Trips, trips and more trips.

Sounds like 2011 is going to be a good year for trips,

you may have noticed I added two countdown clocks to the upper right hand side of my blog…


Here is the scoop of the up and coming trips…


The first is a hiking trip to Eagle Rock Loop Trail in Arkansas.

This is one killer hike if you are not in shape (I plan to be this time)

its around 27 miles long, crossing nine mountains, nine rivers,

and more stream crossing than I care to count. The plan take off work Wednesday-Sunday, May 4-8, 2011 this will give us two days travel time (8 HOUR DRIVE FROM MY HOUSE) and three days for the hike. So far, we have signed up…


Chad “my packs to heavy” Smith,

Mitch “I need a nap” Hembree,

Matt “wrong way” Roland,

and myself; Big “I almost died the last time on this hike” Al,

Oh yea and a possible mystery guest, that will get named later if he attends.

Looking forward to the trip…more to come in future post.


Trip two; Big motorcycle trip of the year.


Getting ready to get hot and heavy on this one, many, many more post to come about it. Planning on leaving work around noon Friday June 10th, and returning Sunday June 19th. Ten days of motorcycle fun, the “Quest for Lobster” That’s right Big Al is heading to Maine,

why you ask? I’m going to eat a lobster, that’s why. Well it makes since to me, its only 1500 miles there and 1500 miles back. Ok here is the funny part…I HATE LOBSTER!!!

Trust me, more on this trip later.


Got another weekend trip planned too, no countdown clock for this one…Natchez trace ride, (Jackson to Natchez)

but in a little different way. My buddy Matt “The Hammer” Roland is a member of the bicycle club R2W Cycling,

as much as it pains me to say it these guys can RIDE.

The plan wake up around 5:00am in a week or two on Saturday load my truck with “GET THIS” two bicycles, one 49cc Yamaha Zuma scooter,

camping gear and head to Jackson. Once in Jackson MS, unload the gear and head to Natchez.  On the Natchez trace about 100 miles one way,  two guys will be riding bicycles and I will be carrying the gear on the Zuma (pack mule).

Once in Natchez, camp for the night, then turn around and ride the 100 miles back to the truck Sunday. This should be a trip to remember! Don’t worry I’ll post all about it, should have video too.


I’ll do another post soon of the Bike Rallies I will be attending this year.


Until then,


Big Al

Thursday, Day Two

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain…LOTS OF IT!!! We got packed up around 8:00am went down to the first floor for a continental breakfast…not bad for the price…FREE!!! Then we walked around the hotel parking lot looking at the other bikers, bikes that were also trapped like rats due to rain. We ended up back in the lobby shooting the bull with the other bikers about road trips until the rain cleared out around 10:00am.

Time to hit the road; we were only a few miles from the entrance of the trace so after a quick gas fill-up…we were there. A few photos later and we were on the long curvy road 444 mile long.

Let me start by saying…to me the first 30 miles out of Natchez, is very, very beautiful I can only imagine what it looks like in the fall or a little later in the spring when all the trees had bloomed. Here are a few photos.

The speed limit is 50 mph; would be kind of slow in a car I think, but to me it was a good speed on a bike, plenty of twists and turns.

Almost all of the bridges that cross the trace have that dome shape to the underside…nice touch.

There were monuments

Historical stops

And even restrooms all along the way.

We did not see much as far as wildlife (I think it was just too cold) I saw lots of black birds, four turtles crossing the road

(No not that kind of turtles)

And couple of flocks of turkeys (AND YEA FLOCK IS RIGHT I LOOKED IT UP)

We road right through Jackson, Mississippi

Then road into Ridgeland to get something to eat…we ended up finding what I call an outdoor strip mall (parts still under construction) ate at Sweet Peppers.

Then back on the road again time to stretch out and ride (ok I just wanted to post this photo of my foot, looks like modern art to me. Ha-ha.)

Pasted by some huge lakes right outside of Ridgeland

Then it was home for the night, at the Jamestown Inn in Tupelo, Mississippi

DAY THREE; SOON TO COME

BIG AL

Wednesday…Day one…

Wednesday…Day one…well we made it to Natchez, somewhere around 150 miles. We ended up getting a room at the Isle of Capri Casino

right on the Mississippi river.

I decided to keep a running account of the money I spend along the way…I’ll post it at the end of the trip blog.

Ok here is how the day started…you know how it is when you’re trying to get away from work, the work just keeps coming.

Well Dave and I finally got our office work caught up so we were off…

to the motorcycle part store that is…no not Natchez yet. Dave had decided to invest in some highway pegs

for his bike (wise move on a long ride). Anyway after the purchase we went by my house so I could pack while David bolted on the pegs. Then we were off to Natchez…we ended up stopping at a little country store to get gas and a drink.

While we were having our drink and updating our Facebook page on our iphones, we noticed this guy and a girl staring at us while they filled up their car.

This guy turned out to be quite the character…once his wife went in the store to pay, he yelled out what kind of bikes are we riding. Then he began to tell us of his motorcycle adventures…he told us he had a 600 cc Yamaha, due to his small frame…he weighed in a good hundred pounds soaking wet. He told us about how he use to speed all around the country side (while all the time jumping around in a very excited manner…demonstrating his motorcycle moves). He loved riding, until he had a bad wreck breaking his prosthesis…Ahhh, did I forget to mention he was missing his right hand. David, being David, asked how in the world did he gas the bike with no right hand…the guy then told us how the prosthesis fit

and worked and how he could hold the gas with it…well until he crashed and destroyed it and the bike. This just goes to show,where there is a will to ride there is always a way. His wife then came back out, he wished us well on our trip and we were gone.

Then and hour or so later we cruised into the city of Natchez…David had been there about a year before for a wedding, so he had and idea on how to get to the river…the mighty Mississippi. The sky’s been looking a little dark, so we made a quick stop at the river, snapped a few photos,

the headed out to get our room. We ended up staying at the Isle of Capri Casino; it is located right on the river next to Natchez under the hill.

The room was not bad at 68 dollars a night…Warning we saw a posting in our room that said the rate was like 165 dollars a night on weekends…too much money for what you get. Due to the dark sky’s, we headed out for quick ride around town and snapped a few photos...

then a stop at Shoney’s to grab a quick dinner. (Not bad but our least favorite meal of the trip)

Then it was back to the room to get some sleep, for the big day on the trace Thursday.

Day two coming soon…
Big Al