Here in Northern Indiana we don't have alot of scenic routes to ride on. But I will be sharing some good riding routes that we have enjoyed. One that we enjoy riding on is HWY 5. Starting at Huntington, it goes almost to the state line. It goes through farms, small towns, and wooded areas. Lots of curves. Arriving in Lagrange county, you come into Amish country.
Shipshewana is a great destination town. It's full of awesome shops, antiques, bakeries and places to eat. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays is the famous flea market. It's a must stop on Hwy 5. There are nice hotels available.
Blue Gate is a good place to eat. Homestyle all you can eat. There are also music events and show you can attend. Yoders hardware store is an awesome place to shop. You'll find all kinds of cool stuff there. There is also a bulk food store, and a meat store.
Shipshewana has a little bit of everything for a fun day of shopping and eating. Hwy 5 is a great road to ride on to get there. Usually we always go back to this road.

Natchez Trace

A very good ride we experienced on our trip south was the Natchez Trace. I had heard of this road when we traveled through Tennessee, but we never had the opportunity to travel it. On our way back north we had stayed the night in Jackson Mississippi. 

 From there we hopped on the Trace. 

We hadn't researched much about this road, but wow! We were very surprised at what we found.
It actually starts at Natchez, Miss and it stops south of Nashville Tennessee.
There are no commercial trucks, or semis. There are no stores, hotels, etc along the way. It makes for blissful motorcycle riding. Starting out of Jackson is a huge lake. Also there are swamps. There are numerous places to pull off and view the scenes closer.
It's very wooded. You'll probably see wildlife. We had a turkey fly out in front of us. Up close and personal.
This road is very historical. It was used by the pioneers and indians. In fact there are many places you can pull off and walk the original trace.
If you need to get a bite to eat or fill up on gas, you'll have to pull off the road. There are numerous small towns along the way. You may need to research where to stop. I've found websites that will recommend towns to stop in. Of course you can travel it in one day. There are plenty of restrooms also with picnic tables to take advantage of a picnic.
There are a couple of information centers where you can get maps, info, pins, and souvenirs.
 In Tennessee it gets hilly. One of my favorite areas was a stretch on top of a mountain. It was so cool, so beautiful.
Highly recommend this road for motorcycles. It's a great ride. We enjoyed our day on it. If you ever have an opportunity to ride it, go.

Arkansas Trip

Last summer we rode on Scenic route 7 in Arkansas. What a beautiful ride it was! We started at Harrison Arkansas and rode all the way to the bottom of the state. The North half of the state is very hilly. The road, curvy, panoramic scenes around every corner.

As we travel, one of our main objectives is to find a good place to eat. We found such a place in Jasper, located right off of Route 7. Cliff House Inn.

This is an awesome place to eat. And as you can see from the pic, it's a beautiful location. We had the catfish, the official food of Arkansas. We were not disappointed. The view was amazing. The people were so friendly. Also left with a coffee cup.

Our stop for the day was at Hot Springs. Hot Springs is a very unusual town. There are mineral springs located all through the town. There are a few locations you can even dispense the mineral water. As you pull into town, there are beautiful bath houses lining the road. Also there are small shops you can get the customary souvenir.
I did the bath house treatment. It wasn't like the fancy spas that perhaps you are used to. Behind the beautiful facade of the Bath house, it was kind of plain to be honest. The treatment itself was comprised of different mineral water treatments none of which I particularly enjoyed all that much, except for the Jacuzzi and the massage at the end.
We also visited Garvan Woodland Gardens located on the south end of Hot Springs. Highly recommended. This is a pic of a bench in one of the many gardens there.

We stayed the night in a Comfort Inn. Very good breakfast.

The South Half of Scenic Route 7 wasn't as hilly, but still a good ride. Started out in heavy wooded areas, but ebbed away into rural farms until we rode into Louisiana.

Scenic Route 7 is an awesome ride. An entertaining ride, with good eats along the way. If you go, take a camera. Also you'll want to fill up with gas at Harrison, because the gas stations are scarce along the way.

Motorcycle trip planning

Continuing on my previous post....
The Ultra Classic does have plenty of dresser space, but you are going to have to limit your wardrobe. It fills up quick. I pack 1 pair of jeans and wear another one. Maybe a few t-shirts. And of course the all important underwear and socks. I will pack a small bathroom bag with travel size items. I mentioned in the last post that weather plays a large factor in what you will wear and pack. I always pack a sweater and my Harley windbreaker jacket, it doesn't take up a lot of room and it's handy if gets chilly. But depending on the time of year and where you go, you may have to wear the leather jackets or even pack them.
The bad thing about the leathers is they take up a lot of room. Another tricky item is the shoes. I have leather boots.  I like them, but for long trips they aren't very comfortable. And again not conducive to packing away in the dressers. The last trip we took we wore our tennis shoes. That way we would be comfortable riding and also nice when we are walking.
Other important items are: an I Pod. It can be hard to find radio stations. Sunscreen. Maps. Snacks, water. Of course helmets. We always wear ours. In some states it's mandatory. Planning is important, but lets get real...it's all about pointing the bike into the wind and just riding! If you are waffling about trying a multi-day trip, first try a day trip. See how you feel. It may not be the "thing" for you. Or you may wish you didn't have to go back home, that you had a couple more days.

Motorcycle trips

When we bought our motorcycle we had in mind long days of riding and taking trips. So we bought a Ultra Classic. The Ultra Classic is like the Cadillac of Harleys. It is so comfortable to ride on for both driver and rider. The sound system is great for listening pleasure. Plenty of dresser space for packing. She was the perfect motorcycle for us.
We bought her to ride. Now some may only get their bikes out for a spin around town, or for the bar hopping scene. But if you are like us and want to ride into the wind, make sure you get a comfortable bike to match. It makes the trip worthwhile.
We had every intention to go on a multi-day trip. Our first trip was a 3 day trip, just to test the waters so to speak. This is probably a good idea if you're not sure if you're up to the challenge. If you're not sure, I wouldn't recommend a week long trip. We loved it and wished we had a few days more. But there are challenges to be sure...
First of all, you do have to take the weather into account. We've dealt with extreme heat, rain and cold. Check the weather forecast in the area where you are heading. And make sure to check your home area the day you arrive back. This way you can get an idea how to pack and what to wear.

Memphis trip

Our very first multi-day trip we rode to Memphis. We've never been there and our aim was to eat BBQ.  We left early afternoon and made it almost to Leichfeid Kentucky. It was a pleasant ride into Southern Indiana, and Kentucky.
Out of Elizabethtown, we took the parkway west until we found a Hatfield inn. I'll always remember that ride. It was dark, and there was a single glowing star low in the western sky. The Hatfield was a clean, comfortable hotel. There were a few fast food places within walking distance. A very good breakfast was served in the morning there at the hotel.
The next morning we continued west until the Land between the Lakes. Then we turned south and drove right through the middle of the river island. The island was heavily wooded. It was a pretty ride, every now and then you caught glimpses of the rivers on either side.
We continued south on Hwy 79 riding through small towns and pretty rural areas down to interstate 40. Then it was on to Memphis.  Of course Beale street was our first stop. Now we faced a tough decision. Where to eat? There are all kind of good eateries within a few blocks. The sweet smell of BBQ permeated the street. Jazz music flowed out of each building.
We decided on Pig on Beale. It was a good choice, but somehow I believe there are no bad choices. The BBQ didn't disappoint. We ordered the trash can lid full of BBQ delicacies. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, corn muffins, corn on the cob and beans.
We waddled back to the bike and then rode to Graceland. There is a Harley shop across the street where we got pins and tee  shirts.
It was a fun trip. The weather was beautiful. You could probably spend a day with dinner and a tour of Graceland. Memphis was fun.

Osark trip

Right in the middle of Cuba Missouri is Hwy 19. The next morning after a plate full of biscuits and gravy we took off south on this road. On our map in the H.O.G. Atlas a motorcycle symbol is imprinted on this stretch of road. Rightly so, for it's an awesome ride. It's a curvy road, but not too curvy that your foot would get too tired from downshifting. We rode up and down the hills. A couple of small towns broke up the scenery now and then. It was very pretty, more so the further south we went.  If there was time to spare, there are a few canoe rental places along the way.

Our stop for dinner was in Mammoth Springs, Arkansas.  Fred's Fish house, pictured above, had tasty southern fried catfish. Dinner also included hushpuppies, coleslaw, red beans and rice, and fries. Also on the side they served pickled green tomatos, which we never had before. Wonderful dinner.
We rode down to Jonesboro and made a pit stop at the Harley store to get a pin. Then crossed the bridge over the Mississippi and spent the night in Jackson Tenn. The next day unfortunately was our last, but it was a nice ride north of Nashville and on the home. All in all, we enjoyed our adventure to the Osarks. Our only regret was that it wasn't warmer. It took us 3 1/2 days. Next time we hope to go further to Branson. We can dream about it this winter...