Had a great breakfast at the restaurant across from the motel this morning. It was clear and the sun was coming up when I went in for breakfast. When I came out, it was a different story, a large black cloud front was moving across the sky that was very ominous looking!! The wind was really starting to blow too. I had to make a decision as to get packed up quick and head out or stay at the motel and wait it out. The front seemed to be moving away from where I would be heading so I quickly packed up and headed out. The winds were a struggle for several miles but it never rained on me. The road was wet, so I was just behind the rain. About 30 miles from Oklahoma City the sun came out and the skies cleared up for awhile!
The economy in Oklahoma City seems to be doing very well. A 50 story skyscraper was under construction and looked to be about 75% complete. You don't see something like that under construction in too many US cities today!
Around Clarksville, Arkansas I realized I was at 4,800 miles on my present engine oil. I stopped to refuel and called the Harley dealership in Little Rock about getting a "quick" oil change. They were very nice and said "of course, bring it by and we will do it right away", but he told me they had a new store in Conway, AR that may be more convenient to I40 and to me. He gave me their phone number and they told me I was only about an hour away and bring it on by. That dealership was very nice. They took my bike right in for the oil change. I was there about an hour, but it passed so fast talking to folks at the dealership. One of the more interesting things about the dealership was the name, "Landers Toad Suck Harley Davidson". Of course I had to buy a dealer tee shirt with a green toad on it. Very unique and actually a great marketing ploy too, as I am sure they sell a lot of tee shirts!! They gave me a brochure on how the dealership got its name and the meaning of "Toad Suck" in Arkansas. It truly is an "Arkansas thing"!! One of the employees at the parts counter even looked up the radar for me and gave me an Arkansas state highway map and marked a route for me to bypass Little Rock and see some of the Arkansas countryside. I followed it and it was a great route. Much better and a relief from riding I-40.
I arrived in Marion, AR, just cross the river from Memphis and got the last first floor room at the local Best Western. Just down the street is Tops Bar-B-Q (Memphis's Best Since 1952). That sold me and I had a delicious 1/2 rack of Memphis style ribs and a huge sweet iced tea!!
In the hotel lobby was a newspaper that this is "Elvis Week" in Memphis!! I am sure they collect all they can on the Elvis legacy. The guy I met in Amarillo from Alabama told me that I should take US 72 out of Memphis all the way to Chatttanooga for a great scenic motorcycle route. I plan to do that tomorrow and I should make it to my daughter's place in Wilmington, NC by the end of the day on Friday.
I arrived in Marion, AR, just cross the river from Memphis and got the last first floor room at the local Best Western. Just down the street is Tops Bar-B-Q (Memphis's Best Since 1952). That sold me and I had a delicious 1/2 rack of Memphis style ribs and a huge sweet iced tea!!
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