It was cool and overcast as we left Birmingham and headed West. We soon ran into rain. We rode through rain off and on throughout the day until about 4 p.m. It was very windy all afternoon, as well. Then the sun came out and the temperature rose from 51 degrees to 69 degrees. Woo Hoo! We stopped several times to warm up and have a snack.

We stopped for lunch at Abe’s BBQ in Clarksdale, MS. The restaurant is adjacent to the “Devil’s Crossroads/” Legend has it that blues singer, Robert Johnson, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for becoming a great blues singer at this intersection. The town has erected a sign on the spot.

Our meal at Abe’s was very good. We were there at noon and the place filled up quickly.

From Clarksdale we kept pushing Northwest toward Eureka Springs. My bike has XM Radio, so I listen to music to help pass the time. For awhile I listened to the 50’s channel. Rock ‘n Roll music is so radically different and much less sophisticated than the big-band and popular music of the 30’s and 40’s. It’s no wonder my parents never much cared for the genre. The tunes are simple and repetitive, but catchy. The lyrics are about teenage love won, lost, and hoped for and painted with a patina of innocence. I heard a couple of obscure tracks. “Beep Beep” by the Playmates is a good for a laugh. I found this YouTube version.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enqNl7tdLR4

On the other hand, “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” by Gene McDaniels is innocently misogynistic. The lyrics thank God for making woman and for all the things she does for her man. Here’s a YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g-iw6EU0Tw

Late in the afternoon we headed north on the Pig Trail and arrived in Eureka Springs about 7:30 pm. We stopped along the way for a photo op.

Friday we’ll join the group for a ride through the Ozarks.