BLUE BONNET TRIP APRIL 2017
Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:47 am
PART I
I'm back and no less for the wear and tear of 1,365 miles in four days would bring........It was for me a great trip...one that I haven't made in a while....been on a few overnighters but no multiple days on the road trip...
18 folks and 14 bikes....12 Harleys ( one trike) and 2 Goldwings...not a hint of trouble from any of the bikes..
DAY ONE 400 MILES
DAY TWO 315 MILES
DAY THREE 335 MILES
DAY FOUR AND HOME 315 MILES
341 MILES PER DAY
AVERAGE PRICE OF FUEL....$2.49.9
I used 31.62 gallons of fuel which averaged out to 43.1 mpg
For some odd reason I was getting better gas mileage in the hills than I do on flat country
It was explained to me that we ride much faster on flat ground then in the hilly stuff [emoji106]
........I've learned several lessons from this trip
1. 400 miles the first day sort of pooped me out for the next three days riding....getting old sucks...I was the eldest of the group at 73 and it showed.......along with my blood sugar levels looking like a roller coaster ride ( every time I interrupt my normal eating habits ) and leg cramps that would stop a kangaroo in a heartbeat made for a somewhat difficult four days for me...like I said this old shit is for the birds .........But I did hang with the rest of 'em.....and didn't complain or whine [emoji106]
In the future I will take this into consideration...
I was invited on this ride so I either hung with the group or dropped out.....That was the first order of business that the group discussed before we made one mile...other than bike trouble there wasn't going to be any slowing down for slower riders...and we didn't
2. Early April in the Hill Country is still quite a bit chilly in the first few hours of daylight.....the sun shone for two and a half days..Thursday and Friday and half a day Sunday afternoon were really nice (except the low 50 temps in the am ) Saturday was overcast and cool throughout the day with temps not getting out of the high 60's .....and the wind was atrocious....we woke up every morning with 25 mph winds coming out of the west / southwest.....and wind gusts in the 35 to 40 mph range........it was a battle to keep the bike upright in the flat areas and the hill tops were horrible.....My neck suffered the most damage and although I went without a helmet a few times it still didn't help out all that much.....
3. Ride organizer blocked so many rooms each night so the choice of where we would be staying was decided before hand,,, the rooms were a tad bit expensive but I have to admit all three of the rooms were excellent and the beds were really comfortable..my old back was appreciative of that for sure.....Usually I'm taking some sort of pain medication on extended bike trips but this time not so much.....and that was a blessing..
4. I rode tail gunner for the entire ride...since I knew all the roads that we were going to travel and I like it back there.....no chance of being run into or over ... except for cagers...and for the most part they didn't tail gate us very much which was another blessing.. Laying back about 100 yards off the main group I could set my cruise control on the agreed upon speeds ( which was the posted speed limit plus 5 mph ) ...I'd catch up and then fall back but only every once and a while I'd have to disconnect my cruise....
One rider .. dropped her bike in a parking lot when her Street Glide died in 3rd gear..rider error...
I was run off the road way on hwy 337 in the twisties...woman came out of an inside turn (outside for me ) and was hogging half of my lane...lucky for me I had an exit unto the narrow shoulder laced with shell and dust......experience kicked in and I glided to a stop but wondered if I would have to throw away my underwear that night
Another rider ( Harley Trike ) almost ran into another woman at an intersection when she abruptly took a left turn right in front of him..close call ...matter of inches between his right rear bumper and her left rear bumper...thought for sure he was done for.
First days ride was 400 miles to Fredericksburg, Texas and we covered that in 9 hours averaging 44 mph ....several fuel stops and lunch in Conroe, Texas at the Kountry Katfish Kitchen....75 to 115 miles per leg... Going through Austin texas we thought we would run into heavy traffic but for just a couple of accidents along the way we zipped right through
Lunch in Conroe
Second days ride was a mixture of fuel stops and visits..One particular visit one was to a Catholic church in Marble Falls..
St. Paul the Apostle church overlooking the Colorado River.....( 116 Dalton Cir, Horseshoe Bay, TX, 78657 if you want to google it )
Morning prayer before Friday's ride... and going over the route for that day
WILLOW CITY LOOP....Plenty of Blue Bonnets and real nice country side setting for 27 miles....
Only warm bloodied animal encountered for 27 miles [emoji106]
St Paul the Apostle Catholic church..Horseshoe Bay, marble Falls, Texas
Most Views are from inside the church
Inside the church
The group at the church...why am I not in the pics LOL
]
Lunch Friday...this place really serves some excellent food......the Blue Bonnet cafe was over flowing so we passed and found this place instead...
Later on that day we stopped at a nursery...flowers everywhere I remember seeing this place many years ago when it was a small Mom and Pop operation... it's grown into a really prosperous business in the last 12 years...
I finally made the big time....
Yours Truly texting Mama back home.....
Luckenbach...couldn't pass up at least one cool one [emoji106]
resident feline......she owned the place.....and she fell for my charm..she actually climbed up on my shoulders ..several people took some pics of her there...gave them my email addy but haven't received them yet..
INN OF THE HILLS MOTEL KERRVILLE TEXAS FRIDAY EVENING
There was a Rolls Royce and Bentley gathering in Kerrville...some really classic auto's there...
We were surrounded by millions of bucks [emoji106]
Part Two to follow tonight some time ...but first I have some honey do's to catch up on before.. [emoji106]
I'm back and no less for the wear and tear of 1,365 miles in four days would bring........It was for me a great trip...one that I haven't made in a while....been on a few overnighters but no multiple days on the road trip...
18 folks and 14 bikes....12 Harleys ( one trike) and 2 Goldwings...not a hint of trouble from any of the bikes..
DAY ONE 400 MILES
DAY TWO 315 MILES
DAY THREE 335 MILES
DAY FOUR AND HOME 315 MILES
341 MILES PER DAY
AVERAGE PRICE OF FUEL....$2.49.9
I used 31.62 gallons of fuel which averaged out to 43.1 mpg
For some odd reason I was getting better gas mileage in the hills than I do on flat country
It was explained to me that we ride much faster on flat ground then in the hilly stuff [emoji106]
........I've learned several lessons from this trip
1. 400 miles the first day sort of pooped me out for the next three days riding....getting old sucks...I was the eldest of the group at 73 and it showed.......along with my blood sugar levels looking like a roller coaster ride ( every time I interrupt my normal eating habits ) and leg cramps that would stop a kangaroo in a heartbeat made for a somewhat difficult four days for me...like I said this old shit is for the birds .........But I did hang with the rest of 'em.....and didn't complain or whine [emoji106]
In the future I will take this into consideration...
I was invited on this ride so I either hung with the group or dropped out.....That was the first order of business that the group discussed before we made one mile...other than bike trouble there wasn't going to be any slowing down for slower riders...and we didn't
2. Early April in the Hill Country is still quite a bit chilly in the first few hours of daylight.....the sun shone for two and a half days..Thursday and Friday and half a day Sunday afternoon were really nice (except the low 50 temps in the am ) Saturday was overcast and cool throughout the day with temps not getting out of the high 60's .....and the wind was atrocious....we woke up every morning with 25 mph winds coming out of the west / southwest.....and wind gusts in the 35 to 40 mph range........it was a battle to keep the bike upright in the flat areas and the hill tops were horrible.....My neck suffered the most damage and although I went without a helmet a few times it still didn't help out all that much.....
3. Ride organizer blocked so many rooms each night so the choice of where we would be staying was decided before hand,,, the rooms were a tad bit expensive but I have to admit all three of the rooms were excellent and the beds were really comfortable..my old back was appreciative of that for sure.....Usually I'm taking some sort of pain medication on extended bike trips but this time not so much.....and that was a blessing..
4. I rode tail gunner for the entire ride...since I knew all the roads that we were going to travel and I like it back there.....no chance of being run into or over ... except for cagers...and for the most part they didn't tail gate us very much which was another blessing.. Laying back about 100 yards off the main group I could set my cruise control on the agreed upon speeds ( which was the posted speed limit plus 5 mph ) ...I'd catch up and then fall back but only every once and a while I'd have to disconnect my cruise....
One rider .. dropped her bike in a parking lot when her Street Glide died in 3rd gear..rider error...
I was run off the road way on hwy 337 in the twisties...woman came out of an inside turn (outside for me ) and was hogging half of my lane...lucky for me I had an exit unto the narrow shoulder laced with shell and dust......experience kicked in and I glided to a stop but wondered if I would have to throw away my underwear that night
Another rider ( Harley Trike ) almost ran into another woman at an intersection when she abruptly took a left turn right in front of him..close call ...matter of inches between his right rear bumper and her left rear bumper...thought for sure he was done for.
First days ride was 400 miles to Fredericksburg, Texas and we covered that in 9 hours averaging 44 mph ....several fuel stops and lunch in Conroe, Texas at the Kountry Katfish Kitchen....75 to 115 miles per leg... Going through Austin texas we thought we would run into heavy traffic but for just a couple of accidents along the way we zipped right through
Lunch in Conroe
Second days ride was a mixture of fuel stops and visits..One particular visit one was to a Catholic church in Marble Falls..
St. Paul the Apostle church overlooking the Colorado River.....( 116 Dalton Cir, Horseshoe Bay, TX, 78657 if you want to google it )
Morning prayer before Friday's ride... and going over the route for that day
WILLOW CITY LOOP....Plenty of Blue Bonnets and real nice country side setting for 27 miles....
Only warm bloodied animal encountered for 27 miles [emoji106]
St Paul the Apostle Catholic church..Horseshoe Bay, marble Falls, Texas
Most Views are from inside the church
Inside the church
The group at the church...why am I not in the pics LOL
]
Lunch Friday...this place really serves some excellent food......the Blue Bonnet cafe was over flowing so we passed and found this place instead...
Later on that day we stopped at a nursery...flowers everywhere I remember seeing this place many years ago when it was a small Mom and Pop operation... it's grown into a really prosperous business in the last 12 years...
I finally made the big time....
Yours Truly texting Mama back home.....
Luckenbach...couldn't pass up at least one cool one [emoji106]
resident feline......she owned the place.....and she fell for my charm..she actually climbed up on my shoulders ..several people took some pics of her there...gave them my email addy but haven't received them yet..
INN OF THE HILLS MOTEL KERRVILLE TEXAS FRIDAY EVENING
There was a Rolls Royce and Bentley gathering in Kerrville...some really classic auto's there...
We were surrounded by millions of bucks [emoji106]
Part Two to follow tonight some time ...but first I have some honey do's to catch up on before.. [emoji106]