Monthly Archives: May 2014

Day 3 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010

Posted on May 27, 2014 | Leave a comment

Day 3 September 20 Hot Springs to Tahlequah, OK 215 miles

motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

Day 3 Route Hot Springs to Tahlequah, OK

travel, Hot Springs Arkansas, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, Trail of Tears motorcycle ride

LT packing up his bike

Today is the third day of our Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride. It will be hot again today and since the Trail of Tears ride wasn’t going to leave until 9:00 we decide to leave at 8:00 and ride ahead. We stopped at Heavener, OK, were the group stops for gas and lunch, ate lunch, visited with some of the people who were joining the ride there and waited for the group to catch up. When the group arrived we headed to Tahlequah. When we got to Tahlequah we checked into the motel and waited for the group to catch up again. When the group arrived we fell in behind and followed them to the Cherokee Nation Museum. We walked around the grounds, toured the museum, and toured the buildings moved here because of their historical value. A replica of a Cherokee village was there with Cherokee tribesmen narrating what each area was and telling about the history.

We ran into several other people who from the Iron Horse Ministries. They invited us to tour the ministry’s museum in the trailer.

Later got to the good part, the meal. We were starving by now. We were served an Indian meal of fried pork tips, fry bread, beans, corn and watermelon. Good grub, that’s my kind of food.

travel, trail of tears, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

LC & LT at the the Cherokee Nation Museum

Tahlequah is the capital of both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.

trail of tears motorcycle ride, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

Iron Horse Ministries Tractor Trailer

There are several markers of Cherokee and Native American heritage found across town: street signs and business signs appear in the Cherokee language along with English, mostly in the syllabary alphabet created by Sequoyah, a Cherokee scholar of the 1820s.

One of the Christian Motorcyclist Association riders.

The Cherokee Supreme Court Building, in downtown Tahlequah, was constructed in 1844 and is the oldest public building in Oklahoma

If anyone would like to know more about the “Trail of Tears” ride you can check it out at this link. http://www.trailoftears-remembrance.org

After enjoying the hospitality of the Cherokee Nation and feeling very full from the great meal they provided, we headed back to the motel to rest up and get ready for the long ride tomorrow.

Tomorrow we ride on to Amarillo, TX on our way to the Million Dollar Highway. Come follow a long as we continue our journey to enjoy the ride, adventure, sites and scenery.

Below are the posts from each day of our ride. Come follow along as we ride to enjoy the fun and beautiful scenery…

Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride introduction
Day 1 & 2 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 4 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 5 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 6 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 7 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 8 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 9 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 10 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010

Ride safe and I hope we see you down the road somewhere…

Day 1 & 2 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010

Posted on May 23, 2014 | 2 comments

Day 1 September 18 Georgetown TX to Arkadelphia, AR 423 miles

Day 1 Route Georgetown TX to Arkadelphia, AR

Today is the first day of what I call our Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride. I rode from Georgetown to Garland, TX (about 182 miles) and met Landy & Gayle Estes for lunch. Patti Cox was meeting us there but a few days before I left , Don Cox, Patti’s brother had heart problems and was in the hospital. Landy, Gayle, Patti & Don were old friends from when I lived in Dallas. Gayle & Patti went for rides with me on my old KZ400 way back then. We missed Patti but under the circumstances we understood. Thankfully, Don is doing well after having a quad by-pass. We had a great visit and lunch at Primo’s by Lake Ray Hubbard. I wanted to get pictures of Landy and Gayle but didn’t think about it until they were pulling away.

I had planned on staying in Texarkana for the night but I since made such good time I rode on and stayed in Arkadelphia, AR. By the time I got to Arkansas the air temperature had reached 100 degrees. Before I left I bought a cooling vest and tried it out when the temperature started to rise. It worked amazingly well. I will need to get Janet one too. Arkadelphia is only 36 miles from Hot Springs and I could have made it there but decided to sleep in and take it easy the next day. I met 7 other bikers there at the motel. Every September they ride from Memphis, TN and Dallas, TX and meet in Arkansas and spend the week riding around the area. Sort of like our trip. We had a good visit and swapped stories.

Day 2 September 19 Arkadelphia AR to Hot Springs, AR 36 miles

Day 2 Route Arkadelphia AR to Hot Springs, AR

Hot Springs Arkansas, travel, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

Lake Hamilton at Hot Springs.

Hot Springs, travel, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

The Hot spring in Hot Springs Arkansas

I got up had breakfast and leisurely got ready to head to Hot Springs. The ride to Hot Springs is a pretty one on Hwy 7. It was still cool and I love the smells as I wound my way to Hot Springs. I got to Hot Springs about 10:00. We had reservations at the Best Western across from the racetrack. I knew the room wouldn’t be ready so I rode on in to downtown, parked and played tourist until 11:30. It was starting to get hot so I decided to check and see if the room was ready. It was, so I checked-in, unloaded the bike and then had lunch. LC & LT showed up around 3:00. After visiting a while, we walked to a bar & grill just down the street for dinner. The other riders showed up several hours later. Like I said the group can’t ride as fast. When the group got there, several of the riders were in a bad mood. I guess the heat had got to them. We visited with several of the riders, many of them we knew from past years. We walked with Gary a friend from past rides down the street to where we had eaten earlier and visited with some of the other riders. Then LC, Lt & me walked down to the Sonic for ice cream. LC can’t pass up a chance to eat ice cream. While at Sonic we met a couple that was driving an 18-wheeler that was following behind the “Trail of Tears” riders. They were with “Iron Horse Ministries”. The trailer contained a museum of cowboy stuff. I think someone said they were part of the “Cowboy” churches you see springing up all over.

travel, motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips

Bath House in Hot Springs Arkansas

Another Bath House in Hot Springs Arkansas

We did get to see many of the same people who ride the “Trail of Tears” each year. One in particular was a Canadian guy named Gary. He is always a hoot. One year he rode with us all the way back to my house and spent a couple of days until hurricane Rita forced them to leave. We asked if he wanted to ride on with us on our ride but he had to get back home afterward.

Tomorrow we will ride 215 miles from Hot Springs, AR to Tahlequah, OK on the last leg of the “Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride”. Come follow a long as we continue on our journey to enjoy the ride, places and scenery.

Below are the posts from each day of our ride. Come follow along as we ride to enjoy the fun and beautiful scenery…

Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride introduction
Day 3 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 4 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 5 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 6 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 7 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 8 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 9 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010
Day 10 Million Dollar Highway Motorcycle Ride 2010

Ride safe and I hope we see you down the road somewhere…

2 Comments

Posted in Motorcycle Touring Logs

Tagged million dollar highway, motorcycle ride, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, Motorcycle Touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle trip, travel

Day 2 Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride April 2012

Posted on May 19, 2014 | Leave a comment

Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride April 13, 2012 (250 Miles)

We had planned on seeing the home and museum of John Nance Garner today but it was closed for renovations. Since we weren’t able to tour the John Vance Garner museum we took our time getting back on the road today. It was funny, Janet opened the door of our room and found herself almost eye-ball to eye-ball to a huge black dog (Great Dane I think). It startled her a bit but he was a friendly well-behaved dog. It just so happened that Janet and the dog happened to be at the same place and time. We (us and dog’s owner) had a good laugh about it.

Allen Johncock’s shop at the rear of the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum

My first ride and love… A Cushman Eagle

Bikes of The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum

Misty rain at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum

At Vanderpool we took RR 187 north a few miles to the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum. This is a must see for anyone who loves motorcycles. It is owned by Allen & Debbie Johncock. They display a wonderful collection of bikes from around the world dating from the 1910′s to modern. The ACE CAFE is located in the Museum offers gourmet hamburgers, their famous Aussie meat pies, salads, cold drinks, and desserts. You are probably asking yourself about the menu about now. Why Aussie meat pies? Well… Allen is an Australian who married a lovely American girl many moons ago… and the rest is history. To find out more you need to visit the museum and talk to Allen or Debbie.From Uvalde we headed North to Camp Wood via TX Hwy 55. Hwy 55 was much like U.S. Hwy 83 but in reverse. Flat ranch and farm land to start and eventually turning to picturesque hills. A very nice scenic ride. We have stayed in Camp Wood a couple of times and enjoyed the very small town’s atmosphere. I would highly recommend Camp Wood as a place to stay when touring the Hill Country. From Camp Wood we took RR 337 to Leakey. On this stretch of RR 337 we encountered heavier rain than the previous day but not heavy enough to stop and put on the rain suits. It would misty rain for a short time then stop but it did make the road wet and stay wet. The problem with the misty wet road was it hadn’t rained enough to wash all the greasy grime off the road… so that made for the road being a bit slippery. Needless to say we took it slow and easy on this “Twisted Sister”. I know the twisty roads make Janet a bit uneasy when dry so I took it especially slow and easy. I like her as my riding buddy and I want to keep it that way. We rolled on through Leakey on RR 337 to Vanderpool.

Besides the great collection of bikes is Allen’s work shop. The first time I visited I failed to look through the 2 large windows at the back of the museum. There’s where you can view Allen’s work shop. It is quite impressive. I am jealous.

Having lived in Australia I know about the meat pies, they are what hamburgers are to us Americans. My favorite meat pie from the Ace Café is the Chicken Curry. The Classic meat pie is what most of the Aussie would prefer.

The only problem with the Museum is it is only open Friday – Sunday, so you need to plan your trip accordingly!

From the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum we rode RR 187 to TX Hwy 39 east through Hunt. Hwy 39 is another of my favorite roads. The scenery in and around Hunt is so serene. Hwy 39 follows the Guadalupe River for the most part with scenic hills, cliffs, large trees lining the banks of the river and clear tranquil water. Words don’t do justice so it’s best to experience Hwy 39 for yourself. The Stonehenge II replica was built on the North Fork north of Hunt and was there for several years. In the summer of 2010, Stonehenge II was moved to the front yard of the Point Theater in nearby Ingram. We intended to stop at the new location of Stonehenge II but it had started to rain hard again so we decided to ride on to Kerrville.

One of the many crossings over the Guadalupe River riding Hwy 39

Boots on a fence near Hunt, Texas on Hwy 39

In Kerrville we picked up TX Hwy 16 again and back tracked to Fredericksburg. In Fredericksburg we took U.S. Hwy 290 east 7 miles to the “Wildseed Farms”.

Red Poppies at the Wildseed Farm east of Fredericksburg on Hwy 290

At the Wildseed Farm east of Fredericksburg on Hwy 290

Wildseed Farm east of Fredericksburg on Hwy 290

They have 200 acres of wildflowers in various stages of development there on the farm. There were Texas bluebonnets, red corn poppies, phlox, and a gorgeous array of other spring flowers. They have an incredible selection of wildflower seed as well as seven regional mixes for anywhere in the U.S. Besides seeds they have a wonderful variety of nursery plants, including, roses, herbs, natives, ornamentals, trees, cacti, and shrubs. You can relax in the Brewbonnet Biergarten or under their covered patios, surrounded by awe-inspiring wildflower fields. Don’t pass this by if you are in the area.

Then it was eastward down Hwy 290 to Johnson City. The hometown of President Lyndon B. Johnson. From Johnson City we took U. S. Hwy 281 to Burnet, then TX Hwy 29 home.

We got home about 5:00. All in all it was a good ride. We could have done without the rain but it wasn’t really that bad. We didn’t get wet… ok maybe a little damp but it was all good. My only regret was I wished we could have spent a day or so more riding the Texas Hill Country…

Below are links to posts for this ride. Come follow along and enjoy the ride and scenery of our Texas Hill Country.

You may also like these rides in our beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Texas Hill Country Wildflower Ride April 2010
Fall Foliage Ride 2012
Fall Foliage Ride 2010

Day 1 Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride April 2012

Posted on May 13, 2014 | 2 comments

Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride April 12. 2012 (228 Miles)

motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, travel, Texas Hill Country

Wildflowers oh Hwy 29

Wildflowers alone Hwy 29 Heading to Llano

We usually stop at the “Crazy Gal‘s” for breakfast when heading west down highway 29. It was a good thing we did because the “Crazy Gal‘s” was moving to Burnet at the end of the month. We might not have known where to find them otherwise. The food was good as usual and very reasonable. They have a lot of regulars come in that they know by name and know what they usually order. I love that about small town businesses. People really don’t know what they are missing if they live in the city. One of the regulars was a couple in their 80’s (I think). They reminded me a lot of my mom and dad. I lost my dad last October so it was a nice memory for me. I love small towns and small town life. I guess I’m just missing my childhood living in a small town.Janet and I were up and on the road by 7:00 am. The sun was up just enough to see and the temperature was in the low 60’s (perfect riding weather) and overcast. We rode TX Hwy 29 through a few spots of misty rain before we stopped at the “Crazy Gal‘s Cafe” in Bertram for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed down TX Hwy 29 to Llano. It was still overcast and misty rain here and there with short periods of sun. The windshield kept most of the rain off us so we didn’t stop to put on our rain suites. There was a multitude of flower varieties along the way. Most were Blue Bonnets of course. From Llano we headed south toward Fredericksburg on TX Hwy 16 until we reached RR 965 which takes us past Enchanted Rock and on into Fredericksburg. I would say the best flowers were down RR 965. I always enjoy riding RR 965. The scenery is nice and the pace is slower because of the speed limit of 55. In Fredericksburg we picked up Hwy 16 again to Kerrville and Medina. TX Hwy 16 between Kerrville and Medina is a good motorcycle road with some good twisties and views from the higher points. At Medina we took RR 337, one of the “Twisted Sisters”. The “Twisted Sisters consist of RR 335, RR 336 and RR 337. RR 337 is my favorite of the “Twisted Sisters”. RR 337 has nice twisties that climb to great elevations that translate into fantastic views of surrounding hills and valleys. The wildflowers had changed from mostly Blue Bonnets to mostly Verbena. I don’t know why that is, maybe the soil or elevation, but instead of seeing fields of Blue Bonnet we were seeing fields of Verbena.

motorcycle touring, motorcycle travel, motorcycle ride, motorcycle trip, motorcycle riding, motorcycle road trips, tracel

Enchanted Rock and Blue Bonnets

Frio River at Leakey

RR 337 my favorite “Twisted Sister”

Rider after a hard days ride at the D’Rose Inn in Leakey

From Leakey we took U.S. Hwy 83 to Uvalde. The scenery along Hwy 83 was nice. We went from picturesque hills to flat ranch and farm land. This was our very first time in Uvalde. Uvalde was a larger town than I had expected. Uvalde is a town of 15,000 people with a lot more businesses for a town of that size. I suspect that it is an economic hub for the area. They attract people from all around the surrounding area since this would be the closest place to shop. There are a surprising number of famous people from Uvalde. Such as John Nance Garner (“Cactus Jack”, vice-president of the United States, 1932-1940), notable for quotes such as “the vice-presidency ain’t worth a bucket of warm spit” and “a leader with a headful of good horse sense….and guts”. Uvalde is also home to former Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Queen of the Cowgirls Dale Evans (wife of Roy Rogers), Pat Garrett (moved to Uvalde after shooting Billy the Kid), 700 Club man Ben Kenchlow, notorious frontier sheriff and outlaw, J. King Fisher and Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey. Uvalde is at the intersection of the nation’s two longest highways.When we arrived in Leakey we gassed up and got a bite to eat at the Subway, talked to a couple of riders who took time off from work to avoid the crowds of the weekend. We spent some time in Leakey checking out some of the shops there. I really liked that all the shop owners were supportive of each other by directing us to some of the other shops. I’m sure they are all struggling during these trying economic times.

Below are links to posts for this ride. Come follow along and enjoy the ride and scenery of our Texas Hill Country.

You may also like these rides in our beautiful Texas Hill Country.