[rwbloch]

Part of my western ride in June will be a ride from St. Louis to Santa Fe. Looking at the map, a slight detour into the Ozarks looks very feasible and highly worthwhile. Any suggestions on the best "just passing through" route given that I want to hit Tulsa on the west side? Thanks.

 

[OU812]

Try Hwy 123 in NW AR.
Best road around for miles.
I have hit it every time I was near it and it's a thrill for us city boys. :wave

 

[katnapinn]

Hwy 7 is a MUST ride road. Very nice & curvy road.

 

[Dick]

Part of my western ride in June will be a ride from St. Louis to Santa Fe. Looking at the map, a slight detour into the Ozarks looks very feasible and highly worthwhile. Any suggestions on the best "just passing through" route given that I want to hit Tulsa on the west side? Thanks.

Would you like to get into SW MO and NW AR on your way to Tulsa?? I would, and here's how I'd do it.

Hit MO 65 outta Springfield and go south to Ozark, MO. Plan to arrive there about lunch time and have a feast at Lambert's Home of the Throwed Rolls, on the east side of 65 at MO14 (should be plenty of billboards to get you there). After my nap in the parking lot ( ), I'd head east on 14 for a short ride over to Sparta and take MO125 (a really, really nice lean left/lean right road) south and rock-n-roll down to the flat-topped ferry across an arm of Bull Shoals Lake - continue south to AR62 and turn west on 62 and take that to and thru Eureka Springs - I might stop to be a tourist - on over to Rogers/Bentonville, AR. In Bentonville, a nice stop to shake hands with some friendly folks at Bentonville, BMW. Then head on west into OK and generally go NW to Tulsa, or take 71 outta Bentonville and run north up thru/nearby Neosho, MO and hit I-44 at Joplin, then west to the state line and finish up with the toll highway (~350 pennies) into Tulsa. Speed limit is 75 - zero tolerance - on I-44.

If you don't catch any of this on your way west, maybe catch some of it heading back to St. L. Ride safe - have a ball.

 

[kk610lt]

I find the Ozarks to be a little "elusive" in Missouri (no offense) but you can find them in Arkansas as stated above.

 

[gbbaile]

Would you like to get into SW MO and NW AR on your way to Tulsa?? I would, and here's how I'd do it.

Hit MO 65 outta Springfield and go south to Ozark, MO. Plan to arrive there about lunch time and have a feast at Lambert's Home of the Throwed Rolls, on the east side of 65 at MO14 (should be plenty of billboards to get you there). After my nap in the parking lot ( ), I'd head east on 14 for a short ride over to Sparta and take MO125 (a really, really nice lean left/lean right road) south and rock-n-roll down to the flat-topped ferry across an arm of Bull Shoals Lake - continue south to AR62 and turn west on 62 and take that to and thru Eureka Springs - I might stop to be a tourist - on over to Rogers/Bentonville, AR. In Bentonville, a nice stop to shake hands with some friendly folks at Bentonville, BMW. Then head on west into OK and generally go NW to Tulsa, or take 71 outta Bentonville and run north up thru/nearby Neosho, MO and hit I-44 at Joplin, then west to the state line and finish up with the toll highway (~350 pennies) into Tulsa. Speed limit is 75 - zero tolerance - on I-44.

If you don't catch any of this on your way west, maybe catch some of it heading back to St. L. Ride safe - have a ball.

Dick's route is a good one. One suggestion, rather than back north on 71 to i44 I would go south from Bentonville to Hwy 412 at Springdale then west to Tulsa. Much quicker. Definitely stop in at Bentonville BMW...outstanding folks there.

Greg

 

[gbob]

I like Dicks post , except for Lamberts got a problem with tossing food . I take the free Peels Ferry ride when ever in the area , just set on the bike with kick stand up during begining and end of ferry ride .

Bob G

 

[DanMartin]

I like Dicks post , except for Lamberts got a problem with tossing food . I take the free Peels Ferry ride when ever in the area , just set on the bike with kick stand up during begining and end of ferry ride .

Bob G

I am disappointed that Dick didn't tell them where to get gas!

dan

 

[Dick]

I like Dicks post , except for Lamberts got a problem with tossing food . I take the free Peels Ferry ride when ever in the area , just set on the bike with kick stand up during begining and end of ferry ride .

Bob G

Hey, Bob - only food I've ever had thrown at me (other than by ....... uhh, I better not go there) were the rolls at Lamberts. I think they do the same thing at their Louisiana store and the ?Paducah? store (not sure on that location). I guess it might bother some folks, butt the coupla times I've been there, all the rolls were caught - and they were scrumdiddly good, I might add!

 

[Dick]

I am disappointed that Dick didn't tell them where to get gas!

dan

I figger he's got the free *Gas Buddy* app on his iPhone!!

 

[bmwriderm]

You might want to stop in Branson Mo. And see the Baldknobber Boys. :rotf:

 

[lurch102]

One of my favorite rides in the area is south on MO SR112 from Cassville to Roaring River State Park, take a stroll around the fish hatchery and the cave/springs, then west on SR90 to Noel.

On some of those corners you can read your own rear license plate

 

[rwbloch]

Thanks, and keep the suggestions coming.

 

[deanwoolsey]

Fayetteville AR to Ozark AR on the Pig Eye Trail.

 

[billsmith]

Last year I rode Route 66 Chicago to OKL City before heading south in to Texas on I-35. Depending on your time restraints you can hop on and off of the famous route pretty much close to I-44 leaving Saint Louis. And west of Springfield MO the signage is great into Joplin and Galena KS. From there a few broken stretches on route 69 and getting on and off 66 all the way to Tulsa. The good thing is you are never too far from I-44 if you have to make up time. But in the daytime you will miss many sights. Here are just a few:
ride safe :bmw:

 

[Dick]

Last year I rode Route 66 Chicago to OKL City before heading south in to Texas on I-35. Depending on your time restraints you can hop on and off of the famous route pretty much close to I-44 leaving Saint Louis. And west of Springfield MO the signage is great into Joplin and Galena KS. From there a few broken stretches on route 69 and getting on and off 66 all the way to Tulsa. The good thing is you are never too far from I-44 if you have to make up time. But in the daytime you will miss many sights. Here are just a few:
ride safe :bmw:

Momentary hi-jack.
Good job on finding the Marsh Bridge, Bill. Difficult for me to admit it, butt I grew up in Baxter Springs; hung out in Galena; graduated a coupla years of Junior College in Joplin; and left home in the mid-50s - never once saw the Marsh Bridge. I think there were a few (ok .... several ) late evening back seat *get-togethers* out there close to the bridge; just never knew it wuz there. Experienced most everything else relating to Route 66 around southeast KS, northeast OK and southwestern MO. I thank my folks for choosing that locale to raise our family.
End of hi-jack.

 

[billsmith]

Hey Dick no Hi-Jack the topic said just passing thru.
But I remember sending some of these on my first return from my route 66 trip. And western MO is definitely part of the Ozarks.
OK so I'm not accused of hijack that stretch from Joplin into south east KS and south into OK thru Miami and many of those small towns was great ride but my camera was dead battery after leaving that bridge.
ride safe :bmw: