Texas FM 4.....

[uptoblackwood]

Easter required me to be in Granbury, Tx, with the inlaws this weekend. This area of Texas suffered tremendous growth in the '80s as 1000's of workers and their families moved into the area to build what was to be the last nuclear plant build in the US...a engineering and business nightmare. Many of these families stayed in the area. http://www.comanchepeak.com/

I decided (despite rain in forcast for Easter Sunday...a travel day) that I would ride West and make the run down Texas FM 4. FM 4 is in the Texas Chapter of the Honda tour association, http://txhsta.com/top10.html, as one of the top ten motorcycle roads in Texas. It took about 90 miles slugging through traffic, crossing both Dallas and Ft. Worth to get to the start of the "real ride" on FM 4. It was neat seeing the courthouses in Weatherford and Mineral Falls State Hwy 180)....both very interesting buildings. I started on FM 4 at Palo Pinto, Tx and ran South into FM 51 and Granbury.

FM 4 is ... OK .... but I don't believe it's worth all that buildup. Out of Palo Pinto there are a few miles of twisties and some good views....but the road straightens up then as you run through a few very small Texas towns (Lone Camp, Santo, Lipan)....all running radar as you enter the speed zone changes. (pretty easy to spot) Then a few more twisties and then a few long sweepers....then traffic as you enter the Granbury area. All along the way there are farms and ranches with lots of livestock....and green fields. They didn't get the rain we had a bit East of their location...last week. Things looked needy for water.
The family went to dinner at a small steak house out of Granbury (area is loaded with 'em) called Line Camp Steak House. http://www.linecampsteakhouse.com/ It was expensive and a disappointment....dinner company was good though. Dinner was early enough that I had an hour and a half to ride a few of the local farm roads...way better than FM 4. I stopped at the local Brazos River Authority office for a few shots of Lake Granbury. I've attached a few "drive by" images and a shot of my wife and her parents.

It was a beautiful day for riding, in the low 70's F and sunny....with high clouds. I put in just at 200 miles. Tons of bikes on the road Saturday. Cool and cloudy today with a pretty good chance of rain....yuck. I have to ride home today. Got to pull out the rain gear.

Line Camp Steakhouse images 1-2
twistie roads
Texas goats
Texas trailer ranch home
fence line
Texas trailer ranch home w/"lone star"
Long horn cattle
more twistie road
Texas tractor
cattle
field
required shot of rusting hay barn
field
field

Enjoy

Forest

 

[uptoblackwood]

A few more images....there really is a lot to do in this area SW of Ft. Worth. The Paluxy River runs through this area and there a good number of good motorcycle roads throughout the area. (many better than FM 4 IMHO) Fossil Rim Wildlife Park is worth a visit. http://www.fossilrim.com/ and a State Park, Dinosaur Valley State Park, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/dinosaur_valley/, with very good facilities nearby. While there are many famous horse farms/ranches North of Dallas...there are a fair share in this area of Texas. Much of this land has oil and a lot of natural gas. Exotic game ranches are located all through the area as well.

NOTE: it appears from one of these images that MELLOW has a place in the area????!!!??? He has his flag-a-flyin'....in the last image...

Forest

 

[uptoblackwood]

And the last ones....whew....

De Cordova Bend Dam.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Cordova_Bend_Dam
Home on cliff overlooking lake
Family
Bike resting for the evening....

 

[ChucksKLRST]

One needs to run FM 4 from Jackboro south to Granbury. The prettiest part is around Palo Pinto.

 

[uptoblackwood]

Jacksboro?

Chuck....did you get to the air museum?

Forest

 

[ChucksKLRST]

Jacksboro?

Chuck....did you get to the air museum?

Forest

Yes, got to both of them, Just have not uploaded the pictures yet. Great day yesterday. A bit long for me as I got up at 0430 am to make the S.P. in time and then the air museums. Got home a 4:30 pm. Going thru the B-17 and the B-24 out at Love field was great. Not quite rich enough to drop 450 dollars for a 30 min ride in the B17. But will do that some day.

Speaking of FM 4--- I think we need to start having Breakfast ant the Green Frog in Jacksboro on Saturdays. How many would show up at 0800 next Saturday.

 

[MLRickards]

Not quite rich enough to drop 450 dollars for a 30 min ride in the B17. But will do that some day.

That explains that B-17 we saw flying by yesterday afternoon as we drove home with very muddy dirt bikes on the trailer. East Texas has had some rain!

Agree with Forest on the ho-hum nature of FM 4. Not a bad ride, but not what I've seen it hyped to be. There are some more fun parts of 51 in that same general vicinity.

Forest, I'm continuously impressed with your ability to get pictures when you're out for a ride. For the life of me, I just can't get the right wrist to back off enough and slow down, let alone stop to take pics! When we're doing WeSTOC, you have full authority to run my butt off the road if necessary to stop and smell the roses!!

Although, I will have video capability on the front of the ST by that time...

 

[Ken H]

FM 4 is ... OK .... but I don't believe it's worth all that buildup. Out of Palo Pinto there are a few miles of twisties and some good views....but the road straightens up then as you run through a few very small Texas towns (Lone Camp, Santo, Lipan)....

Forest

I gotta go with you on this one. The section of 4 south out of Jacksboro is worthwhile and the section just south of Palo Pinto is the best. Beyond that, yes, there are better alternatives in the area IMHO.

 

[Dragonhunter]

If you really want to see some great scenery (canyons, hills, twisties, and some very good overlooks) continue on westward past Mineral Wells on 180 to Possum kingdom lake. a ride around the backroads of this lake comes highly recommended.

 

[onehundred]

I spent my Easter in Granbury traveled on FM 4 several times. Small world I did not have my bike.

 

[racer1735]

US 180 West of Weatherford through Mineral Wells and FM 4 South of Palo Pinto (or north, didn't matter really) comprised one of my 'weekly rides' back in the day. Just me and a Ducati 900SS. Not as much traffic back in the early 90s.

 

[uptoblackwood]

racer...I hope the memories were good ones

Forest

 

[KrazyKooter]

I like FM 51 south of Granbury, especially between Paluxy and Highway 67. There is a great Bar B Q place in Glen Rose. I don't remember the name of it, but it's listed in Mad Maps. Also, FM 203/144 from just west of Glen Rose to Meridian is a great ride also.

 

[uptoblackwood]

Not too many years ago, there was a BBQ joint in Glen Rose called the Western BBQ. An older gent owned and ran the place and the BBQ was incredible. That place closed when he died. No one in the family wanted to continue. There is another place on the South side of Hwy 67, The Ranch House Bar B Que. It's been there for many years and is pretty darn good. It's not the world class BBQ dive that the Western was....but it's very, very GOOD.

Forest

 

[uptoblackwood]

Hammond's Western BBQ.....I think that's it Brad! No more...gone...and that's too bad.

Forest