Ok, Tx, Ar, Mo bike trip

[toad]

My cousin and fellow Patiot Guard Rider and I took the week of Aug. 9th -15th to do some riding. We met up at Joplin Mo. and rode through Oklahoma headed for Texas. We spent the first night in Burleson Texas and took our aunt Lavana out for dinner. I believe I ate the best Mexican food I have ever had at a place called Antonio's. Sounded Italian to me.

The next morning we took highway 281 and rode through some of the hill country of Texas. A two lane blacktop lightly traveled with hardly any trucks. We had chicken fried steak at Johnson City, and then visted Perdernales Falls State Park. The falls were very unusal and beautiful with clear water and caves. We continued our ride to San Antonio and spent the next day at my sisters. We had breakfast at Gunther House and did the river walk and Alamo thing.

The next day we rode to Corpus Christi and Padre Island. We checked into our hotel and headed for the beach on Mustang Island State Park. Spent the afternoon playing in the surf. that evening we went to Knuckleheads, a biker BBQ joint. Got stuffed.

The next day we went to Padre Bali beach and walked out on Bob Hall Pier just watching the surfers and fishermen. Then we headed back to San Antonio and rested up for the trip back north.

The next morning we headed out. We rode from San Antonio to Fort Smith Arkansas, 640 miles. From Texarkana Ar. to Ft. Smith we traveled through some of the beautiful Arkansas Mountains. Great ride after we got off the Interstate Highway.

The next morning we rode the famous Arkansas Pig Trail on highway 23 from Ozark Arkansas to Eureka Springs. We had lunch in the village of Eureka and then headed north to Missouri and home.

I thank God for answering prayer continually on our trip. If it were not for the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and a loving God in my life, I would have never been able to have this adventure. Without my sobriety, I have nothing.

This is David and I above Perdernales Falls


Some of the falls.



This is one of the clear pools on the falls

[toad]

This is the beach on Mustang Island State Park



This is Padre Island taken from Bob Hall Pier.



Across from our hotel was a sand castle tourist shop.

[Hurricane]

Thanks for sharing Toad, one of these days I'm gonna ride down there myself.

[toad]

My cousin David on the falls. Beautiful rocks. It was over 100 degrees that day.



When we rode to the end of all roads we were traveling, and walked the distance of the pier, there was nothing left but sky and water, fish and birds..................and a loving God who made it all possible.



The pelicans were having a fine day of fishing. While we were swimming we watched them as they would fly by as if in a formation. They would glide out past the breaking waves, and one would fold up his wings and drop into the water. A minute or two later he would rise up and fly away. Reminds me of a story I heard in an AA talk. The guy was from California and told of a cannery where the pelicans hung out because of the fish guts that were thrown out. When the guts became valuable for vitamins, they stopped throwing them out. Soon the pelicans became sickly. The guy said that they looked like tweeker birds. The problem was that they didn't know how to hunt for food. What they did was bring in some young birds who showed the old birds how to hunt. In AA sometimes the oldtimers forget what it is really all about, but if they observe and listen to the newcomer who is working the program (12 steps), they can again learn how to love and tolerate others (the AA code) and how to work and practice the principles daily in our lives.

[toad]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Thanks for sharing Toad, one of these days I'm gonna ride down there myself.

Let's go Hurricane..............I'm almost ready

[Astro]

I missed this post the first time around, toad. Thanks for sharing the adventure and beautiful pics of our country with us. God sure does some nice work, huh?

I was telling my fiancee this weekend that it saddens me to think about my kids going off to college someday, but then I remember that it'll give the two of us a little time to ride out and see more of this amazing country. Then it doesn't seem so bad