Feelin' awfully Chatty

Destination: Chattanooga



Finally, an update (kinda). Hit the road to Chatty, OK. From Chatty, continued south on 36. And, decided to check out Loveland. Good to note: just because a town has a big sign, doesn't mean a thing. Loveland is located in the midst of many cotton fields and gravel roads. Funny thing is that Loveland actually has paved roads... for its 10 (or so) people. Chatty's about 24 miles southwest of Lawton when passing through Faxon.



The town originated in 1901 and was named after the founder's hometown in Tennessee. Chatty remained an agricultural community with a steady population. Check out Chatty's website.



OK History Lesson: Loveland

Loveland was founded in July 1908 as Harriston. The name was rejected and Loveland was chosen. Loveland seemed to reach its population peak around 1912 with a population of approx. 300. The grain elevators were still in operation until the 1990s. The town had a train depot, a newspaper, and school along with its post office. Last high school class graduated in '57.

It was five miles of gravely hell to get to Loveland. My guess is that a new layer of gravel had been put on. I never thought my bike would overheat in December, but it sure did. After slowly creeping to Loveland, I was surprised to find paved roads in a little semi-abandoned community.

More pictures can be found on WGR's Facebook.

Wichita Mtns

Destination: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

From Meers to Medicine Park (including Mt. Scott) 66 miles

Yet, another detour...

So my ride started out by Meers. I took a left onto HWY 115 (yes, once again I find myself on 115) and headed into the Refuge. I turned right onto HWY 49 and rode it right out of the refuge. Some fun curves once one's passed that last cattle-gate. Took HWY 54 down to 62. Reaching Indiahoma, I took a left and rode back into the refuge past Job Corps. Fun road! Just that the speedlimt is 25...And, it gets a traveler out to the refuge headquarters. Ah...the memories of... Um, never mind.

Took a right and headed back towards Medicine Park. Mt. Scott is worth a drive up for the view, so be sure to ride up the refuge's 2nd tallest "mountain."



Awesome hiking opportunites.



Medicine Park Car Show 2010

Rode to check out the street-rod show out in Medicine Park yesterday. If you weren't able to check it out for yourself, here's a little teaser of what you missed. More pictures are posted on WGR's Facebook page.

Have to say, though, I found that the turnout last year was better.

My rides have kept me out towards Medicine Park and the Refuge. And, I'm hoping to get the new tires put on this week. Because, I'd say it's about time for some new rubber...



Sunday Afternoon Ride

Destination: Cement, OK

Miles Logged: 85ish

What better way to end Fall Break than with a nice ride? The idea was to check out Cement's old downtown and then take a left somewhere and head north to catch 92 somewhere. Didn't quite pan out that way...

Started out in Elgin and rode through Fletcher and Cyril. Took Old 277 to the new hwy (some nice curves, but watch out for that stop sign, it can sneak up on ya). In Cement to get to the old downtown, just turn left at the stop sign. From there the plan was to ride North. Didn't really workout, and we rode east and toured the...lovely town of Cement. Stayed on 277 and took 81 north to Chickasha.  Rode through Verden and Anadarko on the way back.

  

Note, that by visiting downtown Cement on a Sunday you will draw attention to yourself. It wasn't long before the Cement Cop felt like questioning our motives.

Today's OK history lesson: Cement.

The Keechi Hills (naturally formed mounds) can be found in Cement. There's even a museum in downtown dedicated to the Jesse James legend that his gang buried some of their loot in the Keechi Hills (Buzzard's Roost)....

A cement mill was built in 1901 by Acme Cement and Plaster Co. The town's reputation of being "no man's land" gave it a pretty rowdy rep until the prohibition in 1907. It's alleged that Frank James lived in Cement before moving to Fletcher. The town peaked in 1930 when it had a population of over 1100 (wow- I know).
 
For more pictures, check out WGR's Facebook album.



Cooperton, OK

Destination: Cooperton

Population: 13

Any excuse to ride HWY 115... Decided to head out to Cooperton. Leaving from Meers and coming back to Lawton it's about 85 miles. There are so many different roads a rider can take. And, I know 'em all like the back of my hand.


Took HWY 115 up to 19. Turned South onto 54 (Cooperton), Caught 19 again and headed to Roosevelt. Got onto HWY 183 (veered off to drive through Great Plains State Park, which is pretty nice). Good to know that the sheriffs drive little chevy cars...Staying on the road driving through the park, it'll curve back around to 183. From Snyder we just hit HWY 62 back to Lawton.

My interest was piqued when I read about Cooperton here, and then I did some googling and got my info here.

Cooperton is actually a pretty big grid work of gravel roads. A lot of delapidated houses. A church, the school, the bank, and what looks like an old chapel are still there. Note, that if you check it out, you'll be the talk of the "town."

Your Oklahoma history lesson for the day: Cooperton

Cooperton (originally called Cooper) was established by CPT Frank Cooper in 1899. When it was decided that the territory was to be divided by lottery, Cooper asked for (and was granted) over 300 acres. By 1910, Cooperton had a population of 100. And, the town had a general store, post office, 2nd general store, livery stable, drug store. The town

continued to grow and soon there was a bank, hardware shop, cotton gin, mill, two hotels, churches, school, and a newspaper called the Cooperton Banner. By 1940, the population was about 187. The population soon decreased due to mechanized farming, high farm prices, and better roads and transportation. The High School closed in 1965. The Elementary School closed in 1972.

More pictures can be found in WGR's Facebook album.


This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

HWY 115

Destination: HWY 115



I have to admit that this is one of the best roads I've come across in the immediate area. It's about 14 miles (fromMeers to Hwy 19 JCT) of Sweepers and a couple of hard-turns. It runs along the north side of the Wichita Mtns.

15 turns in 14 miles. Okay, okay, so it's not Deals Gap(318 turns in 11 miles) or anything, but all the same it's pretty good for Oklahoma. Take note that my 15 count may be slightly off. It's kind of like when I make my coffee, I lose track of how many spoonfuls of coffee I put in the coffee maker.

The last corner on the north end (up towards Mtn View) is by Saddle Mountain.

The bigger loop is nice, too. But, sometimes I just ride Hwy 115, and turn around and do it again.

OK history lesson for the day: Saddle Mountain.

Saddle Mountain was a Baptist missionary for the Kiowas established in 1896. By 1903 there was a chapel/schoolhouse. The church was closed in the 1960s and the building was moved to Cache, OK. Isabella Crawford, the missionary who came down from Canada in 1896, is buried in the cemetary by Saddle Mountain.

More pictures can be found on WGR's Facebook.

Cookies

So as I was...um...studying the other day, I came across a website about ghost-towns in the U.S. and O!Canada. Under Oklahoma I found two that I know very well. Cookietown (yeah, I'm slightly obsessed with this "town") was listed.

My mind is now at peace, Cookietown once had cookies.

Apparently, Cookietown used to have a general store, circa 1928, (and that was it) and the proprietor, Marvin Cornelius, would give out cookies to kids (so the legend goes). One kid didn't want to leave "Cookietown" and thus the name was established.

This general store is still supposed to be recognizable (now whether that means that there's a building, a foundation, or a cobblestone to mark the spot- I don't know). I guess this gives me an excuse to pack a few cookies and head out to Cookietown again.

My Favorite Detour

Destination: Medicine Park

If there's one thing I'm good at (besides pulling off my charming sunshine-like disposition...), it's taking a detour. It's 12:55, and I am expected to show my face at 1:00, I see a road that looks cool- I'mma take it. Medicine Park is basically on my way home, so I tend to ride through a lot. If you're in SW OK, then you definitely have to ride through. There's a mc shop (Chaps My Ass), The Tavern, and two restaurants.

 A favorite route is taking the Lake Road from HWY 58 through MP, and then ususally heading down Big Rock Road. I learned the other day that Lake Rd is actually called Elm. Go figure.

Big Rock road runs through Big Rock Estates. Note to watch out for teeny-boppers trying to practice their drifting skills on the way up/down.

More pictures can be found on WGR's Facebook.

Off Topic...

Country Rentals

Totally off topic, but if you or someone you know is looking for a place to rent in beautiful SW OK, I totally recommend checking out Stone Turtle Ranch.

Bringing it back on topic, Motorcycles welcome! Tour guide available (I know some really good roads).

Another Summer Ride

Destination: Hinton, OK

Trying to catch up on some of the many miles I've logged. A friend came out from LA and we rode up and met a friend up in Hinton, OK. Cruised down the winding road into Red Rock Canyon State Park. Fun road. But, as most fun things Oklahoma has to offer, it comes in small bite-size increments. Nevertheless, the ride up going past Fort Cobb and Lake Fort Cobb is pretty nice. And, the road into Binger, OK has is a grade 8%. Too bad the speed limit on that part is about 25 mph...

From Porter Hill to Hinton, it's about 60 miles. Red Rock Canyon is on the East side of the Hwy 8 going through Hinton.

Silver, No Name, and Blueberry

From Red Rock, we all drove back down to Binger and then headed out towards Union City. From Union City we hit 152 going out to Mustang and then OKC.

Hit up Bricktown and the Memorial. Eventually, we ended up in CycleGear (what I imagine Heaven to look like).

Blueberry's 1st Mod

Yes, Blueberry finally got it's first modification: a driven 520 conversion kit. -1+2. And, it's blue. And, there's no more weird noise (a major perk).

So maybe changing the chain and sprockets the day before a major ride wasn't the greatest idea in the world. There's that hindsight thing again. But, it's not every day where a mechanically inclined friend is around to help you change your chain and sprockets. At least not every day in my world which is surrounded by cats. Just call me Little Edie. And, not the Drew Barrymore version of Little Edie. If you're gonna watch Grey Gardens, watch it right.

So it wasn't the most opportune time, but it was a time, nonetheless. We pulled off my old chain with a little drill-bit blade. Pulled off both sprockets. Put the new sprockets on and everything around it back on only to have to take it all back off. It wasn't until we were ready to put the chain on when I realized that I needed a chain-riveting tool. Yup. There I was with no back tire on my bike. And even if I had the back tire on, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere without a chain. So I did some major texting to try to track down a rider with this tool. I even found one who would loan it to me. Turns out that just because it looks like a great fit, don't cut the chain until absolutely certain. And, even IF you are certain, don't do it! It ended up being a few tiny millimeters too short. No pulling, stretching, dragging, squeezing, or praying could change that. Figures that all this would happen on a Sunday. A day where no local bike shop is open. A day where nothing wanted to go right. That's the kind of day it was.

Time to brainstorm...once again. It dawned on me that Cyclegear may sell master-links. I called the OKC branch and asked them to hold two master-links for me. So we had an unexpected 150 mile total road trip to take. For a couple of master links. Driving to OKC just for 8 oz of metal really is not my style. But, I wasn't about to let the possibility of a Talimena road trip slip through my fingers. While at Cyclegear, I also got oil and an oil filter for my next oil change. At least I didn't drive up for just 8 oz of metal. Back at the house, we put the chain and wheel back on Blueberry. So what if my chain now has two master-links instead of one. It's a frickin' blue chain! Looking back it probably also wasn't the brightest idea to test out a new chain so far away from home. Good thing these things never cross my mind when they ought to.

Lessons I've learned from this modification:
◦You need a chain rivet tool
◦Just because it looks like you can take one more link out, DON'T!
◦Buy an extra master link...or two.
◦When tightening the master link with the rivet tool, loosen the tool periodically and make sure the link's not on too tight.

Talimena Drive

Destination: Talimena and Back

Miles Logged: 350ish

Okay, so things are getting a little (understatement of the year) disorganized. But, I guess the shoe fits.

This ride was awesome! Even though I was expecting something better. I guess I've been watching too many YouTube videos of Deals Gap (aka the Dragon's Tail) and was expecting something of the sort. Nevertheless, it was still pretty a great way to spend a Monday.

It was Labor Day weekend and after some brainstorming, a rider buddy of mine and I came up with a great idea. We thought it was the perfect weekend to do the Talimena Scenic drive. So my friend came up from Louisiana with his lifted pick-up truck and his bike on a trailer. I was currently chain-less due to the fact that somewhere between the 20,000 -24,000 mile mark, my stock chain began making awful noises. The racket it was making, it sounded like my sprockets were missing a couple teeth. So since my friend was a little more mechanically inclined, we tackled my chain/sprocket problem with only a couple minor complications. Two master links later, we were ready to go.

Due to the distance from his tailgate to the ground, he had to pull into a ditch to be able to use his ramps. I felt my heart stop as Blueberry began to lean a little too far to my side as we gently rolled it up the ramps. I used the only tie-downs I had, some heavy-duty tie-downs left over from my old man's army days. We trailered the bikes up to Talihina. Depending on how you drive from the Lawton area (the route and the speed) it can range from 4-6 hours. Got a kind of late start and took a right instead of a left (taking a detour over Lake Texhoma- awesome lake, by the way). It may have been my fault. Right seemed like the logical direction according to Oklahoma signage. It's all Oklahoma's fault. Sounds about right. With our little detour, we made it up to Tali around 2:00ish. The rider from Eufaula (I always want to say U-fa-lu-fa) we were meeting in Talihina was already there waiting on us. After grabbing a bite at Pam's Hateful Hussy Diner --is that a name or what? Definitely my kind of place-- we filled up our bikes and found a parking lot to unload the bikes.

Talimena Drive

Hwy 1 from Talihina, OK to Mena, AR runs about 60 miles one way. Almost guaranteed to see many bikers since the Talimena (hopefully not all are prone to my blonde moments and get the name at once) route is pretty well-known.

The Talimena Drive takes about an hour one way. Time flys as you're going through the curves and before you know it, you've reached the end. Lots of bacon in Mena. I had the pleasure of having my debit card declined in Mena. Thank you, USAA. Thank God for Discover card since someone never carries cash mainly because someone never has cash.

From Talihina, we all went our separate ways. I headed back to Stone Turtle Ranch, and the boys went back to their homes. I loaded up my heavy-duty tie down straps, the finance book I packed for the trip and never read (it's the thought that counts), and rode back to Lawton around 6:00. I ended up taking the back highways since I didn't take a map and GPS/cell phone use is beyond my capabilities. No smartphone for this rider. The original plan was to take backroads up to the interstate that eventually goes through OKC, but somehow that just didn't workout. The road from Tali to McAlester is pretty awesome. From McAlester to Ada seemed to take forever since that's when my pack really started feeling a little heavy (it probably weighed a good 30-40 lbs). It was like a ruck march- just not. The ride was definitely enjoyable since there was still sunlight to enjoy the views, the curves, and the towns. From Talihina to Ada it's about 125 miles. It was shortly before Ada when I started to get worried. My gas light was blinking furiously and it was getting dark very fast. Once I got to Ada, I wasn't worried. I've ridden through there enough to know my way around. I also knew that I wanted to head to Chickasha and not Duncan because the darker it got, the more I was begging for the nice, fast interstate. I was wearing down on my 11 reserve miles by the time I got to a small town that had fuel. I stopped in Allen, and all they had was 87. I grew up near a gas station in the middle of nowhere. I know the quality of the gas usually sucks. So low-fuel and darkness be damned, I continued on to Ada. I stopped in at their bigger gas station, got gas, and looked for a payphone since my cell phone had been roaming for a while. It was my luck that the payphones weren't working. I had been expected back home an hour ago with three more hours of traveling to go. A gentleman at the gas station offered to let me use his phone. I must have been some sight for a stranger to offer me his phone. I was so glad to make it to Ada, I could have cried. Anyways, from there I got on Hwy 19 and went up to Chickasha before getting on the interstate. I pulled into a gas station just as they were closing. I was able to talk them into staying open 5 more minutes so I could refuel. Thank you! At that point, I was happy to see an interstate. Finally made it home by 11:00p.m. passing only two black cows on the side of the road. That s-curve by Stoney Point Rd always has cattle out at night. 
Over all, my adventure was a blast. And, Hwy 19, even though it may not seem frequented much, actually has a pretty decent amount of traffic on a Monday night.

More pictures can be found on WGR's Facebook.

Quick Update

Ah, the joys of technology. I've been having some slight difficulties (probably the user's fault...) with, well, a lot of things. Have some rides to post, though. Hoping to have them up very soon.
Happy Riding!

Big Loop

Destination: Ada

All in all, this loop is pretty cool. It goes through some small towns, where there is really nothing, yet they still have a cop (Bradley and Roff). Mostly all two-lane hwy with a speed limit of 65. This route has some nice sweeper curves. From Elgin back to Elgin, it runs about 240ish miles.

I drove through Fletcher, Cyril, got onto HWY 19. This brought me through Cement and some awesome scenery with sweepers. Hwy 19 goes right down to Ada. Easy to remember. From Ada, I took Hwy1 (goes down to Sulpher through Roff). Roff.What kind of name is that? Well, I guess it's better than Chitwood... From Sulpher I just stayed on Hwy 7 until Duncan, than took 81 up to Rush Springs back over to Elgin. No refueling worries, there are plenty of gas stations. Roads are okay, and currently undergoing construction

Paul's Valley was established in 1857. Paul picked a nice valley.

   

Ada has some really nice undercover black chargers. Good to know. In Ada, I met up with some riders. We rode down to the springs in Sulphur. The spring water tastes,well, a little like sulphur.

I got off to a late start for the Ada meet-up due to a "You're not possibly thinking of riding out there alone" discussion, so I wasn't able to take pictures. Therefore, I had an excuse for a small picture-taking road trip...

More pictures can be found on the Facebook album.

It's not Sin City, it's Cox City

Destination: Cox City

So, while I was studying (okay, maybe procrastinating) I came across a road that looked like it had *awesomeness* potential on GoogleMaps. So, of course, I had to check it out. It's boiling hot out, and I laced up my boots grabbed my mp3 player and hit the road.

Route:  Elgin, Sterling, Rush Springs. Drive through Rush Springs on Hwy 17 (aka Cox City Road- original eh?) out to Cox City, Marlow, and finally Lawton. All in all about a 100 mile trip.

First things first. Since Cox city isn't Sin City, It's best to get gas in a town where they actually have a gas station (in this case Elgin).

The ride out to Rush Springs through Sterling is pretty nice. Hill country with a couple of sweeper curves. Note that the speed limit through Sterling is like 20mph (also note that the cop out there is...um...nicely put very active). Rush Springs is well-known in the area for it's annual Watermelon Festival which is coming up in the next week or two.

Just stay on the main road through Rush Springs and eventually you'll wind up in Cox City. It's a two lane rural road with, believe it or not, curves. Now, before you get excited, Cox City road is in oil country (who would have thought) and the road is horrible.

However, after the farm scenery outside of Rush Springs, the scenery changes and you can see oil pumps, curves, trees, and hills. Pretty Nice. Half way through the curves, you'll see:

This sign is something I never thought I'd see in Oklahoma, but there it is. The roads are extremely bumpy. Taking the curves at speed limit is impossible (on a bike). It's a nice cruise, though. I knew that on the map after the last curve turning south Cox City should be right there. After a couple of miles, I began to wonder if I'd passed it. I mean, I did blink a couple of times. Until I saw this:

That's right- it's Cox City. Good thing I didn't blink at that moment. The road's name changes into 13 mile Rd. Once again, very original. This road, however, is smooth and an easy ride.

After a while, you'll find yourself at the Hwy 29 intersection (turn right, west, to head to Marlow). Okay, some important things to know for this hwy. County Sheriff is omnipresent. Also, drivers (including many 18-wheelers) are speeding idiots. After passing through Bray I found myself with a line of trucks and 18wheelers riding my ass (speed limit's 65). Note,also, that there is no shoulder on this road. There seems to be a junk car transport facility on the left at some point. Watch out for the loaded 18-wheelers that pull out of there. Yeah, this is where my ride gets good. One of these loaded trucks pulled out infront of me. It had about 9 crushed cars on it. At first, only little metal dust flew off in my direction. But, as the truck started reaching 65-70 mph more shit flew off. Great. No shoulder and a line of tail gaters on a two lane hwy with no shoulder.

As more crap started coming off the semi, I looked for a window in traffic so I could pass. I found it, with some cars heading my way on the horizon.

End of Story: I now have a $350 ticket.

Good to know: after that last little hill, the highway has a shoulder.

More pictures from this ride can be found in Wandering of a Girl Ryder's Facebook album.

It's Cookietown, Jake. Not Chinatown...

Destination Cookietown

July 23, 2010

So, the first ride to be documented is to a small "town" called Cookietown, Oklahoma (just south of Lawton, OK). Population: 5. Okay, maybe not five, but pretty damn close. The sign alone is worth the drive.

If you're looking for cookies while in Cookietown, best pack your own. I know! What a disappointment. For an update click here.

So, the riding possibilities are relatively endless from here, but since Oklahoma 5A runs right into Cookietown it's a pleasing option. Taking 5A east and turning North onto 5 (it's an L-shaped highway I guess) will take one into a small town called Walters.  The roads are pretty smooth. But, also kind of dull (aka straight).

Walters' main street is known as Broadway. It's a little off Broadway if you ask me. This small community is exactly what comes to mind when one thinks of  idyllic small-town America. A coffee shop, The Silver Spoon (open Monday- Friday), a gym, library, Chamber of Commerce, gazebo, court house, and many other charming things can be found here. The streets running East to West through Walters are named after States. So, I've now been to Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. And, all in a day!

My ride ended abruptly in Lawton, when I found a small kitten abandoned under a pay phone at a gas station. I tried convincing the firefighters that showed up that they needed a new, cute mascot. I suck at sweet-talking. She rode home (a hot 25mile-ish trip) crammed in my small backpack. I've named her Sprocket.

Pictures from this ride can be found on Wanderings of a Girl Ryder's Facebook album!

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

The Beginnings of a Blog

Hi! And, Welcome!

First off, I'd like to introduce myself. The name's Dani. I'm a college student at a university no one has heard of in Oklahoma, USA. This is my first blog ever. Yeah, I know, what kind of 20 year-old am I? I'll tell ya, one that has no technology savvy. I do, however, usually manage to find the power button.

Anyways, I have two...um...addictions. I'm a coffee addict. And, motorcycles are my obsession.

Motorcycles + Coffee = Bliss

^that right there is as good as my math gets.

When I was 13, I saw two idiots doing wheelies down a main road in town. I bought my first bike magazine that day. Took me a year of convincing my mother daily that I wouldn't kill myself on a motorcycle. On my 14th birthday, I found a motorcycle helmet sitting on the table. After a year of searching for a bike, one that was in my price class (cheap), I found my bike; it was a 1998 Yamaha fzr600. I was so excited!

Unfortunately the bike wasn't as excited about me. I spent 2 years fighting with it (with my budget) trying to get it running. '07 was my year,though, and that's when my riding career started.

The yami was...a...um...problem child, a pain in the ass, a piece of...sh...work (to say the least), but that's a story for another time. I bought a 2007 cbr600rr July 1, 2009. And in that year, I've put 18,000 miles on it. My cbr goes by the name Blueberry because every good vehicle needs a name.We've had some amazing times. I've found over my riding time, that you can find the neatest roads, towns, and places when you get off the "cruise" in town, and just ride. I've also found that most people don't know of the awesomeness we have in the area. I've taken it upon myself to find out by putting down the map and getting wonderfully lost by wandering.

I'm finally coming to the point of my blogging: to record the rides and maybe inspire others, when in the area, to ride some of these neat routes (okay, okay maybe I just needed something to justify my gas-guzzling hobby...). Or, maybe even inspire other dedicated riders to do the same.

So, follow Blueberry and me on our adventures as we wander!