I had never attended a Texas gathering so I decided that this year that would change. The Lone Star Riders have all said the event is one that can’t be missed. I was excited to attend the event and spend some time with my motorcycle brethren. Like always, I wanted to ride up in a smaller group so I sent out an e-mail. Rob and David replied and next thing I knew we were road trippin.. motorcycle style.
We packed up the bikes and set the destination for the QT on Eldorado and the Tollway in Frisco Texas. I am very familiar with this area as my store is right across the street. We decided to head out early on Friday October 7th. As luck would have it, the weather did not agree with our scheduled departure time. It was raining “Cats & Dogs” at the time that we were set to head out. I shot out a couple of texts and delayed our departure by a couple of hours. It really did not help much, but the good news was the sun was up so it was easier to see. David and Rob were already at the station. We drank a quick cup of coffee and then headed out. This is why rain gear was invented. Let’s Ride!
Our first stop was the Whistle Stop Cafe in Decatur Texas. It was a chilly and wet morning ride. Rob was very cold as he left his heated gear at home. I had mine, so my comfort level was very high. Breakfast was very good and it was a nice way to start our journey.
We bundled up and headed down the road. We took the long way round and did not arrive to the camp ground until 4pm. We decided to camp at the Kerrville – Schreiner Park. It was actually very nice. The restrooms were very clean and the area was close to the meeting hotel. It was a great choice. It was also very affordable. The site was $44 for the 3 days. Much better than the $90 a night at the hotel. The weather was amazing and it was awesome for camping.
We set up camp and then rode over to the Ice Cream social. We kicked some tires, ate some Blue Bell and enjoyed the evening with our moto friends. We headed back to get some rest. What we did not plan for was me, not knowing where in the hell the camp ground was at. We rode around looking for the entrance for over a half hour. We finally stopped and asked for directions. It was a half a mile down the road. Oh well, we had a nice laugh about that for the next few days.
Saturday arrived. The sun was shining and the morning brisk. It was great camping weather. We all fired up our Jet Boils and enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee before riding over to breakfast.
The awesome folks at Destination Cycle in Kerrville hosted a breakfast burrito start to the day. It has become a tradition for the gathering for them to host breakfast. The staff was so friendly and everyone seemed to have a great time. I picked up a nice shirt and enjoyed the food. It was a great way to start the day. A group of us took off and hot the roads around the Hill Country. Howard resides in the area and led us out of town. The weather was beautiful and it was going to be a great day to ride.
We hit the Lone Star Motorcycle Muesum as our first stop of the day. Its always a good place to stop and visit. We then rode a couple of the three sisters. I was amazed at the lack of traffic in the area. My last riding experience in that area, was not a good one. This time made up for that. The roads were good and the weather made for a fantastic day of riding. We logged around 225 miles and just took our time taking in the sights and sounds of the Hill Country.
We got back to the camp site around 3;30 so we could relax before the dinner that evening. Jamie, my beautiful pillion did not ride down with me as she had to attend a training on Friday. She did drive down on Saturday to meet a long time friend for some wine tasting in Fredricksburg Texas.
Jamie arrived safe and sound. I was so happy that she got to spend some time with Carla. I missed seeing her and Glenn, but riding called. Next time. I promise.
Dinner was held at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant there in Kerrville. We enjoyed our time with our old and new motorcycle friends was awesome. On the other hand my momma told me that if I did not have anything good to say, maybe I should not say nothing at all. Lets just say there is a reason, I did not include a link to our dinner destination.
Sunday morning arrived. Most of the gang was headed back to reality, but not us. We decided to stay one more day and ride some more of the Hill Country. It was a great choice. The weather stayed good and the traffic was minimal. It was a great day of riding! Jamie got to join us and I have to admit, a day of riding with her makes for the ultimate day of riding. I love my pillion and I am so fortunate that she loves riding as much as she does. Jamie loves the camping thing and that in itself is a great thing! She loves those early morning pictures. haha!
We took a casual ride around the area making a large loop. We hit Luckenbach Texas. Jamie and I had never been there before so it was a nice treat. I would like to spend more time there in the near future. It is a great bike hang out. We stopped and got some cobbler before heading back to the camp site. We did another 225 mile day, taking in the sights and sounds of the Hill Country. It was a fun, enjoyable day of riding.
No road trip on the bike is complete without cobbler. We found a nice place outside Fredricksburg. The place was called Bariloche Farm and the cobbler was very tasty and the place had a nice feel to it. Kinda cozy and inviting. It was a great way to end the day and the trip. I would recommend that you stop by if you are in the area.
As most of you know, Jamie and I are big fans of the Denver Broncos. Well today was game day so we headed back to Kerrville so that we could catch the game. We rolled into the Guadalupe River Club just in time for the kick off. the food was okay, but the atmosphere was awesome. Got to sit on the patio to watch the game, over looking the river. The game did not end like we wanted, but it was a nice afternoon.
We spent the rest of the evening walking around the campsite, spending time with each other and having a ton of laughs. The camp fire was awesome and the night capped off a wonderful journey. It was just another great memory that will be with us for many years to come.
Well Monday arrived and it was time to head back to reality, but not until we had another day of riding. We got our camping gear packed up and took off. The day started off a little rough. We got about 300 yards from the camp ground when we noticed that Rob had attracted some attention from the local authorities. (You have to watch out for those hoodlum GS riders) It seemed that Rob kinda went through a red light in front of our friendly peace officer. After a nice conversation, the nice man let our friend go with just a warning.
We got out of town and then we were delayed a few minutes due to some road construction. This is when the second mishap occurred. I was on the phone with Jamie who had taken off earlier in the car. She was telling me about the open road once we got past the construction. At this time, I caught a glimpse of a boot and a leg in my peripheral vision. I glanced to my right, just in time to catch David doing his best Dick Van Dyke impression. His legs flailed and all of a sudden I had the best view I had ever seen of the bottom of a C-14. I told Jamie I had to go and jumped off my trusty stead. David was ok and after a little wrestling match with his bike we had her up righted. That beast is heavy. There was some minor damage, but nothing too crazy. It sucked that it fell over, but it could have been much worse. I am sure David will love this recount of the the days events, but if I don’t write about it we might forget the event… haha no chance! I did not get a picture either events listed above. Yes I am slacking. I just did not want to rub dirt in the wounds.
The rest of the day was uneventful. We ate at the Blue Bonnet cafe in Marble Falls. As always the food was good and we actually beat the crowds. We had some lunch and hot the road. We got home around 5pm. I logged almost 1300 miles for the 4 days. What a fun trip! I will have to put the Hill Country back on my riding radar. I think the next time we head down, we will smell some roses, see our friends Glenn and Carla, spend more time at the wine country and listen to more music in Luckenbach. We will return.
Until next time, Ride safe everyone!
