...But not on a BMW R65.
The latest addition to the stable is a Triumph Trophy 900 Triple. With a custom saddle, a German lipped windscreen, three Givi 36 litre hard bags and a great fuel range, this bike is made for the road.
My wife got all her gear purchased, including
three helmets. That lady can shop!. We did a few one-hundred miler barbecue runs as warmups, then launched for southwestern Arkansas and a three day road trip. Her first. Fingers crossed.
The Queen Wilhelmina Lodge sits right beside the twisties, about three-quarters of the way through the 54 mile Talihena Skyway National Scenic Highway. The lodge, operated by the Arkansas Parks Department, has fantastic mountain views, an excellent restaurant and is very much biker friendly. This was our base for the next two days of riding.
Talihina, Oklahoma, anchors the eastern end of the Skyway. We did not want to miss eating lunch at Pam's Hateful Hussy Diner. Food is great but the pies are what really brings in the people. Bengt Phorqs is a pie eating legend at Pam's. Really.
Down the mountains, on the western end of the road is Mena, Arkansas. A vibrant downtown encouraged us to park the Turnip and visit the restored train station & museum, bookstores, shops -for both guys and girls- and eateries.
After off loading all the bags at the Lodge, we eventually rode the full Skyway twice. We also rode the Lodge to Mena run six times. There are 70 mph sweepers along the mountain ridge lines (Lynn didn't like that
too much) plus S-turns n' switchbacks that make you feel like you might qualify for a MotoGP race.
We dodged a turkey, two big turtles, a small deer and many suicidal squirrels. No hits.
The Talimena Skyway ain't The Dragon, The Pig's Tail nor the Texas Three Sisters. But
it is a very enjoyable escape via your motorcycle. We were also surprised that big city food and fuel prices haven't yet made it to this area. I even saw a gas station advertising non-ethanol boosted fuel.
Just a ways north from the Skyway is Mount Magazine and another Arkansas lodge. Plenty of low traffic mountain roads to explore. That's our next Arkansas destination.
Monte
It begins right here. We just had to stop and buy the required
"I Rode the Talimena Skyway" pin.
The Queen Wilhelmina Lodge. At check-in, we were warmed about the Black Bears roaming nearby.
Don't y'all think that brass telescope behind the Trophy look like a water-cooled 30 cal. machine gun is mounted on my luggage rack?
Vintage train station is now a neat museum. 1939 Dodge is a veteran of the Mena AR police department. Think moonshiners back in the day.
Restored ESSO gas station is now a bike and car museum. I tried the gas pump but no joy for any of the 19.9 cent per gallon gas.
On the side street behind the ESSO station is an old Studebaker automobile sales building that is part of the bike-auto museum complex. very cool, that.
