Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Eureka Springs - StoneGate Inn and WalMart

We were up and at 'em by 9:00 AM. Rising time seemed to get later and later every day. The Texas ladies didn't make it in last night. Instead, they stopped in Fort Smith and would be coming in some time today. It was cloudy and cooler this morning, as the last vestiges of Hurricane Irma swung around over the central part of the state.

Bubbles was looking after (I almost said manning) the main table, selling raffle tickets that you could put in jars for either an amazing patriotic quilt, a fine knife made by Laura's Bill or a bevy of lesser prizes. The proceeds of the weekend were going to support a local program that provides meals for needy children. I also ponied up for tickets to the Meet and Greet and the Hoedown, both on Thursday.

Bubbles looking after the table

Our worthy charity

Bill's knives

On display

Nightmares are made of this

Lucky Al blocked the view of where Bubbles was holding the blade

Sandy and Bucky getting ready to start their day

Sandy and I rode up the street for breakfast at the Filling Station with Lucky Al. Cleve joined us even though he had already eaten. They used to have a nice little breakfast buffet here but that was now only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I ordered scrambled eggs and a ham steak that proved to be quite good.

The Filling Station - Eureka Springs Arkansas

Cleve, Lucky Al and Sandy waiting for food

Sandy's zero stack

No carbs can be very tasty

On the way over to the restaurant, Al discovered that his front tire was essentially flat. After breakfast, he broke out his portable compressor and filled it up. We checked the tire and couldn't see any visible puncture, so we all rode back to the hotel. Jamey T and Trouble were getting set to lead a ride to Lambert's Cafe up in Ozark, Missouri, the home of the "throwed rolls". We opted not to go on this expedition.

The Lambert's ride started to get organized


Ride leader Jamey T and Bucky

While I was looking after some blog work, a few folks helped Lucky Al look for the leak in his front tire. Covering the tire in soapy water didn't reveal anything but it kept losing pressure at the rate of about ten pounds per hour. Finally, they constructed a water tank out of plastic sheeting and found a pinhole leak, almost invisible even under close inspection.

I still had the Stop and Go tire plug kit that I bought at Americade many years ago. The last time I used it was on a friend of Solo's front tire at the Kentucky WWR in 2009, but I dug it out of the bike trunk and used it to plug the hole. It took a bit to make the hole big enough to allow the mushroom plug to penetrate, but we got it done.

Cleve and Al discussing tires


Al's bike and the tire repair stand

Wolf from Seattle finishes the St Clair to ES leg

Debbie, Vickie and Kay finally arrive from Texas

Sherm and I took a ride over to WalMart in Berryville so he could get some products for dealing with dry skin. I went along to observe so I would know what to do when I got old. On the way back, we got behind another slow car but I saw a small window and passed it (solid yellow lines notwithstanding). After a bit, Sherm was able to get by as well but it was all for naught because we caught up to another slow procession following one of those annoying dwarf wannabe trucks who was being very cautious.

The sky looked dark as if rain was imminent.

Harvest display

This happens when you drive fast on a dirt road


Coyote and his Burgman ride in from Texas

Coyote and Sherm get an update on Lanny's adventures

There are some Vulcans here

Sherm and Sandy checking out the activity notices

Bill and Gambler

Bucky and Sandy

Zeke and Hang are here (with Cleve)

Sherm, Lanny, Debbie, Cassie, Vickie and Kay

Butch made it from Kentucky (Teresa will arrive tomorrow)

Helping Cheap B - How many VROCers does it take to unload a bike?
How many have you got????

Cheap B has returned to the Darkside

And down it comes

Sherm and I decided we would go over to Myrtie Mae's, located in the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks, for supper. Somehow word got out and our group took up four tables by the time we got there. Our arrival time was spot on because the supper rush started just after we were seated. I had another mushroom/Swiss burger with no bun plus coleslaw on the side. Most had the salad/soup bar, a meal in itself but only really attractive if you could eat unlimited carbs.

Zeke, Hang, Sherm, Cleve and Sandy

Wanda, Lucky Al, Coyote and Cheap B

Vickie, Kay, Debbie, Magellan, Bubbles and Gambler

Lanny and Bucky

Back at the hotel, Rainman had arrived from Georgia riding Boomer's yellow GoldWing. It was necessary to specify the colour because Boomer and Shannon have two of them and leave them in strategic spots around the country to ride whenever they can get over from Hawaii.

Rainman brought this one so Sherm could swap seats. Boomer didn't like the aftermarket seat on his so Sherm brought a different one to exchange. They conducted the operation in the parking lot.

Rainman and Boomer's Wing

Butch and Sherm examine the bike while Sandy and Gambler distract Rainman

We spent the evening visiting outside the rooms. Some of us retired earlier than others, as usual. I went to upload some photos but someone seemed to be hogging all the bandwidth as the speed test below can attest.


Finally, after acknowledging that we had a great day we turned in about 10:00 PM.

1 comment:

Deb said...

Great pictures