a really great meal. The chips weren't greasy and the salsa had just enough zing to make you want more. Maybe I'll see if someone from this group remembers where we had lunch.

After lunch we saddled up and rolled on to New Boston where we hit Interstate 30 and headed West towards Dallas. There really isn't much to be said for eating miles on an interstate but it certainly gets the job done. We stopped one final time East of Greenville to stretch and refuel.
That's also where the group split up. Ray and I decided to head down Interstate 30 to 635 to 20 and then West to 360. The others headed North of the Metroplex on 380. I finally arrived home none the worse for the wear around 5:30pm

I can't say enough about how well the bike handled the trip. On the long interstate stretches of flat straight road, the bike just chewed away the miles while I sat on the comfy seat and re-lived Seinfeld episodes in my mind. She can back tons of stuff with the addition of the tailbag without feeling bogged down at all. Once there and sans-luggage, she'll just scream and tear up the twistie stuff like nobody's business.

If I have anything to say about it, there will definately be a return trip to the land of Razorbacks.

More ride pics here:
slideshow