Ready to Ride…Texas Tour of Honor 2013

It’s official; I received my Iron Butt Association Saddlesore 1000 certificate this past weekend from the certification ride I completed in May. I’m now a member of the Iron Butt Association (IBA), member number 56055. I know it’s just a certificate, but I’m proud of the accomplishment. Not everyone is bold enough (okay, maybe crazy enough) to attempt to ride a motorcycle 1000 miles in under 24 hours. I can say, it wasn’t overly difficult but I did have to pace myself…especially in the 106-degree heat in West Texas. I believe if you’re truly determined to stay in the saddle mile after mile, in fair shape, and don’t have any underlying medical issues; anyone can safely cover the distance in the allotted time. The thing is, most just don’t have the desire and/or determination.

Ever since completing the Saddlesore 1000 with Hoagy’s Heroes I’ve been thinking about what to do for my next Iron Butt challenge. I can happily report that I’ve figured it out. I’m going to attempt a Tour of Honor Extreme Bun Burner. Riding 1500 miles in 36 hours or less is a challenge in and of itself, but I’m going to add to the challenge by completing it while visiting the 7 designated 2013 Tour of Honor memorials and monuments in the State of Texas. During the ride, I’ll visit sites located as far East as Galveston and as far West as El Paso. It should be a wild ride.

The Tour of Honor is self-directed and runs from 1 April thru 31 October 2013 with memorials and monuments designated in all 50 States and Canada. This year, $10 of the $75 entrance fee will go to the Wounded Warrior project…the rest covers a Rally Flag, T-Shirt, and a commemorative pin and completion certificate (provided you visit 7 or more sites). I haven’t picked an exact date to start but have established my route and departure time. I’ll be starting at 4:30 a.m on a Friday and completing the ride on a Saturday afternoon. With a little luck, this schedule should allow me to visit sites with specific operating hours during regular business hours.

My ride plan includes all 7 designed sites in Texas. I’ll visit each of them, take a photo with my bike and rally flag, and be on my way. In order to cover the 1500+ miles in under 36 hours I won’t have a lot of time to stay in one place…but I do have a 6 hour rest period planned. Here’s my planned route: 

          1. Home 
          2. Camp Hulen Historical Marker, Palacios, TX 
          3. USS Cavalla SSK-244, Galveston, TX 
          4. Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Tyler, TX 
          5. U.S. Veterans Museum, Granbury, TX 
          6. Cedar Park County Veterans Memorial, Cedar Park, TX 
          7. Six Hour Rest Stop, San Angelo, TX 
          8. Andrews County Veterans Memorial, Andrews, TX 
          9. National Border Patrol Museum, El Paso, TX

Of course, I’ll still have a big ride ahead of me (500+ miles) after I reach El Paso but I won’t be under any time pressure to get home so I’ll probably take a day or two to get back. Safety will be my primary concern, so I won’t break any traffic laws and will always pull over and rest when I’m too tired to ride. 

I’m getting excited just thinking about the trip. Watch for an update once I’ve selected a definitive date to start and then a complete ride report once I’ve completed the ride. Until then…Live Free and Ride Hard!

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For more info click on the links:

Iron Butt Association (IBA) 
Tour of Honor