Planning Thread: Austin to Big Bend, Texas

[Stichill]

One thing I enjoy doing in the winter off-season is ride planning. I think this year I've come up with a pretty nifty ride that I hope will be memorable. Three of my fellow Cheese Weasels and I are all set for a fly-n-rent to Austin, Texas. The general plan is to ride through the Texas Hill Country and the Three Twisted Sisters (TX 335/336/337), then strike for the Rio Grande and Big Bend National Park, looping north back to Austin.

We're renting through Eagle Rider Austin. You can rent any kind of bike you want, as long as it's a Harley. I'm getting a Fat Boy with bags and a windscreen and the other guys will be on Street Glides and Road Glides.

I've provided links to Google Maps but they may not display correctly depending on settings (usually I choose Avoid Highways except on the last leg there's a bit of slabbing).

If anyone is familiar with or has has ridden in any of these areas, travel tips and hints welcomed!

3/23 Day 1 Friday Ride
Cowboy Harley-Davidson of Austin to Luckenbach to Leakey
3h 18min 168 miles



3/23 Day 1 Friday Optional After-Dinner Ride
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/1Me2fpDbUWM2]Leakey to Camp Wood & back
56 min 42.6 miles



3/23 Day 1 Friday Lodging
[url=https://www.leakeyinn.com/2-full-cabins]The Historic Leakey Inn
“The Leakey Inn Caters to Motorcycles and Families. We understand how important it is to make sure our friends on bikes are taken care of after a long day riding the beautiful scenic routes. In 2016, we added an air station for tires, an ice machine and a laundry facility.”


3/24 Day 2 Saturday Ride
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/KuGDu7wfucS2]Leakey to Camp Wood via Twisted Sisters, to Del Rio to Marathon
5hr 41 min 326 miles


3/24 Day 2 Saturday Lodging
[url=http://www.marathonmotel.com]Marathon Motel & RV Park
Highway 90
PO Box 141
Marathon, Texas 79842


3/25 Day 3 Sunday Ride
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/tiKoFKtvzV52]Marathon to Big Bend and Study-Butte Terlingua
4hr 25min 184 miles



3/25 Day 3 Sunday Lodging
[url=http://www.bigbendresort.com/motor-inn-guest-rooms]Big Bend Motor Inn Store & Restaurant
53623 TX-118, Terlingua, TX 79852


3/26 Day 4 Monday Ride
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/x2ugavzsYo92]Study-Butte Terlingua to Presidio to Ozona
5h 30 min 325 miles



3/26 Day 4 Monday Lodging
[url=http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/texas/hampton-inn-ozona-OZAHXHX/index.html]Hampton Inn
816 14th Street
Ozona, Texas 76943


3/27 Day 5 Tuesday Ride
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/UqSHKKrTcLH2]Ozona to Fredericksburg to Cowboy Harley-Davidson of Austin
3hr 43min 232 miles

 

[emptysea]

Awesome, Stich! If it weren't so early in the season, I'd consider doing an Iron Butt ride down thataway and horn in on your festivities, but the end of March is too dicey...even for idiots like myself.

Looking forward to following your planning and implementation.

 

[the Ferret]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm officially jealous. Have not ridden the 3 sisters but they are on the list. Hope to get to them one of these days. Did ride north of them in 2014 on my way to California. Should have detoured and taken them in then. I think redbirds has ridden in that area several times.

 

[Stichill]

I'm looking forward to meeting you in person at the rally, Sea! Could be that we cook up a joint expedition for later this year or next.

Ferret, the part of this story that I forgot to mention: I had taken the family on vacation to San Antonio in 2010. One day we took the rental car west into the Hill Country in search of authentic Texas BBQ (found it at Two Fat Boys in Camp Wood). We ended up driving much of the Three Sisters before I knew they were a motorcycle "thing". However, something stirred deep in my soul and I found myself obsessing on the idea of learning to ride a motorcycle and coming back someday to ride these same roads through the pleasant hills and ranch country. Two years later (in 2012) I made the spousal announcement that I was getting a motorcycle, weathered the protests...and the rest, as they say, is history. I'm absolutely giddy that here I am, 8 years later, and I'm actually going to experience my formerly pipe-dream motorcycling fantasy!

 

[the Ferret]

Great story Stichill! Conrats on making it happen.

 

[redbirds_imp]

You're going to love this trip. Texas is my favorite place to ride and I've been on most of the roads you've mapped.

 

[suhawk305]

Enjoy living your dream and ride safely Stichill!

 

[redbirds_imp]

When near Fredericksburg, you may want to detour north to see Enchanted Rock and while in the area take the Willow City Loop, then over to Sisterdale for a wine tasting at Sister Creek Vinyard.

 

[Guth_imp]

It's been about fifteen years since I lived in Austin (and even longer since I last travelled to Big Bend), so chances are most of my recommendations would now be long outdated. I'm sure a number of folks local to that area will chime in with some good suggestions. I hope that you and your buddies enjoy a great trip!

 

[Frulk_imp]

Blanco, Tx is home to the Real Ale Brewery. 50th largest brewery in the US. Some cousins of a very good friend of mine own it. Worth the stop. They have a nice tasting room/bar and Blanco is a typical small hill country town. When I was last there they did not export outside of Texas.

 

[Stichill]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! redbirds and Frulk, I really appreciate your byway sightseeing tips...will definitely pad the itinerary with some of these stops!

 

[Blockhead_imp]

Really cool story Stichill! It’s great that you’re making it happen...

 

[Inhouse Bob]

I grew up in Houston and went to school in San Marcos. But I never really got out into the deep Hill Counrty. I really regret that. So take lots of photos to share at the rally. I look forward to meeting you there, Stich.

 

[junipash_imp]

This looks like a really fantastic trip. If weather allows it and you don't mind a bit of extra time on I-10, I would suggest going up through Ft. Davis to Balmorhea on the way back. There's the McDonald Observatory in Ft. Davis and the spring fed pools at Balmorhea State Park if it gets warm by late March.

If time doesn't allow for that, I would just suggest to make sure you go to the hot springs while in Big Bend. Really awesome spot to sit in a warm tub of water looking over the Rio Grande into Mexico. They're particularly nice around dusk and not too long of a drive from the Rio Grande Village campgrounds. I think there might even be a walking trail from there to the hot springs.

I've been out there several times by car and am about to get a CB1100 and get back into motorcycling so I hope I can make a trip like this soon as well! Ohhh I almost forgot... in Del Rio eat at Chinto's Super Taco. Excellent Tex-Mex!!! Hope you enjoy your time in my favorite state! : )

 

[Stichill]

You guys are getting me even more wound up than I already am! How much longer till we ride?!

Thanks for more great tips, junipash! We always like to take a dip in a swimming hole or hot springs so that's awesome...didn't know they had a hot springs at Big Bend and I hadn't even heard of the ones at Balmorhea State Park. That will be even better if temps are on the chilly side and we're looking to warm up with a nice soak!

I'm a fan of star gazing so the Observatory sounds like a worthwhile detour as well. The Del Rio tip for Chinto's Super Taco is perfect! I think we'll be needing lunch and gas when we roll through there.

Inhouse Bob I'm looking forward to meeting you and the other forum riders at the rally too!

 

[redbirds_imp]

When in Vanderpool don't miss this neat motorcycle museum. You can get lunch there also but check for days that it's open'
ดูหนังออนไลน์

Davis Mountains scenic loop is another treat.
https://fortdavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/scenic-loop-map.pdf

 

[Stichill]

Here are links to some of the sights you guys have offered that I'm putting into the itinerary:

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

[url=https://goo.gl/maps/xC7KBbWXfNp]Willow City Loop

[url=http://www.lonestarmotorcyclemuseum.com]Lone Star Cycle Museum
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/rbpLeTdoucy]Vanderpool, TX

[url=https://fortdavis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/scenic-loop-map.pdf]Davis Mountains Scenic Loop
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/uvi41Rmr8M12]Ft. Davis, TX

Thanks, redbirds!

=======================

[url=https://realalebrewing.com/brewery/tap-room-tours/]Real Ale Brewing Company (50th largest brewery in the US)
Blanco, TX

Thanks, Frulk!

=======================

[url=https://goo.gl/maps/sLdvprFFGyL2]McDonald Observatory
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/uvi41Rmr8M12]Ft. Davis, TX

[url=https://goo.gl/maps/gkr5Z5jZGnG2]Balmorhea State Park
San Solomon Spring swimming pool

Thanks, junipash!

 

[Stichill]

Summary of travel tips going into the itinerary, continued:

Big Bend Hot Spring @ [url=https://goo.gl/maps/JRvwzpnkaQN2]Hot Springs Historic Trail

[url=https://www.facebook.com/Chintos-Mexican-Restaurant-120201841462941/]Chinto's Super Taco
[url=https://goo.gl/maps/Tb5TcFVsd9o]Del Rio, TX

Thanks, junipash!

 

[Stichill]

Weather's looking to be ideal now that it's starting to appear on the 10-day Weatherbug forecast for Austin, Texas.



Here's the [url=https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kvtg3m9KkzgZ712FoZDnRyADQgRyJjHk&usp=sharing]ride plan as it now stands.



Man I'm ready to :biker: !! Weather's been unseasonably cold here with surprise black ice and fiercely blowing snow flurries. I got a taste of the weather to come when I was in Gudalajara, Tequila, and Querétaro México on business last week. Absolutely delightful temperatures under sunny skies all week.

 

[Cormanus]

Mexico and Tequila look just lovely.

So does the ride plan.