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Day 2 - Saturday 24 March 2018 - Marathon

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, we kept rolling west along US 90 past Sanderson, bound for Marathon.



Finally we came across a welcome sight and pulled into the compound.







I'd made pre-paid reservations, so it was quick in and out of the office to retrieve the room keys.



We found our rooms, two of them side-by-side in a little cabin. Having been built in the 1940s, the cabins were very nostalgic, even still having their original crank-out metal casement windows.





We found a sunny courtyard and garden in the middle of the facility.





And soon the bourbon was flowing over ice.



We got hungry soon enough and made reservations at what looked to be a fairly fancy restaurant back in town. The time to start walking arrived quickly and we headed back up the road to Marathon's thriving little downtown.


We passed a telescope in a shed that's owned by the motel. Sadly, this night would prove to be too overcast for us to enjoy the dark desert skies.






Due to its location relatively close to Big Bend National Park, during the high season Marathon attracts a fairly wealthy class of visitors. There's a coffee bar, at least one art gallery, and the boutique [url=http://gagehotel.com]Gage Hotel, restaurant, and bar. To be sure, a much higher level of amenities than we'd expected!



















After enjoying our delicious meal prepared exquisitely by the hotel's chef, we walked to a local grocery store for supplies like water. I also found a baseball-style sunhat with a neck-protecting flap out back. I bought it as it was starting to dawn on me that the sun was fierce and I've been a cave dweller all winter.

After going to the store, we headed back to the [url=http://gagehotel.com/dining/white-buffalo-bar/]hotel bar for a nightcap.



It was after dark when we headed back to the Marathon Motel, its neon beacon guiding us back along the pitch-black highway.



We repaired to the courtyard patio once again, where we were treated by a guitar and harmonica duo playing and singing soulful tunes in the dimly lit environs. Soon the exertions of the day weighed heavily on us and we wandered back to our cabin and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

re: that sign.... Was 336 that dangerous?

(03-30-2018, 09:23 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]re: that sign.... Was 336 that dangerous?

No, not at all. It was no more dangerous than your average twisty road in Kentucky. I would speculate that the deaths involved:
[ul] [li]Higher-than-average number of motorcycle-miles than most roads[/li] [li]Flatlanders unaccustomed to curvy roads[/li] [li]Speed[/li] [li]Alcohol[/li] [li]Fatigue[/li] [li]Passengers[/li] [li]No helmet[/li] [li]Darkness
[/li][/ul]
There was a similar sign heading into the hills as we went west on 337, listing (13) motorcycle deaths.

Wow that's some carnage for 2 little roads out in the middle of nowhere.

Also... First pic under the 12 ga sign... Is that a bacon wrapped filet with onion straws on top of a pile of mashed potatoes?

(03-30-2018, 10:12 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Wow that's some carnage for 2 little roads out in the middle of nowhere.

Also... First pic under the 12 ga sign... Is that a bacon wrapped filet with onion straws on top of a pile of mashed potatoes?

This is a guy who used to frequent my CBR250R forum, running his 250 on 337 east from Leakey (pronounced "Lake-ee") to Vanderpool. You can see how things can go pear-shaped at these speeds, even though the radii aren't that tight.

(03-30-2018, 10:12 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Wow that's some carnage for 2 little roads out in the middle of nowhere.

Also... First pic under the 12 ga sign... Is that a bacon wrapped filet with onion straws on top of a pile of mashed potatoes?

Yep! Not my order though; I had the roasted half chicken.

Day 03 - Sunday 24 March 2018 - Marathon to Big Bend

Daylight broke about 7:30am local time. We got packed up and headed into town for a hearty breakfast before turning south toward Big Bend National Park.







The Oasis cafe was bright, clean, friendly, and fast. I had a Mexican breakfast of tortillas, eggs, cheese, beans, and green tomatillo sauce.

We were soon on our way to Big Bend and the scenery grew more spectacular by the mile.










This is what we had been waiting for, and the reason we came to Texas.

Spectacular scenery. Never seen anything like that in Texas. Where's all the cactus? lol

Absolutely awesome! I am enjoying (with envy) reading your trip report. Thanks for sharing.

Stichill,
What a great reportage = backed by awesome pictures/scenario, especially day 2 & 3..
It really took me inside of your ride
Thanks for sharing while I am still waiting for riding weather
You guys made all Canadian fellas jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



pb

Beautiful photos! I do like wide open desert riding.