Arkansas

A collection of 28 posts

Travel Guide

10 US Riding Destinations with Bizarre Names

Some riding destinations in North America have evocative, awe-inspiring names, like the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Sea to Sky Highway. The names for some other places are… Less so. Many locations in the U.S. have decidedly mind-boggling names. But that makes them worth taking your bike to—if

Classic Roads

The Great River Road

Ah, the mighty Mississippi—the great river of the United States. With the Mississippi’s legendary significance to our nation, it only makes sense that the road that follows its meanders bears a name worthy of its traveling companion. The Great River Road is certainly an appropriate moniker. For 2,

Travel Guide

The Ultimate High: Riding Your Motorcycle to America's Tallest Peaks

The U.S. is home to many majestic mountain ranges, and exploring them on a motorcycle is an exhilarating adventure. Here are seven of the highest mountain peaks in the country that are accessible via motorcycle. Mount Evans, CO Standing at an impressive elevation of 14,271 feet, Mount Evans

Travel Guide

10 Towns for Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse

A rare marvel of nature is approaching in 2024. The sun will disappear behind the moon in a total solar eclipse on April 8. You surely don’t want to miss seeing this performance of cosmic ballet—after all, the next total solar eclipse in the U.S. won’t

May/Jun '23

Classic Roads: Talimena National Scenic Byway

The Talimena National Scenic Byway is a 50-odd-mile route connecting Mena, AR, and Talihina, OK. It twists and turns along Rich Mountain in Arkansas, climbing from 1,100 feet in Mena to almost 2,700 feet at the summit before plunging into Oklahoma through the Winding Stair Mountains. There is

Travel Guide

10 Unique Summer Motorcycle Trip Destinations in the U.S.

At RoadRUNNER, we are always searching for new routes that take you to historically and socially significant destinations—and offer a fantastic riding experience. Here are 10 destinations to spark your wanderlust this summer. Cody, Wyoming Voted the Best Western Small Town by USA Today, Cody, WY, sits in the

Travel Guide

Top Fall Color Motorcycle Rides to Plan Right Now!

One of the best things about motorcycle touring is experiencing an area with all of your senses. You hear, see, and feel more than you would from inside a windowed vehicle. At RoadRUNNER, we always feel more connected to an area after a bike tour. Fall is one of our

Jul/Aug '22 Premium Content

Fayetteville, Arkansas Shamrock Tour®

I grew up in Arkansas, so it’s fitting that I’m heading to the Ozarks for my first Shamrock Tour®. I plan to spend roughly a week in northwest Arkansas, with Fayetteville as my home base. The Bikes, Blues, and BBQ 2021 rally was set to provide plenty of

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Following The Cherokee Trail of Tears

Missionary Daniel Butrick kept a journal of his travels with the Cherokee People as they were force marched to Indian Territory during the winter of 1838-39. It is one of the saddest episodes in American history, with the depths of despair grippingly described by him in this entry: “… the government

Mar/Apr '22

City Escape: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Mar/Apr '21

Destination: Hot Springs, Arkansas

> Hot Springs, AR, sits atop more than 40 springs with water heated by magma thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface. Native Americans enjoyed these mineral springs long before European Americans arrived. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “taking the waters” in the “Valley of Vapors” was

Jul/Aug '17 Premium Content

Arkansas: The Untamed Side of the Natural State

A tawny, striped face stares at me, unblinking. The Bengal tiger must weigh almost 400 pounds, and she is only a few steps away. I didn’t know there were tigers in Arkansas. Her name is Crysta and she is a permanent resident at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, seven miles

May/Jun '17 Premium Content

Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma: Riding the Cherokee Trail of Tears Part III

We pick up the Cherokee removal journey in central Missouri: “We travelled about 12 miles to a settlement called Port Royal (believed to be Waynesville by researchers), on the banks of a beautiful stream, named Rubedoo. Here we had a delightful place, on the bank of the river, convenient to

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

Arkansas: A State of Mind, Body, and Soul

My ears ring from the blast. Acrid smoke fills my nostrils and burns my eyes. That shot was the last of my powder and the Yankees are coming fast. My mind screams “Run,” but I draw my sword. It is March 8, 1862, and I may die today at the

Jan/Feb '16 Premium Content

Western Arkansas: Up and Down in the Natural State

Millions of years ago a supercontinent drifted inexorably into ancestral North America. The resulting collision compressed and uplifted sedimentary rock, forming what is now called the Ouachita Mountains. Farther north, the same geologic forces uplifted the Ozark Plateau. Add another million or so years and travelers see streams and rivers

May/Jun '15 Premium Content

Trans-America Trail, Tennessee to Southern Colorado: Banjos, Tears, & Corn Nubbins

I have arrived in Tellico Plains, TN, and the official starting point of the Trans-America Trail (TAT). It took thousands of miles just to get here, but as I prepare to make my first turn onto the trail, I feel a weight and a reality of what I am about

Jan/Feb '15

City Escape: Little Rock, Arkansas

> This route takes you from Little Rock into the Ouachita Mountains and provides riders with some of the best roads and scenic overlooks in Arkansas, plus the opportunity for a relaxing mineral bath in historic Hot Springs. Length Approximately 200 miles Meet-up Spot Starbucks at 12901 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock,

Jul/Aug '14 Premium Content

Weekend for Two: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Known as “The Little Switzerland of America,” Eureka Springs, AR, offers the perfect escape for couples looking for a romantic getaway to another time. The town gets its name, and much of its history, from a nearby spring that was reputed to hold special healing powers. When word spread about

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma: Chasing Dragons

It’s a long ride from my home in Oklahoma to Deals Gap, the twisty, 11-mile section of Highway 129 bordering Tennessee and North Carolina also known as the “Tail of the Dragon.” But rumor has it that eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri are infested with elusive serpents just waiting

Jan/Feb '13 Premium Content

Reader Ride-Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri: The Great River Road Run

Midway between my home near Lexington, KY, and Lake Itasca, MN, I begin to question the wisdom of making this trip in April. Although I rationalize that things will warm up and dry out, I travel 1,000 miles of chilly temperatures and driving rain before the real journey even

May/Jun '12 Premium Content

Hot Springs, Arkansas Shamrock Tour®: The Valley of Vapors

The Ouachita (wah-shi-tah) River runs through it: the largest mountain chain between the Rockies and the Appalachians. The gentle folds of the ancient Ouachita Mountains offer some of the best motorcycle roads in America. We’re based in a place that Native Americans called the Valley of the Vapors, so

Mar/Apr '12 Premium Content

Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma

Arkansas’s 19th-century western border bumped up against what was then Indian Territory. Although the Native American tribes enforced their own laws, the territory had become a haven for outlaws seeking refuge from American justice. The borderlands between Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma have a colorful history and some of the

May/Jun '10 Premium Content

Shamrock Tour® - Mountain View, Arkansas

We race toward the setting sun, darting from curve to curve along Arkansas' Route 14. A glance at the odometer verifies that the miles have really piled up since our departure from North Carolina. But the welcome climb into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains is reenergizing a couple of

Sep/Oct '07 Premium Content

Along the Trans-America Trail

When we landed this assignment, I couldn't have told you why taking a trip across America on the "worst" possible roads sounded so appealing. Maybe it's because off-road riding doesn't even exist back home, in densely populated Germany. Or perhaps it's because we've learned on other trips that we more

Jan/Feb '06 Premium Content

Eastern Arkansas

The light slanting through the slit in the blackout curtains seems to indicate the day has dawned bright and sunny. Slowly, like a tortoise, my dream-fogged head extrudes from the dark shell of the motel room at the door and swivels in the outside world. Yes, it's a beautiful morning