Best Destination Ride Within 200 Miles of DFW

[Tesla]

If you had around a 200 mile day limit, starting from DFW and staying at a hotel at your destination, where would you go? It would be a bonus if the destination had a cabin or hotel with a lake view.

[Janet]

Broken Bow, OK, and the Beaver Bend state park is nice.

[z_clark]

Caddo Lake State park.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/caddo_lake/

[SL350]

I would stay at a cabin or the lodge at Lake Murray near Ardmore, OK. Turner Falls is close by. Rent a pontoon, fish, hike, or swim, lake or pool.

Not a fun drive though. Dallas to Denton to Gainsville on I35. Congestion, construction, road debris, narrow lanes.

[Tracker]

Broken Bow, OK, and the Beaver Bend state park is nice.
+1. Take the back roads.

[Tesla]

I would stay at a cabin or the lodge at Lake Murray near Ardmore, OK. Turner Falls is close by. Rent a pontoon, fish, hike, or swim, lake or pool.

Not a fun drive though. Dallas to Denton to Gainsville on I35. Congestion, construction, road debris, narrow lanes.

Should have mentioned that the journey is as important as the destination.

[TwoLane]

Lots of State Parks in that kinda range. But hotel stays open this up to many choices. Perhaps instead of figuring out a destination in that range, pick out a new road (the journey thing) in the range area, and see what hotel options are found in that route???:rider::eat:

[Gilk51]

3 potential state parks:

Cleburne (PR21 off US67)

Glen Rose (off FM205)

Meridian (can't remember exactly)

Good roads in that area once you get south of Dallas and some possibilities of getting around Dallas either to the east or north and west.

[aggie81]

Last week, the wife and I took a trip down to Glen Rose and stayed at the Paluxy River Cabins on FM 205 just west of town. It's very quiet and private. Four cabins are available. About $150 per night.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/ancientengineer/IMG_0176.jpg

It looks pretty rustic, but there's a hot tub just behind the fence. There were a couple of nice restaurants in town. One day we did a loop out to Stephenville for barbecue at the Hard Eight, a Dr Pepper float in Dublin, and back to Glen Rose via Hico and a twisty north-south road between Hico and Glen Rose. Great fun.

[Tesla]

Last week, the wife and I took a trip down to Glen Rose and stayed at the Paluxy River Cabins on FM 205 just west of town. It's very quiet and private. Four cabins are available. About $150 per night.

It looks pretty rustic, but there's a hot tub just behind the fence. There were a couple of nice restaurants in town. One day we did a loop out to Stephenville for barbecue at the Hard Eight, a Dr Pepper float in Dublin, and back to Glen Rose via Hico and a twisty north-south road between Hico and Glen Rose. Great fun.

Get a view of the river from your cabin?

[aggie81]

That cabin (Taos) did not have a view of the river. At least one other one did. All the cabins had paths to the river. Unfortunately, with all the rain lately, the river was high and muddy enough that we didn't go wading around in it. I was satisfied to soak my tired fanny in the spa while numbing it with a scotch.

The Inn on the River has a nice lawn fronting the Paluxy, but nowhere near the privacy. We had dinner there one night. Very nice.

[DaveC]

Arkansas is about to go into fall coloration if not already started?

[jcyuhn]

This is stretching your limit a bit, but at 250-ish miles you can ride the Talimena trail and stay in Mena. Ride the Kiamichi Trace (sp?) on the way up, parts of it are nice riding. You are on the correct side of the MetroMess for a quick getaway to the northeast. Much discussion of Mena lodging/eating/etc. here; I won't repeat what can be found using search.

- JimY

[TwoLane]

This is stretching your limit a bit, but at 250-ish miles you can ride the Talimena trail and stay in Mena. Ride the Kiamichi Trace (sp?) on the way up, parts of it are nice riding. You are on the correct side of the MetroMess for a quick getaway to the northeast. Much discussion of Mena lodging/eating/etc. here; I won't repeat what can be found using search.

- JimY

Good idea as well. The ST Owners bunch is about to go to the Talimena too. Even if my schedule doesn't work with them, I am seriously trying to get up in there again soon anyway.:rider:

[SL350]

Should have mentioned that the journey is as important as the destination.

I wonder if there is an alternate route to Lake Murray? The Oklahoma ride on I35 is good.

[Deefer]

I wonder if there is an alternate route to Lake Murray? The Oklahoma ride on I35 is good.

Yes - take 377 to Madill, OK, then US70 west out of Madill. Good roads and 70 will take you right to Lake Murray State Park. Just road it last Friday.

[Yeeha! Stephen]

If money was no object... http://www.roughcreek.com/photo-gallery/cabins/


At least you'd save $$ on gas. It's close. :trust:

[Yeeha! Stephen]

Somewhat cheaper and down East Texas way, you can even run over to Louisianna for a nice catfish lunch... http://www.pinecreeklodge.com/




Well, now that I think of it, this one may be stretching the mileage limit.

[pottie]

If you had around a 200 mile day limit, starting from DFW and staying at a hotel at your destination, where would you go? It would be a bonus if the destination had a cabin or hotel with a lake view.

Check out Possem Kingdom...very cool place to hang out specially lots of curvey road to go around....Motels are front lake as well...
You even can jump innn to the lake if you like....

[Tesla]

Somewhat cheaper and down East Texas way, you can even run over to Louisianna for a nice catfish lunch... http://www.pinecreeklodge.com/



Stephen, have you stayed there before?

[Yeeha! Stephen]

Stayed there last Spring with some other FTW area riders. Don't remember the exact $$ but the place was very clean. Rooms were nice on the inside. Kinda plain on the outside. But the atmosphere was wonderful... very quite out there.

[Yeeha! Stephen]

More...

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38374

[Tracker]

The rain and mid 40's overnight temps have the tree foliage popping now. I'm headed SE to Athens for tonight, then plan to wander around south and east of Tyler tomorrow before looping back through Mineola on Saturday.

Yeah fall colors!

[Buffalo]

If you go up to Oklahoma and do the Talimena Scenic Drive, the Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge on the drive is a great place to stay. No view of a lake but you can sit on the porch and look out off the mountain. http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/queen_wilhelmina.html