Twisted Sisters or Curvy Cousins…They’re Both Fun To Ride

I rode 450 miles this past weekend across the Texas Hill Country and into the Panhandle Plains.  I was traveling from San Antonio to San Angelo to spend Father’s Day weekend with my wife, daughter, and two grand-daughters.  My main goal was to make the trip as quickly as possible while soaking up the sights, sounds, and smells along the way.  A secondary goal was to test the photo function in BubblerGPS Pro. I’m happy to report I met both goals and had a wonderful Father’s Day in the process.

I left work a little early on Friday to try and beat some of the traffic out of San Antonio.  I got home, checked the weather forecast, loaded the bike, and checked the forecast again.  It had looked like rain all day and the weather radar showed what seemed to be a large front with rain moving slowly to the northwest.  I was a little concerned about running into a downpour but decided to make a run for it…I packed my rain gear just in case.

The skies started to spit rain just before I made it to Llano. I stopped for gas and wondered if I should put my rain gear on but decided against it.  It was “raining” enough to get my bike dirty but not enough for me to feel wet…moving through the warm Texas air at 70+ mph kept me dry.  I was enjoying the ride, just listening to tunes

and eating-up the miles.  Ranch Road 962 and State HWY 71 proved to be great motorcycle roads. Granted, they’re not the Twisted Sisters but they have some elevation changes and sweeping curves and you can definitely roll back on the throttle.  They were fun. I guess most roads in the Hill Country are related to the Sisters—curvy cousins maybe.

The one drawback to riding the back roads of Texas or maybe any back road is…bugs.  I don’t know how folks ride without a full-face helmet or at least a full-face shield.  Who knows how many bugs I would've eaten if not for my helmet? Just before I reached Texas Highway 87 I felt and heard a large “POP” on the right side of my head.  I thought to myself, “that didn't sound good” and at that exact moment I noticed the most terrible stench I think I’ve ever smelled.  I know why they call them “stink” bugs.  That awful smell (imagine 100 rotting corpses) lingered for several miles until it started to sprinkle again.  I’m not sure I know of a time I was more thankful for a little rain.

Having successfully ridden through the stink, I decided to reward myself with a stop at Dairy Queen in Brady, Texas.  I ordered and quickly ate a large ice cream cone.  DQ soft serve is one of my favorites and on a warm day it’s hard to beat. I rarely say “no” to a DQ cone…just ask my wife.   After finishing my ice cream and ensuring there were no lingering parts of “stinky” on my helmet, I mounted-up and made my final push for San Angelo. 

The last 80 or so miles were uneventful…just nice riding.  US HWY 87 from Brady to San Angelo is relatively flat and straight.  Lots of farm and ranch land.  I looked to the heavens as I rode and was impressed by the way the late afternoon sun was dancing through the clouds.  It was overcast and a bit gloomy but I could see bright rays of light shining through to the ground.  It was almost as if God were saying “you’re almost there…I’ll show you the way”.  It was peaceful.  As I turned off HWY 87 onto Loop 306 I stopped to capture a photo knowing full well it would never do justice to the splendor before me. I arrived at my daughter’s house just a little before 8:00 p.m. knowing I was truly a blessed man.

More to come on my return ride...

Views From The Saddle...Going To San Angelo, TX

You can check-out my route as well as see the photos I captured with BubblerGPS Pro by clicking here.