2nd Annual Bob Jones Memorial Rally (photo intensive)

[Wildkat]

Once again a great time and thanks to Tod and Russ for getting this one together... I know the pre-rally rally was tough and we appreciate the sacrifices made by those who attended that one (ahem... ) so that this ride would be a good one...

The forcast for the Eureka Springs area and all points in between there and here had been calling for rain all weekend... so we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best...

Friday morning it was nice... a little windy but partly sunny...
Montreux Blue met up with me to head north to McAlester, OK where we picked up trbig... funny how much better we made time with trbig leading rather than when I was on the way up...

The rain was all ahead of us... leaving us dry but the roads were wet... no big deal... until we hit here...


(generic shot of the sign - thanks Tod ... it hasn't changed)

and then it was only a big deal to me... Montreux Blue and trbig were kind enough to wait for me at the end... wet twisties are not my forte... and apparently weren't for the group of harley riders we ended up behind after turning off the Pig Trail, either... even I was getting antsy... until we passed them...

We made good time getting into Eureka Springs... with the only casualty being a suicidal blue bird that I couldn't avoid (I don't think I killed him... glancing blow and no tumbling dots in the road when I looked in my mirror) It apparently wasn't the blue bird of happiness as everything went fine for the most part... so I didn't jinx us, I guess...

We pulled into the motel around 3:30 where Russ and his lovely Mrs were already waiting along with Bigfoot... They had trailered their bikes in the night before... and as much hell as they were given about this... it ended up being providence (more about that later)...

The motel has a lovely view from the balcony...



Once most of the riders arrived we went to dinner... a good meal and good company... although while leaving... we were reminded that if you use a wheel lock... it's always a good thing to remember to take it off before trying to move your bike... ahem...


trbig took a couple of us through the historic district of town after dinner... unfortunately, I didn't get pics but he posted a few shots of the area in his pre-rally write up...

The rest of the evening was spent hanging out and getting a headache ready for the ride the next day...

Saturday brought in cloudy skies...



and a few more bikes...

By the time everyone arrived, we ended up with 16 bikes (not sure of the make and model breakdown) witha few riding two up as well as Karla Jones and her friend...

After a good breakfast... we were ready to roll...





The guys had planned a small loop ride and then a long loop after lunch... The small loop portion was pretty uneventful... with only one rider going off the road but able to recover quickly... didn't go down... just took a scenic bypass off the road...

The roads were awesome all the way around.... and we all made it to the first rest stop without incident (for the most part)...







The cliffs next to this area were more than impressive due to their unusual shape and I was told that there were some caves there... might have to go back and explore those sometime...





The pinnacle of the small loop portion was a tribute to Bob at the same overlook where his ashes were scattered last year...











The monkey's name is Speed... and he says "Harleys suck... XS11 rules"
Gotta love him...


After the tribute... we went to the Cliffhouse Inn for lunch... where we were constantly entertained by the numerous hummingbirds...


(okay... I cheated... the hummingbird shot is from last year's ride)

The view from the restaurant is absolutely lovely...





Karla had been riding with trbig and her hair was all still in tact at the end of this portion of the ride... so he must have done well...


Several of the group broke off from here leaving the rest of us to head out for the large loop portion of the ride which I'll continue in another part...

[Wildkat]

Part 2 The Good, The Bad... and the Ugly...

While we were enjoying lunch... the partly blue skies we had seen at the overlook went away and were replaced by more clouds with a little rain... but we pressed on... dropping Karla and her friend off so they could head back to the motel...

We gassed up and prepared to head out... unfortunately... this is where our luck turned... and so did a bike... and not in the right direction...





Luckily... the rider was just shaken as he jumped off before the bike did... the bike... not so fortunate...

The leaders had no idea what had happened... You couldn't see around the twisties... and we had no cell service in this area... so Bikerhawk flew down to let the rest of the gang know what was happening...
We were fortunate that the people in this area are very friendly and helpful... The first gentleman to happen upon us stopped and parked his truck behind the bikes with his hazards on so we were safer...

The bike had landed horizontal across the ditch with the front wheel laying on a rock... We discussed what to do and decided that maybe trying to get a tow truck would be good (it was a rather large bike) Once the leaders arrived... this idea was scoffed at as they made it look SO easy getting it out of the ditch... but then... Russ and Tod are bit like having a team of Morgans... and the bike only tried to bite each of them once... although, I believe it bit Tod a bit harder...

This is where providence came into play... Russ and his wife headed back to Eureka Springs to get the trailer (which was now no longer laughed at, but greatly appreciated) to load the Gold Wing... meanwhile... Ivan's recently purchased Dunlop 404 was so worn that it had started losing air... so at this point, some of the group stayed with the down bike and the leaking tire... and the rest of us headed back to Eureka Springs... so ending the shortened version of the long loops ride...

When we got to the end of the road where the Gold Wing had landed... I had misunderstood Montreux Blue, thinking he was coming with us... so we waited... and waited... finally trbig went back up looking for him... leaving Bigfoot and I here...





Pretty soon... Bob Falter joined us followed by trbig... Montreux Blue was staying with the group up the hill... so the four of us headed back to Eureka Springs...

The ride back was amazing! The sun came out (finally) and the roads were perfect (for me anyway)







Even hit a straight where some of us were able to go WOT... which was fun too.... you know... not that I was necessarily one of the ones who did that... Because you know how I hate to go fast in the straights...


We got back to Eureka Springs and it was still early... so after a couple of drinks and watching some wildlife... I mean the animals... not the XSives... wait... ANYway...
These animals...




Note the deer in the headlight look... if you look closely... you can even see her mouth open in a silent scream... She played her part very well...


a few of us decided to go check out the art festival in town... That was a good time, with street performers to watch and wine available at the galleries... The artist in me had as much fun as the rider in me on this trip...

Everyone kind of went their own way for dinner but met up for breakfast the next day before heading out... with the clouds still threatening to do something...



The rain that had been predicted all weekend waited until everyone suited up to head home...

Luckily... Ivan had been able to find a new tire... the only one available in town on a Sunday... a Dunlop 402 ... so he was all set (at least for another 1000 miles or so)

isn't it lovely?



Actually... I really don't think the white wall looked too bad... it was this part that bothered me...



We were concerned that it might cause excessive vibration and loss of parts... but apparently it got him home... although the term Yamaharley keeps coming to mind...


Part 3 to follow

[Wildkat]

Part 3... Branson or bust

There were now four of us left... Bob Falter, Montreux Blue, trbig and myself... wondering how the weather would change the original plans to go to Branson... I'd never been before and we had decided to stick around so we could spend Sunday there...

We finally decided to buck up and go... but I wussed a bit and left my bike at the motel... remember... I don't like twisties and wet... throw in the possibility of it being dark on the return trip and trying to keep up with trbig... no thanks... so I ended up riding two up with trbig... at least this way if he did something I didn't like... a smack upside the head was much easier to give...



The ride up was nice and dry... and it was great to be able to look around and check things out...

We arrived in Branson and decided to go to a fish hatchery first... It was pretty cool as I'd never been to one before... and if I ever go again... I will choose my attire a little better...


I'm not posting pics of it either... but I will say the yellow rainsuit and the fish thing... just think of the Gorton Fisherman...

The hatchery is located next to the Table Rock dam...



After the hatchery... we headed down to the The Landing (yes?)... This was really nice... a riverwalk with lots of shops and plenty of sidewalk performers to keep people entertained...





We stopped at a Texas Land and Cattle for lunch... sat on the balcony and watched the water/ fire show by the river... This was VERY cool... actually... the fire portion was pretty warm.. which was great because the weather was getting cooler...









After lunch, we headed back to Eureka Springs... by way of Bass Pro Shops... just kind of sucks you in as you go by the doors...

Everyone was pretty beat by the time we got back and the rain finally moved in so we called it an early night and prepared to head home the next day...

We woke up Monday to partly cloudy skies but a large storm system was covering most of Oklahoma and northeast Texas and we weren't in any hurry to get into that... so we debated about the course of action... finally deciding to stay in Eureka Springs for awhile that morning...

trbig suggested going to a lookout tower... which I thought was a great idea until I realized just how high it was... and being afraid of heights... well...
This sign didn't help...



Now... I didn't get a picture of the tower itself... but it's like climbing up through the middle of an oil derrick... narrow stairs leading to platforms that get smaller as you go up... and by the time you get to the top (which, I almost didn't... because looking down about 3/4 of the way up... )
the top platform isn't much larger than a queen size bed... and with the four of us up top... it was tight...
But the view was nice...



I took more pics but they didn't turn out too well... probably because I was shaking a bit... and SOMEone wasn't helping matters any...
"I wonder how well this thing shakes"
wobble wobble wobble
"Everybody hula!"

Yeah... I was ready to get down after that...




One more check of the weather when we got back to the motel and we decided it was okay to head home... so we did...

Bob went his way and the three of us headed back toward Oklahoma and Texas... leaving trbig in McAlester and Montreux Blue and I to get almost to Durant before we finally hit rain... and then it only lasted about an hour... in traffic... with construction... with lots of signs along the way saying Motorcyclist use caution (because we never would have thought about it ourselves)


All in all... it was a fantastic trip and I am SOOO ready to go again!

It was great to see old friends again and to meet new ones...

Can't wait to see everyone next month!

Thanks again SO much to those who made this one possible
(and to John for giving me a kitchen pass)


and thanks to Tod for letting me use some of the pics for this write up that he had taken...

[Wildkat]

Okay... well... it has been pointed out that I could possibly be mistaken in how the GoldWing landed...
Someone is saying it was completely upside down...
I don't think so... but I've been mistaken before...

and I'm just thankful the rider is okay...

[trbig]

Nice write up... EXCEPT... SOMEBODY please tell the hardheaded Wildkat that the bike WASN'T laying in the ditch sideways.. horizontal to the ground.. and that it was indeed UPSIDE DOWN in the ditch? I hope someone has pics.. PLEASE have pics... but then she's going to say you doctored them up to look like that.

As for the Gorton Fisherwoman banana suit thing.... what was REALLY hilarious, was when people visiting the fish hatchery started coming up and asking her questions about how they move fish from tank to tank like she worked there!


Tod

[Bigfoot]

Nice write up Kat. I had a great time as usual. Wish that I could have stayed another week.

IIRC the goldwing was almost horizontal but the tires were a little higher. So I would have to say it was somewhere between upside down and on its side. Hope that helps .
In any case it was real ugly. I do believe that Jenna got a few pics of it that hopefully she will post.

[trbig]

Harry.. you and Kat must have seen it after Russ and I moved it already. We lifted it to get it flat.. and trapped Russ' leg then. Then we got it flipped, and it slid down the hill and trapped MY leg. When we were at the bottom of the road, everybody that was going by was telling us, "There's a bike upside down back up the road.."

I talked with Russ and he said "Yup.. tires up in the air when we got there." It was laying on top of the windshield.. and I was amazed it wasn't broke when we got it flipped over and that there hadn't been gas pouring out of the upside down tank. There's gouges on top of his seat and on the whole windshield... if it was simply on it's side, how could that happen? It would only be on one side at worst..

I can't believe that nobody took a pic of it in the ditch!?

Tod

[Bigfoot]

No, I was there before you and definately got a good look at it. As I said, the wheels where higher than the seat but not really by that much. Because of the shape of the ditch, the windshield was completely pressed into the ground as well. And Jenna got pics, just have to get her to post them. Also the bike might have rolled since both of the mirrors were broken off. Not sure as I didn't see it actually go down. I was about 30 seconds too late.

[Ivan]

Kat, why didn't you post those pics of Tod drooling over my new white wall?

[Bigfoot]

Did the blue wash off in the rain you had to ride through? That really made it look special. lol

[Ivan]

no, still there. I just ordered some of those Shinkos though. So I'll probably never let any of you see it again.

[Bigfoot]

good thing we got pics

[Wildkat]

I can't believe that nobody took a pic of it in the ditch!?

Ummmmmmm... yeah... because of course that's the first thing I think of...
"Hey! Somebody went down... Let me get my camera!"

Kat, why didn't you post those pics of Tod drooling over my new white wall?

It was tempting... but you know... if you're going to replace it anyway... could always throw it on his bike next month... He's got to sleep sometime... and it would be such a nice surprise for him...

[Russ79]

Sorry Kat, and Harry, as much as I hate to say it, I am going to have to side with Tod on this one. When we got there, that baby was wheels up in the ditch. You can tell by the flatted windshield, and fairing. It was laying on its side, not completely upside down, but the tires were the highest point on that bike. It was when Tod and I tipped it back over that I briefly pinned my leg under it, and when we laid it back against the ditch, that's when it got Tod. I will get all Jenna's pictures organized this weekend, and will get CDs sent out to anyone who wants one. I am pretty sure that she got some pics off before Tod and I, the human tow trucks, went to work lifting that pig out of the ditch. Oh, and by the way, SWEET WHITE WALL IVAN!!!!!! It never ceases to amaze me what I let you guys get me into, but oh well, I guess it builds character! I hope everyone had a good time, all things considered, Jenna and I sure did. Can't wait to see you all again! Oh, one more time for the cheap seats, SWEET WHITE WALL IVAN!!!! lol lol Later

Russ

[Ivan]

I have to agree, that wing was more inverted than sideways.

Anyone heard anything out of Steve? I hope insurance is treating him well.

As for the whitewall, I just happen to know where all you jealous fruitcakes can get one for the measley price of $160. I won't even charge my normal two-fifths (2/5 of Captain Morgan that is) finder's fee.

Oh, and your scoot has the centerstand Russ. As easy as changing the wheel on an XS is, you just might not want to take any pitstops next ride we're on.