The thin green line

There are many heroes in the world but few surpass wildfire fighters
in West Texas. We encountered a crew staying at our hotel in Mineral
Wells. Fortunately they were at standby.

Even Denny's ...

... is a bit of Paradise after 320 miles I 100+ heat. But we made it
to Amarillo and the hard part is over.

Our SPOT track

See http://tinyurl.com/spotgla for progress.

Mineral Wells

Houston to Mineral Wells. Well it could have been hotter I suppose. It
hit 100 only towards the finish. But still a good first day.

Its always fun to learn something completely unexpected about a place
you've never been. Read about the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Hotel_(Mineral_Wells,_Texas)

Leigh Anderson
Sent from my iPhone

Colorado and New Mexico

We are beginning a 3000 mile, 14 (or so) day motorcycle trip to Colorado. Here's an overall plan:

Overview

Blowup of CO/NM part

The end of Arkansas, the beginning of Colorado

The end of Arkansas, the beginning of Colorado: I wasn't very diligent at posting the last of our Arkansas trip. Didn't take too many photos because we were busy riding. We rode home in 105 degree heat, oh joy. Fabulous trip, though. Next up: Colorado.

Dogpatch and The Hub

The Hub is a "motorcycle friendly" motel perched atop a mountain north
of Jasper. It arose in 2005 from fragments of the strange demise of
Dogpatch USA. That tale is too long to relate here so I refer you to
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogpatch_USA
It is worth reading: dreams, imagination, ambition, overreach, folly,
greed, lawsuits, near decapitation -- better than a special double
Sunday edition of L'il Abner.

To Jasper and beyond

Today we got out of the heat and out of the flat. Riding from
Arkadelphia to Jasper was our first experience of the Arkansas
mountains, crossing both the Ouachitas and the Ozarks. There are so
many curves that a stretch of straight road comes as a surprising
novelty. At a local burger joint of renown we met a sport bike rider
from College Station -- this is biker country.
A bit of rain and lightning entertained us on the way into Jasper,
where we planned to stay. But the available accommodations were Early
Phillip Morris, so we rode on to "Dogpatch" and The Hub.

Arkadelphia AR

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=34.180237,-93.072677%20%28100%20Crystal%20Palace%20Dr,%20Arkadelphia,%20AR%2071923,%20USA%29

9 hours after leaving Houston, 6 hours in the saddle, 386 miles, 63
mph, 98 degrees. Time for some comfort.

Leigh Anderson
Sent from my iPhone

Arkansas

Click http://tayaratravels.blogspot.com/search/label/2011-06 to see all of this trip

We are leaving tomorrow on our bikes for Arkansas, crossing the Ouchita's twice and the Ozarks four times.

SaddleSore 1000 summary

I covered 1060 miles in 14.5 moving hours (on the bike), plus stops, for a total of about 17.5 hours start to finish. Left the starting point (US288 & Beltway 8) about 5.30am, returning about 11pm. A dozen or so riders participated, but it was not a group ride. We left singly and rode our own pace, and I saw only a couple of other SS1000 riders at fuel stops. The route was well chosen with roughly half at speed limit 70mph and half at 80mph (it rises to the West Texas level a little past Kerville). It was all I10, except for a bypass around San Antonio, generally clear riding with little traffic, and we rode facing away from the Sun, coming and going.

Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000

I've signed up for the "SaddleSore 1000" certification ride June 4 sponsored by the Iron Butt Association: 1000 miles in under 24 hours. The route is from Houston to Fort Stockton (500 miles) and back. It should take about 18-20 hours of riding including stops. This has become a sort of right-of-passage for dedicated motorcyclists, and I want my stripes.

Homeward bound

Note: to read trip from the beginning, go to The Alsace Hotel, Castroville

We originally planned to travel the 600 miles to home in two days, stopping somewhere overnight on I10. But Bettie wanted to see if we could make it in one day, and indeed we did. This was her "graduation" into long distance motorcycling, as was my trip to Colorado last year. Now we are looking forward to the Grand Canyon next spring. 

Last day in Davis Mountains

(These notes are added after getting back to Houston)

Our last day was limited by the recent and on-going wildfires in the Davis Mountains. The preceding photos show the general devastation in the country side and extensive damage in the city itself. We were unable to complete our "scenic loop ride" that passes McDonald Observatory and circles around the mountains. The road was closed just past the observatory because active wildfires were still a threat. On the roads around Fort Davis we saw large areas of grass and hillside blackened by fire, along with untouched areas in a seemingly random pattern. In the city a burnt yard, fence, and house was next-door to our hotel Limpia. 

Fence and yard burnt by wildfire in town, next door to our hotel

Field south of Fort Davis ravaged by wildfire

Hotel Limpia, Fort Davis, built 1922

At McDonald Observatory, Davis Mountains

The River Road

The river road (highway 170) between Lajitas and Presidio is
considered one of the 10 best motorcycle roads in the nation, and we
take no exception with that. My bike thermometer read 100, but a
little ice water squirted down the collar of the riding jacket works
wonders.

Leigh Anderson
Sent from my iPhone

On the River Road between Lajitas and Presidio

Eric, met riding a VStrom on River Road

Fort Leaton near Presidio

Breakfast at Lajitas

Lajitas Resort

Lajitas Resort