HWY 118 & 17, West Tx

Just made a comment to Scott and realized that these roads need to go into the highway hall of fame.

These roads are located in West Tx, in the Ft Davis area. They are a great addition to a Big Bend trip. Heck, I'd go all the way out there just to ride them over and over again. Head south from I-10 at Balmorhea on 290, then left on HWY 17. This is a very scenic meander eventually following a creek into the mountains with good pavement and gentle sweepers. It's a great warm-up for what is to come.... at Ft Davis take a right on HWY 118, and enjoy one of the best highways in Texas to ride a bike on. It's great heading out (climb) to 166, and even better back in (more scenic). When I went in early Nov, there was snow in the higher elevations approaching McDonald Observatory. While in the area check out Ft Davis State Park, Davis mountais State Park, and McDonald Observatory.

Agreed! - those are some of the finest, most scenic roads in Texas. Hope to get out there sometime and experience them on two wheels.

Anyone who doesn't think West Texas has some magnificent scenery should go out and rent the movie "Dancer, Texas Pop. 81". It was filmed in and around Fort Davis. Great story too.

Here's a piece of 118, south from McDonald Observatory to Ft Davis. Note that in the middle of the ride the truck morphs into a luggage ladden ZR-7 piloted by my dad. In true idiot fashion, I rewound the tape to review some of the footage, stopped, and forgot to re-cue... so about 5 minutes of the ride was replaced with the "Marfa (head)lights".

I apologize for the helmet cam; not really as exciting as a tank cam and much more movement ...

Roll...

BTW, that's not the bike crossing the lines, it's my head....