Enjoy Issue #10 of 'Cruise The Ozarks Riders Guide' here online!
Cruise the Ozarks 2018/19
Exploring the Great Northwest On Two Wheels by David Bell, publisher of Cruise The Ozarks Rider's Guide
I love riding in the Ozarks. But I also love riding in other locations, too. Here are a few pictures from my recent ride...
Posted by Cruise The Ozarks on Thursday, September 28, 2017
Veterans Day Message:
Veterans Day is a time to stop and reflect on the selfless service of our military service members, past and present, and to say "Thank You!" to veterans everywhere across our great nation.
David Bell and Steve Johnson of Cruise The Ozarks also wanted to personally thank veterans who are extra-special to us.
David Bell says:
"My dad was stationed in India during WW2 so he was not in combat. But that didn't matter to me as my brother and I were growing up. What I did know about dad's tour on the subcontinent was that he was issued two things that to any red blooded American kid were the coolest things ever: The Army Air Corps gave him a Thompson submachine gun and a Harley-Davidson FLW. So I come by my love of guns and motorcycles honestly.
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"To all our vets, 'Thanks for your service!' You have made it possible for all of us to enjoy riding across this great country.
"Have a great Veterans Day celebration and know you are appreciated.
"Stay safe out there on the road."
Steve Johnson says:
"Riders who are Veterans hold a dear place in my heart. I must admit, I always get a little teary-eyed whenever I cross paths with someone in leathers or those wearing a ballcap that says "Vietnam Veteran" because I can't shake their hand quick enough and say, "Welcome Home."
"Their service is especially honorable because of the awful way far too many of them were treated when they came home from overseas. But today I honor all Veterans this Veterans Day; they are all special in my book.
"One of my greatest privileges in my life has been to serve in the U.S. Navy as a Navy Chief Petty Officer. It was an honor and privilege I don't talk about often, but the 22+ years I served our country made me appreciate how special this nation of ours actually is, and taught me that small things that appear to divide us as Americans are actually the freedoms military service members have always fought to defend.
"But it was my Dad who encouraged me to join the Navy after high school, and he helped set me on the path to serving my country. So I honor him this Veterans Day and give thanks to him for being a hero to me, my brothers and my Mom, for his honorable service in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
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"He lived a good life and made me proud to follow in his footsteps by serving our country. He passed away from complications from Parkinson's Disease in November 2014, just a few days shy of that year's Veteran's Day celebrations in Iowa. He was laid to rest with full military honors at the Rock Island Arsenal Veterans Cemetery in Illinois. Thank you Dad for showing me the way to serve our country, and for your selfless service to our nation and to our family and community."
Will be held at the Baxter County Fairgrounds in Mountain Home, located in beautiful north-central Arkansas the last weekend of this month. Free admission. Public welcome, lots of family fun scheduled. Vendors, rides, live music and lots of games. Also: 'trick or treating' with bikers. Great time to see the Fall colors glowing in the Ozarks trees! Call for more information: (870) 424-3535, or click here to visit the Twin Lakes Thunder Rally Facebook event page.
HARRISON RIDE THE OZARKS RALLY BIG SUCCESS, CITY BUSY PLANNING NEXT YEAR'S RALLY
The 'Ride The Ozarks Rally' held in Harrison, Arkansas, deemed a big success by city officials. This motorcycle rally -- in the friendly, small town of Harrison, located at the junction of Hwy 65 and Hwy 412 in north central Arkansas -- was the city's first-ever "Ride The Ozarks" motorcycle rally. This celebration of motorcycling drew hundreds of riders to enjoy the live music, beer garden, vendors, and great rides in the Ozark Mountains. Activities were centered in downtown Harrison. You can check on all the event details about next year's event and riding your motorcycle in the Harrison area at this link: http://www.MotorcycleHarrison.com You can also follow them on their Facebook page by clicking here.
WITH RECORD CROWDS ACROSS OZARKS
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The Day Our Server Blew Up...
This summer we've had so many visitors to our website, www.CruiseTheOzarks.com, that on a recent Sunday morning our web host server went down. Ka-Blewy! Down for the count... and a message stating 'Bandwidth Exceeded' So many new readers in our audience; caught us asleep at the wheel. But no worries... our webhost techies got the problem fixed within a few hours, and we were up and running again. It was the first time we've ever had so many visitors to our website. The extra traffic shut down the server in its tracks! And, this time we have upped our data plan so that such an interruptions won't happen again.
We saw a 20%+ rise in page views in June 2016 compared to May 2016... and May was one of our biggest months of visitors ever! More important, July traffic is keeping pace with the extra page views we noticed we were getting in Jue. We're happy the word is getting out that CruiseTheOzarks.com is THE place to plan your Ozarks motorcycle adventure! Such website growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of great readers who tell their riding friends about us. We appreciate that. And, we will be better prepared for massive growth from those riders interested in planning their best-ever trip to and through the Ozarks this year!
Let us know if there are more stories or features or photos or videos... whatever it is ... that you'd like to see added to our website this coming year, and we'll do our level best to make that happen. Thank you for visiting CruiseTheOzarks.com in droves! We do appreciate it!
Updated: Buffalo River Elk Festival deemed big success
Local organizations and business owners pitched in to make the Elk Festival in Jasper a big success. Read all about the festival in Jasper, Arkansas, and make plans now to attend the Elk Festival the last full weekend of June 2019.
Survey Results ...Thanks to All Who Participated
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in our recent Readers Surveys, as your input helps us know what motorcycle riders want to know more about before they ever leave home for the Ozarks. Your responses help us deliver a better rider's guide and website, as well to help riders plan and enjoy their stay here even more.
We really enjoy hearing from our readers and we plan to have another survey drawing starting soon. If you have any ideas for things we need to improve on our website or in our rider's guide, please let us know. You can reach Steve Johnson at ---> advertising@cruisetheozarks.com with your ideas.
Ozark Road Photography
Why should riders on the Dragon get all the great shots of themselves carving the corners. The Dragon has Killboy (Darryl Cannon) and Arkansas has Joe at RidePics. He works on US 62 Seven miles west of Eureka Springs. Go to his site at www.ridepics.net and look up the date your roared by and order a picture. Help Joe keep out there doing what he loves to do.
Traffic Trouble
I don't think we have too many real speed traps in the Ozarks, but do be careful in small towns. They may get you if you speed. But we need to be courtious riders and be careful around these small burgs where people live, work, play and routinely go back and forth across the highway. It's just right to be considerate. BUT, sometimes some places may take advantage of visitors who come to the area and their officers try to squeeze a little more out of their pockets by unreasonably ticketing, not just riders, but cagers, too. If you've had an experience where you feel your were the victim of a genuine speed trap, email me and I'll post what I can. Please don't use this as an opportunity to rant and vent. Let's keep it civil and to the point.
Speaking of Highway Trouble...
Anyone encountered any other construction issues we should share? Email me.
