Branson Blitz #4 - Branson Towers parking lot

Photo of Jim and Randy at Branson Towers parking lot after an all-day ride Friday to and from the Rainbow Trout Ranch in Rockbridge, MO. I had hurt my left arm earlier in the week taking care of brush at home and it was hurting a bit, so I left Jim and Randy shortly after lunch and went back to Rally HQ with the rest of the group where I waited for them. I got signed in to the Blitz with Voni Glaves, and spent about three hours in the parking lot talking to interesting riders and had a couple of beers. These people have great stories. It was about 86 degrees and the weather was great. Jim and Randy rolled back in around 7 PM. Randy later told me it was his best day of riding.

Branson Blitz #2 - Just past Dadeville, Mo

We took a brief break Thursday just south of Taborville, MO at a little rest area at the intersection of Highway H and Highway 82.

Branson Blitz #3 - Rowdy Beaver in Eureka Springs

When we got to my folk's house in Table Rock, my Mom was out at a all-day club meeting/convention. The local eatery, the Office, had burned down and the only other decent eatery in Eagle Rock had closed. My Dad suggested we go to the Rowdy Beaver, a Motorcycle Restaurant in Eureka Springs. I had a 1/2 lb burger and two nice, ice cold glasses of beer. Both tasted great. Jim took off the the Hotel in Branson, MO shortly after 7 PM. I looked at the restaurant t-shirts briefly, but wasn't crazy about them. I thought about getting a "Rowdy Beaver" thong for Leta, but decided that was a really, really bad idea.

Branson Blitz #1 - Engles BMW Triumph in KC

I took Thursday and Friday off to go to the Branson Blitz and visit my folks on Eagle Rock, MO. Randy and I did this last year and we both had a blast. Its really just a reason to do a couple days of serious riding down in curvy Arkansas and Northern Missouri before it gets hot and busy there.

Everything I was doing before our departure Wednesday was running late. Thankfully, Tuesday night Stan and Chuck came over to our place and helped me get my GS1200ADV ready by changing the final drive fluid while I changed out the battery and put some rubber washers on the windshield. I really appreciated the help.

We rode down to KC and stayed at Jim's son Trent's house Wednesday evening after work. Thursday morning we stopped at Engle BMW Triumph in KC. They had a new red K1300GT which I almost thought Jim was going to buy. I bought some small spade fuses for my front axillary jack so I could run my GPS. We spent the rest of the day following Jim down some back roads down to Eagle Rock, including a really curvy section of old Highway 66. We got to Eagle Rock a few minutes before 6 PM.