Author Topic: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]  (Read 11061 times)

Offline Daniel Kalal

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...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« on: February 14, 2015, 05:37:27 PM »

 
The Texas Hill Country is an exceptionally nice area of Texas that generally  runs west of a line between San Antonio and Austin. 
 
February is an ideal time to ride the hills; but, first you've got to  find a window of warm (or at least not freezing) days to get there--and  then, to get back.
 
Oklahoma
 
I'd be riding south following the route of the Chisholm Trail, and would  return along part of the Great Western Cattle Trail.
 
Chickasha, Oklahoma.
 

 
The Red River.  That's Texas on the far bank.
 

 

 
  Texas
 
Bowie, Texas was named in 1881 for the defender of the Alamo, but otherwise  it has nothing to do with James Bowie.
 

 
Jacksboro, Texas.
 

 
I stopped for lunch just south of Jacksboro at the Village Kitchen.   It's a good sign when the waitress calls you “Hon” and chicken-pot-pie is on  the menu.
 
   
 
Mineral Wells, Texas.
 

 
As much as anything, Mineral Wells is known for their great, hulking  Baker Hotel that has been closed for good since 1972 (after several earlier  attempts to shut the doors).
 

 
Hico, Texas.  “Where Everybody is Somebody!”
 

 
 
 
Hamilton, Texas
 

 
Yes; in this part of Texas you can expect the local drugstore to also  have a soda fountain and to scoop up some ice cream for a chocolate sundae.
 
 
 
The state of Texas identifies some twenty-five counties as being part of the  “Hill Country” covering an area that extends all the way to the Mexican border.   Realistically, though, it's not quite that large.
 
I didn't have a plan; I'd just head to one spot, and then look at the map  for the next destination.
 

 
Keep in mind: these are called “hills”; not “mountains.”
 

 

 
Pednernales Falls.  Most all the time, the falls look pretty much like  this.  But, on occasion a flash flood lets loose up river and the falls can  be quite dangerous.
 

 
Wimberley, Texas.  We're a little too close to the Austin / San Antonio  corridor with a little too much traffic.  Things are better west of here.
 

 
The Blanco River.
 

 
Fischer, Texas is a town, but I think it hasn't really changed much from when  it was the Fischer Ranch.
 

 
You'll still see evidence of the old ranch houses from the time before the  “Hill Country” became a tourist destination and winter vacation home site.
 

 

 
A school and church from the 1800s.
 
 
 

 
Stay away from the primary highways, and you'll have all the road to  yourself.  This was to be a perfect riding day.
 

 

 
Center Point, Texas.
 

 

 
The general store in Camp Verde has been here since 1857.  This is quite  a nice place for a break.  Camels were once thought to have a future as  pack-animals by the Army, and fifty of the animals were brought here before the  Civil War.  By the end of the war there were one-hundred camels in Camp  Verde.  What happened to them?  I have no idea.
 
 
 

 
Tarpley, Texas.
 

 
It's a pleasant day to operate the stop sign.  I am waiting for the  pilot truck...
 

 

 
Lost Maples nature area.
 

 
The path has been here many years, and now looks like it's just part of  the natural landscape.
 
   
 

 

 

 

 

 
The Guadalupe River.
 

 
The river isn't so high all that often that these low bridges are a problem.   I wouldn't attempt the crossing with water flowing across.
 

 
Boots.  An easy way to keep the fence posts from rotting at the  end-grain.
 

 

 
Texas Long Horns are as much pets as anything else, these days.
 

 
You can see the “Enchanted Rocks” in the distance.
 

 
Yes; there is a legend of an Indian maiden leaping off the rock to her  death (a requisite story).
 
 
 

 
I considered walking to the top, but didn't.  Look closely and you can  see two people half-way up.  It's a steep climb.
 

 
 
 
Llano, Texas.  Heading back north and hoping it doesn't get too cold  (nights have been into the low-thirties).
 

 

 

 
San Saba, Texas.
 

 
Comanche, Texas.
 

 
Rising Star, Texas.  The post office objected to their first suggested  name of “Star” as being already in use, so the citizens renamed the town “Rising  Star.”
 

 
You'd need to be going pretty fast to catch any air on this road.
 

 
Throckmorton, Texas.  Now riding the Great Western Cattle Trail.
 

 
 
 
We're well away from the “Hills” by now.
 

 

 
Vernon, Texas.
 

 
Oklahoma
 
Red River and a fairly new bridge.  I hate to see the old narrow  steel-truss bridges dismantled, but I can't question that these concrete things  are safer.
 

 
Altus, Oklahoma.
 

 
Oklahoma, too, has their granite outcroppings.  The western end of the  Wichita Mountains.
 

 
Granite, Oklahoma.
 

 
You don't see too many Kaiser-Frazer dealerships these days.
 
 
 
Elk City, Oklahoma.
 

 
An isolated farm in the Canadian River Valley.
 

 
My return-window was only a day wide, but I made it back without the need to  ride in thirty degree weather.  A good trip.   

Offline ratguzzi

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2015, 05:57:36 PM »
Nice stuff as always.
I enjoy that area a lot.
Are you employed? heheheh!
JB
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Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2015, 06:02:19 PM »
Are you employed? heheheh!

Are you kidding?  It's hard work riding a Guzzi around, taking photographs...

Offline LowRyter

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2015, 06:24:29 PM »
as usual, great stuff Dan.

I am planning to ride the Three Sisters this April when I go to Moto GP in Austin.   You might want to cross the Red River at St Jo sometime.  I might try your route too.  Hwy 16 ain't bad either.

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2015, 06:24:29 PM »

Offline PJPR01

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2015, 06:44:04 PM »
Very nice...familiar roads indeed!  Did I miss it, or did you not make it to Luckenbach this time thru?  All the 3 Twisted Sisters are a blast...presumably you may have stopped at the Lone Star Moto museum just south of Vanderpool near Lost Maples Park as well?  Nice photos!
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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2015, 06:45:32 PM »
 Thanks Deke . Yes , the Perdenales River can be dangerous . A friend of mine drowned in a flood just upstream from the falls in 1982 or so while leading a tough love group of teenagers on a 2 week long canoe trip .
 That area of Texas is a great place to ride in the Winter , have visited there several times , but it has been a while . May be time .

  Dusty
« Last Edit: February 14, 2015, 06:50:01 PM by oldbike54 »

Offline LowRyter

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2015, 06:46:38 PM »
Very nice...familiar roads indeed!  Did I miss it, or did you not make it to Luckenbach this time thru?  All the 3 Twisted Sisters are a blast...presumably you may have stopped at the Lone Star Moto museum just south of Vanderpool near Lost Maples Park as well?  Nice photos!

he could've blinked.
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Offline Lannis

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2015, 07:41:50 PM »
Very nice and informative series of photos.   Really helps us who haven't been there get a bit of a "feel" for the area, since the pics are taken by a fellow motorcyclist who knows how we look at things.   ;-T

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2015, 07:50:11 PM »
Daniel,

Superb, applause!  We plan to retire somewhere in there.  Lost Maples is an all time fav part of Texas.

Love the Rexall drugstore.

I did the loop down to Matagorda and Mother Ocean today.  Pix tomorrow and trip report.  Too tired right now.

Offline Klaus

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2015, 10:55:08 PM »
 ;-T ;-T ;-T ;-T ;-T :pop

Offline Shorty

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2015, 02:01:34 AM »
Nice! Thanks Daniel. I see that overpopulation is still a few years off.  ;)
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Offline leafman60

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2015, 05:58:32 AM »
Great pics, Daniel. Thanks.

Maybe I missed it but did you get any pictures of the famed Twisted Sisters loop or the other curvy roads that cross the country out there?

http://www.ridermagazine.com/travel-features/twisted-sisters-the-texas-hill-countrys-most-famous-trio.htm/

http://www.hillcountrycruising.com/the3s.html

« Last Edit: February 15, 2015, 06:01:26 AM by leafman60 »

Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2015, 07:34:57 AM »
did you get any pictures of the famed Twisted Sisters loop or the other curvy roads that cross the country out there?

I was on parts of those roads and others next door that are similar.  That's a funny (or frustrating) "Rider" article: a story on good roads in the Hill Country and not a single photograph of a road.

Without elevation changes and a good view of the curves ahead, you can't easily get a shot of multiple curves--otherwise, any photograph will just show the road ahead with maybe a left or right turn.  This one was taken nearby the area mentioned in the article, but it's more of a sweeper:

« Last Edit: February 15, 2015, 07:35:40 AM by Daniel Kalal »

Offline lucian

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2015, 08:02:45 AM »
Nice scenes,thank you for posting them. Was nice just to see pic's of open ground without four feet of snow. I'm glad you guy's in warmer places are still enjoying your motorcycles, looks like it will be at least May before we can ride again up here. Never really minded winter much until I started riding again,oh well. Enjoy  Dave

Offline nick949

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2015, 08:20:36 AM »
 ;-T ;-T ;-T

Nick

Offline brlawson

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2015, 10:03:09 AM »
To bad you weren't hungry when you went through Llano. Been a number of years since I have been there but Coopers BBQ was about as good as it gets for Texas Q.
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Offline Daniel Kalal

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2015, 10:19:33 AM »
To bad you weren't hungry when you went through Llano. Been a number of years since I have been there but Coopers BBQ was about as good as it gets for Texas Q.

I was, and I did.  But, sometimes you just want a good Reuben sandwich, and these guys make a good one in Llano:

Offline M0T0Geezer

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2015, 10:42:56 AM »
Thank you for all the effort it takes to put your pictures into this forum.

My problem is that it is really hard to force myself to get off my Guzzi and take any pictures.  Riding on forever is a siren call I am too weak to ignore.

I was interested in your picture and comment about the abandoned Baker Hotel in Mineral Springs.

This link has some interesting interior shots of the now derelict building:
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20131013-developers-hope-to-revive-mineral-wells-baker-hotel.ece

Some say there be ghosts inside Baker Hotel:
Baker Hotel Ghost Stories

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Offline leafman60

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2015, 11:12:54 AM »
Nick, those roads look like prime riding for The Mighty Falcon!

Maybe we should consider holding our National Nuovo Falcone Rally out there next year!

I wonder if enough hotel rooms would be available.  Of course, I guess we could make it a camping rally if we could find a large enough place.

Offline brlawson

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2015, 01:19:27 PM »
I was, and I did.  But, sometimes you just want a good Reuben sandwich, and these guys make a good one in Llano:


Still some good Texas brisket.

Probably for the best. It seems like I always needed to take a nap when I ate a Coopers.
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Offline mjptexas

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2015, 01:25:19 PM »
Texas Hill County is a great place to ride.  14,000 of the 17,000 miles I rode in 2014 were on Hill Country roads.
Mike

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Offline Lannis

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2015, 03:03:25 PM »
I was, and I did.  But, sometimes you just want a good Reuben sandwich, and these guys make a good one in Llano:


And this year's National Nuovo Falcone rally could be held under the awning out front!   Plenty of room for two tents ....  ;-T

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Offline Bill N

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2015, 04:39:01 PM »
Thanks Daniel. Once again a great travel log. It will help me plan a ride thru the Hill country.
Well done, Bill

Offline jdgretz

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #23 on: February 15, 2015, 06:16:04 PM »
I always love your photos Daniel.  These are wonderful and brought back a bunch of good memories as I lived in Texas (Copperas Cove, Austin, San Antonio) for a bunch of years.

The other big thing Mineral Wells is known for is being the home of Army Primary Helicopter Training.  The old Ft. Wolters, now the Wolters Industrial Park, in part houses a local prison.

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Offline PJPR01

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #24 on: February 15, 2015, 07:16:15 PM »
Maybe we should consider holding our National
Guzzi Rally out there next year!
  Slightly modified...but what a GREAT idea!
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Offline PJPR01

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #25 on: February 15, 2015, 07:24:22 PM »
he could've blinked.
  :)  ha ha...good one!
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Offline Bill N

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #26 on: February 15, 2015, 07:32:41 PM »
I always love your photos Daniel.  These are wonderful and brought back a bunch of good memories as I lived in Texas (Copperas Cove, Austin, San Antonio) for a bunch of years.

The other big thing Mineral Wells is known for is being the home of Army Primary Helicopter Training.  The old Ft. Wolters, now the Wolters Industrial Park, in part houses a local prison.

jdg
Tis true. I graduated from Primary training in 1967. Many students roomed in the old hotel. My ancient aunts, cousins, and grand folks would travel from far away  to stay there to soak in the waters and bring gallons of it home. Too bad the landmark is abandoned.  Good thread. Bill

Offline mjptexas

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #27 on: February 16, 2015, 05:15:31 PM »
These are not nearly as great as Daniel's but they're the only ones I currently have:

On 336 north of Leakey (336 is one of the Twisted Sisters):


On the Willow City Loop north of Fredericksburg:


Off the deck at the Oasis in Austin - post ride :)
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Offline mjptexas

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Re: ...to the Texas Hill Country [mostly photographs]
« Reply #28 on: February 16, 2015, 05:24:06 PM »
as usual, great stuff Dan.

I am planning to ride the Three Sisters this April when I go to Moto GP in Austin.   You might want to cross the Red River at St Jo sometime.  I might try your route too.  Hwy 16 ain't bad either.

John,

If you are doing this post race give yourself two days to do it.  Kerrville is a great starting point for the ride.  It's about 130 miles out of Austin so you can make it there easy after the race. 
Mike

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