Rally That Wasn't

 So of course with COVID the Bikes, Blues, & BBQ was officially canceled, however there were plenty of things going on and bikes out at Pig Trail Harley Davidson and Eureka Springs at the Rally That Wasn't. Our chapter along with thousands of others weren't going to let COVID keep us from getting away and enjoying the Ozarks!

Bike packed up and ready to go, after a technical difficulty...

The CAC HOGS started off at Rock City Harley on Friday 25th of September headed towards Eureka Springs, AR. The ride captain went up I-40 to Pig Trail 23 at Ozark. The interstate wouldn't have been my first choice, but with a big group, it was definitely easier. The Workman's Travel Center for a stretch, gas, and food. Our next stop was one that had my interests peaked.

H.O.G. Ride 365 has a 50 RIDES, ONE NATION. I different ride for each state.

50 Rides, One Nation

50 Rides, One Nation presents 50 “rides of a lifetime,” and there’s no time limit to complete them! From mountains to meadows, canyons to coastline, and desert to delta, there’s something for everyone. With one ride in each state, you’ll explore some of the country’s most iconic places, with thrilling riding and great scenery along the way. Some of the locations are well known – Tennessee’s Dragon, for example – while others may surprise you: Alaska’s Richardson Highway may not have been on your bucket list, but now it is! Other bucketlist-worthy attractions include Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway, the Arkansas Pig Trail, and the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys. Details of all 50 rides are available in this downloadable guide.

The rules are simple:

1. Ride your Harley-Davidson motorcycle to one of the featured destinations
2. Snap a picture of yourself at the designated checkpoint with the latest issue of HOG® magazine or the cover of this guide
3. Submit your photo via H-D.com/Ride365/submit
4. Earn digital badges and other rewards 

And we were riding through the Pig Trail Scenic Byway!

In a state renowned for great motorcycle roads, Pig Trail Scenic Byway stands heads and “tails” above the rest. Nestled within the hills and hollows of northwest Arkansas, the byway meanders

19 miles through the lush greenery of Ozark National Forest. No one knows exactly how the Pig Trail got its name. One theory is that its twists and turns resemble a pig’s tail. Another claims it’s named for the feral pigs that once roamed the region. But the most frequently cited “tale” is that the byway has long been a popular backroads route to football games at the University of

Arkansas in Fayetteville (whose team is the Razorbacks). In any case, you won’t want to miss this curvy country road sometimes called “The Arkansas Dragon.”

So a couple of miles up 23 and we reached our photo spot.

 For those of you in a car wanting to pull off and snap a pic, good luck. There is about 2 feet of shoulder and a decent little ditch. After our quick photo shoot we were back on the road headed north. Our meet up with the rest of the chapter was at Turner Bend Store. We were not the only ones out and about!

Also found me a nice little Hog Patch for the Pig Trail!

When the chapter reached Eureka Springs they headed straight for the hotel, to get checked in. I wasn't quite done for the day so I went off to visit Eureka Springs Harley Davidson, for another "photo" challenge. This one is the Dealership Check-in Challenge.

Once I saw what there was to see, I headed west on 62 to Pig Trail Harley for another check-in. However with the vendors I was unable to line up a shot. So I settled for a walk through the different vendor stands. And as the day was coming to an end it was time to find my hotel and settle in. The next morning I was up and ready to go! I made my way back towards Eureka and enjoyed the early morning fog as seen from Inspiration Point.

Much to my disappointment, the chapter had pushed its start back an hour, due to a late night. And with the Razorbacks scheduled to play early afternoon, the ride for the day had been highly modified. This clearly wasn't what I came up for, so I made my own plans. I wanted another dealer check-in, and to scratch another state off the US map I had, for places I have ridden. So I headed north to Springfield. Using a new feature Rever, my ride tracking app, called Twisty Roads, you pick a destination and off it goes. Taken from their site "Twisty Roads switch and the mapping software will seek out the twistiest route to get you where you want to go."

It did not let me down. I had some beautiful roads all to myself as I set up Saturday morning. And I got my Denney's Harley check-in!

Still mid-morning I headed down towards Branson for a quick bite to eat. After that back on my app for another Twisty Road adventure back to the chapter's hotel. I made it back just in time for the game. I got a couple of invites to watch, but if you know me, you know I have no interest in the game and not much in hanging out. So I got back on my bike and went out for another ride. It was suggested that since I had never seen the wooden bridge north in Beaver that I should check it out. So I did! It was quite the happening place, as I drove across there were bikes everywhere. I did not get a chance to stop and take a pic but hope to get back there one day. Once again the day was coming to an end so I headed back to my room with thoughts of what Sunday would bring.

After some disappointments on the mostly interstate drive up, the late starts, and lack of riding, I decided to find my own way home. So I launched my app and put in my address and off I went. I feel I must have hit an incorrect setting because shortly after leaving the app was trying to take me down a dirt road. I pulled over and modified my route and started my ride again.

Other an another attempt of taking me down a dirt road, it did not disappoint. Some beautiful roads all to myself. At the end of the trip I had 778.17 miles down, some challenges met, and some nice pictures! I even got a picture off of E Z Rider, that photographs the Pig Trail.