If you had two full days (with overnight stay)...

[bigboy292000]

A very good buddy from CO is coming down to ride with me in this part of the country, as I did with him in CO (http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42047).

I am a bit conflicted as to where to take him and came up with the following 3 general options:

DFW - Hill Country - East TX (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Frisco,+TX+75034&daddr=US-377+to:S+Hwy-281%2FTX-6%2FUS-281+to:FM-581+to:30.981436,-98.644867+to:TX-16+to:TX-55+to:Market+St%2FUS-83+to:Medina+Hwy%2FTX-16+to:FM-1431%2FRM-1431+to:E+FM-696+to:FM+149+Rd+to:S+TX-94+to:FM-357+to:TX-21+to:W+6th+St+to:FM-315+to:Citation+Ct&geocode=%3BFZgF7QEdmvkm-g%3BFWhO6AEdNNcn-g%3BFS6d3QEdUggk-g%3B%3BFTRl2AEd1PAd-g%3BFUqwxwEdGF4I-g%3BFcuAxQEdcbsN-g%3BFWu_yAEdUNEV-g%3BFdKl0QEd8Pwn-g%3BFXZ20AEdMEc5-g%3BFVrr0QEdvvxK-g%3BFVIA2QEdOrtR-g%3BFVMi3QEdmDRV-g%3BFSoH4gEdAg1U-g%3BFSYq5QEdnvpT-g%3BFYAQ5gEdSslM-g%3BFfyf-QEdyBM6-g&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,16&sll=31.018516,-98.675938&sspn=0.084443,0.140247&ie=UTF8&ll=31.334871,-97.459717&spn=5.385104,8.97583&z=7)

DFW - Ouchitas - Ozarks (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=33.160547,-96.866455&daddr=S+TX-121+to:US-271%2FUS-70+to:OK-144+to:Indian+Hwy+to:OK-1%2FTalimena+Scenic+Dr+to:AR-88%2FGrandview+Heights+to:S+AR-23%2FS+Sharpe+Ave+to:AR-219%2FAR-23%2FAR-309%2FW+Commercial+St%2FUS-64+to:5th+St%2FAR-16%2FAR-23+to:AR-16%2FAR-21+to:AR-74+to:AR-374+to:AR-123%2FAR-16%2FAR-7+to:AR-16+to:AR-27%2FE+Camp+St+to:AR-7%2FSr+7+N+to:AR-123+to:AR-103%2FS+Rogers+St+to:AR-109%2FS+Crawford+St+to:S+AR-309+to:S+AR-309+to:AR-27+to:AR-108%2FAR-32%2FTracy+Lawrence+Ave+to:Dallas+North+Tollway+S&geocode=%3BFV4nAAIdFA1E-g%3BFfpqBwIdht1M-g%3BFUDbDgIdF3lX-g%3BFQjEEAIdPMRV-g%3BFUNbEQIdYi5c-g%3BFXrTDwIdNP5h-g%3BFZwNGAIdmNlm-g%3BFTiFHQIdYBBo-g%3BFUiiIgId3DNp-g%3BFaDrIQIdZdht-g%3BFe-qJQIdW5Rv-g%3BFYxkJAIdQHFz-g%3BFb40IQIdx39z-g%3BFbDWIQIdEvp2-g%3BFfQzHAIdYjpz-g%3BFaDtIAIdeWlz-g%3BFagBIAIdi2dw-g%3BFSn_HAIdHtdt-g%3BFUKhHAIdJGdt-g%3BFVQaGgIdIIJq-g%3BFYvkGAId25Rr-g%3BFWCTDwId_g5s-g%3BFVONAgId3Kxf-g%3BFeBQ-gEdyFg6-g&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=8&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,20, 21,22,23&sll=33.72434,-95.289917&sspn=2.622344,4.487915&ie=UTF8&ll=34.40691,-94.713135&spn=5.201912,8.97583&z=7)

DFW - Coast - Louisiana - East TX (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Frisco,+TX+75034&daddr=US-77+to:TX-35+to:E+Hwy-332%2FTX-332+to:TX-87+to:Holly+Beach+Hwy%2FLA-27+to:Lake+Charles+Hwy%2FUS-171+to:TX-87+to:TX-87+to:Shelbyville+St%2FTX-87+to:32.080247,-95.614014+to:FM-720%2FMain+St&hl=en&geocode=%3BFdLFyAEdMcI5-g%3BFazVuAEd4JpE-g%3BFZTEuQEdNAdS-g%3BFToWwgEdPI9d-g%3BFYJjxgEd6dVt-g%3BFVyC2gEd9NJw-g%3BFdAx2QEdFEtq-g%3BFQKn4QEdXvBm-g%3BFeQb5QEdgCxj-g%3B%3BFU3g-QEd6RA6-g&mra=dme&mrcr=5&mrsp=10&sz=10&via=2,4,7,8,10&sll=31.966144,-95.554962&sspn=0.668734,1.121979&ie=UTF8&ll=31.071756,-95.383301&spn=5.400082,8.97583&z=7)

Route #2 was borrowed (and slightly modified) from another thread here on TWT. :)

General parameters:

- 2 days, Sat and Sun, with the overnight stay somewhere
- 500 mile day is not a problem; I'd rather do 400 but if you want to go someplace really cool from DFW, it takes some riding. We expect to spend whole days on bikes and plan to stop here and there, eat etc...
- I never rode Hill Country or so far South East TX; I did do a Talimena run once but never went so far north as route #2 would take us. I'd definitely ride Talimena again!
- My buddy would rather do AR or coastal ride, as he feels like Hill Country might not be interesting enough; I feel that that might not be the case completely, but to a degree perhaps yes?

If you had the days - what would you do?

Any other ideas?

Thanks guys, I am not asking you to plan my trip but some ideas would be cool, I'll do the legwork. Thanks!

[bjhughes]

Hands down...Arkansas! Way better than the Hill Country IMO. I guess that's why I go there half a dozen times a year.

The Hill Country is okay if you've never been there, but no way compares to Arkansas.

[bigjnsa]

Since you up in Big D, you're closer to Arkansas. Thats where I'd take him.

[Xdriver]

No question...... Go to Arkansas. In June I posted a similar question and most said go to AR, but I ended up in the Hill Country due to weather in Arkansas. Fast Forward to three weeks ago, and I did a three day trip to Arkansas. I could have kicked myself for not doing Arkansas the first time around. It even rained on me most of the time, and still, I loved it. The best part of AR is north of I-40.

[MPS]

arkansas is hard to beat. the hill country is really nice, particularly around leakey and concan. but there is more vehicular traffic in the hill country, plus you're taking a risk riding early and late with the over population of deer. i think the hill country may be favorable if you want to stop, eat, check out the local scene, etc. if you want just great riding....arkansas.

[CBAT]

Hands down...Arkansas! Way better than the Hill Country IMO. I guess that's why I go there half a dozen times a year.

The Hill Country is okay if you've never been there, but no way compares to Arkansas.

I agree.

[bigboy292000]

Well, hmmm seems like there is a clear preference! :)

[CBAT]

If I was doing the same type trip from Austin I'd head to Leakey. But from your area Arkansas is closer.

[bigboy292000]

If I was doing the same type trip from Austin I'd head to Leakey. But from your area Arkansas is closer.

So all of those 3 routes are just around 1000 miles total. There is no major difference as far as that goes...

[CBAT]

From where you are you can get a lot more good riding for the time by going to AR. I'm 3 hours farther south which would be 6 hours each way. So, for the time you have, from where you start, AR is better. I think.

[Yeeha! Stephen]

Nudder' vote for Arkansas!

Hill Country is fine, but you've got too much "slab-like" miles on the HC route you posted... especially for a weekend. Would be like Droning Along to me.

Also, I wouldn't connect East Texas and the Hill Country together for for showing an out-of-towner what we've got in Texas.

If you picked Texas, I would zoom straight down to the HC and ride everything there and save East Texas for another visit.

I love the HC, but you'll get more bang for your two-day buck heading to Ark.


Starting in Frisco, you can be on the Talimena for an early lunch, and on the Pig Trail up from Ozark with tons of light left to the day.

Heading to the HC, you've gotta get through/around the Metromess first. It takes me an hour to get out of Dodge and I live smack in the middle.

[bigboy292000]

Thanks - yes that makes total sense.

[ctoons]

Definitely NW Arkansas!