Advice on two week Motorcycle vacation in TX (March)

MotovlogNL

MotovlogNL

Joined
Oct 4, 2022
Messages
4
Age
46
Location
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Bike
Honda ST1100P
Hi all,

I have the opportunity to plan a two week trip to Texas at the end of March 2023. My plan is to rent a bike (Riders-Share) and tour across the state and visiting some places and ride some awesome texas routes.

Offcourse I have the Three Twisted Sisters on my bucketlist (also found the event Thunder in the Hills in Bandera that will take place during my trip), also farm road 170 (including Santa Elena Overlook) was recommended to me and i found some routes like Willow City Loop and Buchannan Dam.

I have 13 or 14 days for this trip and my plan is to travel fromDallas down towards Austin (have to try the famous Franklin's BBQ ;)), visit a store in Boerne (Bunker Branding for some shirts), offcourse Bandera (Twisted Sisters) and Houston, before i travel back to Dallas for my return flight.

I allready made a planning regarding overnight stays, but i was wondering, is it possible and smart to go with the tentcamping option that time of year and where can i find the best spots to go camping with the motorcycle and a tent. I would like to keep the lodging costs as low as possible so i have more to spent on gas and memorabilia. :D

Also what places are definitly worth the visit/ride as a Dutch tourist/rider.

Hope to learn from local people in Texas and Texas Hill country.

Thanx in advance for tips and tricks.
 
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These are excellent suggestions, and you are likely to encounter more folk travelling by bike here than most anywhere else in the state.
I've become fond of the Texas panhandle area also. My favorite area is near the New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas borders. It's amazing how far you can see. Weather patterns are unique as well. Downside is long, straight endless roads. Lots of small towns that thrived last century seem to line the highways.
Also East Texas along the Texas/Louisiana border is heavily wooded, the region around Lake Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend Reservoir is quite scenic.
Enjoy your trip!
 
MotovlogNL said:
Hi all,

I have the opportunity to plan a two week trip to Texas at the end of March 2023. My plan is to rent a bike (Riders-Share) and tour across the state and visiting some places and ride some awesome texas routes.

Offcourse I have the Three Twisted Sisters on my bucketlist (also found the event Thunder in the Hills in Bandera that will take place during my trip), also farm road 170 (including Santa Elena Overlook) was recommended to me and i found some routes like Willow City Loop and Buchannan Dam.

I have 13 or 14 days for this trip and my plan is to travel fromDallas down towards Austin (have to try the famous Franklin's BBQ ;)), visit a store in Boerne (Bunker Branding for some shirts), offcourse Bandera (Twisted Sisters) and Houston, before i travel back to Dallas for my return flight.

I allready made a planning regarding overnight stays, but i was wondering, is it possible and smart to go with the tentcamping option that time of year and where can i find the best spots to go camping with the motorcycle and a tent. I would like to keep the lodging costs as low as possible so i have more to spent on gas and memorabilia. :D

Also what places are definitly worth the visit/ride as a Dutch tourist/rider.

Hope to learn from local people in Texas and Texas Hill country.

Thanx in advance for tips and tricks.
Click to expand...
Try to eat the steak in Amarillo at The Big Texan.
 

Marfa TARS Site | The Center for Land Use Interpretation

This Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) site is part of a network of inflated static aircraft (aerostats) that are raised aloft and cabled in place (tethered), for use as radar stations along the USA/Mexico border. Jointly operated by the Air Force and the US Customs service until 2013, when...
clui.org clui.org

17 miles farther west is:

allthatsinteresting.com

Why A Prada Boutique Without A Door Suddenly Popped Up In The Middle Of The Texas Desert

The Prada Marfa installation piece was meant to critique luxury goods and consumer culture but has since taken on a life of its own.
allthatsinteresting.com allthatsinteresting.com

texastimetravel.com

Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center | Texas Time Travel

Law West of the Pecos Folklore legend Judge Roy Bean arrived in Texas during the Civil War, showing up in San Antonio after troubles booted him out of
texastimetravel.com

texastimetravel.com

Pecos River Overlook at Pecos High Bridge | Texas Time Travel

PECOS RIVER HIGHWAY BRIDGE OVERLOOK AND PECOS HIGH BRIDGE Anyone driving Highway 90 between Del Rio and Langtry will find it necessary to cross the significant
texastimetravel.com

texastimetravel.com

Luckenbach General Store | Texas Time Travel

Opened as a trading post in 1849 by German settlers in central Texas, this iconic general store in the sleepy hamlet of Luckenbach sells "everything from the
texastimetravel.com
 
Museum in Fredericksburg TX....museum of the Pacific war....,,.and the town itself
 
Texas Spring Break is in mid-March from 13th-17th. Most of the schools and colleges in Texas are out that week. Unfortunately if you want to camp in any of the State Parks, or National Parks such as Big Bend, you will find they are almost certainly fully booked. Reservations open 6 or 12 months in advance and rapidly fill up. Smaller, private campsites may still be open. Popular tourist towns like Fredericksburg will be overun.

As to recommendations, you already know about the Three Sisters area so go enjoy that and then take US-90 west from Del Rio to Marathon. Ride down through Big Bend and enjoy the awesome scenery, but you are restricted to 40mph in the park. Stay in Terlingua and then ride the River road from Lajitas to Presidio. North from Presidio to Marfa you'll enjoy some of the most expansive views in the US. Go stay in Fort Davis and then ride around the Davis Mountains and back to Valentine on US-90. The Prada store is just beyond. Continue on US-90 to Van Horn and then go north to Guadeloupe Mountain, the highest point in Texas and a great hike. You can then go to the bottom of Carlsbad Caverns, one of the deapest points in the US.

Not just great riding but some awesome sites.

If you want to try BBQ, just go to Lockhart, the BBQ capital of Texas.
 
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Most of it is covered in previous posts. BUT...If you really want to see what Texas is about, tent camping in Big Bend on a moonless night can be a religious experience. You'll never feel so small in the big universe.

My opinion is the BBQ in Lockhart is better than what Franklin has... Black's FTW.

Need a quick hit list of places to see in Texas, Google the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas, I ride it every year. Has a bunch of tourist places, land marks and covers the entire state. This year's route covered 3600+ miles.

The weather might be a bit chilly, at least for a Texan and will be dependent on where you are in the state. TX is huge. Also might be rainy, but that can be hit or miss.

Good luck
 
Jay547 said:
Is that 170?
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Yes usually known as FM170 in Texas (Farm to Market).

We usually also ride 118 Northwest out of Fort Davis to FM166 and head south west to FM505 cut off to Valentine and back to Ft. Davis for a ride.
 
If you're ever in the area east of College Station (whoop!), stop in at Yankee's for a bite. No, it's not just for Harley types (even car fanatics gather there) ... my wife and I would ride up there every other weekend

www.theyankeestavern.com

Yankees Tavern and Grill | Biker Bar | Restaurant | Texas

Welcome to Yankees Tavern, the Best Biker Bar in Texas. Home to the famous Wide Glide Burger, Cold Beer, and Free Advice.
www.theyankeestavern.com www.theyankeestavern.com

thetexasbucketlist.com

The Texas Bucket List – Yankee’s Tavern in Carlos

CARLOS, Texas – There’s nothing like riding a steel horse on the highways of Texas, and over in Grimes County just southwest of Aggieland in a little town called Carlos, you’ll find a place that’s home to some beautiful bikes and big ole’ burgers: Yankee’s Tavern & Grill. Mike Pulkkinen is that...
thetexasbucketlist.com thetexasbucketlist.com
 
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