Heading South

[From MARS]

In a couple of hours, I'll be heading down towards Navasota, Tx for my nearly annual family visit. The route is all small two-lane paved, but I'm not sure which ones; I hate over planning. So, if you see a loaded up red/white R100GSPD with a guy in grey ATTGAT;.

The return trip is still open and weather dependent, but I'm leaning towards a route thru Arkansas that'll put me back here on Sat.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Tom

 

[20774]

I've always enjoyed western Arkansas. I discovered Hwy 7 many years ago. Just about any N-S road in the western part of the state through the Ouachita National Forest will be worth the trip.

 

[From MARS]

Well, Kurt, I didn't make Arkansas, but I did get close to your neck of the woods. I wound up riding the hill country for a couple of days before heading over for Thanksgiving dinner. Couldn't have asked for better conditions, and the bike ran perfectly. After three days on the road, I decided to big foot it back. Just got home after riding 1646 miles in four days (counting today).

Arkansas will have to wait 'til next time.

Tom

 

[dadayama]

What, no pictures?

 

[From MARS]

What, no pictures?

Ya' know; I thought about this. Each night, when I was in the motel room re-living the day's ride... kind of writing a mental ride report... I realized that, once again, I had no pictures. I've come to the conclusion that there are riders, writers, and recorders. I'm a rider.

The goal of this trip was to put miles under the tires. I've owned this bike for a little over a year. During that time, I've done a bunch of work on her and taken a lot of day rides, but aside from the initial trip home, I'd never spent all day in the saddle. With the Winter maintenance season approaching, I wanted to find any shortcomings that need sorting out. From that perspective, it was a success. On the second day out, I noticed a leaking left front fork.

Its really too bad that I am not more into photography; there was some beautiful scenery on the trip. The trees still had their colorful leaves, and the Hill Country has some great panoramic views. Then there was the VW bug "grave yard" with over a hundred old VW's sitting out in a field (in OK, I think) rusting that a lot of the former VW owners on here might have appreciated. The one-lane stone underpass on FM 390, in Washington County, Tx, would have been a great shot, too. But, the thought of stopping, unplugging the heated gear, digging out the cell phone (I didn't even take a "real" camera), and taking a picture that was already recorded in my mind just didn't appeal to me; I was riding.

There was one incident that I wish I had recorded; my tip-over. I pulled over to take a break and stopped on a slight incline with the high side to my left. The side stand wouldn't extend without leaning the bike a little to the right. I shifted my weight and put my right foot down only to find that there was a depression hidden by the grass. In a tug-of-war between gravity, a loaded 520 lb bike, and me (at 145 lbs), I lost. It was easy enough to spin the bike on the engine guard so the tires were lower than the rest of the bike and pick it back up, but I sure felt like a dufuss!

I have a real appreciation for those that are photographers, and maybe, someday, I'll become one. But for now, I'm still more interested in what's over the next hill or around the next bend to stop and record what I've already seen. Sorry.

Tom

 

[BIRD MAN]

Thanks for sharing. I took a trip to Wy. in aug. (my longest ever on a cycle ,2400 round trip) and had many of the same thoughts about pictures. Somtimes it spoils the event to stop and take pictures. That said I have never been sorry that I took the pictures I did when I got home and wished I had taken more.

Larry

 

[henzilla]

Glad you got a nice trip in Tom...the Navasota area is nice, FM 390 /Independence Trail scenic drive is really nice in the spring with millions of bluebonnets covering the low rolling hills.I know that one lane underpass well. The Hill Country even more so as we are actually seeing a lot of fall colors this year. How far into it did you come?

I do the ride thing mostly, yet do take a lot of on the bike pics so I don't stop as often. When road conditions allow, I am snapping a lot of roadside scenery on the fly. If it was back in the film days, I would prob stop for every shot...thanks to digital , a big memory card, and a weather and impact resistant point and shoot.
I have recorded some of my less prouder moments...like dropping my GSA in the sand on the beach with a full load. Most of the time, adrenaline kicks in and I pick it up before anyone else sees me Makes the stories even better sometimes when the visual can be shared, but I do miss a lot of opportunities...it's not because the camera is not close in the tankbag...it's that I am enjoying the road as you mention.

 

[PAULBACH]

snip ...

I have a real appreciation for those that are photographers, and maybe, someday, I'll become one. But for now, I'm still more interested in what's over the next hill or around the next bend to stop and record what I've already seen. Sorry.

Tom

There is always time for conversion or addition.

There are many excellent point and shoot cameras for under $100 and more on the way.

There are even cameras, like the above, that you attach to your ride and it takes a pictures ever few seconds for the entire day.

You can do it Marine!

 

[From MARS]

Paul, that's one cool setup. Something to look into.

Steve, you must have wiped out the last of the deer, 'cause the only two I saw on the whole trip were in a pen in OK. And they were running away from the sound of the airhead. I came closer to getting wiped out by a hawk who was dive bombing something in the ditch to my right. He zipped across in front of me at eye-level. Both of us were going about 80!

As for the route in TX, I left Bonham, dropped down 34 South of Dallas and crossed under 35 on the FM roads around Penelope or West, stopped in Happy Valley for lunch, then towards Lampasas thru Topsey and down to Burnett. I kept trying to find this one road a Harley guy in Happy Valley told me about where I'd be "looking at my taillight" on the curves, but never did. Could have been the saddlebags getting in the way, though. From Burnett, I ran over to Taylor to position me for the run to my sisters for dinner.

When I was in high school, FM390 was a dirt road or at least parts of it were. We'd get a sixpack and ride around out there in our pickups drinking beer. It sure has changed! That was my favorite part of the ride.

Speaking of bluebonnets, remember those "blue-blocker" sun glasses. Well, I had a pair and was wearing them while on a "bluebonnet drive" and lamenting the whole time about the lack of bluebonnets; til I stopped and took off the glasses. I was surrounded by them! A Spring ride thru that area would be nice! It'd be a good time to learn patience and practice a little with a camera.

Next time, I'm going to bring my camping gear. For this trip, I opted to motel it to give me more riding time, but there didn't seem to be as many Mom&Pop's as I remember there being in the small towns. There were several state parks I could have camped in along the way. I did find myself riding latter than I'd of liked a couple of days trying to find a motel. Not only was I concerned with wildlife, but depending on how I was approaching an intersection, the sun was either blinding me or blinding anybody at the intersection looking towards me. I remembered reading how WWII pilots would attack out of the sun. I felt totally invisible. All in all, though, I can't think of any better way to spend a few days, this time of year, than meandering around on unfamiliar Farm to Market roads in Tx.

Tom

 

[henzilla]

When I was in high school, FM390 was a dirt road or at least parts of it were. We'd get a sixpack and ride around out there in our pickups drinking beer. It sure has changed! That was my favorite part of the ride.

Speaking of bluebonnets, remember those "blue-blocker" sun glasses. Well, I had a pair and was wearing them while on a "bluebonnet drive" and lamenting the whole time about the lack of bluebonnets; til I stopped and took off the glasses. I was surrounded by them! A Spring ride thru that area would be nice! It'd be a good time to learn patience and practice a little with a camera.


Tom

Glad the tan colored wildlife stayed out of your path!

There was a large section of Wm Penn Road that breaks northeast from FM390 and cuts over to TX 105 that used to be dirt & gravel...found it a few times in the 70's...still a pretty part of the "Old Texas" from Austin's Colony.


and The BlueBlocker story is all to familiar.Have to admit doing that myself.

On this ride in March/April last year I actually did stop for a change...but everytime I did, several cars saw the same thing I did and stopped behind me...I had a following for several miles. Come on down next Spring for the TX Nat'l in Llano! Just west of Burnet and a whole different ride thru the pink granite hills and flowers.