- Joined
- Oct 16, 2008
- Messages
- 3,850
- Reaction score
- 5,011
- Location
- Bryan, TX
- First Name
- Dennie
- Last Name
- Spears
SpiritAtBay went to New Mexico with JT and did an excellent ride report. https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/new-mexico-again.131626/ She posted beautiful pictures of things that I have not seen in well over 50 trips to and through New Mexico. I wanted to go. My wife gave me permission for up to 10 days. The limit was put on because I had to prepare for the Harvest Classic Rally when I got back. I advertized on TWT for a partner or two to share expenses for a tow vehicle and trailer to my brother's house in Taos, NM. Several people replied. Through a comedy of errors and cancellations, I ended up without a driving partner so I decided to ride. SpiritAtBay posted their route and I took note.
Day one.
Her posted route. How could I go wrong.
I got an early start by eating next door to my gym. It should be against the law to have a gym and a donut store next door to each other.
I have a well broken in DRZ-400SM. I tried to order new TKC-80 tires, but due to the short time between deciding to go and leaving, none were available that could be in my hands in two days or less. I used TKC-70s with more than 5,000 miles on them. I wasn't looking forward to the deep sand that Spirit had reported.
My first stop was in Bastrop, Tx. for a picture of the bronze statue of three bears. The display is described as, "Friends sitting around a campfire discussing an idea too bad not to attempt." Their names are Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite. They are carricatures of some of my actual friends.
Next stop was for gas and a snack in New Braunsfels. I had a half tank, but I was heading into the Texas Hill Country with no specific route. Ducks joined me at a roadside park.
Lots of butterflies in the hill country that weekend and lots more bikes than usual because of some kind of rally in Bandera.
I liked this sign with a cute play on words.
A fine road, FM-337, took me to Campwood where I turned south toward Big Bend. I have aquired a friend in Mexico and wanted to go across and visit. I wanted to stay in a motel the first night and there were no rooms available in Sanderson. I didn't want to ride 175 more miles to Marathon, so I stayed in Del Rio.
Day two
Bridges over Lake Amistad.
I saw this sign and since I had ignored similar signs in New Mexico and Spirit had pointed out the errors of my ways, I checked it out. Box canyon sounded interesting.
The canyon itself did not warrant pictures, but signs along the road were interesting and funny. Please keep the political comments in the basement and out of my thread.
There were lots of signs in Box Canyon and most were hillarious. I picked this house at random because it had a good place to park.
Spirit stopped at this roadside park and so did I.
I ate a light lunch, but opted out of sitting at the table.
Why would they need this "No Diving" sign.
Anyone want to break the rules?
The Pecos High Bridge is just upriver from the car bridge above. Note that the train bridge was built in just 3 months.
I hadn't been to Judge Roy Bean's place for a few years, so I decided to stop in. A lot of the stories about Bean are stretches of the truth, but there is at least some truth to nearly all of them.
The judge didn't have a jail, so all guilty verdicts ended with a fine. Since there was no jail, some defendants were handcuffed to a mesquite tree until they or the judge became sober enough for a trial.
An actual picture of a picture of the judge's pet bear.
This saguaro cactus was planted in Langtry in the 1950s. It's bigger than the 200 year old cacti in Saguaro National Park. It's amazing what a water hose can do.
These were growing 15' apart. They are the same species.
I camped in the Basin. Along the road up.
I'll finish up day two tomorrow and possibly make it to the destination state of New Mexico where I will find out the reason for the Rio Grande being so high when it was not even flowing just two months ago.
Day one.
Her posted route. How could I go wrong.
I got an early start by eating next door to my gym. It should be against the law to have a gym and a donut store next door to each other.
I have a well broken in DRZ-400SM. I tried to order new TKC-80 tires, but due to the short time between deciding to go and leaving, none were available that could be in my hands in two days or less. I used TKC-70s with more than 5,000 miles on them. I wasn't looking forward to the deep sand that Spirit had reported.
My first stop was in Bastrop, Tx. for a picture of the bronze statue of three bears. The display is described as, "Friends sitting around a campfire discussing an idea too bad not to attempt." Their names are Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite. They are carricatures of some of my actual friends.
Next stop was for gas and a snack in New Braunsfels. I had a half tank, but I was heading into the Texas Hill Country with no specific route. Ducks joined me at a roadside park.
Lots of butterflies in the hill country that weekend and lots more bikes than usual because of some kind of rally in Bandera.
I liked this sign with a cute play on words.
A fine road, FM-337, took me to Campwood where I turned south toward Big Bend. I have aquired a friend in Mexico and wanted to go across and visit. I wanted to stay in a motel the first night and there were no rooms available in Sanderson. I didn't want to ride 175 more miles to Marathon, so I stayed in Del Rio.
Day two
Bridges over Lake Amistad.
I saw this sign and since I had ignored similar signs in New Mexico and Spirit had pointed out the errors of my ways, I checked it out. Box canyon sounded interesting.
The canyon itself did not warrant pictures, but signs along the road were interesting and funny. Please keep the political comments in the basement and out of my thread.
There were lots of signs in Box Canyon and most were hillarious. I picked this house at random because it had a good place to park.
Spirit stopped at this roadside park and so did I.
I ate a light lunch, but opted out of sitting at the table.
Why would they need this "No Diving" sign.
Anyone want to break the rules?
The Pecos High Bridge is just upriver from the car bridge above. Note that the train bridge was built in just 3 months.
I hadn't been to Judge Roy Bean's place for a few years, so I decided to stop in. A lot of the stories about Bean are stretches of the truth, but there is at least some truth to nearly all of them.
The judge didn't have a jail, so all guilty verdicts ended with a fine. Since there was no jail, some defendants were handcuffed to a mesquite tree until they or the judge became sober enough for a trial.
An actual picture of a picture of the judge's pet bear.
This saguaro cactus was planted in Langtry in the 1950s. It's bigger than the 200 year old cacti in Saguaro National Park. It's amazing what a water hose can do.
These were growing 15' apart. They are the same species.
I camped in the Basin. Along the road up.
I'll finish up day two tomorrow and possibly make it to the destination state of New Mexico where I will find out the reason for the Rio Grande being so high when it was not even flowing just two months ago.