Hello family and friends!
Sorry. I've already broken my word about updating you every night--wishful thinking. I've been exhausted at the end of each day. So, this is a very quick , rough draft update. I'll fill in the stories when I return home.
August 11th: Trip to Arkansas was uneventful--mostly. The last two hundred miles or so forced me to stop more often than I wanted. I had to check on my bags/luggage set up, which isn't why I love/hate the bags. I erred in piling on an extra bag that messed up the original set up. I could feel that one odd bag slipping and resting on my back! All is well now with the set up because I shipped the extra bag home.
August 12th: The Arkansas delta. I went to Rohwer and Jerome, both were two of multiple locations around the US where Japanese and Japanese Americans were unjustly concentrated during WWII. 
I also visited the museum in McGehee, 
AR, dedicated to documenting this horrible transgression. Do not miss this museum if you're ever in the area--actually, it's worth making a trip if you're anywhere in or visiting the USA. I'm working on a fuller story about this, which I'll write about later.
August 13th: Spent the day soaking up Arkansas social history, particularly during the 1950s and throughout the struggle for civil rights. Stories to come on that too. Visited the Little Rock Central High School National History Site. After spending more than two hours here, my emotions got the best of me. 
Add the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center to any visit to Little Rock!
Of course, you can't leave AR without visiting the Clinton Library and Museum, regardless of one's politics, this is amazing US and international history gathered in one place during one president's time in office. 
Btw, Arkansas has some amazing motorcycle roads! I retrieved a booklet dedicated to riding these trails--there are routes for every kind of two wheel riding! I didn't partake but the tiny bit I did was amazing! Get the book: Arkansas Motorcycling Guide 2015. I was so excited just reading the many routes, I've decided to make another trip just for riding...
August 14th: Tulsa, OK. Did research on another dark period in American history: the riots that spread throughout the country during 1919-1924. One of the most horrific occurred in Tulsa, OK. I've taught this period of history but this was my first time visiting the Greenwood Cultural Center, which has done a thorough job documenting "Tulsa's dark secret."
I will pick up Rt. 66 today and head west. Ultimate destination is southern CA. I will resume the research LA. Now it's time for sitting back and enjoying the ride 'til CA.
Oh...the bags. I love their sleek look, light weight, and I'm amazed at how much I can load in the bags. I absolutely HATE that these bags, at least with the combo I have, are horrible on the BMW F800 GT. Because fuel is inserted on the right side behind the rider, I must detach the straps from the bag at every fill up! Doing so is a royal pain in the gluts! Words can't describe how tedious and frustrating this has become. At times, I've had to rearrange the entire set up, which is why I mailed back the extra bag . While I've saved some time having mailed back the errant bag, it is still utterly exasperating to need to remove straps to access the gas tank! Ugh. The job is so awful that I avoided it and waited long pass the need to fill up and had a few cheek tightening moments (if you know what I mean) before I found a gas station. On a motorcycle with the gas cap elsewhere, these bags would be amazing. I read that there might be a solution for me--of course, it requires buying another bag that would lift the saddle bag part up and away from the gas tank. Oh well...right now, it's all love and all hate! 
