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Saturday, 9 April, Austin/Marble Falls/Horseshoe Bay/Llano/Fredericksburg/Blanco/Drippin'/Austin
This isn't going to be a stellar, stellar year for flowers, but we did see more color this weekend than last, out west of Austin. Weather is wonderful, if a bit windy, so go if you're able. Get off 290 as soon as you can, leave it to the parades of pirate people. Very light traffic west of 281 on 71 into Llano, plenty of bluebonnets on the right of way, a few fields; RR 2323, about 200 yards south of the intersection of 71 and 16 on the south side of Llano, runs down thirty or so miles to US87. Beautiful scenery, some flowers, practically no traffic, a great road. Drudging down 87 to Fred'bg and on east on 290, few flowers, plenty of cars. Turned off at the road to Luckenbach (1676??), saw five or six really BIG pirate parades between 290 and Luckenbach, but once past, we had the road to ourselves again. Turned east on one of my favorites, 1888, again not a lot of color but well worth the ride, to where it dead ends into that road that goes into Blanco. No trucks, no pirates, all the way into Blanco. Stopped and ate dinner at the Hardscrabble Cafe, on the west side of 281 across from the courthouse...looks like an antique store, you enter from the side. Ambitious menu, well done, really excellent, actually, entrees ran $11-27. Not a comfort food spot, more typical of a good restaurant in Austin. The next ten days will be the peak for this part of Texas' wildflowers this year. Good excuse to get out and ride.
Here's a site that lists "sightings':
http://www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/wildflowers/sightings.htm
Short version: none to speak of.
Long version: who cares? A perfect day for riding, no traffic, nine million shades of green, did I say no traffic?
That road west out of Blanco, 1623, left on 1888 is just wonderfully beautiful, following the Blanco River for awhile, then up into the hills. There are a number of Early Texas homes right on the road, most of them restored. 1888 dead ends into 1376...left 12 miles of more gorgeous scenery and perfect motorcycle road to Sisterdale. Still no wildflowers, still all that green, still no traffic. I retraced my route this time, rather than making a loop out of it, because it's so pretty. This was one of those days when everything came together, I just had to think what I wanted the VFR to do and it did it...like a little yellow fighter jet.
The good news is, I can go again, soon, and there'll be flowers.
The deer didn't start moving around until right at 6:00. With Daylight Savings coming up, that means good light, safe riding all the way to 7:00. Get out the door at 5:00 or so, home in time for dinner.
This isn't going to be a stellar, stellar year for flowers, but we did see more color this weekend than last, out west of Austin. Weather is wonderful, if a bit windy, so go if you're able. Get off 290 as soon as you can, leave it to the parades of pirate people. Very light traffic west of 281 on 71 into Llano, plenty of bluebonnets on the right of way, a few fields; RR 2323, about 200 yards south of the intersection of 71 and 16 on the south side of Llano, runs down thirty or so miles to US87. Beautiful scenery, some flowers, practically no traffic, a great road. Drudging down 87 to Fred'bg and on east on 290, few flowers, plenty of cars. Turned off at the road to Luckenbach (1676??), saw five or six really BIG pirate parades between 290 and Luckenbach, but once past, we had the road to ourselves again. Turned east on one of my favorites, 1888, again not a lot of color but well worth the ride, to where it dead ends into that road that goes into Blanco. No trucks, no pirates, all the way into Blanco. Stopped and ate dinner at the Hardscrabble Cafe, on the west side of 281 across from the courthouse...looks like an antique store, you enter from the side. Ambitious menu, well done, really excellent, actually, entrees ran $11-27. Not a comfort food spot, more typical of a good restaurant in Austin. The next ten days will be the peak for this part of Texas' wildflowers this year. Good excuse to get out and ride.
Here's a site that lists "sightings':
http://www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/wildflowers/sightings.htm
Short version: none to speak of.
Long version: who cares? A perfect day for riding, no traffic, nine million shades of green, did I say no traffic?
That road west out of Blanco, 1623, left on 1888 is just wonderfully beautiful, following the Blanco River for awhile, then up into the hills. There are a number of Early Texas homes right on the road, most of them restored. 1888 dead ends into 1376...left 12 miles of more gorgeous scenery and perfect motorcycle road to Sisterdale. Still no wildflowers, still all that green, still no traffic. I retraced my route this time, rather than making a loop out of it, because it's so pretty. This was one of those days when everything came together, I just had to think what I wanted the VFR to do and it did it...like a little yellow fighter jet.
The good news is, I can go again, soon, and there'll be flowers.
The deer didn't start moving around until right at 6:00. With Daylight Savings coming up, that means good light, safe riding all the way to 7:00. Get out the door at 5:00 or so, home in time for dinner.
