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Day Trip – Broken Bow / Talimena Drive
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Click HERE for Pictures
Before we start the Trip Report, let’s first rewind to an earlier trip in 2005.
Three bikes left Sherman on Saturday, April 23, 2005 for a run into Oklahoma. Art, Romex and yours truly. We didn’t have any firm plans, no routes charted, and no definite objective – other than ‘The Journey’. Save for one objective: we were going to the Busy Bee in Hugo, Oklahoma for our first stop and breakfast.
In order to stay off of dreaded 82 as much as possible, and to avoid hated 70 in Oklahoma, we followed the “River Route” to Hugo, Oklahoma – about a 100 mile trip from Sherman following roughly along the southern side of the Red River. (The ‘River Route’ follows 273 through Ivanhoe, Telephone to Monkstown where we turn north on 100 to Riverby where the road turns into 197 through Ragtown, Chicota and on to Arthur City, located on US 271, just under 1 mile south of the Red River.)
Crossing the Red River on 271, we headed north to Hugo and followed the business route into the city to the Busy Bee – located at the corner of business 70. We noticed some bikes outside the Busy Bee as we pulled up and parked. We went in and immediately started talking to the bike’s owners inside. We talked about this and that – covering most all of the obligatory subjects, including introductions. We learned we were talking to Durwood and Jimmy.
All of us friendly guys, Durwood and Jimmy asked what we were planning. We told them we were planning to get on some curvy, hilly roads in Oklahoma and have a great time. They sort of surprised us with their response, “Do you mind if we join you?” Of course we didn’t, and we said so.
So what started out as 3 bikes grew to 5 bikes – and we went riding. We headed north to Wilburton where we sojourned and visited more at Robber’s Cave State Park. The Park is a beautiful area and is always worth a visit. The stop also, as I remember, allowed everyone to warm up a bit. It was a chilly spring day. I think Durwood and Jimmy were wishing they had more than a sweat shirt on. But no one complained!
After warming and visiting, we continued north to see what was up there. The roads north of Wilburton are great – and, I might add from subsequent experience, a fantastic ‘fall color’ ride also. I remember one other detail that happened at one of our gas stops; we ‘asked’ the GPS to route us to Talihina – and it came back with a route over roads I had not previously know existed. (One benefit to using GPS – the roads were not on the maps.)
We knew how great the road was from Red Oak to Talihina along Highway 32, but were not familiar with it further north. We learned that day about the sweeping turns and beautiful vistas along 32 from Stigler, Ok to Talihina. The 27 mile trek from Stigler to Red Oak is something you must try is you have not. If you have, try it again. It is an ‘undiscovered gem’. Maybe we should keep the secret… The remaining 18 miles to Talihina along 32 are no less spectacular, with turns that will test the cornering skills of any biker!
By the time we reached Talihina we were all virtually starving. It was around 4:00 PM and we all hadn’t eaten since the Busy Bee in Hugo earlier that morning. We ate and indulged in more visiting and story swapping. Then we left. The three bikes that started the trip form Sherman planned a more westerly route than our new found biking buddies who were returning to Hugo, so we parted in Talihina. But that was not the end of the story.
Durwood and I have been corresponding ever since. We email each other frequently – and Durwood always contributes great information about rides to the ‘group’. (Back then it was the SHMC Email Group – now it is the RTMA Group.) It is too bad we didn’t have the RTMA Google Group set up then, as many of Durwood’s contributions make great reading and reference for anyone preparing a ride any of the various destinations of which he is familiar.
Fast forward to 2007 – The Ride
Time passed and we all agree we wanted to meet and ride again. It just didn’t happen in 2006. So, even though the grass was way too high last Saturday, and even though the rains were a-comin’ – I felt we had put it off too many times so I accepted Durwood’s invitation to meet him and Jimmie at the Busy Bee and go riding up in Oklahoma. Thanks to a business postponement for Romex, he was also able to join in.
We are back to 2007 – Saturday, May 19 to be exact. Sadly, this year, only two bikes left Sherman for the Busy Bee and the ‘reunion’ ride. As most all know, Art has ‘retired’ from biking – at least for now. This time, Willie accompanied us as passenger – brightening up the whole thing for everyone. And of course Romex on his (nearly) brand new 2007 metal-flake black GL1800 Gold Wing. We were getting ready to put some bugs on the deep polish job he had done.
We followed the ‘River Route’ to Hugo as we had done back in 2005. We made very good time – arriving in Hugo in just over 1 ½ hours. As we rode past the Busy Bee we noticed it was indeed ‘busy’. So we decided to gas up first becasue we were early and there were no bikes there yet. So we cruised Hugo searching for gas less than $3.19 per gallon. Good luck. We didn’t have any. Even Wal Mart was the same price as every other station we could find. While gassing up at the Murphey USA, we saw them drive by: Durwood on his 1996 Softail Classic, Jimmy on his VStrom, and another biker we found out later to be Sammy.
We finished up at the station and headed back to the Busy Bee. It was now about 8:30 AM and luckily it wasn’t quite as busy. We went in and exchanged heartfelt greetings with our long lost biker buddies. Then we did what we love to do next to biking – eat. Recommended fare at the Busy Bee – try the “Samlette” – a special ‘omelets’ made with sausage, eggs, and more wrapped in a flour tortilla. You don’t find them everywhere! Or any of their other selections are great, too!
Ironically, we ran into Willie’s niece and her family at the Busy Bee. They are Hugo residents and know a good thing. Willie enjoyed the meeting and visiting with here grand-niece.
Perhaps remembering the chilly ride of two years ago, Durwood suggested we stop by his cabin on Schooler Lake and pick up his leather jacket. The sun was not out all that much and things were not promising to heat up rapidly. Unknown to most of us, Jimmie had seen another bike come around the corner while we were all ‘mounting up’ and invited that rider to come along on ‘The Journey’ with us.
As we dismounted at Durwood’s cabin on the lake we noticed that the bike count had grown from 5 to 6 – and we all met Harry on his 1700 CC Road Star. Harry had been on the road for 4 days and was returning from a visit in Albuquerque and was making a circuit in Oklahoma before returning to the Carrolton area. Harry fit right in with the group. It was as if we had all known each other for years. And that continued for the rest of the trip - and I’m confident that it will continue far past the one trip!
We left Schooler Lake and headed north up 147 to Ok 3, where we turned east and headed for Broken Bow. Not having been there, we decided Harry should be shown the area. And we all could sure use the ‘review’ anyway! We did the 10 mile 259A loop through Beaver’s Bend, stopping at the ‘hidden waterfall’ area for enjoyment and a photo op. Sharing a ride like that with a person who has not prevously been there enhanced our own experiences of the journey.
We then proceeded north to ‘The Drive’ along 259. The sweeping curves north and south of Big Cedar and up onto the Drive were spectacular – as always - and Harry reportedly dragged the pegs on a few of those great sweeps.
We might add that this was Romex’s first return to ‘The Drive’ after his unfortunate trip that ended the career of the ‘Red Lady’. We looked back a few times and did notice his ear-to-ear grin as he negotiated the curves - indicating the trauma had passed.
We stopped at a few overlooks and at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park for a visit, rest stop and more photo ops. Then it was on to Mena, Arkansas where we ate at the Log Cabin Steak and Chop House. I’m not sure of the name, but if you turn right on 71 after coming down off ‘The Drive’, it is about a mile or so up on the left side of the road. Everyone enjoyed the meal – and more visiting and more story swapping.
We were also honored to take part in the celebration of Sammy’s 74the Birthday! Happy Birthday, Sammy – keep on riding!
The Hugo Group – Durwood, Jimmy, Sammy along with ‘Carrolton Harry’ – decided to head to DeQueen and then back along 70 and 82 to make better time. There was no way that Romex was not going to go back across ‘The Drive’ – to include the Oklahoma section west of 259 we had not yet taken. So we – the two Sherman bikes – headed back up the drive and west. East of 259 we saw another wreck. We did not get a picture. It was a single bike accident. A large bike was laying over on the far side of the bar ditch at the apex of a downhill curve with only the very bottom of the bike visible. It may have been bad as we did not see a rider; only the trooper directing traffic. We hope everyone was ok.
After coming off The Drive, we made our final gas stop in Talihina and took OK 1 to OK 2, around the north shore of Sardis Lake and on to 43 where we angled southwest toward US 75. That worked out well because our final leg was not heading directly into the sun. We got home around 8:45. It had been a long day and we did not wash the bike this time. We just 'put 'er up wet' - as they say in Texas.
The trip was great – the riding was great – but the folks we met and re-met made it all even greater! Such good feelings of sharing and camaraderie can only be experienced to be understood. As Wiley “FXES 79' has said before, “Spend the weekend looking at someone over your handlebars and you have made friends for life.”
For anyone that has not been to the Busy Bee, we highly recommend your making the trip. The sort of place the Busy Bee is – a small “Mom and Pop” type diner – is fast disappearing in our country. We don’t know how long it will be there, so make it soon if you plan to have a great experience. And, who knows? You might make some more friends for life, as we did….
-/<en
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