Short Notice ride to the USS Lexington Wednesday

[JMZ]

Y'all will be fine on 183. Looks like they are rained out today. The road is fine, just went that way going to yoakum.


Signatures ?????? We don't need no stinking signatures !!!!!

 

[HutchPhoto]

Stopped for cop food in Shiner Tx "Snowflake Donuts"
It's what happens when you bring a cop along!!!

Thanks for the heads up!!

 

[mr-roboto]

Front flip with a half-twist, but she didn't nail the landing. She did however, land the husband. I saw the whole thing.

...there is s story waiting to be told at Ken's some time. Don't forget to go swimming in the Gulf since you will be right there near the beach.

SEYA,

RB

 

[tshelfer]

The Lex is always a fun visit. Like somebody mentioned earlier, be sure to visit the Texas State Aquarium while you're there. If you go to the aquarium in the morning, you sometimes get to see the divers go in the 'Big Tank' and feed the fishies.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

The Lex is always a fun visit. Like somebody mentioned earlier, be sure to visit the Texas State Aquarium while you're there. If you go to the aquarium in the morning, you sometimes get to see the divers go in the 'Big Tank' and feed the fishies.

Do the Lex first and the deck where a ton of the planes are parked first. It gets a tad hot in there and the earlier the better. If you eat away from the LEX,Longhorn steak house is the place to go in Corpus for a steak.

 

[tshelfer]

Do the Lex first and the deck where a ton of the planes are parked first. It gets a tad hot in there and the earlier the better. If you eat away from the LEX,Longhorn steak house is the place to go in Corpus for a steak.

Or grab some seafood ----- but not in Corpus! I've never found a good seafood restaurant in town. Run over to Port Aransas for that. Lots of good waterfront restaurants.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Or grab some seafood ----- but not in Corpus! I've never found a good seafood restaurant in town. Run over to Port Aransas for that. Lots of good waterfront restaurants.

Where do you eat in Port A? We eat at Averys mostly but have eaten at five or so other places. If we get a place with a stove we try to cook there some also to offset the costs of lodging which is high during the summer season.

 

[tshelfer]

I don't remember names. I remember a place on the left as you drive in from Corpus, that kinda looks like a big mansion. Rockport has some good places too, but that's a bit more of a drive.

 

[CBRider]

We always go to Snoopy's Pier on South Padre, just south of Corpus. The fried shrimp is great. They also have Scoopy's right next door for ice cream...

http://www.yelp.com/map/snoopys-corpus-christi

 

[tshelfer]

Is that the place under the causeway? Always wondered if it was any good.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Is that the place under the causeway? Always wondered if it was any good.

I've heard it was good but never tried it. Trying to get there in September now but things ain't looking good. Not a big sea food fan but also heard Beach and Station grill was really good. If we go I am trying Marcels and Frankies.

 

[tshelfer]

The first time my wife & I went to CC, we asked at the aquarium where to find seafood for lunch. A nice young lady gave us directions to a seafood restaurant nearby. It was okay, but it was basically a fast-food place in a rustic, waterfront building. Think of Captain D's, but on a pier. The kind of place where a kid in a striped t-shirt, bandana on his head, and plastic parrot on his shoulder, comes out and says "Ahoy matey, I'll be your server for today." Okay, maybe not the parrot. The food was pretty good, but it was all batter fried basket stuff. If you were looking for stuffed flounder or red snapper, you would have been at the wrong place.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Man every time some one mentions the coast I get that idea I'd like to live down there. Houses are high with postage stamp size lots. Not as many curvy motorcycle roads like in the hill country. Do enjoy the vegging while I am there. Do like Port A best and normally hang there. Peaceful and no hurry relaxing pace for me. OK you have talked me into it Tim when we going?

 

[tshelfer]

I'm ready. HOWEVER COMMA not a bike trip.

I love North Padre Island. My wife & I try to camp at Malaquite Beach every 3 years or so (well, except that we're between trailers right now). The "camp ground" is actually a parking lot. There's a grassy strip for tents, but the stickers are so bad that tent camping just isn't appealing. You can walk down and camp right on the beach, and some people do. That just makes it a long walk up to the bathroom.

Then of course, there's the heat and humidity. We usually go in November when the temperature is moderate, definitely not in the summer. I'm a Texas boy, and the last thing I want on my summer vacation are more heat and more humidity!

As for motorcycling, it's about 100 miles from San Antonio to CC on I-37. And there are approximately 2 curves on the whole road. Ditto Driving on the island. It's a 20-mile straight line.

That said, it is very relaxing, listening to the sea shore all day & all night. Jogging on the beach. Playing throw-the-frisbee-in-the-water-and-watch-the-dog-freak. The REAL fun for us is taking the Jeep, and spending the day wandering down beach past the 4WD-only point.

 

[Not Dave]

Back to the focus of the thread for a minute, Tim and I had a great time. For me it was about 410 miles round trip and 445 for Tim. That's close to the longest (mileage) day I've done on a bike and my lower back was pretty sore (two previous unrelated injuries - ruptured discs). Anyway, here are some pics that I took in Corpus:

Tim being a goofball:

A little rain shower to the east over the oil rigs:

And yours truly:

The Essex Class carrier USS Lexington, commissioned in 1943, is only 2 years older than the Midway Class carrier USS Midway, commissioned in 1945, which is also a museum and is in San Diego, CA. While there is a lot of great history with the Lex, as a museum the Midway is more than double the pleasure. You can see a whole lot more of the ship and there are about 3 times the amount of aircraft on display. You also get the added benefit of being in San Diego versus Corpus.

That said I'm glad Tim and I made the trip! We headed down 95 to Shiner where there is no Verizon signal whatsoever. Your phone will be useless there if you have Verizon. No one hears you now. We took our impromptu lunch break and fuel up in Refugio. Another 45 minutes and we were in Corpus. On the trip back we headed up the same way until Cuero where we continued up 183 until we hit SH 130 just north of Lockhart. That allowed us to set the cruise at a higher speed and no slow downs or stops in towns.

The Sergent seat on my bike is better than the stock seat BMW graced us with, which made me feel like I wanted to throw it away after 300 miles previously. It wasn't the best, a Russell is usually the best, but it was better than stock. My bike got 42.8 mpg on the trip, can't complain. The google maps route showed 409 miles while my odometer registered 410 so that's pretty much spot on. Weather was great though a bit hot on the way back. We did not get rained on though we missed a shower that had already passed between Refugio and Corpus (15 minutes earlier we would have been drenched).

I realized that Goliad has a few historical places I'd like to photograph in the future. Previously I had only been to their county jail for work purposes (picking up and transporting back to Austin).

The next coastal trip will be Sea Wolf Park in Galveston to see the USS Cavalla and USS Stewart. I love naval history, WWII history and military history altogether. When I get a chance to visit historical sites I do.

 

[Not Dave]

In case you're wondering I have a 2008 K1200GT with the K1300GT side panels and it's been painted in Vermillion Red Metallic (BMW color) with two silver stripes down low. Originally it was Crystal Grey Metallic which I called "Leisure suit blue". Never cared for it. My bike is not a 1300 though I wish it was. Still, the 1200 is no slouch and moves pretty well. It's just under 58,000 miles, should hit that later this year. I bought it used with about 44,000 miles on it a little over a year ago. Lone Star BMW in Austin had the engine apart before selling it, upgrading many parts. She runs like a dream.

 

[mr-roboto]

Thanks Dave for the ride report. It looks like a really fun day and that better saddle design sure helps!

RB

Sent by Tapatalk

 

[TX_F2]

Glad you guys had a safe trip, wish I could have meet up for lunch since you were only about 5 minutes away but it was pretty busy at work.

Thanks for the ride report, will be going to the Pie Run in Walburg tomorrow and either going up or coming back via 183.

 

[Not Dave]

Thanks, guys. We ate lunch in Refugio because it was convenient. I had noticed gas prices dropped significantly from previous towns by that point. Both our bikes use premium. The Valero was $3.629 per gallon for the hot stuff which was cheaper than Austin area. Sometimes you get a good price in Corpus, sometimes not.

Might go to the pie run, still on the fence about it. It isn't far for me, less than an hour if I take my time and meander the back roads. Not a fan of German food but could use some chocolate cake or pie. Have to be back in time to be at work at 3:00 pm.

 

[TX_F2]

Dave,

Anything I should look out for on 183 such as construction, oil trucks pulling out everywhere, ect ?

This Pie Run is admittedly a daunting ride for me because:

1) 250 miles away
(farthest I've ever ridden on a bike in one shot)

2) 1st overnight trip on a bike ever (staying at Bastrop Days Inn)


3) 1st time ever that the wife will be riding as a passenger farther than 20
miles. She rides herself, but sold her bike a few years ago due to a scare
she had with a car one day. She doesn't exactly like being a passenger,
so I'm not sure how she's going to do for a 500+ mile ride (round trip).

4) Mapquest says it's about a 4+ hour ride, and will be 100+* / Both of our
jackets are textile, non mesh, and black in color, both black helmets, and
both pants are blue jeans. lol It's going to be HOT, I plan on taking as
many breaks as needed to rest / stretch / cool off even if it means not
getting to Walburg on time at noon.


I don't have any experience sport touring, but I am armed with the following which I am hoping will do well for two on an overnight trip.

VFR 800 (stock seat.....my *** already can feel the pain. lol)
Cortech Sport soft saddlebags (old model, non expandable)
Med sized Tank Bag
Small backpack if needed (I will wear it)
Garmin GPS (auto type, not a Zumo) on a RAM mount
Using FRS radios with VOX activated headset as a rider-passenger intercom


After leaving the Pie Run restaurant, my plan was to head to Bastrop and check in at the hotel. Then maybe a side trip to La Grange, a cruise through the state park (have not been there since camping before the fire) and dinner in Bastrop.

Sleep in Sunday morning and leave after breakfast. Stop off on the way home for some BBQ / sight seeing in Lockhart, Luling, Gonzales, Cuero, Goliad, ect.


Any tips or suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Not Dave]

TX_F2: You're really shooting for the stars! If you don't like the heat then you'll have to make many stops. I know my wife gets hot and dehydrated a lot quicker than I do while riding passenger. She just doesn't get the airflow that I do. It is going to be hot. By noon it'll be in the 90's. The earlier you leave the better.

183 was a non-issue for us on Wednesday afternoon. There were some construction people out but no lane closures or the like. It had rained the day before and lots of standing water/mud on the side of the road. That has probably changed by now. Traffic was light and we didn't have to pass many at all.

Don't ride beyond your means. Take a few short breaks to stretch and cool down. Hydrate, that includes water and electrolytes which will help quell heat exhaustion. Water alone is good but you need electrolytes too. Get some powder packs of Propel or Gatorade. I've used them in the past and they're great, just add to a water bottle.

Black clothing isn't much of an issue as long as you're moving. It's hard to cool down even with the wind when it's 95-100 degree air. As for clothing, you can reuse your pants. Change of socks, undergarments and t-shirt would be what I'd bring. Might want to use that clean, dry t-shirt when you get to Walburg.

I was debating on whether to go or not but if you'll be there I will be too. It's a much shorter ride for me, maybe an hour even if I take back roads. I'm not there for the German food as I don't like German food but will have chocolate cake or some sort of pie. I'll eat lunch somewhere's else.

Again you'll have to pay attention to your wife and her needs. She will get hot sooner than you. My wife and I don't have intercoms and she'll let me know at the last minute before she's about to pass out or vomit, not at the last town we passed but in the middle of nowhere with no shade or AC available. I get into the ride and since I'm fine I don't think about it.

 

[JMZ]

Dave,

Anything I should look out for on 183 such as construction, oil trucks pulling out everywhere, ect ?

This Pie Run is admittedly a daunting ride for me because:

1) 250 miles away
(farthest I've ever ridden on a bike in one shot)

2) 1st overnight trip on a bike ever (staying at Bastrop Days Inn)


3) 1st time ever that the wife will be riding as a passenger farther than 20
miles. She rides herself, but sold her bike a few years ago due to a scare
she had with a car one day. She doesn't exactly like being a passenger,
so I'm not sure how she's going to do for a 500+ mile ride (round trip).

4) Mapquest says it's about a 4+ hour ride, and will be 100+* / Both of our
jackets are textile, non mesh, and black in color, both black helmets, and
both pants are blue jeans. lol It's going to be HOT, I plan on taking as
many breaks as needed to rest / stretch / cool off even if it means not
getting to Walburg on time at noon.


I don't have any experience sport touring, but I am armed with the following which I am hoping will do well for two on an overnight trip.

VFR 800 (stock seat.....my *** already can feel the pain. lol)
Cortech Sport soft saddlebags (old model, non expandable)
Med sized Tank Bag
Small backpack if needed (I will wear it)
Garmin GPS (auto type, not a Zumo) on a RAM mount
Using FRS radios with VOX activated headset as a rider-passenger intercom


After leaving the Pie Run restaurant, my plan was to head to Bastrop and check in at the hotel. Then maybe a side trip to La Grange, a cruise through the state park (have not been there since camping before the fire) and dinner in Bastrop.

Sleep in Sunday morning and leave after breakfast. Stop off on the way home for some BBQ / sight seeing in Lockhart, Luling, Gonzales, Cuero, Goliad, ect.


Any tips or suggestions would be welcome.

If you are coming through Gonzales and need anything give me a holler. I am planning on being at home all day working in my shop .


Signatures ?????? We don't need no stinking signatures !!!!!

 

[TX_F2]

Dave,

Thanks for the tips. I will be getting some of those powder packs tonight before packing. I look forward to meeting you tomorrow.


JMZ,

Thanks ! I appreciate the offer.

 

[scottie]

A couple of years ago my son and I did an overnight stay on the Lexington. The next week we went to an exhibit of relics from the Titanic. At the Titanic exhibit they had a mock up of a 3rd class Titanic cabin. There was more space in 3rd class on the Titanic that there was in those seamen's bunks on the Lexington.

 

[Not Dave]

Scottie, that's pretty cool. When I was a cub scout we got to go on an aircraft carrier in San Diego (where I grew up). I want to say it was the Enterprise but it was the 70's and don't really remember. I do remember walking through sleeping quarters that had men sleeping, we had to be quiet. They sure were utilizing any amount of space to cram everything in there just like the ships from old like the Lexington. San Diego now has the USS Midway you can tour, it's awesome! I'm glad you and your son were able to stay on the Lex, I'm sure it was great fun if it wasn't during the summer and hot.