If you are going to Big Bend, you owe it to yourself to stop in Marfa. Hotel there is the Paisano. Marfa is a funky town, a little bit cowboy a little bit artsy fartsy. Just on the outskirts of town is a viewing area and if you are lucky you might see the Marfa lights.
Good info here, lots to see and do.... thanks to all.
The Last time I was in Texas, this is what i took down.... dropped them off just North of Pecos around Orla somewhere.... then had to "Burn" 36 hours in a Pecos truck stop so I could get back on track with my hours of service... then off to Dallas to pick up some Oil rig matting and head back up to Edmonton. That is my tractor (spec'd to haul 140,000 lb SuperTrains).... the trailer belonged to the fellow I was leased out to. With the right load, that unit would go 100 mph.
I am looking forward to being on back roads this time.
Over-height water hose reels (around 15ft to the top of the reels) that i picked up in Calgary.... needed permits in every state, and had to wait about 6 hours at the Colorado/New Mexico border for one of them while they 'Poled" a route for us to get through NM.... Poling is when they take a little truck, put a pole off the back of it a little bit higher than you, and drive through towns to find you a route so you wont rip down power lines. We had to do a circuitous route through Roswell to get from the North end to the South end.
Stay in Bandera in the hill country. Fredericksburg is a tourist trap and to expensive. There's a lot to see around Big Bend. Davis mountains, I don't know why they call them mountains. But the highest paved road in Texas is there. I'm about four hours from the hill country. Let us know when your going.
I stay in Bandera once a year, nice place. Be sure to look at recent reviews of hotels as some staples of the city and charm have been bought by folks from other countries and cleanliness and hospitality are lacking. There are also a lot of Dude Ranches in Bandera that may be fun to hang out at for a day or two.
Rocky, since you’re staying in excellent Kerrville a morning ride to Bandera is in order. It’s a good start to a nice ride over to Utopia and Leakey and those 3 sisters FM roads many like. Also, the breakfast at the OST restaurant in Bandera is outstanding and it’ll carry you until supper. I had a shot at getting my bike to Phoenix this month but it fell through since the guy’s wife decided to buy a bike so his trailer is full now. So, riding down later and will watch your progress in this thread. May even see you out there west of the Pecos somewhere.
Rocky, since you’re staying in excellent Kerrville a morning ride to Bandera is in order. It’s a good start to a nice ride over to Utopia and Leakey and those 3 sisters FM roads many like. Also, the breakfast at the OST restaurant in Bandera is outstanding and it’ll carry you until supper. I had a shot at getting my bike to Phoenix this month but it fell through since the guy’s wife decided to buy a bike so his trailer is full now. So, riding down later and will watch your progress in this thread. May even see you out there west of the Pecos somewhere.
Perfect.... find the time if possible and ride down with me.I am just unsure of actual dates and route yet.... that will be open until closer to road time.
Looks like a nice ride you got planned out. I'm going to hit Texas as part of my next ride as well, but going in early April, so I'll be trailering to a friends place just north of Denver. Will head south similar to your route, likley stay in NM down to roswell if weather is agreeable, may have to stay away from high elevation as I am going to campout the whole trip. Will be brisk at night in high desert or mountains yet. I think I'll head east from Austin, not sure how far, I will have 3-4 weeks, maybe the Keys if I get ambitious. No real plan as I like to follow the sunshine and avoid bad weather. Likley going to make a shallow loop so when I come back west I can hit graceland and the ozarks.
Enjoy your trip! I'd likely do a similar route to you if it was warmer when I'm going. Some of my favourite areas to travel through.
If your travels take you to New Mexico the first week of April, you might consider a tour of Trinity Site, the place the first atomic test took place. It's off Hwy 380 in Sierra County reached through Stallion Gate.
Tours happen one day twice a year, once in April and once in October.
Contact White Sands Missile Range for information and reservations. www.wsmr.army.mil
And don't pick up the glassy green globules on the ground. It's called Trinitite, atomsite or Trinity Glass. Formed when the atom bomb fused sand into glass. It's still radioactive.
OK, we’ll see how timing can work. Be nice to ride some of those miles with you. Helping a friend get through an upcoming knee replacement deal so my departure is looking to be deeper into April than I imagined. Just did a 10K service with new rear tire and pointed my bike toward the garage door. It’s staged.
OK, we’ll see how timing can work. Be nice to ride some of those miles with you. Helping a friend get through an upcoming knee replacement deal so my departure is looking to be deeper into April than I imagined. Just did a 10K service with new rear tire and pointed my bike toward the garage door. It’s staged.
01-16-2019, 12:06 AM
