Heading to Texas

[ajayhawkfan]

I'm taking off tomorrow for Texas. I hope to leave sometime early afternoon heading to Austin. I am planning on meeting my daughter in Austin on Friday giving me 2.5 days to get there. On Monday my daughter and I are going to the KU Vs. TX BB Game!!

On Tuesday, I'm looking at the weather and if it looks good east I'm heading to Venice, LA and riding the Mississippi North. If the weather is bad to the east, I'll be heading west.

If you have an interest you can follow me on my Spot.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... 0t3lpSo4ho

[Joe McBride]

Bundle up and be careful, Eddy!

[troy]

I fixed Eddie's SPOT link in his first post.

Have a great time, Eddie!

[ajayhawkfan]

I left today at noon. It was 40 degrees and sunny. Today was a day to get to warmer weather so I hit highway 71 and went south. Near Butler, MO the weather went for 40 degrees to 32 in about 3 miles. It also was foggy which made me feel damp. I turned on my heated jacket. About 60 miles south the sun broke through and warmed up to about 40 again. When I got to Arkansas it got to a high of 45 and then started dropping slowly.

I make to it Fort Smith, Arkansas. It is a very neat historic town. I had a nice dinner at the Varsity Bar and Grill. It was good!



Tomorrow it looks like rain all day. That will suck.

[bonanzasteve]

I sure couldn’t do it, but I enjoy watching those who can! That Spot is pretty cool, keep up the trip reports!

[katbeanz]

Have fun Eddie! When you get back be sure and come up for Rusty's movie night at the Pizza Shoppe next to MCcloseouts.

[ajayhawkfan]

I'm having fun now. My plans today was to take my time riding to Nacogdoches, TX. The weather man said 100% chance of rain....accumulation of a trace. The first half was 100% correct. They say everything is bigger in Texas so maybe a trace down here is A LOT more then a trace back home. While in Arkansas the temperature ranged from 33 to 36. One into TX it got a little over 40. It was a constant rain. My face shield was foggy the entire time. In the early afternoon my boots became buckets and I got cold. A warm shower and dry clothing felt great.

Tomorrow has to be better doesn't it?

[ajayhawkfan]

Yesterday, was much better. I woke to a gray day but it was not raining! I checked out Nacogdoches, TX a little. They promote themselves as the oldest town in Texas. It is a neat town.



in Nacogdoches there is the Stephen F. Austin University. They have a replica of an old fort that was there.



Because of the rain many of the roads were Texas Gumbo.



In eastern Texas you get the feel of the old, deep south.



Went through Huntsville, TX and saw the grave of Sam Houston, President of The Republic of Texas.



The Oak Wood Cemetery in Huntsville has a lot of history. These graves are from US Soldiers that were stationed there during reconstruction. They were not liked. All but one of the solders that were stationed here died of yellow fever. The people did not like the US Soldiers. When they died they were buried away from all others in the graveyard. They are still alone in the cemetery.



I am now in Austin. Spending time with my daughter. We are going to the KU TX BB Game on Monday.

Looking at the weather, I could be in trouble trying to get home. I maybe renting a truck and hauling home. I'll decide Monday or Tuesday, until then I'm having fun with my daughter in Austin.

[phil denk]

Eddie, Thanks for the pics and hope your return is as successful...!!!

[ajayhawkfan]

Today was a lot more of the same gray, damp, cold day. This weather is getting old. It was not freezing so I did ride. I wanted to ride the Three Twisted Sisters in the Hill Country. Those three roads are worth a trip to ride. Not a lot of pictures because it was so gray.

On my way to the Twisted Sisters I stopped at the boyhood home of LBJ and went by his ranch.



Then on to Fredericksburg. TX. It is a great town to visit. The homes are beautiful and so is the downtown. There are lots of good restaurant. This would be a great town to be a ride headquarters. You can even bring the wife and she would stay very busy in the town while you road.



There is an old fort, Fort Martin Scott just outside of town.



I'm always interested in local history. This was along one of the Twisted Sisters.



The feeling of the day. On a clear day this spot would be beautiful.



More history along the a Sister.



You never know what you will see in the hill country.



I stopped by Pedermales Falls. I wish the picture can do it justice. Note the black dots near the falls. Those are people.



Tomorrow, I may do a little riding around Austin. Tomorrow night is the KU TX BB GAME!!!!

Looking at the weather, I'm leaning towards renting a truck to get home. It does not look promising right now.

[katbeanz]

Supposedly Penske's trucks are usually in better condition and much cheaper that uhaul. You're not alone, an ADV rockies inmate is stuck in Amarillo on a fly-n-ride back to CO from GA with his new to him 990. He's getting a truck.

[troy]

Eddie, I don't know what the weather South of KC is like, but in KC right now, it's not as horrid as predicted. For my morning drive to work, I had 31 degrees, light slush (not ice) on neighborhood street, and just wet highway (not ice).

Basically--similar conditions to our 3 day ride a few weeks ago so it's weather I know you are geared up to ride. Of course Southern KS could be covered in ice--I wouldn't know.

What I don't like is you riding alone on deserted, back highways in very cold, possibly slick conditions.

Btw, if something happens to Eddie, I call dibs on the 1200. <-- inappropriate!

[ajayhawkfan]

Another wet rainy day in Austin, TX. I did a little riding between rain showers. I did not go far but saw a little history.

I went to the Texas State Cemetery. It was very interesting.

Here are 5 Medal of Honor Recipients resting together. I have never seen that many on one spot before.



Also in the Cemetery is the Grave of Confederate General Albert Sibley Johnston. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Sidney_Johnston



Also in the Cemetery is the Grave of Stephen F. Austin, The Father of Texas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_F._Austin



I'm giving up on my trip. I checked the weather between here and New Orleans and then home and it looks bad. The forecast shows rain and rain and possible freezing rain and snow. I rented a truck and am heading home tomorrow.

Tonight I'm going to the KU TX GAME!!!! Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU!!

[Hank Moody]

Eddie, I will be looking for you on TV! I think you made the right choice in renting the truck.

ROWYHO! Go Jayhawks!!!!!!!

[ajayhawkfan]

I made it home last night. It was a long day.

I rented from Enterprise. They were almost half U-Haul and Penske's price.

When Enterprise showed up they were in a cargo van. My bike did not fit in the back, too tall. They made a number of call and found a pick-up. They had no loading ramps or even a board to get my bike in the truck. I found a solution.





Even though the weather sucked I had a good time. The KU game was great and spending my birthday weekend with my daughter was a lot of fun. However, next year I may haul my bike down so I don't have to worry about the weather back home.

[troy]

...They had no loading ramps or even a board to get my bike in the truck. I found a solution.

That's using your noodle! Did they actually stick around to help you load it? Or did you walk your bike along the curb and over your cases by yourself? (I am ASSUMING you did not RIDE your bike into the pickup!)

Sorry the weather messed up your ride a bit. I know pounding the interstate home in that pickup was BORING AND LONG compared to exploring the minor highways on the motorcycle.

[ajayhawkfan]

They did help load the bike but would not help once it was in the bed.

The ride back was bad and the radio did not work in the truck making it even longer.

One the bright side, cutting my trip short a week will give me a week to ride later in the year.

[katbeanz]

They did help load the bike but would not help once it was in the bed.

The ride back was bad and the radio did not work in the truck making it even longer.

One the bright side, cutting my trip short a week will give me a week to ride later in the year.

Nice going, glad you made it home!

[Joe McBride]

Eddie, you are a mad man, in a good way. Welcome back.