8-8-13 (Day 15 - Back to the Ross Barnett Reservoir)

We traveled a couple of hours today to our campsite on the reservoir. Ferny meowed almost all the way.  She hates it when her vacations end.

After getting the camper parked, we went to Salsa's for lunch.  After 4 hours of working in the heat we got things back in order.  Lauren informed me that I need to choose a cooler time of year for our vacations.

We sat around with friends lasts night and had take out from Penn's on our patio.  A great meal, with great friends, and a wonderful view.

Just think, when I work, I have to stay here.  Dang, life is good!!!!!

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/CJpcZNzVjMvaWEaQ7

8-7-13 (Day 14 - Poverty Point)

It's  HOTTTTTT

 

We left around 10 clock this morning from the mountain top at Queen Wilhelmina Campground..  Lauren was able to hook up the camper without any complications.  He felt like a pro!!!!  He only sweated a little bit when the sun beamed down on him at the dump station.

Lauren decided to take the 1.5 mile, 14 degree stretch of road that we took when we entered the campground a few days ago instead of the route that is a 13 mile stretch of downhill curves.  No brainer.

Lauren sighed a sigh of relief a little while later when he was faced with straight aways and flat country.  He loves riding the slopes and curves on the Harley, not a good thing in a truck pulling a 38 foot camper.

We rode for about  6 and a half hours and stopped at Poverty Point Campground in Delhi, Louisiana,  The state I was born in and retired from.  WOOHOO!! 

Ferny demanded to come out as soon as we got the camper set up.  She didn't last long.  She finally came back out around dark.  It was way too hot for a cat with that much fur.

We sat outside with a fan blowing on each of us.  When the temperature dropped from 99 degrees to 96 degrees we took a short stroll and looked at the lake.

We plan to go to the Rez and set up the camper tomorrow.

8-6-13 (Day 13- Scenic Talimena Drive)

We were supposed to get up early again this morning.  It didn't happen.  We got breakfast at The Royal Meal Trolley across from our campsite and headed out around 10.  We had a nice, hot, day to ride.  Although, when we were on the mountain it was a lot cooler than the valley.

We got on the Talimena Drive just outside of the campground. We were in Oklahoma in a very short time. 

We stopped at the Visitor's Center at the end of the Talimena Scenic Drive in Oklahoma.   We only saw 2 motorcycles on this stretch of ride.  They passed us twice. 

The views at the vistas were pretty, but after a while they looked about the same.  Lauren wanted to bypass some of them, of course, I insisted we stop at each one.

We took a nice ride through the town of Talihina then on to the Indian Highway.  Another pretty, curvy, road.  There were numerous signs of Big Foot Crossing.  We never saw him.

When we got here last night our water hose was not long enough to reach the faucet.  We used the reserve in the fresh water tank last night.  We stopped in Mena, Arkansas and bought a hose.  We got back on the Talimena Drive and completed the 13 miles loop we had missed this morning.

We returned to camp and walked to the train depot.  We had a milkshake, then took a 2 mile ride on the train.  Lauren tried his best to get out of this.  He didn't.  The engineer was nice enough to take our picture. You can tell by the picture he really enjoyed it!! 

They are building a new lodge and we were told by the engineer that there has been evidence that a bear or bears has been in the area.  We didn't see one.

I was planning on hiking the Lover's Lane Trail while we were here.  During the train ride the engineer told us about a woman that went hiking on this trail a few years ago and disappeared.  It is a mystery of what happened to her.  After hearing this story, hearing about evidence of bears in the area, and seeing Big Foot Crossing signs.  I decided to skip this hike.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/twR4zUJpFR8MbWVM7

8-5-13 (Day 12 - Queen Wilhelmina)

It took a while to maneuver the truck and camper out of the tight spot at Shady Oak Campground this morning.  Thankfully, we didn't tear up anything getting out.

Lauren has wanted an upgrade for our camera for about a year now.  Guess what, he got his wish.  I accidently dropped the camera on the pavement at a Wal-Mart in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  The camera we have had for 4 years is done.  OUCH!!!!!!!

It is the camera that I took pics through Stugis, Mount Rishmore, Cody, etc.

This camera also took our pictures at Yellowstone, Glacier National Park. etc.

Not to mention, it is the camera of OUR Alaska adventure.

We were broken hearted when we realized that this camera was DONE!!!

We saw a Best Buy and pulled in.  Lauren told the sales girl that we needed a new camera because we were on vacation and His wife broke ours.  She laughed. Thought he was kidding.  He wasn't.  Unfortunately.....

Before we went into Best Buy we decided to put Fernykat in the camper so she wouldn't be hot.  She decided to play hide and seek.  We couldn't find her when we got back.  She climbed under our bed, that is usually slid out.  Lauren had his flashlight and tools to dismantle the bed.  Thankfully, her highness decided to make her appearance before Lauren dismantled the camper .

We made it to the campground at Queen Wilhelmina State Park after about 5 1/2 hours.  It was a long ride.  It is very nice park,

Fernykat loves it.  If  Fernykat is happy, everybody is happy!!!!

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/T8iVCmaL8WnDSYho6

8-4-13 (Day 11 - Rained Out)

Rain early

 

Fernykat had enough of us sleeping this morning.  She jumped on me and meowed as loud as she could.  Glad she did. It was almost 8 o'clock.

It was really humid this morning.  We decided to wait and see what the rain was going to do before taking off on the motorcycle. We didn't ride.   It started raining around 1 pm. 

We washed clothes, stocked up at Wal-Mart, and loaded the Harley in the garage.  We stopped at McDonald's on the way back from Wal-Mart.  I had a dip cone and Lauren had a caramel shake.  It wasn't the dip cone that Zesto makes, but it was okay.

We took advantage of the cooler temps and built a wonderful campfire tonight. 

We are heading toward the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line tomorrow for a few days.  We are planning on riding the Talimena Scenic Drive. Fortunately, the prediction is for a lower chance of rain.   Unfortunately, the prediction is for the high temperature of around 102 degrees.

It has only been in the 90's and hot one day during the last week.  Most days, the temps have been staying in the low 80's.  Today it was in the mid 70's.  We are going to melt!

I hope our Fernykat alarm clock for the next few days goes off early enough to beat the heat.

campfire at the end of the day

8-3-13 (Day 10 - Ozark Moonshine Run)

 Grand Canyon Of the Ozarks

When we heard thunder at 6 a.m., we thought we were in for the day.  We weren't.  It cleared up around 1:30 and off we went.

We went around curve, after curve, after curve.......  Another pretty ride on some pretty curvy roads, on a pretty day, in Arkansas.

We looked up and saw a hawk flying above us with a snake in his claws.   Needless to say, there is no picture. I was too busy praying that he wouldn't drop it. 

We might get another ride in tomorrow if Mother Nature will let us.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/TfG9pw5xoyhTumZcA

8-2-13 (Day 9 - Branson, Mo.)

Peel Ferry Ride Across Bull Shoals Lake

We had another great day of riding today.  We rode the Peel Ferry Route. This loop extends from Harrison, Arkansas to Branson, Missouri .   It is 110 miles with 378 curves plus a few more miles and curves we added to the loop.

We left around 9:30 and got back around 3.  It was a cloudy day.  We packed our rain gear and helmets.  We didn't need the rain gear, but needed  the helmets in Missouri, state law.

We saw a buck with really big horns close to the Arkansas/Missouri state line.  Luckily, he saw us coming and decided not to cross the road in front of us.

The ferry ride across Bull Shoals Lake on the Peel Ferry was fantastic. The guys running the ferry were really nice.  The ferry started after part of Arkansas Highway 125 was covered with water when the White River was dammed up to make Bull Shoals Lake.   

Our timing of the ferry was perfect.  We arrived, was the first to load, waited about 10 minutes, then departed across.  There was only one pickup truck on the ferry with us. 

We rode around Branson and Table Rock Lake.  We stopped to eat at The Great American Steak and Chicken House, home of the tallest chicken.

We had a lot more traffic to deal with today in Branson and Harrison than we usually have.  This loop was well worth dealing with the traffic.  We enjoyed the ride today, but prefer the winding country roads over the congested roads in the towns. 

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/P2siBoCTMVNM7eiA7

 

8-1-13 (Day 8 - Eureka Springs Backroads Route)

The day started overcast and a little cool.  The sun came out and the temps got in the low 80's.  Perfect motorcycle riding weather.

We road the Eureka Springs Backroads Route.  According to the brochure this loop is 132 miles with 571 curves.  It took us 6 hours to make the loop. There was a lot of pretty scenery on this route. 

We had read in the brochure that there were elk in Ponca.  I didn't think we would see them this time of year.  I was pleasantly surprised when we saw several elk in a field. 

Eureka Springs was a bigger town than I expected.  It had a lot of shops.  We saw a couple of deer in town.  We stopped at the Pig Trail Harley Davidson shop in Eureka Springs, of course, I had to have a shirt.

We had a nice picnic lunch by a creek in Berryville.  We made it back to camp and went to Wally World to buy chicken to grill tonight.

After grilling and eating  our chicken, we turned on the TV.  We found Magnum PI and watched 2 episodes.  This brought memories of when we were newlyweds.  We would watch Magnum PI while eating Pork Chops and Stove Top Stuffing in the living room at the coffee table.  I thought Stove Top Stuffing was delicious.  Lauren was not quite as enthused about it.

Unfortunately, the chance of rain goes up starting tomorrow through next Wednesday.  Hopefully, it will wait till nighttime to rain.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/wtSk8fTKBPWcPvLN6

7-31-13 (Day 7 - Time for a ride)

Bull Shoals Dam

We had planned to get an early start today.  It didn't happen.  We got up around 7:30 and started our ride at 10 o'clock.

We left the campground and headed to Mountain Home.  We left there and went to Bull Shoals.  We stopped at the Bull Shoals State Park and had our picnic lunch and continued with our travels.

We had beautifully weather today except it was hot.  We shedded our leather vest at the first stop we made.

We made a stop at Buffalo River and took a nice break.  We traveled to Jasper and back around to the campground.  The roads were CURVY with lots of pretty views.

We got back to camp around 3:30. It has been a  long day sitting still and clenching my butt going around the curves. I was so ready to get off the motorcycle today,  but can't wait to go again tomorrow.

We had white beans and rice with cornbread fritters for supper tonight. Yummy!!

We watched the lightning bugs tonight. It takes me back in time of memories of my childhood.   Awesome.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/SDvuHTnXTn29TN3k9

7-30-13 (Day 6 - Harrison, Arkansas)



Dang Cat!!!!!!

It rained off and on today.  We were not able to ride the motorcycle.  We washed clothes, ironed, and cleaned up the camper.

It was a good day to catch up on chores and play on the computers. Hopefully, tomorrow we will get out and ride.

7-29-13 (Day 5 - Move to Harrison)

We took a 2 1/2 hour ride driving 115 miles to Shady Oaks Campground in Harrison, Arkansas.  We are planning on staying here for a week.

It was an uneventful ride here.  A lot of curves and hills.  Pretty ride.  Thank goodness, it looks like the truck and camper are compatible. 

The campground is nice, quiet, shady, and tight.  We have a big pull thru that we had to manipulate the camper to get the slides out.  The owner is very friendly.

We took a ride to Walmart and got porkchops to grill.  We also bought a new coffee pot being our oldie but goodie peculator quit working a few days ago. 

The minute I put Ferny in the camper from the truck, she was ready to go out. She loves it here. This campground has the Ferny stamp of approval.

We left the Harley in the garage tonight because of the 80% chance of rain tomorrow.  Good thing we have cable TV and internet. 


Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/WUTbAstELUJs39XD6

7-28-13 (Day 4 - Greers Ferry)

Fernykat decided that we needed to get up early this morning.  She pounced on me and meowed at 6:30 am.  She was wrong.  We didn't get up until 8.

We took our time getting up and about.  After my shower, I reached in the  closet to put up my robe.  I had no clue Ferny was on the shelf sleeping.  She moved, I screamed, She jumped as high as the ceiling.  I guess I got her back for waking us up.

We took a ride to Clinton.  Another pretty ride.  We saw a sign for Natural Bridge, Arkansas.  We decided to take a look.  It was the best mile we traveled today.  Nothing but switchback curves.  We loved it.  We had our picnic lunch and headed back to camp. 

We got the hiking poles and headed to Sugarloaf Mountain.  It is about a mile long round trip hike with an elevation of 690 feet.  We got to the point where we needed to shimmy up the rocks to the top.  We started up, Lauren stopped and looked back at me, and decided that we didn't need to do this.  Lauren knew if we made it to the top that he was going to have to get me down.  Smart man considering he has had to get me out of trees that I have climbed.

It looks like a ghost town in the campground tonight.  We are enjoying our nice, quiet campsite tonight.  We are heading to Harrison tomorrow.

 Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/EspEQjDqTNDpup6EA

7-27-13 (Day 3 - Ride to Mountain View)

The highs today were in the mid 80's, it felt like fall weather.  Perfect weather for riding the motorcycle.

We attempted to go to the cardboard boat races at Sandy Beach,  We changed our minds when we were only able to go a block in 10 minutes and had several more to go.

We road to Mountain View.  There was a lot of pretty scenery, but too many trees to get good pictures.  We ate our picnic lunch at the Ozark Folk Center and headed back.

We went back by Sandy Beach. The races were over but still a lot of boats to take pictures of.  It is amazing what people can do with cardboard.

We went to the visitor's center and Hiked the Mossy Bluff trail to the overlook.  The trail was 1.6 miles round trip.  At the end of the trail were 91 steps up to the overlook.  I know this because I counted each and everyone of them.  We saw a pretty view of the Greers Ferry Dam and the Little Red River.

When we returned to the motorcycle we drove the Buckeye Trail to the overlook.  A whole lot easier than the hiking trail.

We ate chili cheese burgers and fries for supper listening to our neighbors music.  Good thing we like the same kind of music.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/cLzxSTyFUhzCDUat8

7-26-13 (Day 2 -Greers Ferry)

The forecast today was for an 80% chance of rain.  We decided to leave the Harley in the garage.  We ate hot dogs for lunch then took a ride in the truck.

We rode around the campground, went to the visitor’s center, went to the JFK Overlook, and went to the fish hatchery. 

We checked out Sandy Beach.  It is the staging area for the 27^th annual, “World Famous Cardboard Boat Races.”  The big event is tomorrow.  We might go by tomorrow and see what this is all about.

We went by Wally World and got a couple of steaks for supper.  We watched our neighbors set up camp.  Each campsite is allowed up to 4 tents and 14 people per site.  I think they are maxed out. This ain’t Timberlake.

It has been a nasty day since 2 pm. The Harley remains in the garage.  The weather is predicted to be pretty for the next few days.  Can’t wait!


Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/gBPGEjW1YMw7e4zc7

7-25-13 ( Day 1 - Greers Ferry)

It’s been a while since I last posted. Since retiring I have gone back to work at St Dominic Hospital. We have been staying on the Rez in our 38 foot toy hauler. I self schedule and work 3 days a week, have a great boss, and as always great coworkers. I pretty much stay on vacation. Life is good!!!!

We decided to load the Harley in our toy hauler and head to the Ozarks. When you pretty much live in a camper you have a lot of stuff. It’s a good thing we have a storage shed in Brandon. This is the first vacation that we ever unpacked for.

We took our time, took several rest stops, and traveled 351 miles in 7 hours. We are camped at the Dam Site Campground in Heber Springs, (Greer’s Ferry Lake). The camp hosts who checked us in, previously worked at Allen’s Resort in Goshen Springs. Small world,

This was the first time we pulled the toy hauler. When we arrived to the campground and opened the garage door, the ladder for the queen bunk beds fell out and was hanging on the mirror of the Harley. Luckily, everything looks ok.

We only had a few choices of campsites that were big enough for this camper. Lauren did a great job backing the camper into a really tight spot, but not so god at leveling the camper. Our feet are going to be above our heads when we sleep. Not a problem a few pillows can’t fix.

We were tired when we got here and left the Harley in the garage. The garage is one of Ferny’s favorite rooms in the camper. She keeps patty-caking the door trying to open it.

We had a pretty day. It was the coolest weather we have had in a while. I hope it continues.

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/jt1LJc3W3Vv5wbz77