The Pigtail ride shaped up like this, first stop south of Eureka Springs to allow everyone to gather up in case we got separated due to traffic in town.
Further south we entered the Pigtail itself.
After surviving the most dangerous sections of the Pigtail we stopped at the local Pigtail store where all manner of Pigtail goodies could be had for a nominal Pigtail fee. I myself bought a 48 cent sticker to memorialize my accomplishment and I display it proudly on my windshield.
Ever since leaving the campground we were being followed by this red headed chick in a green sports car. She stopped when we stopped, followed us when we left. It felt eerily like we were being stalked. When she pulled in behind us again at the store I decided to take some surreptitious pictures of her just in case we needed it for identification purposes should we have to involve the authorities. Here are the pictures I took, just in case.
After having lunch in Ozark while the rest of the group were gassing up (1000s always need to be stopping for gas seems like) I attempted to make a quick trip to the local Walmart for some necessary goodies and be in and out in time to ride with the group. Not to be, as I was getting off of the bike another rider on a 500cc Yammy pulled into the parking spot next to me. This little guy could talk and there wasn't a polite way to escape. Eventually he ran out of things to say and I was free to go in and make my purchases. The result of this was I was way behind the group. While riding to catch up I spotted a local rider that looked like he might know the local riding scene so I thought I would take the time to stop and chat him up. Turns out he wasn't very talkative but did share a small insight or two.
If you look closely you'll see he had some unique accessories on his bike. But it turned out he wasn't much of a rider, more of a poser. I did eventually catch up to the group when they had to stop so that RAT could air up his rear tire. The rest of the ride was uneventful but that red headed chick was still there, hmmmmm.
The next day we rode through downtown Eureka Springs, its really a unique town well worth a visit if you find yourself in the vicinity. We exited the on the other side of town and rode to a closed bridge. I'm not too sure why we went there but the parking before the bridge was interesting. All the bikes piled into this little gravel pull off, all pointed down hill with the bikes crowded in so close that when we left we had to unpack ourselves like sardines out of a can. I think most folks will heal in a day or two.
The bridge in question.
After leaving the closed bridge we meandered west to the War Eagle grist mill for lunch. Pretty neat place. Water wheel powered grist mill still in operation where you can observe the mill's workings and at the same time buy War Eagle Grist Mill goodies to memorialize the accomplishment. I bought some strawberry preserves and stuck them to my windshield.
I thought we might cross the bridge next to the mill on the way out but we left the way we came. That must be the bridge to nowhere that was in the news awhile ago. Funny thing though, that redhead in the green sports car from the day before was still following us, truly I was beginning to get creeped out.
This heron might be brighter than the average heron. Looks like he set up shop right at the base of the water wheel where he can snap up the dazed and confused fish after they pass through the water wheel and before they can reorient themselves and realize they are in peril for their lives.
After lunch we had an uneventful ride back to the campground.
I could still see the redhead in my rear view mirrors.
Well that was the official end of the NGW Gypsy Run held in Eureka Springs, AR. The next morning Olde Wing and brother RAT along with KYpondman headed back to Paducah. Roncar and Megan lit out for Lakeland FL. Hacksaw went to see relatives in OKC so that left Whisker and me to attempt to find a decent motorcycle road between Eureka Springs and Raleigh, NC. Tough job but someone had to do it.
The biggest problem was riding the fine line between great motorcycle roads and making your days destination. Some great riding but not much time to stop and take pictures at interesting places that you happen upon. Turns out there were plenty of spots I would have loved to stop and snap a photograph but didn't do it. One thing though, the redhead had disappeared, she must have been following someone else. Whew! I don't mind telling she had me worried there.
We did build into our schedule a half day tour of the Shiloh Civil war battlefield located near Sweetwater, TN on the Tennessee river. After orienting ourselves to the battlefield by watching the thrilling park movie produced in 1956 at the visitors center we headed out for the self guided tour.
First stop was the sunken road. The sunken road was a defensive position that Prentiss' division took up after the rebel surprise attack pushed back the more southern Yankee troops from their encampments. The Sunken road, and the adjacent Peach Orchard were the terrain features that allowed the northern army to stall the Rebel advance from 9am until 5pm withstanding 11 Rebel charges.
While Prentiss' division was sacrificing itself Grant was building a fortified defensive line behind the Hornet's nest. When Prentiss was finally forced to surrender after the Rebels assembled sixty cannons within a couple hundred yards of the Hornet's nest and simply blasted him out of his position the Rebels came against this line and could advance no further. Overnight Grant was reinforced by Lew Wallace's (of Ben Hur authorship fame) division which had been lost in the wilderness north of the battle all day and also by lead elements of General Carlos Buell's Army of the Ohio. The next morning the Yankees, now outnumbering the Rebels almost 4 to 1 pushed the Rebels back across the same ground that was fought over the day before. Nearly 24,000 casualties in dead, wounded and captured on both sides in the two day's fighting.
We happened to be at the right spot at the right time for an artillery demonstration from the actual Rebel line that blasted the northern troops out of the Hornets nest.
Ready:
Aim:
Fire:
The smokey aftermath. Imagine the visibility on the field with cannons on both sides firing and thousands of musket rounds being fired every minute. This smoke was from two cannons.
The bloody pond where dozens of Confederate and Yankee soldiers died after being wounded and pulled themselves to this pond for water. Their blood stained this little pond red.
And the actual Pittsburg Landing where Grants troops disembarked their steam boats to assemble for the march to Corinth, Mississippi which was their objective.
There was a group riding antique tractors around the battlefield. A park ranger we talked to said they had obtained a special use permit. The park wouldn't allow steel wheels or plows though.
On our last day we tackled the Cherohala Skyway across the Smokies. We didn't have the best day to do it though, we were in the far southern part of the front that caused all the bad weather for RAT and Olde Wing. We didn't get any rain but we had cloudy conditions and the higher we went the worse it got. Anything above 4000ft and we were in a pea soup fog.
After Whiskerfish and I split up at Franklin, NC so he could go see his buddy in South Carolina I stopped at this waterfall just west of Highlands, NC to get a picture. This waterfall is on the planned route for the lunch ride during the NGW Eastern Rally this fall. I hope you can make it, it'll be fun. Guaranteed!
