I had planned to go to "Cruisin' the Coast" along highway 90 in Mississippi last week, but I coud not find a decent hotel with a good rating and then Hurricane Delta was coming. I switched my plans and plotted a route to 6 different Dams in Arkansas, plus, I wanted to ride the Talimena Scenic Parkway in the Ouachita National Forest.
My older Brother took me on a ride through Arkansas in 1994 and we started the Talimena Byway in Olkahoma. OKies call their side the Winding Stair Road. I rode my 86 Concours from Denver.

I knocked off 3 Dams the first day. I rode Interstate 30 to highway 270. The first Dam is called Remmel Dam, built 1929 damming the Ouachita River south of Hot Springs. I rode to the Spillway. Pavement stopped then big rocks began. A good place to park and walk.


Up river is another Dam-Carpenter, built 1931. The only photo I could get was from the Bridge so after riding past the Dam I turned around and rode to the edge of the bridge and out of traffic. As I walked to the center I noticed the road bed was "salted" with roofing nails. They had been there for years.


I continued through Hot Springs and turned off on highway 227 to Blakely Mtn Dam, finished 1952. 277 feet tall.


These 3 Dams are on the Ouachita River.
I checked in for 3 nights at Mtn Harbor Resort on the southwest edge of Lake Ouachita. Quiet and peaceful.

West Coast Fire Smoke "hazed" the skies. I could smell it, too.
The next day I set out for the Talimena Parkway (highway 88) and a late lunch at Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge.
At the lodge I met other riders from OK and TX.

Smoky skies.

Talimena Parkway goes over every mountain top. Some passes exceed 17% grade. 54-miles long.
I stopped at the AR/OK State Line. A sign said it was 2580 feet.


My qwest to stand in the same place twice happened.

I headed back on a different road. End of Day 2.
Day 3, I set off for "The Narrows Dam" on the Little Missouri River, finished in 1950. The Spillway water is cold enough for Trout.

Arkansas State Highway System signage leaves me frustrated. I was riding highway 27 south. I came to a Stop sign; the other road is highway 8. Highway 27 is not mentioned left or right. I use maps, not GPS or a Smartphone. There was a Dollar General Store which I stopped at asked which way to go. Other States are more helpful.
From the Narrows Dam I headed west to DeGray Dam of the Caddo River, finished in 1969. A beautiful lake.

I traveled north on highway 7. Highway 7 back 30-40 years ago was considered one of the top 10 Scenic Roads in the Country. The State Highway Dept has been straightening it out and adding passing lanes. As I traveled north another Dam sign came in view. I had to stop. Nimrod Dam finished in 1942. Dams the Fourche LaFave River.

Each Dam built by different Construction Companies through different eras.

On my last night I stopped in Mt Ida at the local Ice Cream joint for a Strawberry Sundue. It was very good.

Our Leaves are just beginning to change for Fall. My weather is blest with a push of Dry air from the North. Temps have dropped into the high 30's at night, but today it was 77 degrees.
I enjoyed my Ride through my new State. Plenty of cruvy roads in Arkansas.

* Last updated by: doubleD on 10/14/2020 @ 10:00 PM *

What a wonderful ride story! Im envious of all the lakes, rivers and water you have around.

Thanks for sharing - your living the life

It appears you are having a dam good ride. Good for you Dave.

Stay well all,
ominousone

Great ride !! And idea for one.. Always fun to recreate photos..Now I wanta do a dam ride :)

Me too, Dammit !

Mad

My dam story...

In 2010 pre my ZX-14 days, my bother and 5 others including myself did a bike tour through Tasmania for his 40th Birthday. It's a really great ride and like a giant race trace with very little traffic (except watch out for the logging trucks).
On day 1 after getting off the ferry from the mainland one of the stops was on a small dam of which I can't recall the name.
On it you can see my then pristine 1998 Honda VFR800.

* Last updated by: yannih on 10/15/2020 @ 3:04 PM *

Within the next 2-3 hours and just short of a beautiful little place named Strahan, this was my ex pristine 1998 Honda VFR800.

* Last updated by: yannih on 10/15/2020 @ 3:04 PM *

... this was my ex pristine 1998 Honda VFR800.

I was banged up a bit from my corner missing low side but nothing major.
Full leathers definitely helped that cause...
My huge luck was no one was coming the other way when I crossed lanes through the corner, and when I ran out of tarmac on the other side there were no fences, poles, tree's, barriers, etc, just a grassy ditch.

After surveying the damage, one of the senior bike riders in our group, Rod, pulled me aside and asked,
"What do you want to do? Do you want to fly home or do you want to continue?".
I thought he was either taking the piss or referring to hiring another bike which was impossible in the small tourist town we were in.
I said "Well, I'd like to continue but I don't see how thats possible" to which he replied
"Good, we'll get your bike back into the game."

Now if you look closely you'll see the foot peg and a coolant connection were ripped off from the case, and apart from numerous other issues what you can't see is the forks were also completely bent.
Add to this that after limping the bike to Strahan from the crash site (with no coolant), Strahan is a little coastal town with no shops let alone a motorbike repairer / spares shop.
The one hotel there did however have a fair tool collection and a habit of never throwing anything away such as old machinery because out there you have to adapt and make do.

Every other rider except Rod said my bike couldn't be repaired and he then said something to everyone that I'll always remember.
He said in a pretty agitated manner,
"Listen, I don't want to hear about how we can't do this, I want to hear solutions and how we make this happen".
This bought everyone together and not a single negative word was said after that.

I won't go though all of what was involved such as finding a local fuel station that happened to have a press to sort the delicate job of straightening out the bent forks as much as possible after being removed from the bike (if they kinked that was that), the adaption of several pieces of old machinery to repair key damages on the bike, or going back to the crash site to pick up as many bits and pieces as possible, but after a lost riding day working on the bike it was done.

Now the bike still pulled to one side quite strongly, and I was obviously limited to non excessive speeds for the rest of the ride, but it made it through the rest of the trip.

It was an amazing job by all of the boys but especially Rod.

The two below pics are Rod working on the bike and his completed masterpiece which was a testament to his positiveness, his adaptability, his never say die attitude, and the fact that he just wanted to help a fellow biker in need and to keep them on the trip with the rest of the boys while sacrificing a riding day of his own.

Thanks Rod.
Absolute Champion...

* Last updated by: yannih on 10/15/2020 @ 6:08 PM *

Attitude will overcome a lot of things...

That's awesome, Yannih. I really think Rod's attitude is what a lot people lack, and then end up complaining about their life. Do not be discouraged or dissuaded! I know some very successful people, and they are the ones who don't let things get in the way. They figure out a solution, and press on. Others that witness it are either jealous, too tired, too down, too discouraged, too self-defeated, or flabbergasted that they can't muster the same attitude and energy and creativity to do the same. And these people with zero health issues, just a sorry attitude. They think only a few select special people can do that. Nope. Anybody who can muster the required attitude.

OK, I got a lil wordy there. Sorry!