Ozark Escape – Event Information, Ride Ideas and More!

This event is right around the corner – 67 riders are signed up so far. This looks like a great way to kick off the 2021 riding season!

I think we are all excited about kicking off the riding season. The interest in this event has been off the charts and it looks like it will be the biggest and best Ozark Escape to date.

I have had many questions concerning the event, so I thought I would address those in this blog update.

First of all this is a “JUST FOR FUN EVENT”. Many of you have asked what that means. So here goes.

A JFF event is a FREE event, that brings like minded motorcycle enthusiast together to meet up with old friends, meet some new ones and most of all, enjoy the great roads of Arkansas and southern Missouri.

The event is not structured, there is no check in. If you are looking for a welcome package then you will be disappointed. This event is all about the ride! Here is a little breakdown of what structure we will have, but do not feel like you need to do any of this, That is what is so cool about JFF events.

Thursday April 15: Some riders will ride in on Thursday so that they can ride and explore the great roads on Friday & Saturday. I know many of you have already booked a room to arrive on Thursday.

Friday April 16: This is the first real day of the event. Some will ride in on this day, enjoying the great roads to this wonderful destination. Jamie and I will be starting this riding day from the house. We will rendezvous with riders at the Emory Melton Inn & Convention Center, eat some breakfast and then hit the road. We will be doing 204 wonderful, twisty miles, hitting some of the best roads in the area. I will lead a group, however for safety and enjoyable reasons, I will not lead a group of over 8 bikes. If more riders show up we will have to break up in groups. The routes are all here ready for download. I don’t think anyone rides to these types of roads to be lead around like a parade.

We will end the ride at the hotel in Eureka Springs. Since this is a JFF event, everyone can make up their own minds for dinner. Most of us will just order pizza and have it delivered to the hotel, but do not feel obligated to do that. There are many food options in Eureka Springs.

Saturday April 17: Today we will leave from the Hotel at 9:00am. The same limits will apply, as I am trying to keep the riding groups to 8 bikes or less. Everyone will be on their own for breakfast. We will stop in Jasper Arkansas and eat at the Ozark Cafe or the Blue Mountain Cafe and bakery. Remember the routes are available online, so anyone can lead a group. I know our good friend Doug Freeman will be leading a spirited group on Saturday as well. So reach out to Doug at the event if you want to join him. His ride group limits may differ from mine, so keep that in mind.

We will finish up after lunch with a nice ride through the Ozark countryside. We will make it back to the hotel mid afternoon. If you want to ride more or take different routs I will give you some ideas later in this article. Click on the images above to get the google Maps version of the routes. You can also click here to download the GPS files for the routes.

The good news is we have over 65 riders signed up for the event. the bad news is we have 65 riders in the event. With that being said, we will not all be able to go to dinner together on Saturday night. The world of COVID will make that impossible as most places could not accommodate that many people. In fact this large group would have been tough to get in one place even in the best of circumstances. So I am going to list a few places that will be close to the hotel.

Here are a few links to some of the best places to eat in Eureka Springs. The Top 10 according to Tripadvisor. You can also see more options here on EurekaSprings.org or on EurekaSprings.com

We will finish the evening, kicking tires, swapping stories and just enjoying the evening.

Sunday April 17: This is the day that we say our goodbyes and head back to the house. There are a few that will stay and enjoy more time on these wonderful roads. The rest of us will head home, with fond memories and looking forward to next years event.

More ozark escape information

Here are a few things to think about if you are attending the JFF event. I am sure I am missing something, so let me know if you want other information listed here. I will try and make that happen.

#1- The weather this time of year can be very unpredictable. One day it will be in the mid 60’s the next it will drop down to the low to mid 30’s so come prepared!