Thread: National Blue Sheep Day Tour 2009

Day #2
I figured the extra miles would make me ahead of schedule so despite my normal perkiness in the morning I was a bit slow getting on the road. A good nights sleep as I was dead to the world the night before but the day starting on pavement about 8ish. So my first sub destination was Runestone Park in Oklahoma so I back tracked south and got a warning ticket The worst part of it was I was not even pushing it. I was running up a hill behind a couple of cars and checking the GPS and let speed drift up a bit and he was on the other side (not a speed trap or anything just my fault) He turned out to be cool and despite 12 over (yes I would have had it coming) let me go with a warning. We talked a small bit about bikes and my ride before I moved on . Well I wind south on US271 then jump into the town of Heavener (not much to it) then up the hill to the park. Not a ton to it and everything was closed still (or I would have tried to get a fridge magnet ). You head from the parking lot down into a gorge a bit then the path forks... Not sure I figure it is likely a loop and I am correct. The area if very pretty and it a hard rain would likely be jaw dropping though maybe not safe. The path leads around then down to a small building that covers the Runestone(s). The boards say that it was from the vikings with some translations and background, really interesting. On the way past the Heavener Runestone there is a collection of small Runestones with more info. The path winds around a natural overhang that would be an obvious place to shelter.

A real peaceful place and well worth a detour

The pictures are not that great as the lighting was low and I always struggle to get stuff through glass case fronts Also I could not get the whole large Runestone in the viewfinder as the area was tight and I could not back up (though taking it from the side now )

From there I headed back across the border on state and local roads to Ft Smith Arkansas home of the hanging judge. I got a couple of pictures but it did not inspire me to tour, might have had some good history but So I headed on out I40 with a stop to get my Oklahoma picture . Once on the way it was recommended by the hotel clerk that I stop in Sallisaw at the greeting center and then head up OK82 for a better ride. Well there was a real cool older lady at the welcome center and she was telling me all of the robbers and gangsters that were buried in the area I decided to stay on plan though and head on to OK82. A decent road but nothing exotic. I took that up to US62 then into Tulsa.

In Tulsa I stopped at the shame of Tulsa. Yep the USS Batfish. The way in has zero signage on US62 and if you don't know where you are going good luck. Further when you get on the road it says road closed (it isn't). And it is SO COOL!!!!

Yep they have a 312ft WWII diesel sub And you can go in and check it out. In addition they have some other artifacts inside and some deck guns and missiles outside. $6 to get in and they accept donations. The donations are used for upkeep and the entry pays for lights, a/c, mowing and such. There is no sign saying this which is a shame as I think they would get more donations if they made the use more apparent. Nice folks running it and fixing this though. Lots of background info on subs and that class of sub in particular. I left a donation and plan on sending more with a couple of suggestions and a letter to Tulsa telling them how they are missing a chance to make people passing through happy.

I stayed here to long and could have easily spent all day reading the tags and checking the sub out.

I got a ton of pics so I will only add some here...

more

Leaving the Batfish I headed out to find the grave of Mr Ed the Talking Horse by heading out OK251 to OK80. A pleasant pair of roads that wrapped around a lake. The downer was they had stone chipped 80 recently and there was loose gravel at random and no lines so I had to keep speed low for a huge safety margin. This got me to Spur 51 and Mr Ed's grave was supposed to be just off of it. However I could not find it. So continued on as I was getting way behind schedule despite the extra miles the day before (glad I did them). So I continued on and hit US412 headed west until US69 then north to US60 then west to OK28 which led me to US169 and into Coffeyville KS where the Dalton Gang got shot up. Supposedly they had markers all around town but it was less than obvious and the day was running out so I just kept on.

Along this route I got my entering Kansas picture and the tour's obligatory sheep picture

From here it was on to Big Brutus. Unfortunately I arrived to late to tour it but was able to get some pictures The first picture is from a mile away You can see the boom over the tree line just off the road line. It is hard to get an idea on how huge this thing is from the picture but consider that the section above the crane has TWO tiers of catwalks that you can barely see by the red railing. Also notice the road grader next to it

As I headed out I pass a tree growing out of the top of a silo and had to get a picture

From here I headed across Kansas to I44 and stopped for the night in Mt Vernon.

Day #3 tomorrow....

That's cool.

I have toured the WW2 sub down on the piers in SF and always really enjoy it, but man, I'm glad I'm not living and fighting in one!

I lied here is day #3
In the morning I got up and out a bit earlier to avoid coming in Sunday super late as I went to work Monday. I headed to Marrionville, MO home of the white squirrels. Now if they were big foot types this would be my two pictures one for friends one for the enquirer...

But it wasn't so here is some white squirrels. I realize they are cool tailed rats and can be destructive as heck but I love to watch squirrels

On the way out of town I passed two hawks just sitting right there on a fence rail so I flipped around and went back by stopping up the road to get a picture. The one flew off after a spell as I tried to get a closer picture. Sadly I missed him in flight The other one stayed and to be honest I am not sure it wasn't fake

From here I was headed to US160 which takes me through the Mark Twain National Forest. The GPS put me down a country road that led to a pavement ends sign and I was going to turn around but it didn't change... So I went up a bit more and poof it changed and had a water crossing I went on and then detoured from the GPS route to get me back on US160. From there on a I ignored detours and stayed on US160.

It was an interesting road. Not exotic but nice and winding with lots of character. So occasional right left combos with interesting fall lines of the type I like The pavement was mostly good though it had sections mark fresh oil and loose gravel (though neither was present) and stretches of no centerline.

US160 ends on MO53 which I headed south on to I155. The last section of US160 is a yawner anyway so I was ready to make time and get in to the house. I took I155 to Dyersburg TN and jumped on US412 which heads southeast until US45 which took me to US72 at Corrinth MS. From there is was slab to the house. Along the way I passed a herd of Zebras off of US45 yep ZEBRAS

So after about 45 gallons of carbon hoof print laid down along 1749 miles with 30.5 hours of seat time I was back with the poor RR needing a serious debugging. Sadly the GPS ate the first half of my trip log again. Not sure why as it is supposed to archive them but obiously does not since this happened with the Blue Ridge also. You can convert them to a route and put it off to a SD card but then you loose altitude data Seems like there should be a way.... maybe I need to drop an email to Garmin

the end

Never knew the Batfish was on display...too cool...

Bummer about the trip log archive problems...what GPS do you have?

Originally Posted by Baketech

Never knew the Batfish was on display...too cool...

Bummer about the trip log archive problems...what GPS do you have?

Zumo 550. Everything seems to imply that it archives stuff but I can't find how and there is only one there when I look. Seems like you should be able to move then to the card but that is routes only

I haven't used a Zumo yet...does it not have a "Tracks" folder where they get archived?

My 276c can be set to auto archive, or you can do it manually...then the tracks can be moved to your computer...

Originally Posted by Baketech

I haven't used a Zumo yet...does it not have a "Tracks" folder where they get archived?

My 276c can be set to auto archive, or you can do it manually...then the tracks can be moved to your computer...

Nope GPX/Archive but that is the only place there is data. Ironically it is labeled 5.gpx implying other but that is the only one and the last track the one not in the archive is old...

Hmm could be a bug in bobcat.... the FAQ says that the information is not visible on the unit but only via Mapsource (Bobcat on a Mac). I will see what Mapsource sees tonight

Damned hippies...






Edit:
Btw...what the heck is that think in image 3653...?

looks like a cool trip. i did not know they did that with the batfish.

Originally Posted by Baketech

Btw...what the heck is that think in image 3653...?

Depth charge

Originally Posted by quick26

looks like a cool trip. i did not know they did that with the batfish.

I think it was a mine case. Not sure the purpose of the base but if you look there is trigger plungers on the sides.

Nope Mapsource doesn't see it either... think there is a bug because I am below the 10000 points on each leg....

I was thinking underwater mine...but wondered what the square box was on the bottom, and why it would be canted...

Plus, they don't look like that in Operation Petticoat...