If I've said it once I'll say it a million times: Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri can't be beat for the overall riding package. Well paved, curvy roads, beautiful scenery, light traffic and rarely patrolled by the MAN! It doesn't get much better than that. As an added bonus, it's not that far away from South Louisiana. One can be in the decent stuff in as little as 6 hours and the awesome stuff in 8. In fact, if you leave at a decent hour…let's say 2 AM, not only can you reach nirvana; you can actually spend several glorious hours riding before dark.

The annual BS Rally has always been a favorite of mine. Due to the late summer date the weather can sometimes be disagreeable but the roads and scenery generally make up for any kind of bad weather except for the extreme stuff, hurricane, tornado etc…

This year's forecast called for moderately hot temps but no precip. Not as good as the perfect weather year of 2006, but much better than the ill-fated camping trip year of 2007. 100 per cent humidity, rain, and HOT! So it was that on 12th September, 2013, our gang of merry men converged upon the hamlet of Natchez, Mississippi. Kevin Yeats, (ST13) had ordered all to show up at 9:15 AM to begin the journey north. I (Tino, Triumph Explorer) was up by 2 AM, but since the ride to Natchez is only 99.5 miles from my door, I had plenty of time to kill. So I went into work for a bit then had a leisurely breakfast. I still arrived just after 8 AM at the predetermined McDonalds meeting point.

Soon thereafter, Eric, (Kaw ZZR 1100) and Guy, (BMW 1200ADV) arrived. Kevin made it before 9 as did Bob, (Connie14). Our plan was to take the scenic route to Ruston and then onto to our cheap motel at Caddo Valley, AR. We departed before the planned time and made our way northwest through some fairly scenic and twisty (for LA) roads. LA 124 had recently been repaved and was enjoyed by all, especially those who had ridden it in its previous state of (dis) repair. Then LA4 and 146 to Ruston where the first signs of warm weather grabbed us by the throat. After having a very good BBQ meal at Dowling's in Ruston, we returned to the parking lot to find out bikes sautéing in the hot sun. I filled my helmet with the crushed ice from BBQ joint mounted up and rode cool, for about ½ hour. Most rides to and from great riding area have a boring stretch. We were now on our boring stretch. Between Ruston and Camden, AR pretty much four lanes of asphalt running through the middle of an ugly pine tree farm. There is no way to escape this scene unless you go around it. Since none of us wanted to detour though Houston, Dallas and Tulsa to avoid it we just closed our eyes and continued north. Okay, I opened one occasionally.

Just north of Camden, things got more interesting as AR7 turned from four lanes to two and squiggled through the trees northward. If one must ride through the pines, much better to do it on a curvy road. Along this stretch of road we ran across several large groups of Harley riders. We dispatched them quickly as they all slowed to 35MPH for the 45 MPH curves on Hwy 7.

Soon we were at our digs at the slightly run down, (but cheap) Quality Inn. Luckily for us the pool was filled with water but devoid of humans. We shed our riding gear quickly and luxuriated in the cool waters for over an hour. The highlight of our first day.

The next day held more promise as we would cross the magical line of Interstate 30. Just about anything north and west of I-30 in Arkansas is good. Just a few miles north of the interstate on AR 7 we turned onto some small back roads that roughly parallel highway 7 but with more scenery and less traffic. Both put us in Hot Springs, but the little road does it better. We usually skip Hot Springs because of the traffic, but Kevin had never been through town so we plowed through the middle. It was early and cool so it was one of my more pleasant experiences. It is a very interesting town especially on bath house row.

North of Hot Springs Village AR 7 begins the climb though the Ouachita's toward the even better Ozarks. We had a nice ride going until Kevin's one- ounce bladder told his brain to pull over or get wet. I am going to buy him the EZ leaker before the next trip. Then he can just sit back and release himself onto the hot pavement below. All we ask is that he signal for the rest of the group to go around first.

When traveling, we generally try to find a local Mom and Pop place to eat. Sometimes easier said than done. As we idled through Russellville, nothing but chains… damn. Well, maybe the village of Dover will have something. People there gotta eat right? I was leading the hunger pack but never saw anything that resembled a restaurant in the tiny Burg. Luckily, the sharp eyed Kevin, who usually has his peepers scanning the horizon for restrooms; spotted a non- descript building with a sign out front that merely said "DeWayne's". Turns out to be a very good place to eat pig parts, eggs, biscuits and such. Good job Kevin!

As we idled out of Dover, the best of Arkansas now lay before us. AR27 is one of the best roads in the state and they only got better the rest of the day. Up, down and all around. This would be the theme for this day and the next. We passed a group of riders who were resting beneath a shade tree near Marshall. Had we not known where we were going we could simply deduce by the bikes represented under the trees that we were on the right path. There were several Multistradas, Hondas and Kawasaki's represented. All meant for curve-carving.

We had a long gas, water and (look for lost ear buds) stop in Marshall. I think Bob may have learned a lesson that I did a few years back. Sometimes a $10 pair of ear-buds is as good as a $100 pair. Still sucks to lose anything though. Onward, up 27 to Harriet where we turned north on what is probably my favorite AR road…14. AR 14 has a million constant radius 35 mph curves that really allow you to get a rhythm going. Fun on a Bun!!

Through Yellville and up AR125, which is very similar to 14; and to the Peel Ferry. I have been across the ferry on Bull Shoals Lake many times, I usually have to wait less than 15 minutes, but today we waited at least ½ hour. The downhill slope to the ferry landing is very steep. A fact not lost on Guy as he pointed the Beemer with a full tanker load fuel toward the water. Gravity was almost cruel to our friend on this day. He got it stopped in time to all have a laugh as Kevin ran for the bushes to relieve himself once again. We loaded onto the ferry with two other riders who were also attending the rally. Soon we were on the other side and about to cross into Missouri. We normally ride up MO125 to US160 and then turn east for Theodosia, but we decided to change it up this year and take a bit of a shortcut onto MO "U". I knew Guy and Eric had never been this way so I held back a bit from Kevin's and Bob's torrid pace, in order to show them the way. Eric normally rides his BMW RT complete with the large array of lights and gizmos, but this trip, he was on his back-up bike as the BMW alternator gave up the ghost.

We arrived at the lake and began the process of checking in. It was very warm by now so first order of business was to turn the AC on super cool! Once situated into our respective rooms, it was off to meet old friends and register for the Rally. Bob had planned to bunk with honorary LA member Jimmie Girton of Kansas. Jimmie rides a C-14 too, so a perfect match.

One of my favorite things about the BS rally is Cookies restaurant located right on the premises. Great food and great service. Even though we all knew that we would soon be eating free hot dogs we couldn't wait and had an early dessert at Cookies. Shortly thereafter the hot dogs were served and the tire kicking and socializing began in earnest.

Later that night Kevin and I retired to the very close- quarters bedroom where I slept soundly and he lay awake to watch me snore. We were both up before the roosters next morning in anticipation of an early opening to Cookies. Amazing how I can pay 4-5 dollars more for breakfast in Baton Rouge, with rude service thrown in for free. I'm telling you; Cookies is one of my favorite things about the BS rallies. After a great, cheap breakfast it was time to light the fires and kick the tires.

The BS organizers always suggest great routes and include maps with the welcome package. However, since I've been riding up there since the late 70's, I've pretty much done them all many times over. I decided to plan an east-west route that would have the sun at our backs on the way to the turn around and our backs …or close to it on the return leg. Jimmy joined us for the ride today making a six bike bullet train headed west. US160 has always been a favorite of mine. In the good old days there was very little traffic. I was a little worried that because of Branson's exploding growth, traffic would be too heavy.

Once past Kissee Mills traffic did get a little heavy but thinned out after we crossed US65. Awesome ride from there to our turn- around/gas/food stop at Cassville. I was surprised that we saw no deer on 160 as every time I've been on there, I've seen the furry killers, no matter what the time of day.

After a nice meal, we turned ourselves around and did the Hokee Pokee eastbound. I was a little worried at first because the road was fairly straight and boring. Within about ten miles, the turns and undulations which equals exhilaration began… and it just got better the rest of the way. MO-248 was merely a teaser to hold us over for MO-176. Less than ten miles in length it makes up for its short length with great pavement and many hills and turns, coupled with very bucolic scenery, like something from a Norman Rockwell painting.

All this led to MO-H which took us near the little hamlet of Chadwick. We rested and rehydrated at a little country store/gas station. Good thing because the awesome MO-125 lay ahead of us. This was probably the most fun of the day. Bob, Jimmie and I led the way south on this great road at a highly spirited but sane pace that would see our peg feelers define our momentum. In fact, Bob and I left a wee bit of metal shavings on the last right-hander before reaching US-160. What a way to end a day of riding great roads! It was just a short hop east on US 160 and we were back at the cabin.

Our riding loop was only 218 miles which put us back about 1 PM. So naturally it was off to Cookies for more cake! Luckily for me I took a small nap afterwards. As I was drifting off I began to think of what tomorrow would bring, and after seeing visions of riding through cotton fields in 100 degree heat, I had an epiphany of sorts. I determined that the best course of action would be to leave about dusk and ride the entire way to BR in cool temps. The only drawback, other than the lack of sleep would be that I would miss about 100 or so miles of nice scenery in the dark. What to do…what to do..? Well, the thought of riding in hellish heat swayed me to leave early. When I announced this decision to Kevin, I was met with usual "you're crazy" exclamation. One bizarre thing about Kevin (among many) is this: He denounces my decision to ride at night as if I was setting sail from the old country 500 years ago and he was sure that I would fall off the face of the flat earth, yet near the end of a ride, he will leave at 4am and ride though the very same darkness. Again…If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times" Kevin should be studied by a group of scientists"! With all this in mind, I made my final decision during the evening banquet. It would be a GO!

At 8:17 PM. I maneuvered the mighty Explorer though the parking lot, out to the road and then east on 160 in very, very nice temperatures. I decided to get through hills and curves quickly as possible since I couldn't see them anyway and set a course that would take me to Mtn. Home and then east to Jonesboro and Memphis. From there a straight shot down the boring I-55 to LA.

I actually had a very pleasant ride though the hills and dales on route to Mtn Home, very little traffic, XM radio blasting, and great temps made for a very nice time. In fact, by the time I reached Ash Flat, AR, I was starting to feel a bit of chill. I stopped at a closed business and put on my long underwear since there was a convenient park bench sitting right out front for me to use. The business next door was closing up for the night and seemed to be interested in my presence near there store. It was almost as if they had never seen a grown man naked before...Geez! US62/63/412 has some very nice sweepers between Mtn Home and Black Rock that made the time whizz by. After you cross the river at Black Rock it's all cotton fields to Memphis. The road is straight and boring. But… since it's dark, not that bad…plus delightful temps still! After the lights of Memphis, it was time for the endless drone that is I-55. In hindsight, I should have taken US61 down. It's a tad slower because of the little towns, but no deer and no traffic make it the better route at night. By the time I reached Batesville,MS, I was starting to feel like the victim of a bad magician," you are getting sleepy, very, very, and sleepy"! I pulled off the super slab into a parking lot and slept with my head on the luggage rack and feet on the crash bars for about 20 minutes. Somewhat refreshed I continued south to Madison where I was once again overcome with sleepiness. This time I slept for an hour. Strange how, my seat is uncomfortable to sit on but not that bad as a bed actually…hmm.

After a nap and the lights of Jackson to wake me up it was to Brookhaven where I actually got very cold. It was only 68 degrees, which in the daytime would be perfect, I wouldn't even have to wear a long sleeve shirt, but I guess because I was so tired, the coolness affects the body different at night, I was FREEZING! Luckily I never leave home without my electric bib. Set to broil, I was good to go all the way to BR. I arrived at my hovel after 11 hours and 16 minutes of riding and napping. 603.3 miles in total. When I awakened that afternoon, I walked outside into the south LA steam machine, patted myself on the back for the decision to leave in the darkness.

It was a very good trip indeed. Good friends, good roads and fairly good weather. I did have a severe case of Monkey butt though. I think the same guy who designed the headlights on my last triumph is now in charge of seats. Someone PLEASE fire that man!

Now, if you will excuse me, I shall start planning next years BS ride.

Before I resume the travelogue I want to talk a little about Edelweiss, our tour guides and our fellow tour members. One very big and unexpected bonus on this adventure was the great bunch of friends we quickly made. Every one of our group was fun and interesting to get to know and truly nice, warm people. To paraphrase a famous ad line, "you meet the nicest people on a motorcycle"!

Edelweiss Bike Tours, headquartered in Meiming, Austria has been doing motorcycle tours in Europe for more than 30 years and they have their touring philosophy and operation finely tuned. Their intent is to provide the perfect blend of sport riding and touring/sight-seeing. I believe they succeed and see a parallel to the MSTA in that they seem to cater to higher-skilled and adventurous riders. Our tour included lunch and coffee stops each day at carefully picked local cafes and restaurants designed to both let individuals mingle and get to know each other as well as expose the group to the local culture. Additionally there is one or more daily stop at a popular regional historic or natural attraction such as a castle, monastery, lake, waterfall, etc. Between these stops Edelweiss puts the riders on the best local sport riding roads. This was evidenced by the thousands of local sport bikers we saw on Saturday, Sunday and Assumption Day, which is a big holiday in Europe. As for accommodations, I felt each hotel we stayed in on the road was an outstanding selection on the basis of a combination of historical interest, location, amenities, service and beautiful and romantic environment.

Gottfried and Alan quickly became more than just very knowledgable and helpful guides, they became friends. They were always on the ready to help us out when we needed help but never got in our way with rules or restrictions (except in Switzerland). But they also opened up to share with us their experiences, philosophy and politics as Europeans, something I doubt the average European tourist ever gets to see.

As for the sport riding, it was often as spirited as any I have enjoyed in 30 plus years with the MSTA. Anyone who has attended even a few HSTA/MSTA events knows what that means. On our pre-tour briefing we were instructed by our guides on proper group riding procedures. Safety first, no racing, no passing and watch out for the bike behind you. Additionally we were instructed on the "Edelweiss Line" which is their version of the "Late Apex" line, well known to any serious, well-read sport rider. I made a point of spending some time following Gottfried on the first riding day and he demonstrated what I will describe as the "Extreme Late Apex Line" and I quickly adopted it.

The roads were typically smooth but narrow and undulating and often quite challenging. The pace at times was indeed intense, rarely slowed by any traffic we caught up with (including the occasional cruisera0. I must admit it was a bit more than I was expecting, considering we were all on rented, mostly unfamiliar equipment, and especially since Edelweiss rates this tour as merely "moderate". Happily I found the BMW R1200RT easy to adapt to and to ride quickly in the narrow, tight and twisty roads; thanks to the superb electronic suspension and to being some 200 lbs. lighter than my Concours 14.

I was also impressed with the skill level of our group as a whole and most were well up to the challenge but not all. 3 of the 11 riders struggled. One solo rider opted out of the planned route after the first day and instead traveled between hotels via the "easy roads". Of the other two one couple gamely stepped up to the challenge. The other couple, unfortunately fared not so well and took a couple of spills, the second resulting in the passenger's broken arm and a one day early flight home. Stacie and I were interested to learn that three of the 7 couples rarely rode two-up back home.

Day 7 Monday; Alsace Region, France 98 mile loop

Monday was our rest day which meant no required travel. We had the option of staying in town, exploring on the bike on our own or riding with the guide on a 95 mile loop of great roads. All of the women (and Tony) decided to stay in town and relax and or shop so the men all rode solo. Almost all of the loop was tight, twisty, hilly roads similar to "The Dragon" (but without the half-fast "dragon slayers") and included the Col de la Schlucht which is a pass that has been included in the Tour De France. Without passengers the pace was pretty intense with some bonzai passing by our Italian leader. We had to stop and wait several times for the group to regroup. After a coffee stop myself and another RT rider ended up behind a slower rider on another RT. He made it though the first set of switchbacks without noticeable difficulty but apparently he scared himself as he slowed more and more with each subsequent switchback and was freezing up on corner entry. It was very difficult to ride behind him and I was waiting for an opportunity to pass when I saw his RT bounce front wheel first off the right guard rail and back across our the road in front off us. His bike hit the embankment and stopped and I watched him tumble over it and rolled in the shallow ditch. It was low speed and neither bike or rider was seriously damaged.

It took a while for our guide to get the word and return to the scene and assess the situation. The RT was wheels up in the ditch but with 4 of us we were able to pick her up, put her on her wheels and push her out of the ditch. She fired right up and the fallen rider was able to shakily continue. This incident happened near the end of the days route and we cautiously returned to Ribeauville for the first of two picnic lunches included in the tour. All breakfasts are included in the Edelweiss tour package as well and all but one evening meal. Lunches were on us except for two picnics which the tour guides prepared. Today's picnic was in the moved due to threatening rain from an outdoor location to the Hotel De La Tour courtyard and consisted of various fresh baked breads, Black Forest ham and other cold cuts, locally made sausages plus fruits and chips. For the evening meal we were on our own and we all walked to a local cafe to enjoy a regional version of pizza. Called flammenkuchen in German or tarte flambe in French, it is made out of a very thin bread dough topped with sour cream, onions and bacon baked in a wood-fired oven. I found it different but delicious.

Day 8, Tuesday: Ribeauville, France to Shaffhausen, Switzerland - 145 miles

Tuesday morning we back-tracked 22 miles the way we came across the Rhine and back into Germany and the Black Forest, turning south at Forsheim. Three of our group had opted to take a direct, less challenging route to the next destination near Warth, Austria. After riding some terrific scenic twisties we stopped for lunch at the Hexenlochmuhle, Mill of the Witch Hole. This is an old water wheel saw mill driven by the waters of the Heubach river. It was built in 1825 and is now a tourist attraction with restaurant and cuckoo clock shop. The owner is known for making some of the finest clocks in the Black Forest. We had a nice lunch of fresh fish finished off with a piece of the famous Black Forest Cake. Stacie thought the cake was delicious but it was not the deep dark chocolate that I expected.

After some more great twisties we stopped for coffee at Lake Schluchsee another popular spot for bikers and boaters and tourists in general. Later in the afternoon we crossed into Switzerland, our first noticeable border crossing due to the fact that Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. Our guide had warned us to smile and say nothing to the border guards or police who are less accepting of motorcyclists than the rest of Europe and to strictly obey the speed limits. They said that Swiss police are extremely strict and speeding tickets could cost you $900 USD and had to be paid on the spot! Needless to say we were all very paranoid. Our last stop just before arriving at our hotel in Schaffhausen was the Rheinfall, a low but wide waterfall on the Rhine river and the largest by volume in Europe. We parked the bikes and took a lot of pictures and shopped for souvenir before saddling up and riding the short leg to the Hotel Promenade situated next to a city park area alongside the Rhine . After a shower, Stacie and I walked through the park and across a bridge to downtown to look around and shop. Everything in Switzerland is very expensive but we wanted souvenir! There were many high dollar shops that we did not even bother to go in but we found a department store and bought a few affordable items.

We managed to get lost in the narrow downtown streets trying to find our way back across the bridge. With limited communication due to the language barrier some friendly directions from locals got us to a bridge but it was a bridge across the river and didn't look right. We finally remembered the bridge we had crossed was not over water but over railroad tracks. With proper directions we made our way back to the Promenade just in time for supper!

Day 9 Wednesday Schaffhausen, Switzerland to Warth, Austria - 145 miles.

Leaving Schaffhausen it was more Swiss speed limit Paranoia as we headed west toward Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) on highway 13 stopping for coffee and pictures at a nice cafe on the lake. A little further along the lakeshore we turned south at Selenstein onto K68, 16 and then twisty SG 30 along the Neckar river again. Our lunch and sightseeing stop for the day was Santis Mountain, near Schwagalp, highest peak in Switzerland. We parked and despite the cloudy conditions most of chose to pay the 40 Euro fare for a gondola ride to the summit. At 8200 feet you can see into six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France, and Italy IF the weather is clear. We rode the large gondola up into the clouds at first but then passed above a layer and had a tremendous view of the area below. But higher up there were more clouds and we did not really have much of a view. At one point the gondola was totally lost in the clouds. At the rocky top of the mountain we found a multi level building including a large tourist center with shops and a restaurant and above that a weather station and multiple observation platforms. We climbed several levels of stairs to the summit but still had limited views due to the clouds. We then had lunch in the cafeteria style Panorama restaurant before riding the gondola back to earth. Back on the bikes we navigated some more twisties and scenic small towns and crossed the Rhine again into Austria. Looking at my GPS track it seems we rode long the border of Liechtenstein for a ways but never actually crossed over. We got onto super twisty L51 as we approached the Austrian Alps then L193. Our motel, the Jaegeralp is a ski resort and the access road is essentially a single lane climbing nearly straight up the mountainside with tight winding turns. It was great fun as long as there were no cars coming the other way! The hotel was quite remote and nestled in a beautiful green valley amongst the alpine peaks. There was a nice bar with a real bartender who even knew the difference between Kentucky Bourbon and Jack Daniels. I put a dent in his stock of Jim Beam. We gathered for supper as usual. Weinerschnitzel was one of the offerings and it was good but not great. After the meal our guides held a little ceremony handing out our Best Of Europe T-Shirts, "The most expensive T-shirt in the world".

Day 10 Warth, Austria to Erding, Germany, 148 miles.

On our final riding day we rode west out of Austria back into Germany, stopping for a guided tour of King Ludwig II's Castle Linderhof, used by the crazy king as his hunting cabin. The castle was designed as a tribute to King Louis XIV of France, and many influences were drawn from Versailles and other French castles. The castle was built on the side of a picturesque mountain slope. We had a wait until the next tour which gave us plenty of time to stroll the incredible grounds which included numerous gardens, fountains and terraces with fabulous sculptures everywhere. The tour was very interesting and we heard about and saw evidence of King Ludwig's eccentricities. After the tour we rode our final stretch back to home base, using the Autobahn and other direct highways to quickly get through Munich and on to Erding. There we had our final cocktails together at the friendly hotel bar and then our final meal together. Gottfried went around the table and asked everyone to give their honest impression of the tour. Everyone was unanimous in their high praise for Edelweiss and our tour guides. After supper Stacie and I turned in early after hugs and warm goodbyes to our new friends. Our shuttle to the airport was scheduled for 6:15 am and we needed to pack and rest up for our grueling return flight which was scheduled for 9:50 am.

Day 11 Erding, Germany to Home, Louisiana, USA 5,300 miles.

It was just the two of us with Rolf in the big hotel van as only one of the Canadians was flying back out of Munich and he had an even earlier flight than us. The rest were taking various side trips before returning home. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time but it took us a while to locate the Delta baggage drop and get checked in. Online check-in was not available at MUC and we eventually managed to check in and print boarding passes at the third Kiosk we tried, the first two would not work. Then a long line to get our bags checked and on to security where we breezed through a lot faster than we had in Baton Rouge.

Once in the concourse we grabbed some breakfast and then did some duty free shopping, spending our last remaining Euros. Then, while waiting to board at our departure gate I head my name called along with 4 others. The uniformed agent collected our passports and informed us we had been selected by computer for an extra security check. We were told to inform our companions that we would meet them on the plane and we were escorted back to the x-ray machines! Two of the lucky 5 were American youngsters, the girl probably only 10, the other two adult Germans. Separated from her siblings the poor girl was scared to death. It turned out the extra check was strictly perfunctory, quick and painless and we actually got on plane earlier than most.

The flight to Atlanta was uneventful but the plane was full and there was nowhere to spread out and get comfortable enough to sleep. I occupied myself with a paperback, a movie and looking at pictures of the trip on my netbook. The meal was good and the cocktails featured Woodford Reserve so it was not all bad. We arrived in Atlanta a little after 2:00pm and after a short delay we were on our little shuttle which arrived in Baton Rouge around 5:00pm.

We were dead tired and Jet-lagged and a bit depressed to be back in the USA but what a trip it had been! Without a doubt the trip of our lives (so far). My mood soon picked up - sharing e-mails and pictures with our new friends and planning our next Edelweiss Tour! We WILL go back. Many more countries in Europe to see, and then...

Below is the EveryTrail widgit of our 979 mile Nuvi track. I never get tired of re-playing it!

Bob & Stacie in Europe