I had Monday and Tuesday off this week and didn't have to go to work before 5 pm on Wednesday. With that opportunity and clear 85 degree weather, I decided to head to the 3 sisters (337, 336, 335). I used to just hop on the bike with a credit card and some cash but for this trip, I planned my itinerary, gas consumption, bought a tire repair kit and even brought a first aid kit! I must be getting old. In order to make the trip a little more exciting, I came up with several rules: No GPS, Limited cell phone usage, no fast food from big corporations or grocery stores (buy food from little local joints), detour to all the great roads even if it means doubling the mileage and finally, eat at all the great diners/restaurants.
My itinerary: Leave Austin no later than 9 am and head to a diner called the Blue Bonnet at Marble Falls for breakfast via 2222, Lime Creek Road and 1431. Lime Creek is tight and technical but construction and loose gravel made it a boring ride. On 1431, traffic was light but because it is a major road with plenty of LE, triple digit sweepers were a no no.
I have been there several times and never had a bad experience. Service is always great and the food is excellent. It can get crowded sometimes, especially around noon but I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes before being seated. Try their pies when you get there. You won't be disappointed. As I was waiting for the greeter by the entrance, a charming older lady told me I looked like I was out of the movie Tron lol I told her that it was exactly the look I was aiming for.
I decided to go "light" and went with coffee, orange juice, french toast and scramble eggs.
After a good breakfast, I took a few minutes to do the opposite of eating and proceeded to the mc parking lot to find my ZX-14 which had been patiently waiting for me. I purchased the bike a little over two years ago but every time I'm about to mount it, I can help but ask her in an almost inaudible murmur, a whisper only heard by her: what kind of trouble are you going to get me in this time? lol
At that point, I was aware of my feminine mistake: packing too heavy. I should have left the MacBook Pro at the house, purchased a smaller lube and cleaning spray. Kriega makes the most ergonomic backpacks and if your shrugs are starting to be sore after an hour and some change ride your packing needs rethinking! No time for regrets the open road is waiting for me. Next stop LLano via 281 (boring) and parkway 4 (exiting). I had heard that there was a place where the BBQ meat just melt in your mouth and although it was just an hour ride from breakfast decided to make a stop for another "light" meal. Like every great restaurant, Cooper's BBQ brings people from all walks of life: the corporate guy in his suit and tie and the construction worker, both eating on the same table, cutting their juicy meats out of country style paper plates!
I went with the turkey breast, pork tenderloins and mashed potatoes, beans were complimentary! Seasoning and meat tenderness were top notch! The sweet tea was cool and thirst quenching!
The thought of waiting a little and going for a round 2 crossed my mind. I wanted to try the sausages and the steak but I wasn't even half way and had at least one more "tasting" stop to do. So reluctantly, I fought the mouth watering odor of all those meats, threw my heavy backpack on and aimed toward my next stop Fredericksburg via the Willow city loop. To my surprise, most of the Willow City loop is on private property and you find yourself sharing the road with cows, deers and pigs more often than not. The scenery not the twisties is what gives this road a L1 on Butler's Map!
In the old German town, I was disappointed to find out that the juicerie was close for renovation so decided to fill my tank and head to Kerrville via hwy 16 which is made of long triple digit open sweepers. At the Hampton Inn, I was glad to check in with the charming hotel manager Nicole who promptly sent me to my king sized whirpooled room. After a long soothing bath, I decided to get dressed and headed to Billy's Genes for diner.
There I had the chicken fried steak with french fries, followed by a chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream. Then, I sat on big stone on the parking lot and smoked me a Fonseca (Cubano Limitado) while I watched the wind push the surface of the Guadeloupe river.
The next day, I ate my complimentary breakfast and rode hwy 16 to 337. There is a part of hwy 16 (if I'm not mistaken) with a set of tight switchbacks, ascending and descending decreasing radius tight curves, then it opens up for a while. On 337, big open triple digit sweepers which get you on top of the "mountain", then it's on to the descent which is tight and fun. BEAUTIFUL scenery. Green everywhere!
My baby, waiting for a Harley to stalk lol
You could tell from the quality of the pic... all I kept thinking is don't tip over lol
All that riding made me feel like I had burned my breakfast off and I decided to stop at the Hog Pen to chow. There I met Emily, a woman who embodies all the charm and warmth of the south, plus she cooks a mean all the way cheeseburger.
The 14 and I filled up we headed west on 337, rode 335 to the Hwy and came back to Leakey via 336. 335 was great but for some reasons: deers, squirrels and even turtles like to play chicken on that road. 336 is great too but 337 will always be my favorite. I Stopped by the Hop Pen for another burger (just kidding), I stopped for a beer and rode back to the hotel. The next day, I was back to the Hog pen for another Cheeseburger:
and dessert:
and rode the twisty segments of 337:
Segments of 337
I was told by Nicole that there was a great place in Medina where they made some delicious apple pies but I was running late so I picked up my stuff from the hotel and headed back through Fredericksburg, Luckenbach (didn't even stop for a beer), rode 1388 HARD to Blanco, filled up in Johnson city, went down Fitzugh to 290 where I got stock in traffic. I arrived at work 1h30 min late with a huge grin on my face.
THE END
* Last updated by: dragking on 9/21/2012 @ 3:52 PM *
