Everyone talks about the BIG Bike Weeks. I MUST say, I have been to a few of them and Loved them! But, I feel a little bad for the people who never go anywhere else! Granted, I'm gettin up there now, but I like to see other things that aren't that , "same old same old". 1 place we traveled through,and was VERY pleasantly surprised, was, Arkansas! It was SO nice, we went there on purpose 2 more times! This State is VERY motorcycle friendly! The roads are in pristine condition, and the scenery is 2nd to NONE! It's a little warm in Aug., but, it's gorgeous in Spring and Fall. There is the BB&BBQ in late Sept. That is what I want to do next! Don't overlook this State! It's not Hillbilly's and Hayseeds! There are really nice people and lots of things to see and do there! For what it's worth, I'm from WI., so, if you're looking for somewhere to go that's only about 13 hrs. away, there really isn't a better place to go! Best part is, you can go any time from April to November, and have good weather!

 

Funny you should mention AR. I'm from WI too and currently wintering in FL. I don't have my Trike here this winter but will remedy that for next winter after I pick up my new trailer. But I was thinking that my main incentive for leaving WI in the winter is to be able to ride. Obviously you can usually do that in FL but it is also very crowded here. It got me thinking about places that might not be popular snowbird destinations yet still offer the opportunity to ride in the winter months. AR is one of the places that crossed my mind. 40s and 50s don't bother me but I don't want to ride in snowy and icy conditions. I'm not sure AR is the answer but I'm thinking there probably are some alternatives to FL that are not as crowded.

 

That's why I ended up choosing Panama City! Wanted to be on the water, but without the congestion of most of coastal Florida, plus year 'round riding.

 

So, we go down to Florida every year in Feb. for 2 weeks. As you know, FL. can be hit or miss with the weather then. What months are best in Panama city, aka. (almost) guaranteed you'll get 70's &80s ? We always stay near the Clermont area because the weather is warmer there than in upper FL.,at that time.

 

Heading down to Eureka Springs in late May for the sole purpose of having an easy going relaxed week vacation combined with a few days of riding the Ozarks.

We've been through the area but never stayed.
I've rented a large cabin 3 miles north of Eureka Springs.

We are really looking forward to the trip.

Then the last week in July we in the Black Hills.
This trip is all about the party and the ride, I'm not anticipating relaxing on this trip

BTW I'm only 52 so I'm not retired yet, but last year the last kid left the house so it's all about Momma and Dad now.
It's now "our time"!!!!!!

 

I'll see 100,000 miles on my 08 SG in the next month or so, I've ridden north to the Canada border, west as far as Texas and south into the Carolina's, but I'm sure I'm not a real motorcycle guy or biker as I have never been to ANY BIKE WEEK anywhere. worse I have no plans to go to one. :-)

 

The only bike event I ever attend is the Sturgis rally occasionally. I've been there three times and will be there again this summer. Most Harley bike events (Laughlin, Daytona, etc.) are of no interest to me.

What I really like to do is to ride. The destination is only part of the ride. Mostly what I like is all that happens on the way there and back.

Myself and several friends will do a 13 day ride to Colorado and Sturgis this summer. The Sturgis part is only two nights and the one day in between. That's enough for us to get what we want from Sturgis. The rest of the ride will mostly be exploring the high mountain passes of Colorado. We will spend about a week doing that.

In July, I will ride up to Seattle with a friend. He has to attend a conference there. So while I have no real interest in this conference he is attending, the thought of getting away for a week and riding from San Francisco to Seattle and back is appealing. So I said I would go along with him for the ride.

In June several friends and I will do a four day, three night, 1,000 mile ride around the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I'll probably also do a few other long rides this summer.

I am retired now and that is one of the reasons I can do these long rides. It is good to be retired.

 

This year may have been a bit unusual but we have friends who spent February in Destin, FL in the Panhandle and they never saw highs in the 70s all month. Plus they had some lows in the 20s. I think you need to wait for March for 70s in the Panhandle but that's also when the Spring Breakers invade the area so it can be crowded. That being said I still enjoy riding in 50s and 60s.

 

A Guy from work and I usually do a spring ride to Smokies for a long weekend and he mentioned lets go to the Ozarks. I have never been to Arkansas before so the trip has officially changed direction.

I have been doing some research on roads to ride and places to see. Do you have a must see place or road from your trip?

 

There are a lot of them actually! There is a website from Arkansas tourism page you can download ALL of them! Also, we stopped at a little Uni-mart or what ever they call-em down there, and they have those carousels with information etc. On one side of the pamphlet, it had hiking trails and bicycle trails etc., and when you turn it over, it had a bunch of routes for motorcycles. It took you routes that had gas and restaurants at good intervals so you wouldn't run out or starve! One of the most motorcycle friendly states ever! We will be going back this summer for the 4th of July. I do like the Fayetteville area alot.