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- Joined
- Feb 18, 2005
- Messages
- 4,956
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Laredo, TX
- First Name
- Oscar
- Last Name
- Saldana
Since I figured I wouldnt' be able to make it to Hutto for the Pie Run today, I opted to take the dyna out and go for a ride. My first thought was to run to Port Aransas for lunch, or Kingsville depending on how I felt.
I loaded up, grabbed my camera and my SPOT. Put my tool roll in my bag and a monster water bottle so I didn't risk dehydration. I figured I wouldn't need a rain suit as I'd be avoiding the storms till after I got back.
I gassed up and started rolling down US 59 towards Corpus. I don't know what TXDOT has against Laredo, but it feels like all roads leading out of here are just thrashed. 59 has miles of grooved pavement in difference areas in several mile long segments. The state troopers were out in force today and I really couldn't cruise over 65 or so. I came up on a group of about 6 riders of various makes (I saw mostly cruisers and an RT) and passed em up as they were doing around 60 or so and didn't wanna get caught behind a group I wasn't familiar with and tag along with em. The road grooves made the ride hard, and the ride itself was draining.
I hit Freer and didn't feel like going anywhere, and decided I'd try to push for San Diego and go from there. I left Freer and came across an FM road that was a straight shot to Benavidez. I decided to take it and get off the highway. The slog was just killing me, this little two-lane road was what I needed. I cooled it down to 55 and just tooled along, noticing the buzzards, and even a few skeletons (animal of course) along the road. The wildflowers were in full bloom and looking great. Everything was really green from all the rain we'd been getting. I snapped a few pics along the way, as I could take my time since there was pretty much no one around.
Broken down windmill
Dig the wildflowers. It was like this all over the place.
Only in South Texas
For the FM road game
I rolled into Benavidez and it looked like a town that had seen better days, as has much of south Texas. The only thing keeping things afloat are the hunters that come down for the season and eat, stay, and resupply in all the small towns in proximity to the numerous hunting leases around here. I saw at least 5 groups of hunters at the stop-n-rob in town. But Benavidez is famous for something:
With not much else to see, I opted to blow through Hebbronville and start making my way back. My Dyna is a great bike, but she ain't no mileage muncher, and my tail has a limited range on her. She's great and forgiving of your mistakes and easy to keep up when you get a little to dogged on her, but she knows what keeps her happy, and it's in town and short trips.
Got to Hebbronville and came across a really impressive church and figured some pictures would be appropriate.
Got a little tropical feel, even for way south Texas.
The windows were really impressive. They looked like they had pieces of stained glass cemented into the windows themselves. Really cool looking.
I started heading out and saw a barbecue joint and decided to follow my own adage of a bbq joint with a full lot is worth a stop. I went in to what used to be an old Maverick Market that had been redone. I ordered a two meat plate with pulled pork, brisket, beans and potato salad.
Potato salad was good. Brisket wasn't as smokey as I like, but good and juicy, the pulled pork was more like carnitas, and very good. The beans were awesome and the sweet tea and sauce were both very good.
It's only been open a month, but if Hebbronville keeps growing like it has (it now has a Best Western, and a Quiznos) they should do well.
I started to make my way out and notice the clouds starting to look sinister. That didn't stop me from snapping more pictures, though.
Slow down on wet road
Kind of a "well, duh" moment, dontcha think?
Because if we called it "Sissy Creek" it would get a complex.
I started to wick it up as the Texas skies started to go dark on me. I kep racing to try and beat the rain (I've always been very adversarial with Mother Nature, screw the kumbayah hippy tripe). I laughed to myself as I tried to outrun the cloud that was on my six like a bad "Top Gun" scene; problem is, it called a friend or two to get ahead of me. I got caught by a storm cell (remember my "I don't need my rainsuit" line? Yeah. Brilliant) When someone asks a motorcyclist what they do when it rains, the response is usually gonna be "get wet". I hate riding in the rain, I'll be the first to admit it. Needless to say, I really made sure to stay smooth when I got hit by both cells. The second one caught me right on the outside of town, and there was mud everywhere. I got out of the clouds again, and found dry roads. I got into my driveway as the clouds kept chasing me and gaining on me the whole way in. Kinda like the Jurassic Park line "faster...faster... we must go faster!" yeah kinda like that.
As I pull into the garage, the rain really opens up, and I just watch it pour from the opened up skies. The clouds are swirling outside my window as I type this, begging me to come play.
I learned that yes, I can ride in the rain, it's probably a good idea to pack the rain gear regardless of what the weather looks like, and sometimes a change of plans ain't all that bad.
Last shots of my dirty, soaked bike.
I loaded up, grabbed my camera and my SPOT. Put my tool roll in my bag and a monster water bottle so I didn't risk dehydration. I figured I wouldn't need a rain suit as I'd be avoiding the storms till after I got back.
I gassed up and started rolling down US 59 towards Corpus. I don't know what TXDOT has against Laredo, but it feels like all roads leading out of here are just thrashed. 59 has miles of grooved pavement in difference areas in several mile long segments. The state troopers were out in force today and I really couldn't cruise over 65 or so. I came up on a group of about 6 riders of various makes (I saw mostly cruisers and an RT) and passed em up as they were doing around 60 or so and didn't wanna get caught behind a group I wasn't familiar with and tag along with em. The road grooves made the ride hard, and the ride itself was draining.
I hit Freer and didn't feel like going anywhere, and decided I'd try to push for San Diego and go from there. I left Freer and came across an FM road that was a straight shot to Benavidez. I decided to take it and get off the highway. The slog was just killing me, this little two-lane road was what I needed. I cooled it down to 55 and just tooled along, noticing the buzzards, and even a few skeletons (animal of course) along the road. The wildflowers were in full bloom and looking great. Everything was really green from all the rain we'd been getting. I snapped a few pics along the way, as I could take my time since there was pretty much no one around.
Broken down windmill
Dig the wildflowers. It was like this all over the place.
Only in South Texas
For the FM road game
I rolled into Benavidez and it looked like a town that had seen better days, as has much of south Texas. The only thing keeping things afloat are the hunters that come down for the season and eat, stay, and resupply in all the small towns in proximity to the numerous hunting leases around here. I saw at least 5 groups of hunters at the stop-n-rob in town. But Benavidez is famous for something:
With not much else to see, I opted to blow through Hebbronville and start making my way back. My Dyna is a great bike, but she ain't no mileage muncher, and my tail has a limited range on her. She's great and forgiving of your mistakes and easy to keep up when you get a little to dogged on her, but she knows what keeps her happy, and it's in town and short trips.
Got to Hebbronville and came across a really impressive church and figured some pictures would be appropriate.
Got a little tropical feel, even for way south Texas.
The windows were really impressive. They looked like they had pieces of stained glass cemented into the windows themselves. Really cool looking.
I started heading out and saw a barbecue joint and decided to follow my own adage of a bbq joint with a full lot is worth a stop. I went in to what used to be an old Maverick Market that had been redone. I ordered a two meat plate with pulled pork, brisket, beans and potato salad.
Potato salad was good. Brisket wasn't as smokey as I like, but good and juicy, the pulled pork was more like carnitas, and very good. The beans were awesome and the sweet tea and sauce were both very good.
It's only been open a month, but if Hebbronville keeps growing like it has (it now has a Best Western, and a Quiznos) they should do well.
I started to make my way out and notice the clouds starting to look sinister. That didn't stop me from snapping more pictures, though.
Slow down on wet road
Kind of a "well, duh" moment, dontcha think?
Because if we called it "Sissy Creek" it would get a complex.
I started to wick it up as the Texas skies started to go dark on me. I kep racing to try and beat the rain (I've always been very adversarial with Mother Nature, screw the kumbayah hippy tripe). I laughed to myself as I tried to outrun the cloud that was on my six like a bad "Top Gun" scene; problem is, it called a friend or two to get ahead of me. I got caught by a storm cell (remember my "I don't need my rainsuit" line? Yeah. Brilliant) When someone asks a motorcyclist what they do when it rains, the response is usually gonna be "get wet". I hate riding in the rain, I'll be the first to admit it. Needless to say, I really made sure to stay smooth when I got hit by both cells. The second one caught me right on the outside of town, and there was mud everywhere. I got out of the clouds again, and found dry roads. I got into my driveway as the clouds kept chasing me and gaining on me the whole way in. Kinda like the Jurassic Park line "faster...faster... we must go faster!" yeah kinda like that.
As I pull into the garage, the rain really opens up, and I just watch it pour from the opened up skies. The clouds are swirling outside my window as I type this, begging me to come play.
I learned that yes, I can ride in the rain, it's probably a good idea to pack the rain gear regardless of what the weather looks like, and sometimes a change of plans ain't all that bad.
Last shots of my dirty, soaked bike.
It is good to get out on the open road, isn't it?!