Hill Country Trip Spring 2010 day 2

Since I needed to be in downtown San Antonio this evening for the beginning of a conference, I thought I'd be a little rushed in trying to get a good ride in today. Thankfully, staying in Kerrville, makes it an easy springboard to some great options.

After a less than completely restful night, I was packed and loaded by 7:30 and was on my way by about 7:45. Though still a little cool, the day looked like it would warm up nicely.

From the front of the hotel:



From Kerrville I headed west toward Hunt, TX where I caught 39 towards Leakey. The great part about 39 is that it repeatedly crosses over the river giving ample opportunity for some great pictures.









When I got to 83 for the final leg to Leakey, I found some road construction underway. Though I appreciate road improvements where needed, I hope they don't make it hard to enjoy the scenic beauty in the area.








Once I got to Leakey, I stopped for coffee and the company of chickens.




From there I proceeded west on 337 towards Medina.

Video of part of that ride:


Pics.









The best applie pie in Texas:


A self portrait in front of the Bandera courthouse:



From here I pretty much booked it to San Antonio to the beginning of the Oracle conference that brought me to the area in the first place.

Hill Country Trip Spring 2010

I finally got started on that Spring trip to the Texas Hill Country. The weather just wasn't cooperating yesterday so I didn't get out until about 6:45 this morning. I gave my sleeping little girls a kiss goodbye, gave my wife a hug and a kiss goodbye as well then rolled out into 34 degree temps. My first planned stop was Granbury, TX for gasoline. I kept watching the air temp guage hoping to see it climb north. It crawled up a little and then proceed do drop to about 30 about halfway between Benbrook and Granbury.

Granbury, TX
It took me a little over an hour to get to Granbury where I found a crazy blanket of fog. Maybe the lake does that kind of thing?
Here are a few pics from the gas station:







Bluff Dale, TX
After topping off the tank I continued west on 377 to Bluff Dale. It's a quiet little blip in the road that has signs of at some point having had a neat little mainstreet. I often wonder if little towns like this might be able to revitalize these areas one day.
A few pics from that stop:








Hico, TX
From Bluff Dale, I caught FM 2481 south toward Hico. I rarely go that far west before heading south but 2481 is a nice piece of asphalt. In Hico, I made a quick detour down its quaint old main street to snap pictures before heading to the Koffee Kup for some breakfast. It's hard to believe I got out of there without eating a piece of pie, but my short stack of pancakes was a monster breakfast. If you ever stop in the Koffee Kup, take some time to check out the fantastic pictures on the walls from the early 1900's. It was a great stop that got the chill out of my bones. By the time I headed out, temps were in the 60's and the sun was shining from a beautiful blue Texas sky.












Hamilton, TX
I hopped on 281 South in Hico and had an easy ride down to Hamilton another great town with lots of history. I didn't want to delay too much but I did swing around to get some shots of the courthouse.











Burnett, TX
From Hamilton I got back on the road and continued south on 281 to Burnett where I caught 29 East to Bertram. The night before heading out, I had been looking at my maps when I noticed an FM road, 1174, that went south from Bertram through the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. With a name like that, I had to make the detour. I didn't stop to get any pictures but I did get some video that hopefully does a good job of showing how great that little side trip turned out. From FM 1174 I caught RR 1431 West back to 281.

Quick courthouse photos from Lampasas:








Marble Falls, TX
This really is a great community. It's starting to feel a little crowded, but its located in such a great location that I'm not surprised. I stopped to catch a break and get a cup of coffee at a Starbucks on the way out of town located on a rise that provided a great view back at town so I snapped a few pictures from there before getting back on the road.




Blanco, TX
I know it's starting to sound like all I do is stop and take pictures, but I set out with intention of taking my time and enjoying the ride. In Blanco, I stopped to get some lunch at a Dairy Queen :) I know, I know... Dairy Queen. Sometimes you just got get your fix. Before getting back on the road, I took some more pictures and then headed out on FM 1623.









Luckenbach, TX
So in Blanco I looked at my maps and out jumped Luckenbach. Not only did I decide I had to swing through, I couldn't stop singing the song for the next 30 minutes. Anyway, I stopped in Luckenbach, got some great video and pictures. Once I headed out, I pulled over before Luckenbach on FM 1888 to get some pictures of the crystal clear Blanco river.













Fredericksburg/Kerrville, TX
Every time I roll through Fredericksburg on a sunny day, I see tourists everywhere and today was no exception. I couldn't help but think of some of the towns I had passed earlier in the day that would benefit from having even a 10th of the tourism you see in Fredericksburg. I got some video footage I'll post later that shows the sidewalks full of people. From there I caught 16 down to Kerrville where I checked into the Hampton Inn. After unloading I headed out for a bite to eat and then went to my favorite Starbucks in this part of the state. It's got a great view of the Guadalupe River. After a cup of coffee and some time to enjoy the sunset, I got on the bike and headed back to the hotel to call it a night.












Total miles for today: 340.