Late last October, Varya and I loaded up the old Lex and trailered Duca up through NE TX and a bit of OK to Eureka Springs, AR. The plan was for Sean & Keri to ride down from KC on his H-D and Greg to ride south on his KTM from StC for a couple days of hilly rides around Eureka. Unfortunately, an inescapably large, fearsome storm front on the horizon kept Sean & Keri in KC and forced Greg to ride home the next day to beat the deluge.
Before the storm, Greg, Varya and I stayed at the 1886 Crescent Hotel, basically an Ozark version of The Shining hotel, complete with an old, creepy vibe and ghosts of past horrors.
As Greg escaped on his Austrian, a little cold rain creeped into Eureka Springs warning of worse weather to come. Varya and I did a little damp shopping in the artsy/crafty town (OK, she shopped for baubles and beads while I sought a bar advertising “Husband Day Care Center”) before returning to the hotel to enjoy autumn afternoon views.
That night, we joined a Ghost Tour, in which a creepy old-timey nurse led us around our hotel while describing its haunted history. A fraudster once ran it as the Baker Hospital for Cancer Cure, preying upon rich, gullible, desperate patients who typically didn’t survive long enough to file suit. According to our “nurse” guide’s script, some may still roam the halls as spiteful spirits seeking solace. She invited us to take plenty of photos of specific rooms and slightly warped mirrors conveniently placed at the ends of halls, and to let the staff know if our phones caught anything spooky. Varya claims a blurred shape on the side of one of her pics looks like a child’s arm–perhaps the arm of the long-deceased child said to roam these halls! (I wasn’t convinced.)
Sadly, we saw no paranormal activity or apparitions on a tour that seemed a bit pricey for just a guided walk around the hotel–they could have rigged up a hologram or at least an eerie soundtrack. 😉 Perhaps the weirdest part of the tour was at the end…in the dark basement…with shelves full of bottled tumors removed from dead patients who apparently were not cured by Norman Baker.
After a couple nights in the so-called “Ghost Hotel” of Eureka Springs, we drove north into the expected big storm front. As Lex-rocking winds and torrential rains severely limited visibility, we slowly made our way across MO to Mom’s townhouse in Saint Charles by late afternoon.
Denied the Pig Trail and other famous Ozark roads by bad AR weather, Greg and I took advantage of the first clear, sunny day of the week by riding SW from StC in a big loop around central/southern MO. Greg’s been riding most of his life, and I’ve ridden for a couple decades, yet this was our first time riding together. After the wet, gray, abbreviated stay in Eureka Springs, this picturesque, spirited day ride through the colorful fall leaves of southern MO with my oldest schoolmate (at least a month older than me!) made trailering Duca all that way worthwhile.
Finally, the main event of the northern journey: on Mom’s 80th birthday, a couple dozen of her closest friends and family gathered at Tony’s on Main Street, perhaps the finest restaurant in St. Charles, to celebrate her eight decades on Earth. Tony’s excellent cuisine (oh, those medallions!) were well complemented by Scott’s cakes, Sean’s beverages, and everyone’s favorite stories about Jeanne, which Claire declared were to be shared while adorned with the Birthday Queen sash! 🙂
During the drive back south to Houston, I began noticing a strange sound, increasing with speed, coming from our right rear wheel. I eventually discovered thin wires sticking out of the walls just beneath the tread of our relatively new Kumho Road Venture tires. Discount Tire replaced it under warranty, of course, but call me a former fan of inexpensive Kumho tires from South Korea. Back to pricier Yokohama Geolandars!
Cute town and ghost hotel in the Ozarks, surviving severe weather, beautiful bike ride, and partying with octogenarians…not bad for a one week road trip!
Moonday 