Amazing how a town can rise or fall (think Billings) to the challenge of playing temporary home to a few thousand motorcyclists…

A couple weeks ago the Boone County Fairgrounds here in Harrison, Arkansas was your typical run down dump of a county fairgrounds, southern style. Same for a lotta the town… Where else will you find a lost in time Wonder Hostess thrift store, obvlivious to the company going under years ago. But then a couple thousand fussy serious BMW and otherwise inclined riders descended upon this sleepy burg, and they weren’t willing to sleep atop the local dump/manure pile.

So suddenly the livestock barns have gotten cleaned to almost Minnestota 4H (this was a barn?) standards, the dump got graded and grass, and the public works department and local businesses have been busy keeping us in vittles and stocked with firewood. Heck, let us stay the winter, and the town will have a canopy of Wi-Fi, a coffeeeshop with live music on every corner, and at least a half dozen mom ‘n’ pop bike shops! And them narrow and congested thoroughfares… Already got a plan in my head for a couple one ways with hike/bike trails with interchange flyovers disguished as classic truss, arch, and even suspension bridges. And is a freeway ramp still a freeway ramp when there’s a diner alongside?.

Meanwhile, BMWMOA took what little Billings offered without complaint…