Riding to Texas

[Bmwgsrider94]

Invading your state I hope the last week in May coming from Indiana  . Any suggestions on roads to ride :headscratch:e  I am heading down to Spring to meet some friends of mine . Maybe a coffee meet with some of you in Region 2 ?

[Orson]

The Texas hill country lies roughly between, Llano in the northwest, over to Austin, down to San Antonio, then over to Rocksprings to the southwest  

Lottsa good riding roads in there.

Next best riding area is the Big Bend / Fort Davis area.

East Texas has some nice lakes studded with pine trees but, the riding generally isn't too challenging.

The Two Wheeled Texans forum can probably fill you in on local rides around Houston.

[Kneescrubber]

I was raised in Beaumont so I'm intimately familiar with East Texas. You didn't mention how much time you have. PM me if you have a couple of days to explore the Piney Woods. In fact, depending on when in May you'll be there, I can suggest some nice tours of bluebonnets.  

[Justin]

Riding to Texas is too general    Texas is more like a country than a state. What area of Texas are you heading to? And where will you be passing though?

[FJRmgm]

Riding to Texas is too general    Texas is more like a country than a state. What area of Texas are you heading to? And where will you be passing though?

+1 on that.  It's 300 miles from where you first enter Texas at Texarkana to Houston!!

Most places that distance would put you in three different states!!

[Bmwgsrider94]

   Sorry about not having exact info , plan on coming thru up around Hale Center then heading down towards Dallas and then on to Spring . I have about 2 weeks of nothing but pure riding to do . So hope this gives you all an idea of where I am going to be   . Oh coming down the last week of May like 22nd or 23rd until June 5th or so ...

[Orson]

plan on coming thru up around Hale Center then heading down towards Dallas and then on to Spring.

unless you detour thru the Hill Country, you're in for a whole lotta flatness  

[jay547]

lots of good riding in arkansas on the way.

[Orson]

lots of good riding in arkansas on the way.

I'd forgotten about that  

Yah, coming down thru Southern Missouri then Eastern Arkansas before entering Texas at Texarkana would be mo' bettah  

[jay547]

I'd forgotten about that  

Yah, coming down thru Southern Missouri then Eastern  Western Arkansas before entering Texas at Texarkana would be mo' bettah  

fixed it.

[Bmwgsrider94]

May have to do some zig zags then huh   Oh well I have already to plan on 2 weeks to do some riding down and back and if I have to add another week I don't think the boss will mind    Oh wait I own my own business !!! Damn  

[FJRmgm]

If you can hit Missouri 95 at Mountain Grove Missouri and take it south to Missouri 160 east of Branson to 125 then come down Missouri 125 across the lake into Arkansas you will have found and ridden Nirvana, Glasshopper.  

Take Ark 125 south to 14 west over to HW 7 south.  Take HW 7 south all the way to Dardanelle then get on HW 27 south and take it as far south as you can to HW 71 south and take it into Texarkana.  

You will have ridden some of the best of Arkansas and Missouri if you hit these roads.

Other great Arkansas roads are 16, 21, 43,74 and 123 - any of them and you are riding on as good as it gets.

Gotta stop - getting jittery just typing up this route.

Good thing I am heading up to NW Arkansas the first of June and will ride all these routes.

I wanna ride.

[Bmwgsrider94]

If you can hit Missouri 95 at Mountain Grove Missouri and take it south to Missouri 160 east of Branson to 125 then come down Missouri 125 across the lake into Arkansas you will have found and ridden Nirvana, Glasshopper.  

Take Ark 125 south to 14 west over to HW 7 south.  Take HW 7 south all the way to Dardanelle then get on HW 27 south and take it as far south as you can to HW 71 south and take it into Texarkana.  

You will have ridden some of the best of Arkansas and Missouri if you hit these roads.

Other great Arkansas roads are 16, 21, 43,74 and 123 - any of them and you are riding on as good as it gets.

Gotta stop - getting jittery just typing up this route.

Good thing I am heading up to NW Arkansas the first of June and will ride all these routes.

I wanna ride.

Thanks for all the info guy's and that helps alot    I also just jumped into the tech world and bought a GPS    Use to look up on maps and tried to plan ride routes that way but not a good way to do .

[Orson]

Use to look up on maps and tried to plan ride routes that way but not a good way to do .

dunno 'bout that  

I've lost count of the number of threads where I read about some poor soul being sent down a terrible road by their GPS that delayed progress rathern than enhanced it  

People seem to be willing to hand their fate over to a gizmo  

I prefer ol' fashioned paper maps  

[BwanaDik]

If you can hit Missouri 95 at Mountain Grove Missouri and take it south to Missouri 160 east of Branson to 125 then come down Missouri 125 across the lake into Arkansas you will have found and ridden Nirvana, Glasshopper.  

Take Ark 125 south to 14 west over to HW 7 south.  Take HW 7 south all the way to Dardanelle then get on HW 27 south and take it as far south as you can to HW 71 south and take it into Texarkana.  

You will have ridden some of the best of Arkansas and Missouri if you hit these roads.

Other great Arkansas roads are 16, 21, 43,74 and 123 - any of them and you are riding on as good as it gets.

Gotta stop - getting jittery just typing up this route.

Good thing I am heading up to NW Arkansas the first of June and will ride all these routes.

I wanna ride.

Good advice here.  Once you get south of Texarkana, it can get pretty tame.  If you're coming down from Arkansas, you'll probaby be on U.S. 59.  When you get to Livingston, turn West on U.S. 190 and go thru Huntsville (don't forget to stop and say "hi" to Sam Houston) and continue on on Texas 30/90 (Roans Prairie) to Anderson.  Turn south on 149 thru the Sam Houston national forrest and carry on to 105 then I-45 to Spring.  The forrest is pretty, 149 is OK but may be a bit anticlimactic after AR.  Better than slabbing it if you have the time.

[Bounce]

I'd forgotten about that  

Yah, coming down thru Southern Missouri then Eastern Arkansas before entering Texas at Texarkana would be mo' bettah  

if you're coming down eastern AR, you're missing the best parts (n of i30 and w of us61)

if you're expecting riding in the dallas/spring areas, then good luck. flat congested hot and dry or flat congested hot and humid.  take that 2 weeks and head west along 290 into fredricksburg. spend your 2 weeks finding all the twisty bits around there instead. when heading s or w into/out of Spring, be sure to take a detour to Taylor and grab the mostest bestest BBQ in the world at Louie Mueller's place (http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com/).

[Atitalongtime]

Here a keeper of a site I have used... Click states along the way and stitch together your route from the roads highlighted.

http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html

West Arkansas and west of Austin are the best with a nod to Big Bend... if you go to the border don't miss 170 that follows the Rio
Grande south of Presido.

[Orson]

if you're coming down eastern AR, you're missing the best parts (n of i30 and w of us61)

I have directional dyslexia  

brain said western but fingers typed eastern  

[Bmwgsrider94]

Where are these wildfires and will I have to worry about them  

[FJRmgm]

Where are these wildfires and will I have to worry about them  

unfortunately, all over the state but by the time you come down it should all be burned up so no worries!!

All joking aside, they are all over but mostly in west Texas.

Its a big state and there are plenty of roads to take that are good so don't worry about that.

Now $4/gal gas is another thing......

[Bmwgsrider94]

unfortunately, all over the state but by the time you come down it should all be burned up so no worries!!

All joking aside, they are all over but mostly in west Texas.

Its a big state and there are plenty of roads to take that are good so don't worry about that.

Now $4/gal gas is another thing......

Well right now I am paying $ 4.20 a gal for premium so $4 a gal is a bargain  

[BeerKnurd]

Hello (Saludos!) from San Antonio, TX.   I'm not terribly familiar with the East part of Texas but there is a magazine here "Ride Texas" that may be available digitally for more information.     I believe their site is  texmoto.com   They have a annual Best of Texas issue that can really help you.   If you find yourself in our Hill Country, give us a buzz.  

meetup.com/hcmr-of-texas

meetup.com/acmr-of-sa


J

[Bmwgsrider94]

Hello (Saludos!) from San Antonio, TX.   I'm not terribly familiar with the East part of Texas but there is a magazine here "Ride Texas" that may be available digitally for more information.     I believe their site is  texmoto.com   They have a annual Best of Texas issue that can really help you.   If you find yourself in our Hill Country, give us a buzz.  

meetup.com/hcmr-of-texas

meetup.com/acmr-of-sa


J

I will give ya a hollar if and when I get down that way. Its looking like I might try and get away sooner than I thought  

[Ken Phenix]

If you can hit Missouri 95 at Mountain Grove Missouri and take it south to Missouri 160 east of Branson to 125 then come down Missouri 125 across the lake into Arkansas you will have found and ridden Nirvana, Glasshopper.  

Take Ark 125 south to 14 west over to HW 7 south.  Take HW 7 south all the way to Dardanelle then get on HW 27 south and take it as far south as you can to HW 71 south and take it into Texarkana.  

You will have ridden some of the best of Arkansas and Missouri if you hit these roads.

Other great Arkansas roads are 16, 21, 43,74 and 123 - any of them and you are riding on as good as it gets.

Gotta stop - getting jittery just typing up this route.

Good thing I am heading up to NW Arkansas the first of June and will ride all these routes.

I wanna ride.

+1 on Missouri, Arkansas & the ferry at Bull Shoals.  

[Biking Sailor]

If you take 7 South from Harrison to Hot Springs, you will get face cramps from smiling!

[Biking Sailor]

One other thing I have noticed, the LEO's in NW Arkansas are pretty reasonable when you are carrying a "brisk" pace, as long as you're not crazy and you shut it down in the little towns.  They appear to me to allow visitors to enjoy their wonderful roads as long as you respect their peace and safety in the towns.