The Thin Blue Ride: TEXAS TEST FLIGHT

Ride report: 37.3 miles, 703.7 total miles, 15.4 mph avg, 2,914 calories, 1,683 ft. climbing.

Before I get into today's activities, a brief advisory to the reader. Susan told me that when she received her e-mail notification yesterday, none of the pics came thru. I suspect this is because there was a video embedded in yesterday's update. So, if you read the blog in your e-mail you may have to actually go to the site to read DAY 17. On with today's report...

Well, “Accu”weather got it right today. Hey - if they’ve got anything going for em it’s the blind pig and the acorn thing. But it worked out for the day, so I’m not complaining - much.

Anyway, we headed to Medina on the scooter first thing this morning - if you can call 1000 “first thing”. On the way, Susan took some pics from the back seat of the scooter. I was not optimistic. Even Susan will tell you that she and photography have a hate/hate relationship. But she came thru today.

Somewhere on Texas 16 between Kerrville and Medina. It was a gorgeous drive.

We got there in time for an early lunch as planned at The Apple Store. Medina is a VERY small town and has little in the way of homes, businesses, etc. But they do have The Apple Store. We heard of it from Bill and Sue Billyard, who we met in the RV Park in Boerne. Interesting folks. They're from Canada and have been doing the "Snowbird" thing for a number of years now. BTW - Sue was right, no way the RV would have made it thru some of the curves on 16 between Kerrville and Medina. Thanks for the warning. Pics (of The Apple Store) below...

Me outside The Apple Store.

Me thanking the good Lord that we found The Apple Store. Yeah, yeah - I ate lunch first, but who cares when ya got a pic like this.

And because somebody is gonna ask, no - we don't have pics of the curvy section of 16. Susan did shoot a video of us slaloming thru them on the Burgman, but it was almost 4 minutes long. If yesterday's brief video screwed up the e-mail thing, just imagine what a 4 minute video would do. So the reader will just have to imagine us on the scooter, hugging the curves, throwing one knee out for balance and scraping the muffler on the pavement as we roared thru. I told Susan we should slow down but she was having none of it.

(Note: portions of this blog are fiction and are not based on actual events.)

On the way back from The Apple Store Susan saw a western wear store in Kerrville. This is significant because she knew I wanted to find a new wallet while down here. Something decidedly Texan to remind me of the trip. Brilliant - I married the right eagle eyed woman. So, I pulled over and in we went. I found this...

Can it get more Texan than the Ranger Belt Company? I don't think so.

Exactly what I was looking for. Though I don't show it, the back is full basket weave.

Found this when we got back to the rig. How do you say "Yee-Haw" in Chinese? Wait, wait...I think its "Yee-Haa".

We got back and I was able to get out the door by about 1415 to do the Luckenbach Loop, as the ACA map calls it. It wasn’t too hilly as the ride report bears out, but it was interesting.

Now I’d heard of Luckenbach, I know the song by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, etc. It was nothing like I imagined. My first clue was when I was passed by a goodly number of bikes heading out of town as I was riding in. When I got there it was obvious that there was either some sort of rally going on or that its just a regular hangout for the biker crowd. And lest the reader be confused, by “bike” I mean motorcycle. When I got off my ride it was readily apparent that anyone in spandex was in the minority. I now know how a gazelle feels when he wanders into a pride of lions.

Fortunately as I worked my way thru the crowd I noticed another guy wearing funny shoes. (No, not cowboy boots.) Funny shoes like mine - that also said “Specialized” on em. When I inquired he told me he was part of an organized ACA Hill Country tour and I was welcome to park my bike with theirs around the corner. I did so and proceeded to wander about feeling like a gazelle.

I eventually ran into my newfound friend again and asked if there was anyplace I could get some water. He surveyed the crowd and calmly assured me that he didn’t believe they sold anything like water in Luckenbach unless by chance it came in a brown bottle. I doubted that. But as it turns out, the bar did sell bottled water. So for the measly sum of $3, I got my water bottle filled. It was very interesting and I got some cool pics of some rare antique motorcycles...

This was the scene when I pulled in to Luckenbach. Its funny - they wave at me when on the road (its that whole two wheel thing) but didn't really want to talk to me in person. Unusual...

Proof that I've been to Luckenbach, Tx. No, I didn't drink the beer. They were sitting there. The guy who took the pic (another bi-cyclist) told me they were prolly there as props. Sure... The beer aficionado will note that I'm holding empty Lone Star and Shiner bottles. Apparently a big deal in Texas - or at least in Luckenbach.

These were across the street from the first herd. If you're interested in this sort of thing, many were antiques. Mostly Harleys, a lot from the 30s and 40s, but a few classic BMWs were mixed in as well.

The two old guys between the trees were singing "Rocky Top Tennessee" when I came around the corner. They asked for requests and threatened Disco music if they received none. This prompted many requests and more than one contribution to the tip jar.

When we left, the Sequoia wanted equal billing. I told him to shut-up and we left forthwith.

Post Luckenbach. I've noted that Texans, like many rural folk, value old machinery as yard art. As you can tell from the pic, they also value their privacy. Note the ubiquitous fence.