You might remember back during the Summer I
posted a trip story about driving Coltrane and Ron up to Missouri and back through Arkansas. Well we did it again, six months later and no Ron. This time we adopted new and old kin folk that included Coltrane, Cole, Skyler, Garner and of course me driving my Honda Civic. None of us are related by blood that we know but that does not stop us from acting like a dysfunctional family unit traveling the country side.
We started our journey on the Friday night of the 29th in December after Garner got off work around 630pm. The car was packed to its gills with skateboards, camping equipment, camera equipment and each person's change of clothes although I think Skyler had three outfits stowed away. Cole insisted we bring our Tents and Sleeping bags because we were going to camp out in Arkansas which we will get to in a minute. I was against camping from the beginning since the temperatures were predicted to go down below freezing but Cole insisted so we packed the car to car camp, I had no choice.
The first leg of the journey, the Friday night, we drove three hours through Arkansas into Missouri. About an hour into the drive, as we got to the other side of Jonesboro AR, snow started pouring out of the sky, just dumping. Driving through this mess was like a freaking light show. We were driving into the wind which made the snow come right at us, then with the reflecting head lights it was like a light show. This snow lasted for about an hour until I got just inside the Missouri boot-hills boarder at Mammoth Springs. Luckily the temperature was holding at 33-34 F which does not warrant it sticking to the road. Then the snow stops, we are diving in Missouri and deer start to appear on the road. First is was two deer, just standing in the middle of the road, I down shifted and drove around them. We were all freaking out a little in a good way. Then a couple of miles up the road three more deer, down shift and drive around them. Then there are more deer!!! What the hell?? We made it to West Plains safely were we spent the night in a Super 8.
Did I mention it was cold outside, it was cold outside. I think we got up that morning and it was 20 degrees F with a nice little NE wind. We drove to West Plains so we could wake up and go skate. I had opted to drive the night before to spare the day of three hours of driving which was good but this cold temperatures sucked ass a little. I think they skated the West Plains park for less than a hour, maybe more. Then we headed the hour and a half to Spring Field.
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| Summer Time at West Plains |
Spring Field was great, we will have tons of footage at some point. We got to Spring Field, skated all day, checked into the hotel room, ate Mexican, then went and skated some more. With out giving to much away, it was the best day of the trip as far as everything goes, not the most interesting but the most wholesome. The hotel room was great, the park is great since it has a awesome indoor part and the town of Spring Field was great. The next morning we embarked on Fayetteville AR some two hours away.
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| Summer Time. |
The idea here was to hit up Walker Park, go to Skate Station and then the Dump and Grind. It was cold outside at Walker Park but I think we may have lasted a whole hour and a half. Shot some good footy but the guys got bored with the place, or to cold. We drove the five minutes to Skatestation only to find a closed sign hanging inside the window. Cole called the number of the place and it was disconnected. Then moments later one of the locals Cole had messaged texted him that the guy who owns Skatestation had just closed the doors within the last month. A month to late we were. It was open a few months back, Vert Ramp and all else. Dam, as you can imagine, we had a Super Bummed Cole on our hands. I think he broke down and cried for a bit while being balled up in the fetal position on the front steps of Skatestation. We loaded back up and went to the Square and had pizza and me beer. I love pizza and beer. After which we bombed some hills and headed to the Dump and Grind.
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| Summer Time |
Brandon, who runs Gnarkansas.com, was gracious enough to meet us in town so we could follow him through the back roads to get to the place in the woods they call the Dump and Grind. This really nice guy Mark lives in a cabin in the woods and has this a concrete mini ramp out side, then he also has a 2 foot mini ramp in a barn just adjacent. The guys skated a good part of the night until it got to dam cold. Luckily the guy that lived in the cabin next to mark was gone for the weekend which then Mark allowed us to crash inside the cabin. I knew camping was bleak and no body but me was prepared to sleep in sub zero temperatures anyway. After the skating had ceased we all took refuge in Marks small but very nice cabin for a game of Farkle. I had never played Farkle before as some of the inhabitants of the neighboring cabins, mainly Jenny, joined in. Somehow I won my first ever game of Farkle, it was the highlight of my trip. Jenny so wanted to win, she expressed it so many times but I prevailed. Fun times at the Dump and Grind.
Gnarkansas.com - New Dump N Grind: She Rolls from
Gnarkansas on
Vimeo.
The next day we were suppose to hit up Fort Smith, an hour away. They have a bad ass indoor park called Boarder Town. It was closed for New years Eve.... Double Dammit. The only Choice from here was to drive to Little Rock and go hit up their indoor Park called Enjoy. We did the two hours, get there and guess what. CLOSED !!!!!! Triple Dammit and it was raining. So what to do but drive around Little Rock, arrange a place to Stay with Bobby and Will while eating Pizza with me and Garner dranking the Beers. It was all fun times for me and Garner, we always have fun, no lie. I think Coltrane was ok with it but the others might have had other ideas. New Years Eve day was a bust if you could not drink some beers and forget the long drive. So I rang in the New Years with Coltrane, Garner and Bobby. Cole got sick and Skyler fell asleep. It was some what uneventful but it was great to stay with the Little Rock crew and get to know them better, so props to them since they are Super Rad!!
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| This was Closed. |
New Years Day we drove home after skating the North Little Rock River Park. The park's big bowl was full of water so skating the park was limited. Skyler lost his board in the water twice, completely submerged in water. I think he cried a bit and then we left.
It was a fun trip over all. We should have called a head a bit. I had done that during the summer but had no idea that it would be a issue in the winter. Then we did not need the camping equipment either. Would have been nice to have the extra room in my small car. You live and learn.
