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
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
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.
- Introduction to the Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride
- April 2012Day 1 Texas Hill Country Wildflower Motorcycle Ride April 2012
You may also like these rides in our beautiful Texas Hill Country.