Pretty day out today & a history lesson.

[Duke]

Like many of us that answered TXMEDIC's Triple Dog Dare, I rode out this morning around 10am or so to blow the cobwebs off the bike. I did not have any destination in mind, just figured I would know it when I got there...

Road the Honea-Egypt Rd and I had it almost entirely to myself, and then made my way over to Montgomery.

Turned north on 149.

Always a good ride on HWY 149, I did have the bejebbers scared out of me when two sport bikes blew by me in a no passing zone and IN MY LANE at a VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED! Now granted I was not riding too fast to begin with as I was taking the picture above, but I had set the throttle lock so I was going at least the speed limit.... I have never heard an exhaust as loud as these before, geez...

The culprits...

Anyway, back to my Sunday ride, and come into to Richards...

Somewhere between Richards & Anderson on 149 I come across on of my rigs...

I thought really hard about stopping, figured I could impress someone out there showing that I can work on a Sunday.. but figured everyone could see right through me.. so I kept on riding.

Anderson, TX...

I then head down to Navasota via 90 and pick up Hwy 105 again and ride it west. I turn off on CR-93 for no other reason but it was there. It is while riding down this county road that spy this really large building being built on top of a hill off to my left. It seemed really out of place to be way out here so I had to turn around and go investigate.

Turns out to be this....

And since their information board said Welcome, I road up the dirt road to the top of the hill where the Church is being contructed, but did not get off to walk around, just road on through to a turn around spot and headed back out.

The Church....

Got back on CR-93 and just enjoyed the scenery... Sure was a pretty day out...

A little while later I come up on this very old Cemetary in a oak grove that I thought was interesting... If your curious it is called Good Hope Cemetary.

CR-93 eventually dumps you out on FM-390... opps I mean SCENIC FM 390.

Now what makes it so scenic. I don't mean to be rude, but it did not seem to be anything spectacular, other than being in good shape and being well maintained.

I come into the community of William Penn and see another church up on top of a hill and went over to take a look. This time it is a Lutheran Church that has been there since 1846...

This leads me to my "Destination" for this afternoons ride. The town of Independence. I have heard of it back in, what was it, 7th grade Texas history? I have never been here before.

This little community is full of history and it is obvious that Washington County have gone to lenghts to make it known too. Everywhere you turn your head you see a sign like this...

These signs tell you more than just the visiable historical buildings or locations, they also tell you about the people who lived here and settled here. Pretty interesting if you like history like I do.

Sam Houston and family lived here then moved away following his political career. When he died his widow moved back.

THE SIGN

HER HOUSE

Independence is also the town that first held Baylor University....

I will have to come back here in the spring just to see this place in bloom. I am not a flower person at all. Infact you can not pay me enough money to weed my own flower beds at the house. But this place looks like it has the potential to be spectacular when the bloom is in full effect.

I leave the nice town of Independence and figure since I am having a history lesson while riding today I would stop of at Washington on the Brazos on the way home...

That is pretty much my ride for the day. I rode home back the way I came, 105 to 90 to 149 and Honea Egypt. This time though I had lots of traffic and on 149 there must have been 2 State troopers and a motocop working the road between Richards and Montgomery.

Overall a very good day to go ride, temps in the mid to high 50's all day.

Here's the route I rode today...

Until next time,
Duke

 

[Hemibee]

Lot of history in that area that most people pass up to head to the hill country.

 

[kurt]

Mrs. Sam Houston lived in a single-wide?

 

[Duke]

Mrs. Sam Houston lived in a single-wide?

It was quite the modern home for the day... The indoor plumbing alone had to have all of Mrs. Houston's neighbors talking, don't you think?

 

[wonder91178]

....I have never heard an exhaust as loud as these before, geez...

Probably a D&D...........blech, those are God awful on inline 4's.

Looks like you had a good ride otherwise!

 

[Hemibee]

.

Anderson, TX...

A little while later I come up on this very old Cemetary in a oak grove that I thought was interesting... If your curious it is called Good Hope Cemetary.

Just a very short time ago, well it may have been about 10 years ago I thought the courthouse was a gonner. It was in very bad shape and was becoming a real eye sore. Sure glad they saved it.

I've spend several lunch breaks in that cemetary. At one time I could tell you what was on every head stone but that was too many years ago. got to get back over ther to read them again.

Thanks for the pictures and the ride report.

I'm like Kurt, without this history lesson I would have never known how single wides came into Texas history................

 

[Duke]

At one time I could tell you what was on every head stone but that was too many years ago. got to get back over ther to read them again.

I would have walked around and looked myself but the gate was locked.

 

[Bear on a bicycle]

Nice write up & pic's!

 

[jnappier]

I was riding with a couple of buds who were on cruisers puttin along on 149 when 2 crotch rockets flew by us, I seen them coming in my mirror but one on my buddies was almost scaired off his Harley, I seen him swurving after they went by, and when we stopped 1/2 hour later he was talkin about the squids and how mad he was. It was all I could do to act like I agreed with him, when I really wanted to say how I was jealous of the fun they were having. haha Thanks for the pics and sharing your ride.

 

[Hemibee]

I would have walked around and looked myself but the gate was locked.

Last time we drove by there the gate wass closed but I didn't see the lock. Maybe next time someone will have it open or at least unlocked.

 

[Tourmeister]

Duke, it is scenic 390 in late March through mid April. All the Blue Bonnets and Indian Paintbrushes are thick enough to walk on in places.

I was out on 149 West of Richards with STRider today and saw that rig. Made me think of you when we passed it, hehe. We also saw another GSA like yours and thought it might be you! However, he was headed East on 149 back towards Montgomery. We rode out to Carlos and back on 3090. There were amazingly few bikes! If a crazed KLR passed you, it was STrider on my bike...

 

[Duke]

I was out on 149 West of Richards with STRider today and saw that rig. Made me think of you when we passed it, hehe. We also saw another GSA like yours and thought it might be you! However, he was headed East on 149 back towards Montgomery. We rode out to Carlos and back on 3090. There were amazingly few bikes! If a crazed KLR passed you, it was STrider on my bike...

I thought that was your bike, well at least a bike like yours. Yea I remember seeing y'all, that was me heading back towards Montgomery around 3:30pm or so.... Great day for a ride, and glad to see you get out of the house and get some air on your skin...

Note to self... Must ride 390 in spring..

 

[scratch]

CR-93 eventually dumps you out on FM-390... opps I mean SCENIC FM 390...Now what makes it so scenic. I don't mean to be rude, but it did not seem to be anything spectacular, other than being in good shape and being well maintained.

Your ending point at Independance is where 390 really starts to get good in a scenic sense as you head west. Also, there are lots of other county roads to explore in the area that have neat things to see and nice vistas. Trust me, it's worthy of further exploration.

Nice report and pictures, BTW!

 

[dbdolan]

I was out riding around with Desmo, we were working the SW side of Montgomery back to Hempstead. I was looking for some fellow TWT riders but all I saw were Harley riders.

Edit: By the way nice report Duke, I enjoyed it.

 

[1TallTXn]

Nice pics and report

what kind of camera are you using?

 

[Duke]

Nice pics and report

what kind of camera are you using?

Thanks... I am using a Nikon Coolpix S2. It is a couple of years old now, well at least a year and a half, but does pretty good. Just point and shoot!

 

[1TallTXn]

Thanks... I am using a Nikon Coolpix S2. It is a couple of years old now, well at least a year and a half, but does pretty good. Just point and shoot!

my mom's got one of those and I'm quite tempted to grab one myself.

battery lasts forever (required since its proprietary) and takes a great pic considering the size of the lens