An Impromptu Ride

On Friday I met up with a rider who's always nice enough to let me know when he's riding. He even has this habit of asking if I want to join (imagine that). So after the "Are we riding?" question, we decided to meet up in an hour. When I get there, his friend's already there waiting. Eventually after getting gas, lunch, and bs-ing with his friend, the other rider rolls in. First time I've not adhered to my 5 minute wait policy in years. If you're not there in 5 minutes, I won't be there either.

Awesome weather for a ride...if you were wearing synthetic gear. I was quite cozy in my Ballistic 5.0 pants with long underwear. That and winter riding gloves (how did I ever live without them!?!), and it's like riding in Florida sunshine even with the gusty gale common in Oklahoma. The windy city sure ain't got nothin' on us. We did a general 100-mile loop starting out in Meers to ride HWY 115 north. We did it just before they closed off HWY 115 to do whatever construction they're now doing. There goes my Meers and Saddle Mountain cemetery plans. 

I don't think my riding buddies had ever been on that road (not really explorers those two, but not everyone can have a job as an explorer like me). First corner comes up; I look in my mirror to see one of guys take it too wide. He reacted fast, straightened out his Harley, and did a little off-roading before rejoining us on the paved street. I'll admit, it was a pretty sweet save.We continued on- enjoying the weather, the scenery, and the ride. I love riding with people who ride to ride not to do moronic stuff. That last curve by Saddle Mountain is a doozy. It has an odd inclination and usually has grit or water on half of a lane. Creeped around that very slowly. Also, that last section (and I fear all of Hwy 115 may have the same fate) is only tightly packed gravel. I wouldn't be doing any track-style riding on it.

As we headed to Apache, I saw a lot of old barns I want to get on film. Some I've ridden by but were always hidden by trees. I love riding because I always notice something new. The Mobetta (mobetta than what, I always ask) building has long been transformed into a tanning salon in Apache. Because here in Oklahoma, we never see the sun... I think I'd rather get skin cancer from the sun than from whatever chemical reaction goes on in one of those weird booths. 

After Apache we went to Medicine Park because I had to go to the Post Office. Don't know why I didn't go in Apache. It's got to be that detour problem I have. While in Medicine Park I managed to convince the guys that they wanted to go hiking with me on Sunday since the others had bailed for the Saturday plans. I think I need to take some classes in guilt-tripping. 

Belated 3 Year Anniversary Ride

So the idea that women never forget anniversaries is not applicable to me. I'm sorry, Blueberry! I couldn't imagine owning another bike. At least not at this point in time. Still a little curious about cruisers, but not curious enough to where I'd want to trade in Blue. To another year of awesome rides!

Another Ride to Hinton

So I haven't had much of a chance to ride lately. But, I'm thankful to have found an opportunity to get away from Lawton for a little bit. However, before the next ride, I need to remember to tighten my chain...

Destination: Hinton, OK...again.

Miles logged: 200ish

Stopped in at Red Rock Canyon State Park in Hinton. The road down to the State Park is fun! But, like all fun things in OK, it's short-lived. So, this was the first time I actually drove through the town of Hinton. I have no clue why I was actually expecting something...

The beginning of HWY 37 in Hinton. It's got some nice sweepers, but I like HWY 115 better.

Oklahoma History Lesson:

Hinton was founded in 1902 by a representative of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. It was a town that thrived from its agricultural nature and the railway. In 1931, the Kiwanis hosted a rodeo. It remains an annual event to this day. The newspaper, the Hinton Record, was first printed in 1904 and is still the current paper. That's kind of neat. In the 60s, they built a nursing home. Hinton is also the home of a nice 18-hole golf course and a prison...

Ah, we also passed through Binger, but I didn't get a chance to stop. On different motorcycle note, I finally bought a copy of Twist of the Wrist!

More pictures of this ride on the Facebook album. 

September!

So, it's the loveliest day in September, and I had to get away from my evil homework. I rode through the refuge to enjoy the strong smell of burnt cedar and out to Cache. The Wichita Mtn Wildlife Refuge is under construction (at least the roads are) so the speed limit is 35. And, there are like a million extra stop signs (okay,okay only 4).

 

My dorky self.

Another Detour...Altus

Destination: Altus
Miles logged: 196ish
 The ultimate destination was Altus. Took a small detour, however, to check out some uncharted (at least by me) Oklahoma towns.

Found myself on HWY 115, yet again. Okay, so it's no Deal's Gap, but it's Oklahoma. Can't be asking for too much now. Haven't stayed on 115 in forever, but there are two more 25mph curves after you pass the HWY 19 turnoff. HWY 115 then remains straight with good sights until the small town of Mountain View. Well, from Mountain View, the view of the Wichitas is nonexistent. Okay, maybe not nonexistent, but I've seen better. So, no idea what's with the name. Mtn View turns out to be bigger than I remembered. They even have a gas station with 91. Guess there's more to the town other than its auction after all. Apparently Mountain View has a welcome center... Continued north on HWY 115 (passing the original town site of Mtn View- that's right, they moved the town.) until HWY 152.

Mtn. View

 HWY 115 north of Mtn View has some curves, too. Road's kind of bumpy, though. Turned left onto HWY 152 and rode to Cordell. I was actually impressed. They have a town square. Took a break in front of a motorcycle repair shop; The owner of which came over to say hi. The people of Mountain View and Cordell were extremely friendly. Gotta love that small-town charm. Cordell even has a bowling alley that sits on a hill. Color me impressed.

Cordell

Stayed on 152 through the outskirts (or so I hope) of Dill City and took HWY 44 south to Sentinel (they have a gas station with 91), Lone Wolf, Quartz Mtns, Blair, and finally Altus. Headed back to Meers via Lawton.
Coming back to that small town charm, whether you're cruising through a small town or down some back highway, you'll note that there's always someone with a smile and a wave.

OK History:
Nothing too interesting about Cordell. It has a population of about 3,000 and won the Great American Main Street award (given to five American cities every year) in '99. Norman Rockwell missed out. I'd move to Cordell in a heartbeat. They ought to feel special. Anyways...

Mountain View:
 Originally called Oakdale, the town moved its location to be closer to the Rock Island railway in 1903.
Sentinel:
It all started in 1898 with a small general store. There was some confusion about the name of the town due to it having two names. In 1907, the issue was resolved and it was named Sentinel. By 1911, two banks, a newspaper, electricity and telephone service, four grocers, two hotels, four general stores, and more could be found in Sentinel. By 1930, the town had well over 1,200 residents. Not bad for an ag-based community. In 1935, a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) camp came to the area. Population has decreased over the years (population is somewhere around 860). Judging by the many donut-tire marks on the hwy, I think it's safe to say that there's not too much to do in Sentinel.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook page.

Norway in Oklahoma

Destination: Norge
Miles logged: 80 miles



Third time's the charm (so they say), and I finally found my way to Norge, OK in the company of No Excuses Motorcycle Club. From Porter Hill, we rode out through Elgin, Fletcher, and Cyril. Got off to a rocky start in Cyril (those curves I've mentioned before). The same ones I crashed on back in April 09 (ah, the good times). Rider and bike were both fine (whew). 

Blueberry at the FZR crash site. Should've looked for that guardian bell I'd lost back in the day.

 From Cement we headed north on Oklahoma Avenue (original, no?) and took County Rd 1410 East, which will get you past Lake Burtschi (have to go back to check it out). There are a couple of fun curves on this road. It turns into HWY 92 somewhere and next thing you know you're driving past cute houses (the Norwegian style coming out, I guess), a school, and a thing that looked almost like a gas station...almost. 

Not anything worth stopping for, but before I pass final judgment on Norge, I'll have to go back.

From Chickasha we caught HWY 19 back to Cement. Well, it's not a good ride until ya get pulled over. It was a good ride...

OK History Lesson: Norge

  Norge was settled in 1907. President Roosevelt declared Norwegian immigrant Anfin Ersland the first postmaster (how cool is that?). The town was home to quite a few Norwegians back in the day. The town didn't get too big, and the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl wreaked havoc on Oklahoma's Norway. Post office closed in 1954, and Norge has a population of about 80.

Rush Springs

Destination: Rush Springs 

Home of the Annual Watermelon Festival

Miles Logged: 71 miles

 

From Porter Hill, rode out to Fletcher and Cyril. When you get to the second stop sign in Cyril continue straight. There are some fun curves. Watch out for that stop sign on the last curve. Turn right and you're back on your way to Cement. And, from Cement to HWY 81 there are also a couple of fun curves.

Both the annual watermelon festival and a fresh water spring can be found in Rush Springs' park. Riding through Rush Springs (a school, a post office, a bed and breakfast, and a library) you'll find the park on the left. The water tastes much better than from the springs in Sulphur.

OK History Lesson: Rush Springs, OK

Back in the 1850s, the Wichita had a village near the springs on Rush Creek. In 1858, the U.S. army launched a surprise attack on Comanches camping close to the area, known as the Battle of the Wichita, leaving 70+ Comanches dead. The Wichita relocated to Fort Arbuckle. By the 1870, a railroad made it to the Choctaw Nation, and supplies for Fort Sill were transported through Rush Springs. A post office was established at a local ranch, and once the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway came in 1892 the post office was relocated into what is now the town of Rush Springs. The town was incorporated in 1898. It's been hosting the watermelon festival every year since the 1940s.

 

Picture courtesy of Mac Vincent. Please click on his name for more info on Rush Springs as well as more awesome historic pictures!

"I've been to Nowhere, OK."

And, yes, there is a T-shirt. No, I did not buy it. I know, I know. Shame on me.

Destination: Nowhere

Miles Logged: 88ish

Rode out through Apache to Fort Cobb, Nowhere, and Fort Cobb State Park. Heading back, went west on HWY 9 to Carnegie, and hit HWY 115 back to Meers. It was pretty chilly and a long coffee break was certainly called for.

At the Lake Fort Cobb, there were literally thousands of geese. Family Reunion, or something... I honestly cannot remember a whole lot from this ride. All I remember is that it was extremely COLD!!! Someone came across my blog by searching for "weird things at the bottom of Lake Fort Cobb." Hm. Maybe I should do some research because curiosity just killed my "I don't really care" cat.

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!!

2011

The Beginning of another awesome year!

Got to kick off 2011 right, so a ride was called for. I only managed to convince one other rider to join me. It was a beautiful day out. The sun was shining and for some odd reason there was very little wind. Perfect for a ride. Granted, it was a tad bit chilly...

Rode out through Lawton, Cache, the Refuge, and up Mt. Scott.

Can't wait to see what adventures 2011 has in store for Blueberry and me.

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).

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.

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.