I was just thinkin' about where I ride to and wonderin' where you ride to.

[ThomWV]

Haven't been here in a while. Don't know why. I thought I'd tell you all about my most common quick ride, then read about yours.

Back before the earth froze up completely I used to take a quick ride in the afternoon pretty often. All in all it comes out to about 50 miles but there are a couple of variations. Anyway the ride I most often take has me leave the house and then ride on a nice 2-lane that twists up into the mountains and then branches off to a road that follows a river for about 8 miles before coming to a small community with almost nothing in between then just few more miles brings me to what is sort of my destination, a place not found on any map. There is a store on old Rt. 50 called simply the Cool Springs Store. There is no town of Cool Springs, not even any houses within a mile or more of the store. The store does have something to cause one to stop though. The owner has built what he calls a Park. You can wonder around about 5 or so acres of pure wonder. He has gathered up old farm and other steam powered equipment and hauled it out there. Some of its been sitting rusting away for decades - the collection was begun in the 1920's. No care is taken of any of it. There are donkeys wondering around, as well as domestic turkeys and geese. There is a waterwheel, about 20' in diameter, that powers nothing but is kept running 365 days a year via a hand build wooden spillway. The whole thing is just marvelous. There is a creek that runs through it, old railway cars on a couple of hundred yards of track. Everything else is heavy forrest and mixed in with all of this are huge Oak, Elm and even a Chestnut tree. The store itself is amazing too. The sell everything there, motor oil to fishing equipment. Some of the stuff has been on the shelfs for years. The store is very large, there is a U-shaped counter with booths filling the center where you can get foot-longs with fries for a buck and a half, a hamburger for a buck ($1,75 for a Cool Springs Burger, which is infinitely better) and whatever concoction they have as a special for about two bucks. It takes forever to get waited on, even longer to get served, and then they are surly when you try to pay. I just love the place.

Like I said, its about 25 miles from here and there are a couple of alternative routes home that take me through some great twisties, or I can just retrace my steps and follow the river back home. Its a very nice hour or two ride.

So tell me about yours.

[av8rdave]

1. There are no spectacular local rides in this area...

It's a minimum of an hour to an hour and a half to find some good twisties. However, we're pretty much equidistant from the Texas hill country and the Arkansas/Oklahoma mountain riding, so I really can't complain. Best is probably the Talamina Scenic Byway, which runs along a ridge of the Ouachita mountains. Great sweepers, hairpins, hills and views.

[DrDan]

2. Thom - I live in the Daytona Beach area - and can ride year-round

(now that I have something to ride).

But . . . nothing competes with your ride.

I am envious. Not only of the ride, but also of a $1.75 burger that is worth a mention.

[Shardik]

3. Twenty miles North of me I hit the Appalachain foothills.

Tree lined roads, streams and the scents that go with all. Spring, Summer, Fall and even mild winter days, the area is a place of beauty and serenity.

I'll put my feet up and cruise leisurely along these roads for hours at a time on the back roads and return feeling as if I had spent a day at an Ashram.