CMA HeartBeat June 2022 | Page 20

RECOMMENDED RIDES

RECOMMENDED RIDES

Miles 235 Riding Time 5.5 hours
or all day if you stop to enjoy the sights ( highly recommended )
Restaurants La Michoacana Mexican Grill Attractions AR-123 Ozark National Forest Eiffel Tower Replica Paris , AR Mt Magazine Talimena Scenic Drive Queen Wilhelmina State Park
By JOHN Ogden Jr

LET ’ S call today ’ s Recommended

Ride “ Mountains to Mena .” Arkansas AR-123 is one of my favorite roads in the state . It combines scenery , switchbacks , rhythm , and open sweepers all in one ride . Upfront warning , the switchback section is not trailer friendly . I have seen trucks with campers that were stuck and couldn ’ t move forward or backwards . That ’ s a mess , and could be an expensive wrecker bill . This section is also a first gear section for most motorcycles .
Let ’ s get started at Western Grove , Arkansas at the intersection of US-65 and AR-123S . Heading south , with a full tank of gas , you enter into some nice
gentle curves . Take the time to get your mind right and body warmed up , because the twisties will get more frequent and tighter , much tighter , just before you arrive at Mt Judea , you ’ ll see 20⎪JUNE 2022⎪shop . cmausa . org