I woke up later than I intended to today which has happened too many times this trip. It’s a cool start but not chilly enough to need my jacket. With Libby loaded up I set back out towards homes. The rain has passed on and the sky is clear blue, a perfect start for the first time in a couple of days.
We’re back on the state highway headed towards Mississippi. We only get about 50 miles down the road and I’ve already got to hit the restroom. It’s supposed to be a quick pit stop but there’s a McDonald’s here and an egg McMuffin sounds really good right now. I strike up a conversation with another biker who’s enjoying a quick breakfast as well. He’s headed in the opposite direction for an appointment at the VA in Birmingham. He served six years in the Coast Guard, mostly patrolling the Gulf of Mexico. Nice guy. We say our goodbyes and head our separate ways.
We’re making good time on this highway but stoplights occasionally slow us down. It’s not long before we hit the state line and cross into northern Mississippi. It’s still quite cool out, almost chilly at speed. We fly through Mississippi and the road eventually leads us back into Tennessee and into Memphis. We’ve traveled almost 200 miles before finally being back on interstate. It’s past lunch time now so I pull off to find something to eat. I use my wicked good Google skills to locate a good looking candidate and reset Libby’s GPS. Doesn’t take long to get there but the restaurant is inside a casino and I’m not having any of that.
There’s not much else in the area I’m in that’s looking good so I continue down the road. There’s a ton of good food in Memphis, barbecue especially, but I’m not driving all over town to find it. I decide to head into Arkansas and the city of West Memphis, maybe something along the highway will pop up. Nothing does so we continue on. A few more miles down the road and I pull off at a rest area, if I don’t find something to eat soon I’m going to miss lunch. I find Pop’s Grill, looks decent is only about 15 miles down the road so I head towards it. My exit is just a couple of miles down the road, Pop’s is 13 miles off the interstate but I head towards it anyway.
I’m not liking the idea of driving an extra 26 miles just to eat and my desire to turn around grows as I move further from the interstate. About half way to Pop’s I pass a couple of small restaurants that look decent enough and decide to pull a u-turn to go to one of those. On the right is Jim’s Restaurant, right next door on the left is Mike’s Restaurant. I chose Jim’s.
The building looks like a large shack with a wooden front porch. It’s an old country style building. The staff is pleasant but it’s by no means a fancy joint. I order today’s special at the counter, a BLT with fries and a drink, no beer though. The booths are fast food style and hard, at least for me right now. The floor is wood and the walls are corrugated metal. It’s tiny place that’s mostly populated with regulars, the kind of place where the staff knows the clientele by name. But the ceiling looks like it’s about to fall in and the floor slopes noticeably towards the back corner of the building. I start to wonder just how long it’ll be before the thing just falls over. But the sandwich was good, hard to screw up a BLT though.
Aside from the turnover and McMuffin it’s the cheapest meal so far, only ten bucks. With my hunger satisfied I head back to the interstate. I’m still riding under clear blue sky. It’s warmed up but it’s still cool running at cruising speeds. We’re able to move quickly but the big rigs are out in force today and slow us down from time to time.
It’s soon time to stop gas so I pull off to get Libby filled up and check my status. I’ve pretty much decided at this point that Texarkana is going to be my target for the day. If I can get there I’ll only be a few hundred miles from home which isn’t a bad day. I can make all the home today but I’d get in late and don’t want to do that. It’s about 3:30 now so I decide to call ahead to the campsite. Their office closes in an hour and I’m a good two hours out so I make a reservation, I’m now locked into Texarkana.
I try my best to make quick work of the 150 miles I’ve got to travel. The trucks have thinned out a bit but still run into one passing another every so often. We make it into camp right at 5:30. It’s the same place I stayed at two years ago when I was doing the Texas Tour, I’m even in the same tent sight. I’m hoping there’s no gun shots this time.
The camp site is right off the interstate and traffic is easily heard, and seen, from here. Aside from the occasional douche bag with his foot on the floor of his excessively loud car, the sound doesn’t really bother me. Excessively loud cars annoy me which might be a bit hypocritical of me since motorcycles tend to be loud, Bertha certainly is. But motorcycles need to be loud. You may of heard the term, “Loud Pipes Save Lives”. Motorcycles are more likely to be heard before they are seen, a loud exhaust is absolutely meant to get attention. There’s definitely some ego involved, more for some than others, but for the most part we want you to notice us so you don’t kill us. Any passing motorcycles, and most of the highway traffic, won’t bother me tonight. Hell, I could probably go to sleep next to a running Harley. The sweet, soft snoring from the eight year old cherub I’ve left at home though, that’ll keep me awake.
I’ve got camp setup up quickly. My tent is still wet which is expected since it’s rolled up in a bag, but the inside is dry which is all that really matters. I’m off to dinner. The Twisted Fork is just down the road. The menu isn’t extensive but the options are decent. It’s a bit pricey, $40 for a steak. I chose the salmon and risotto. The salmon was very tasty, the risotto wasn’t bad but I couldn’t finish it, it was too creamy or cheesy.
After dinner it’s a quick stop for beer than back to camp. I pull in and jump off Libby ready to settle in for the night when I realize I forgot to get ice. The camp site is just past a light and the access road is a one way, I’ve got to go back to where I just was, run back across the highway and head up the opposite side just to get ice. It’s a short ten minute trip but I’m annoyed with myself regardless.
Back at camp, again, and all is quiet. There’s plenty of people here but very little activity and I can’t see any campfires. Could be due to burn bans though. Still, I hear very little movement. I’m technically back in Texas now, the camp site is nestled between the state line and the welcome sign. I’ll try to force myself into bed early so I can get a good start tomorrow. I’d like to get home before the kids do and still stop for lunch. I’m just 300 miles from home now so I should be able to make it in time if I get up on time. Tomorrow we return to real life.
The Motorcycle Diaries of an Easy Rider 