Just want to thank CZimmerman, HoustonRedRider, DutchInterceptor, HillFlea, & SDavisRT for allowing me to tag along with you all to the Mineola Pie Run. I had a great time during the ride (especially on 314/315), seeing all the bikes and enjoying the meal and pie.
I woke up that Saturday morning checking to see what would foul up my riding plans for that Saturday. I'm a chronic procrastinator, so there is always something that I probably had forgotten to take care of (work, home, etc.) Luckily, I had no outstanding items that morning so I logged onto
www.twtex.com to check the time and location for this month Pie Run. After determining that I could make it to Mineola at the specific time, I posted my intent on attending.
Later, I went thru the Pie Run thread again to see if anyone from Austin was planning on attending the Pie Run and if so, were they meeting somewhere. Didn't find anyone from Austin attending but noticed that CZimmerman and HoustonRedRider were planning on meeting in Crockett at 8:00 before heading into Mineola.
5:15 - It is about 150 miles from Austin to Crockett. I figured if I could be on the road by 5:30, I could meet CZimmerman and HoustonRedRider at the Exxon Station on 4th St in Crockett and hopefully they would let me ride along with them to Mineola. But, if they didn't, there would be no hurt feelings because that was an additional risk that I was asking them to take. (Riding with an unknown rider of unknown riding skill)
Well, I didn't get on the road until 5:53 and still had to top off the tank, so I wasn't fully underway until 6:10.
8:00 - Riding on TX 7 about 15-20 miles west of Crockett.
Figured I missed the rendezvous w/ CZimmerman and HoustonRedRider so better slow it down now so I don't end up with a performance award from Johnny Law. Rode TX 7 all the way into Crockett and 4th St looking for the Exxon Station to top off the tank again. Looked left......looked right.....saw an Exxon Station about 1 block away and a motorcyclist preparing to fill his tank....I wonder. Pulled into the Exxon Station, noticed that the black and silver motorcycle looks like the SV in CZimmerman avatar and also noticed that a red and black CBR with a helmet sized box bungeed on the back seat parked by the front door of the Exxon Station looked like the CBR in HoustonRedRider's avatar. It's them! I introduced myself and asked if I could join them.
They agreed!
Followed CZimmerman and HoustonRedRider to Palestitne to met up with another group of riders (DutchInterceptor, HillFlea and SDavisRT). DutchInterceptor led the group to Mineola on some great roads (314/315)! That route was a much better route than the one I planned to take if I missed the meeting with CZimmerman and HoustonRedRider (TX 7 to TX 21 to US 69).
After the meal and goodbyes, I went back to prepare the Blackhawk for the return trip home. After fiddling with my GPS for about 15 minutes, trying to figure out how to get it to navigate backwards on the route to Mineola, discovered that all I needed to do was follow the popcorn trail it had drawn on my way up to Mineola.
It was hotter than fish grease on the return trip!!
Riding back on 314/315 made it tolerable even though I was on the lookout for Billy Goat Gruff
spotted by Dutch and his crew earlier in the day. During one of my many heat/fuel breaks, I saw this black and silver motorcycle streak pass. I wondered......was that CZimmerman? Nah...CZimmerman should have passed through here long before I got here because he took a different(faster) route back to try to make a school function. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I had to know if that was CZimmerman.
About 6 minutes later I was behind the black and silver motorcycle and recognized the platypus hydration backpack. (Mental Note: Find my camelbak so I wouldn't have to stop so many times to rehydrate.) It was CZimmerman!
Catching up with CZimmerman rejuvenated this section of the ride for me after leaving 314/315. Followed CZimmerman on TX 7 until it crossed US 79 where I turned left and continued on to Austin.
I had a great time that Saturday. Looking forward to the next Pie Run I get to attend!!