hill country bmw riders RR

[eric2]

Met these folks after a buddy recommended them. Only
problem, they ride at 0730 Saturday morning. Feh, but i
steeled myself and got to bed early Friday. Geez
the cruisers in Austin never get up this early; they
ride pretty slow too

I got there about 7 and there were about 20
bikes. The weather was great and the group
friendly. Didn't know a soul. I spotted about
8 bmws there

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604636-L.jpg

On the road before sun-up. What a concept.

We all departed in an orderly fashion and stayed
that way for about 5 minutes until a couple beemers
passed me in the left lane. I figured this was the fast
group so i joined right in. :groovy

The guys set a nice pace and our breakaway
group arrived in Blanco half an hour and 40
miles later. I was relieved after seeing most
were equipped with radar detectors

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604579-L.jpg

The omelette was tasty and the company enjoyable. A
cold front came through while we ate and shifted the
winds but it remained warm.

Blanco courthouse

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604571-L.jpg


Most everyone took off except for the guy
leading the fast group, so we decided to do the willow
city loop north of Fredericksburg

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604585-L.jpg

The wind was howling by now, but the traffic on
the loop sparse. No flowers to fawn over this time of
year.

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604605-L.jpg

So we fawned over the bikes instead

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604612-L.jpg

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604611-L.jpg

Spotted a GM concept car

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604618-L.jpg

I got to lead for a while. The GS sucks up the cattle
guards well

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604649-L.jpg

See? I can lead

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604627-L.jpg

But this was a better pic

http://eric2.smugmug.com/photos/14604608-L.jpg

I'm gonna have to start getting up early saturday.
By the time I made it home it was 2 pm, and got
the weekend off to a good start because it only got up
to 45 the next day. I guess some electric
clothes are in order too. :burnout

rest of the pics here (http://eric2.smugmug.com/gallery/366989/)


Best,

Eric
Austin

[username]

eric - great report.

7:30...seems a little extreme for a "fun" ride. :D

[YB in IN]

eric - great report.

7:30...seems a little extreme for a "fun" ride. :D

I agree. I don't do mornings, unless I'm trying to get some miles down on the interstate, or I'm in the mountains and want to watch the sun rise. It looks though like it was a fun time. :thumb

[username]

for a spirited ride where they were, it's a good idea. (except for deer) by midday those roads get full of dipdunks in SUVs/pickups out "antiquing" and dudes on harleys going 50 mph.

i do that ride around 9am and it's usually got less traffic. but like eric said - he was home early enough to get lots of stuff done, so thats a good thing. i guess thats why we like living in a free country where everyone can ride whenever they durn well please. :D

[cruisin]

7:30!--why so late? :bolt

[CranzN]

Pay no attention to Kevin - he goes to bed with the chickens.

Tnx for the pix of the Willow City Loop.

cln
Panhandle

[SNC1923]

Eric,

Nice report, thanks. Checked out the rest on smugmug. Sweet GS. :thumb

7:30 a.m. is a perfect launch time, give or take 30 minutes. I like that getting home at 2:00 p.m. part.

[cruisin]

Pay no attention to Kevin - he goes to bed with the chickens.

Yeah but only in the winter; I stay up til at least 10:00 in the summer. :stick

BTW--anyone here attending the 'Thunder in the Hill Country' rally April 1-3 in Bandera? There looks to be a small contingency of R1200Cs from the chromeheads site that are planning on going (your's truly included)

[kbasa]

Excellent photos, man! Is there anything more fun than riding along with someone on a trip report?

[RTRandy]

NF,
Great pics. The hill country is one of those special riding areas that's just too good to be true. Great well maintained roads and no traffic. Have you ridden the "Three 3's " in that area ? 335, 336, and 337? It's all good. I'm planning to get back down there in late spring. You're lucky to be so close.

Check out the Hanger Hotel www.hangarhotel.com at the Fredrickberg airport
for spending the night. Motocycle friendly, pricey, but a cool place to stay.

[username]

i also highly recommend staying at the whiskey mountain inn in leakey. you're super close to the above mentioned roads, and a little further out of the hustle and bustle of knick-knack shopping tourists in f-burg. WMI has cabins for rent, and the folks who run it, phil and suzie are top notch. :thumb

[RTRandy]

If your staying in Leakey, you could head over to Utopia for breakfast at the Lost Maples Cafe.

[RTRandy]

There's plenty of parking across the street as well.

[cruisin]

Is that where them really good pies are? Cranz, you out there? Where do we get those pies you were braggin' on last time we talked about riding in the hill country? We are staying in Utopia and I wouldn't mind having pie for breakfast. :eat

klc

[RTRandy]

There's also this apple orchard on route 16 in Medina at the beginning of 337
where they have a bakery and sell pies. You can't miss it in Medina. Never ordered the pie at Lost Maples, but perhaps on the next trip.

[H-Town Kruzer]

Hey Kevin,

Chris here... I can't believe that I have yet to post in this forum :D

Anyway, came across this thread and found it interesting. Do you think we might be able to meet up with some of these folks when we are in the Hill Country for the rally?

Also tell Deb thanks a million for all the information se sent via e-mail. It was helpful in knowing whereabouts we were staying. Come to find out, my wife is going to have to work that weekend (starting a new business), but I am deffinately "IN". I just need to find someone to ride down with me and split the price on the Cabin. I know that we also have another room available, and my father and his wife were going to take it, but he is not sure now if we will be able to go since he is back to work. So if we can, I would like to try and fill the extra spots with some friends (your or mine) I prommise that mine are laid back and not rowdy at all :-)

Anyway, I'm bringin' tha Jamaican Blue Mountain, but someone needs to find one of those PIES!!!


Talk atcha later.

-Chris

[StevieWonder]

These can't be pictures of Texas. It ain't flat!!!

(a poke at those ignorant enough to believe that Texas is flat or even mostly flat) :)