Weekend ride suggestions

[Head Case]

Sometime later this month or early September I will take a little scooter ride for the weekend an am open to suggestions. I’d be leaving downtown Houston at 4 on a Friday and returning home to Kingwood around 3pm Sunday.

I’ll probably just stay at hotels Fr/Sa nights so I can get a shower, but I am tempted to bring my pull behind trailer and camp. I figure no more than 150 miles on Friday and stopping Saturday within 400 miles of home.

Routes, roads, events, towns, or anything else worth seeing is completely open. I’m not trying to maximize mileage but I am considering trying to get down to McAllen as I really enjoyed the drive to Laredo on Hwy 83 when I did it by car. I don’t want to overdo it though so a shorter lazy-er loop on backroads is probably more realistic. Max distance I can cover is likely 1000-1200 miles.

Any suggestions?

 

[mitchntx]

I'm partial to the piney woods of east Texas, myself. Not a lot of talk about that area other than forest trails in the national forests.

But corridor through Livingston, Lufkin, Henderson, Marshall and New Boston is beautiful country, crisscrossed by a maze of nice FM roads that wind and rollercoaster through said landscape. I grew up out there and travelled so many of those roads on a CL360 Honda.

It seems that it meets your distance and time constraints.

 

[dukey33]

That distance can get you into Arkansas....Mena or Fort Smith area?
But east Texas is also very nice and maybe a little bit cooler than Hill Country and beyond.

 

[jhansen]

Leaving downtown Houston at 4pm on a Friday.....Good luck. I'd go northeast up 59 and then into east Texas

 

[Head Case]

That distance can get you into Arkansas....Mena or Fort Smith area?
But east Texas is also very nice and maybe a little bit cooler than Hill Country and beyond.

Leaving downtown Houston at 4pm on a Friday.....Good luck. I'd go northeast up 59 and then into east Texas

4pm is about the limit, and 59N is usually pretty smooth sailing at that time. Will still be some traffic but not a 2 hour jam up. I haven’t used 249 in a long time, but that would probably be my other option. 59N if doing an Arkansas trip. 249 if doing a Texas trip.

I looked at some spots around Mena on the map yesterday. That area looks like there’s probably some fun riding. I used to have a lease in the same mountains in east OK, and that area is like the Pineywoods…but with topography.

 

[Head Case]

Ok I think I have my route. It is perhaps a bit ambitious but I’m not married to it. Any good spots to eat, things to see, or specific roads to ride along the way, I’m all ears. Probably going the weekend of 9/10.

Friday (250 miles)
Houston > Roans Prairie > Jewett > Groesbeck > Meridian

Saturday (525 miles)
Meridian > Stephenville > Brady > Llano > Leakey > Carrizo Springs > Freer

Sunday (329 miles)
Freer > Cuervo > La Grange > Navasota > Conroe > Kingwood

 

[Bodark]

On your second leg. In Meridian give Morgan Street burgers or Cactus Grill a try. You may also consider the following sections to weave into your trip: Meridian to Hico (prettiest part of Highway 6 between College Station and Quanna in my opinion). Also highway 56 that stretches from Valley Mills over to Glen Rose has some beautiful scenery and lots of turns/hills to keep you occupied. Glen Rose is worth the visit and (sort of) on your way to Stephenville.

If you go to Hico, check out the chocolate place across from Ranglers. If you go to Glen Rose check out the Italian restaurant off the square. If you like biker bars swing through Walnut Springs.

Safe Travels, sounds like a great trip. And leave Friday Houston by 2 : )

 

[Head Case]

Thanks! I think I will be able to take Friday off, so I may add a few hours of meandering in east Texas before heading over to the route through the rest of the state. I will definitely look at trying your recommended stops!