Texas

A collection of 51 posts

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Texas FM 170

> There are plenty of excellent roads in Texas. The Three Sisters in Hill Country, ocean-view routes by the coast, and rides along the Arkansas and Louisiana borders are all great. But the one that should always be in the same conversation is the farm-to-market road FM 170 from Presidio

Mar/Apr '22 Premium Content

A Big Motorcycle Ride in Texas

Texas is big, loud, and brash, and there are so many things to like about riding here. For one, the vast state has plenty of great roads. The people are warm and inviting. There’s always something interesting, unique, or downright strange to see along the way. And even though

Nov/Dec '20 Premium Content

Texas Hill Country: A Land of Simple Majesty

I moved to North Texas from the Midwest more than two years ago. Not having explored the state much, tales of the roads around Texas Hill Country, west of Austin, had long intrigued me. Not being a fan of solo overnight expeditions, I received the perfect opportunity to explore that

Nov/Dec '19 Premium Content

Natchitoches, LA Shamrock Tour®: The Heart of Creole Country

Founded in 1714 on the banks of what was then the Red River, Natchitoches, LA, is named after a Native American tribe that lived in the area. It is the oldest European settlement of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase territory. People flocked to the area, but eventually the river changed course,

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

Fredericksburg, Texas Shamrock Tour®: The Hill Country Flood!

“Idon’t think we should try it,” my wife suggests as she cautiously wades through the rapids. We are communicating through our Sena 30K headsets over the incessant rush of a river overflowing its banks. I am sitting astraddle my 2018 BMW R 1200 GS Rallye. Susan is scoping out

Sep/Oct '18

City Escape: Dallas/Fort Worth

> This is an entertaining and varied loop located due west of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. Dotted with interesting towns and land features, it also offers a sampling of several different road types from straights to sweeping curves and even a few hairpins. The ride can be enjoyed

Jan/Feb '18

City Escape: El Paso, Texas

> Wineries, missiles, and views—this loop north of El Paso is a great mix for a short getaway. This city escape begins with a ride through a peaceful wine and agricultural region. It then tracks through a small portion of the fascinating White Sands Missile Range (ID and appropriate

Nov/Dec '16

City Escape: Austin, Texas

> Our second largest state (behind Alaska) isn’t well known for its motorcycling roads, but small areas like the Hill Country are hidden gems to explore. As the most liberal and artsy city in Texas, Austin also offers a lively community and some of the best barbeque in the

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Oklahoma and Texas: The Comanche Trail

A single dust plume trails behind us like an earthbound jet stream. Narrow leaving the rear tire, it eventually fills our mirrors as I glance back at Susan, riding pillion on our BMW R 1200 GS Adventure. We’ve covered hundreds of miles of dirt here in this vast emptiness,

Nov/Dec '15 Premium Content

Jefferson, Texas Shamrock Tour®: Bayou Chiefs

It is 1901. Dirt roads are evolving from indian trails and wagon routes to connect a country in the midst of a technological revolution. George M. Hendee and Carl Hedstrom have just completed their first 1.75-horsepower prototype of the Indian Motorcycle in Springfield, MA. More than 114 years later,

Classic Roads Premium Content

Route 66 West: Riding the Mother Road

Today, when people think about Route 66, they see visions of dramatic expanses of southwestern desert and the adventure of exploring the wide-open country. At its peak, the stretch of 66 through New Mexico, Arizona, and California was a bustling highway as Americans moved west to seek their fortunes. Then

Classic Roads Premium Content

Route 66 East: America’s Main Street

More than any other stretch of pavement, Route 66 imprinted the open road into the American psyche and helped shape the cultural fabric of the nation as the automobile came of age. The historic route can trace its origins back to 1857 when the Army Corps of Engineers began work

Jul/Aug '15

City Escape: Austin, Texas

> More sweepers than tight curves—explore the countryside southwest of Austin, which will appeal to every type of motorcyclist. From President LBJ’s ranch to German culinary delights, this route has it all. To include all stops along the way, plan ahead and hit the road early in the

Mar/Apr '14 Premium Content

Big Bend, Texas: Into the Great Wide Open

We wake to sunny skies, a forecast in the mid-70s, and our bikes are ready to go. As I pull on my boots, my pulse quickens. I sense that this is going to be a great day for riding. Stepping outside, I find it hard to believe that it’s

Nov/Dec '13

City Escape: Austin, Texas

> A romp through the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country. Tall, rugged hills with thin layers of soil on top of limestone or granite rock make for a scenic backroad excursion through a western movie-set landscape. Length Approximately 226 miles Meet-up spot Starbucks, 12400 SR 71, Austin, TX. Lunch

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

Texas: Hill Country

Few would deny that digging into the ground of the 28th state would yield anything less than red, white, and blue dirt, so rolling into this part of the country on anything other than a Harley can feel a little like going to a cross-stitch party without any needles. That

Nov/Dec '12 Premium Content

Reader Ride – Texas: Palo Duro Loop, The “Other” Grand Canyon

You can ride the rim of the Grand Canyon, but you can’t take your motorcycle down to the bottom. Want to get the “feel” of a canyon without taking a donkey ride? Visit Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, America’s “other” Grand Canyon! At 120 miles long, 600 to

Sep/Oct '10 Premium Content

East Texas

And left my self-respect, on down the road I guess. And they won't catch me. I planned my getaway. And things are lookin' great 'cause it's a one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight..."Longneck"by The Von Ehrics* The raucous vocals and jackhammer drum lines of Texas

Nov/Dec '08 Premium Content

Easy Ridin' in East Texas

Despite its legends, colorful history and, most importantly, its scenic byways, this area remains largely unknown to riders outside of the Lone Star State. But the green hills of East Texas have piqued my touring interest for years. And now, with a stretch of four days carved out, my chance

Sep/Oct '07 Premium Content

Along the Trans-America Trail

When we landed this assignment, I couldn't have told you why taking a trip across America on the "worst" possible roads sounded so appealing. Maybe it's because off-road riding doesn't even exist back home, in densely populated Germany. Or perhaps it'

May/Jun '07 Premium Content

Texas: Wandering the Wide Open Spaces

As I spur the big Heritage Softail® west out of Abilene, the light mid-morning traffic allows me to take an earnest survey of the immensity unfolding in every direction. Only smatterings of manmade structures and distant clumps of trees mar a limitless horizon that wouldn't budge the bubble

May/Jun '06 Premium Content

Shamrock Tour® - Austin, Texas

It must be after one o'clock. I can tell because the hunger pangs are starting to hit with a consistency matched only by the Heritage Softail's staccato, V-twin thump ricocheting off the warm Texas asphalt. According to a friendly reader I met at the Fort Worth

Jan/Feb '04 Premium Content

Western Louisiana/East Texas

Late in March RoadRUNNER sent me south to the Sabine River Delta around Lake Charles, Louisiana, and on into East Texas to explore four National Forests and the Gulf Coast. That sounded like a top-notch trip. But from studying the map, it appeared the trip might include too many entrance-ramp

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Riding Along Route 66

You may know how it is. You're sitting through a long, cold winter evening beside the fireplace and dreaming about tours while the bike hibernates in the garage. Years ago I was in this situation. The fire crackled and Pink Floyd played in my headphones while I read

Winter '02 Premium Content

Southwest Texas

This land is beautiful and cruel. Cacti and creosote dot the ground and bloom from the road's edge to the far horizon. Long, sharp spines flare from the waxy stems, ready to draw blood. So far, fighting wind, rain, and heat on US 90, we aren't