The Long Ride
part2
Grafton IL.
So to understand why Grafton Il. in the fall at the end of Oct.
We have to go back a year to Oct. 2013 and the ride home from Niagara Falls.
We stopped by a friends house in Charleston Il. and him and a group of the Flat Landers took
Lynn and I for a ride to Grafton and The Hawg Pit BBQ joint for a bike get together.
Lynn and I were awe struck with the town and the rivers.
We were also awe struck by a house we seen way up on the bluffs.
Tara Point
When we got home I started looking for B&B's in the Grafton area
to my surprise I found out that The house on the bluff is a Inn and also rents cabins.
So I made plans to take Lynn for the fall of 2014.
We had already taken our first fall ride on Voyager.
Now it was time to take Skull.
We set a date and made our plans,
Oct 29th we set out to see the fall colors of Grafton Il.
Now when we ride we are always ready for what the world will throw at us
This ride was no different. No Skull gave us no problems I mean we had to buy a new
battery, but thats not a big deal.
We have rode enough miles in the fall to know we will get cold and wet, and well we got cold and wet LOL.
I'm going to start you off with a video of us running the river road (hwy100) from Alton Il
to Grafton and Tara Point.
Now every story and every ride has a beginning, middle and end, this ride was no different.
Ok maybe a little different, after all we had zero break downs.
I have shown you where we were headed now I would like to show you how we got there.
one of the places we wanted to see on the way to Grafton is a place called The Devils Elbow.
It's said to be one of the best views in Missouri off of Rt 66.
The town got it's name from a wicked turn in the Big Piney River.
There isn't much to the town, a Elbow Inn and Bar by the river and across the bridge in the center of town is Shelden's market which is also the post office.
We spent a little while in the town and checking out the view, we also bought 2 t shirts boxed them up and mailed to our selves. Yep been there got the T shirt LOL.
The Elbow Inn and Bar
We didn't stop in but we have heard they have bras hanging from the rafters
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Shelden's market and Post Office
Riding with Lynn I am never at a loss for fun and she is always seeking out fun.
We hit the Flyin J truck stop in Stanton Mo. at lunch time and it seems
that some of the high school kids had just finished eating lunch after puting
on a play for a local grade school. And Lynn just had to say howdy and take some pic's.
Now her and one of the girls are face book friends
Doin what we do
while at the Flyin J this little one wanted to sit on Skull
Mom and dad were so excited to see we didn't mind and
they pulled out their phone and started takin pic's.
Once we made it thru the rain to Grafton and woke on fri mornig
it was time to go out and ride the country side and see what we could find.
With the fall colors in full, the country side was a blaze with reds, golds and yellows.
We did have one pre-booked planed thing for this day
We wanted to take a ride on the pirate ship but that got scuttled because unlike SPI
they only rent the ship out for groups of 14 or more at $450.00 a group.
Our second choice was to take the haunted boat ride at 6pm, a 2 hour ride with all the Halloween
fixins. But that was canceled because of lack of booking.
So our third choice was to take the last ride on The Hakuna Matata to see the sights from the river.
So we booked it before we left OKC, 3:00 pm Fri afternoon. Yep we get to take a fall boat ride and it's the last one of the season.
The thing is we can book something all day long, but what to do when your 60 miles
away from the boat sight seeing and you have 1 hour and 30 mins to make it back?
Well if your us instead of turning back the way you came because you know you can
make it back in time, you keep going forward. Oh and you stop for lunch along the way.
Mmmmm good catfish
Really
Did you have any doubt that we would make it?
We got caught behind local traffic for about 6 miles
Then we had to wait for the ferry
once we got on the ferry and rode it across, we still had to wait to unload and
then we had to make a quick ride back to Grafton, slowing to go thru
town. Don't need a ticket.
We got to the boat just as they were loading.
Here's what Grafton and the area looks like from the water
There is also some pic's of Tara Point from the river in the video.
Yeah I know, what an odd song for that video.
I mean it's a viking song and thats a pirate ship
But hey I have always wanted to use that song in a video
Now I can check that off my list
LOL
The pic's and video of the pirate ship was taken from the deck at Tara Point,
with one of the best cameras I have ever owned.
My Fuji finepix S
Our time at Tara Point was almost over.
3 days and nights of great sights from our eagles nest.
Our Grafton adventure was to come to a close Sunday morning.
One more evening of walking the deck and taking pics.
It was like the whole area was saying good bye hope to see you again.
The ride home was cold and windy.
4 hours of 32 degrees and winds blowing from the south at 20 with
gusts to 35. Yep we would spend this day riding head long into a cold wind.
We took 4 coffee/warm up stops from Grafton Il to Rolla Mo.
We were also riding head first into a rain storm that we could see in front of us
and doing a check on our phones we could see on radar.
My goal was to get us to Rolla Mo. for gas and coffee before the rain.
Our timing could not have been better. Just as we pulled under the gas station awning
it start sleeting. Yep sleeting every one that was at the station could
not believe it and we had many
come up to us that could not believe we were on two wheels in it.
There was a guy who had sold his place in Il. in a uhaul truck filling up next to where I
was filling up Skull. He looked around the pump and said
"Hows the air conditioner working on that bike today"
LOL
Every one has to be a smart butt.
Well we lived thru a night time ride on the most dangerous hwy in Oklahoma
the Turner TurnPike and made it home by 6:15pm Sunday night
11 hours
539 miles (one way)
4 gas stops
4 extra coffee/warm up stops
But it was a blast, and the fall colors were amazing!!!!
As I sit here in my nice warm and cozy office out of the cold.
According to everyone winter has come early and "all kick stand are down"
Hmmmmmmmmmm
All kick stands???
2 long rides, 2 1/2 weeks apart
taking in to different views of fall
3337 miles total road miles
280 miles of wandering miles
$197.00 in gas all total
Some of the best food on any long rides we have taken
and some really nice people along the way.
Our riding season is far from over.
See you on the road
OK maybe not till spring
but if you are out in your cage and you catch a glimps
of 2 crazy people on an old Honda Chopper
give us a short honk and a wave.
Ok maybe a little different, after all we had zero break downs.
I have shown you where we were headed now I would like to show you how we got there.
one of the places we wanted to see on the way to Grafton is a place called The Devils Elbow.
It's said to be one of the best views in Missouri off of Rt 66.
The town got it's name from a wicked turn in the Big Piney River.
There isn't much to the town, a Elbow Inn and Bar by the river and across the bridge in the center of town is Shelden's market which is also the post office.
We spent a little while in the town and checking out the view, we also bought 2 t shirts boxed them up and mailed to our selves. Yep been there got the T shirt LOL.
The Elbow Inn and Bar
We didn't stop in but we have heard they have bras hanging from the rafters
Riding with Lynn I am never at a loss for fun and she is always seeking out fun.
We hit the Flyin J truck stop in Stanton Mo. at lunch time and it seems
that some of the high school kids had just finished eating lunch after puting
on a play for a local grade school. And Lynn just had to say howdy and take some pic's.
Now her and one of the girls are face book friends
while at the Flyin J this little one wanted to sit on Skull
Mom and dad were so excited to see we didn't mind and
they pulled out their phone and started takin pic's.
it was time to go out and ride the country side and see what we could find.
With the fall colors in full, the country side was a blaze with reds, golds and yellows.
We did have one pre-booked planed thing for this day
We wanted to take a ride on the pirate ship but that got scuttled because unlike SPI
they only rent the ship out for groups of 14 or more at $450.00 a group.
Our second choice was to take the haunted boat ride at 6pm, a 2 hour ride with all the Halloween
fixins. But that was canceled because of lack of booking.
So our third choice was to take the last ride on The Hakuna Matata to see the sights from the river.
So we booked it before we left OKC, 3:00 pm Fri afternoon. Yep we get to take a fall boat ride and it's the last one of the season.
The thing is we can book something all day long, but what to do when your 60 miles
away from the boat sight seeing and you have 1 hour and 30 mins to make it back?
Well if your us instead of turning back the way you came because you know you can
make it back in time, you keep going forward. Oh and you stop for lunch along the way.
Mmmmm good catfish
So in the mists of trying to make the boat in time cause there would not be another
chance to ride it, we stop for lunch and all Lynn could say is we will make it.
Yeah if I push Skull like a crazy man, LOL.
Before we left the restaurant I ask the girl serving us how far away was the ferry, she
said about 14 miles.Hmmmm 14 miles to the ferry or I could just go back the way we came
and cross the bridge. Well Lynn has a saying "forever forward", so the choice was easy.
"To the ferry"
which by the signs was 22 miles away
LOL
We made it to the Ferry that was a given.
But did we make the boat?
Of course we didReally
Did you have any doubt that we would make it?
We got caught behind local traffic for about 6 miles
Then we had to wait for the ferry
once we got on the ferry and rode it across, we still had to wait to unload and
then we had to make a quick ride back to Grafton, slowing to go thru
town. Don't need a ticket.
We got to the boat just as they were loading.
Here's what Grafton and the area looks like from the water
There is also some pic's of Tara Point from the river in the video.
I mean it's a viking song and thats a pirate ship
But hey I have always wanted to use that song in a video
Now I can check that off my list
LOL
The pic's and video of the pirate ship was taken from the deck at Tara Point,
with one of the best cameras I have ever owned.
My Fuji finepix S
Our time at Tara Point was almost over.
3 days and nights of great sights from our eagles nest.
Our Grafton adventure was to come to a close Sunday morning.
One more evening of walking the deck and taking pics.
It was like the whole area was saying good bye hope to see you again.
The ride home was cold and windy.
4 hours of 32 degrees and winds blowing from the south at 20 with
gusts to 35. Yep we would spend this day riding head long into a cold wind.
We took 4 coffee/warm up stops from Grafton Il to Rolla Mo.
We were also riding head first into a rain storm that we could see in front of us
and doing a check on our phones we could see on radar.
My goal was to get us to Rolla Mo. for gas and coffee before the rain.
Our timing could not have been better. Just as we pulled under the gas station awning
it start sleeting. Yep sleeting every one that was at the station could
not believe it and we had many
come up to us that could not believe we were on two wheels in it.
There was a guy who had sold his place in Il. in a uhaul truck filling up next to where I
was filling up Skull. He looked around the pump and said
"Hows the air conditioner working on that bike today"
LOL
Every one has to be a smart butt.
Well we lived thru a night time ride on the most dangerous hwy in Oklahoma
the Turner TurnPike and made it home by 6:15pm Sunday night
11 hours
539 miles (one way)
4 gas stops
4 extra coffee/warm up stops
But it was a blast, and the fall colors were amazing!!!!
As I sit here in my nice warm and cozy office out of the cold.
According to everyone winter has come early and "all kick stand are down"
Hmmmmmmmmmm
All kick stands???
2 long rides, 2 1/2 weeks apart
taking in to different views of fall
3337 miles total road miles
280 miles of wandering miles
$197.00 in gas all total
Some of the best food on any long rides we have taken
and some really nice people along the way.
Our riding season is far from over.
See you on the road
OK maybe not till spring
but if you are out in your cage and you catch a glimps
of 2 crazy people on an old Honda Chopper
give us a short honk and a wave.
