"Devil Duck goes Cross Country" or "The Adventures of Devil Duck"

[customsteve01]

Oh, I forgot to mention that Custom 3's are in use while on the bike so I am getting good tunes the whole time.

Steve

[Coytee]

Had a great lunch and visit with Steve and Caroline. Too bad they stopped in Asheville and coudln't make it my way the night prior. I could have put them up for the evening (and used his back for moving some limbs I've collected from a fallen oak tree [A])

I didn't even have a chance to get my duck out to meet Devil Duck []

[Fish]

What a great idea to post your ride,keep the pics coming,happy trails.

[sunburnwilly]

Looks like a pyramid .

Leaving Tennessee we pasted this building. Not sure what it is.

[LarryC]

Leaving Tennessee we pasted this building. Not sure what it is.

Kinda looks like this one: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Tennessee/Memphis-872905/Things_To_Do-Memphis-Pyramid-BR-1.htm

"The Pyramid is a 32-story, 20,000 seat arena used for a variety of events including concerts and basketball games. It was home to our Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis basketball teams, but now that the FedEx Forum has been completed, the Memphis Grizzlies games are played exclusively there, as that was the entire reason for building the new arena."

[customsteve01]

Well we made it to Bulverde, TX. Man did it get hot today in Texas. I didn't realize that I had gotten so UNaclimated to the heat. Did 650 miles again today but did I say the heat killed me. Didn't take tons of pictures cause we used to live here and have alot from around here. I do wish I would have taken some of the corn fields we passed. They are having a really bad drought and the fields are just dead. Left Little Rock at 8:00 am and didn't stop till the Texas border about 140 miles.

the texas welcome sign was missing due to all the road construction at the border. these were from the welcome center.

Who is this bad looking guy with a rubber duck on his shoulder?

Carooline pulled up beside me and took this one. I thought this was pretty cool, how many of us have a picture of ourselves rolling down the road?

I did stop before getting into Dallas. This is Lake Ray Hubbard, the Dallas skyline is in the distance you just can't see it in the little version.

I also stopped to pay my respects to my mother. This is at the entrance of the DFW National Cemetery.

At her grave. She passed Thanksgiving day of 2008, man do I miss her. I Love You Mom.

The view.

This is the Dallas Baptist University That is right next to the cemetery.

No pictures from Dallas to Bulverde but I will ride thru this area again Sunday or Monday. Not riding anywhere tomorrow, we have some business to attend to. But I might ride out to Gruene Harley and I will try and take some pics of the area. I understand the river is almost dry. Its really sad cause there are alot of toobing companies that depend on the river to make money.

I would really like ideas from you guys. My route is just a guide and I want ideas on how to make it better.

We stopped for a couple of hours tonight just south of Austin to have some dinner and I needed to cool off. We got back on 35 just to get stuck in construction for about 45 min. The bike and I got hot all over again. Did I say it was hot today? I believe it was 98 or so.

More to follow..............................

[colterphoto1]

Steve, good photos mang but get some sunscreen on or you'll be the color of that leather in a week.

Have you posted your ETA to various cities or when can I expect you in Indy?

Be safe my friend!

Michael

[LarryC]

I would really like ideas from you guys. My route is just a guide and I want ideas on how to make it better.

I have an important suggestion for traveling in Idaho between I-84 after you leave Oregon, and your junction with US 12 past Grangeville.

Your current route goes up US 95 beginning at Fruitland/Payette. BORING! Instead, make your way over to Idaho 55 -- I suggest leaving I-84, say at Middleton via ID-44, and getting on ID-55 at Eagle. Head North!

You'll see lots of nice curves going over the Horseshoe Bend hill, and then you'll travel north along the Payette river, which had lots of rapids a month ago (probably not so much now

). Stay on ID-55 along the Payette North Fork, where you'll see desert hills transform to forested hills.

Then, past Cascade to the beautiful McCall resort area and Payette Lake (5,200' elevation) , then down a very curvy and somewhat steep grade to New Meadows. There you'll pick up US 95 and continue North.

You will start down the Little Salmon River to Riggins and White Bird. The scenery changes back to low-altitude desert canyons.

Get off US 95 at White Bird and follow the OLD road (1915) to the top, to rejoin US 95. Or, stay on US 95 for a 3,000-foot 7% grade climb and stop at the wayside if you're interested in the Nez Perce War. The old road's loops can be seen in the lower center in this pic (see http://www.biketrip2001.com/Idaho/7-31.htm):

-- Larry

[LarryC]

Your map in Southern Idaho seemed to change temporarily earlier today, to go past Craters of the Moon NM. Maybe I was responsible since I noted it earlier. However, that route (now changed back) would have gone through the worst of Idaho, lots of desert and across the south end of high Basin-and-Range mountains -- lots of wide valleys and space, but so what ... forget that! IMO, stick to the ID 55-US 12 routing I suggested above.

One possible alternative: I-84 to US 20 at Mountain Home, then north on ID-75 past Sun Valley and over the 8,990' Galena Summit and past the Sawtooth Mountains. Stay on ID-75 past Stanley ...

... until its junction with US 93 just outside of Challis. North on US 93, through Salmon and over the 7,000' Lost Trail pass, then either to Missoula and I-90, or MT-43 to I-15 and I-90 to head to Bozeman and Sputnik. LOTS of wierd geology and some pretty Salmon river valley scenery, but you don't see much forest until north of Salmon.

-- Larry

[customsteve01]

Day 4 07/08/09

Today is my sweeties birthday so I let her sleep in and went for a ride around the area and took a few pictures.

Stopped at Gruene Harley. Bought a hydro vest that I will try out tomorrow on the ride to Houston.

The Famous Gruene Hall is one of the original buildings in the town and has hosted many named musicians. The likes of Goerge Strait, Pat Green, David Allen Cole to name a few. Its really a pretty cool family bar. I parked my bike here and started to walk across the street to take this picture and a guy comes running out saying sir, sir you can't park here. I said I know I just want to take a picture. he goes oh ok and walks back inside. It is also a dance hall.

One of the antique malls and restuants in town. The Gruene River Grill has great food too.

The Gruene Water Tower. Sort of a neat shot i think.

Bubba's Big Deck is a Biker Bar right on the river

One of the many tude rental places on the river.

You get in the river here and they come pick you up in a bus down river and put the tubes in the big trailer.

This is a really small bridge under the railroad. It's only one car wide and 7 foot 10 inches high.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01622.jpg

FM 1863 between state road 46 and 281 in Bulverde. notice how dead the grass is here.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01623.jpg

Some houses built on the cliffs out by Caroline's sister's house
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01625.jpg

We will be headed to Sugarland TX some time tomorrow I will post more from there. Tonight we are staying in a Bed and Breakfast Just on the outskirts of Gruene. Its actually right down the street from that railroad bridge.

[customsteve01]

Larry,

Thanks for the suggestions I will look at them tomorrow. I really like the idea of not borring.

Mike I will keep you guys posted on where I think I will be, but let me see how traveling goes when I actually leave Houston.

Steve

[colterphoto1]

Great photos Steve, scenic Americana like you don't see from the Interstate system. I bet that Bubba's Big Deck is a hoot on a Friday night!

[LarryC]

I hope my Idaho suggestions are good ones. I also have comments about Oregon, though I haven't seen nearly as much of that state. While much of it has staggering beauty, you haven't seen "boring" until you've driven through South-Central Oregon!

Take a look at Rand McNalley -- there is huge emptiness around your route between Lakeview/Valley Falls just north of where you'd leave California, and US 20 or US 26. Note the complete lack of those green "scenic drive" dots along most of that route. It's empty for a reason; it's in the Cascades' rain shadow and extremely dry desert. A caveat: I haven't been there, exactly, but rather to the east in the Malheur Lake/Steens Mountain area, which wasn't bad. The other side of Steens is unbelievably lacking in rainfall.

The part I HAVE been over is between Burns and the Idaho border. I don't know of anyone who thinks it's pretty or interesting! IOW, the Oregon part of your route seems unexciting to me. And, it's a BIG state -- you drive, and drive, and drive....

Unfortunately, alternatives are very far apart and might add too much to your trip. I have a couple of suggestions:

• Take I-5 north from Redding, past Mt. Shasta. Continue north over the Siskiyou Mtns. into Oregon. You have a big variety of routes off the Interstate from there, to go past, or to, Crater Lake. You can also decide where to cross the Cascades, but just north of Crater Lake isn't bad.
• Or, turn off I-5 at Weed, and take US 97 past Klamath Falls and Klamath Lake. Continue up US 97 to see the Cascade peaks from the east side. (The Cascades are low mountains with very high ex-volcanos every 50 miles or so, like Crater Lake, the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Hood, etc.)

The Siskiyous:

Crater Lake, INSIDE the top of a 8,000-9,000 ft mtn. The lake surface is over 6,500 ft. in elevation -- WAY above the surrounding countryside (see the clouds below the crater at http://public.fotki.com/TomBremer/places/american-west/oregon/20070630002.html):

In any case, I suggest you try to avoid either US 20 or US 26 across Eastern Oregon to Idaho. Those are two very long, deserty drives.

The Columbia Gorge is terrific. However, that's a big addition to your trip. One thing you could do is stay on US 97 until you can turn West on US 26, and then go right at Government Camp onto OR-35 and down to Hood River. This takes you right past Mt. Hood, which won't have much snow on it this time of year. This is a Spring or early Summer pic:

Then, you can take I-84 east across the Blue Mountains, past Baker City and the Wallowas, and on toward Boise. Unfortunately, the best of the Columbia Gorge is to the west of Hood River.

Sorry I can't give you definite preferences like I could for Idaho. Hope this helps. Maybe you can ask Munkingman, who I think lives around Portland.

[customsteve01]

Larry,

Thanks for the ideas. I have tweeked the route. Take a look at the new link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=3571+Pineview+Dr.+Powhatan,+VA+23139&daddr=I-40+W+to:I-30+W+to:I-35+S+to:US-59+S+to:TX-249+N+to:I-40+W+to:W+Tomichi+Ave%2FUS-50+to:US-50%2FUS-6+to:US-50+E+to:CA-89%2FW+Lake+Blvd+to:CA-267%2FNorth+Shore+Rd+to:CA-49+to:E+Hwy-20%2FCA-20+to:US-101+N+to:CA-299+to:US-97+N+to:E+Hwy-26%2FOchoco+Hwy%2FUS-26+to:44.88312,-117.020874+to:US-12+to:I-90+E+to:I-90+E+to:I-680+E+to:I-465+S+to:3571+Pineview+Dr,+Powhatan,+Virginia+23139&geocode=%3BFaQJKAIdWJ_g-g%3BFQ5UBQIddGdw-g%3BFbwOxQEd1PEm-g%3BFdINxAEdSFJN-g%3BFdmyyQEd6JdN-g%3BFX4AGQIdzBju-Q%3BFQYkTAIdhlOg-Q%3BFRyXVAIdSM8w-Q%3BFf5OVgIdgNbd-A%3BFVYXVAIdwgTX-A%3BFfIJVwIdPPjX-A%3BFZrGWwId-pjO-A%3BFRKDVAId_jyu-A%3BFQrybQIdgQSZ-A%3BFQIVbgIdOiSp-A%3BFe4joAId4ALF-A%3BFYxMpwIdhFTZ-A%3B%3BFQxAwAIdWFEc-Q%3BFS4fugId9POH-Q%3BFdgGoQIdqGfY-Q%3BFZQneQIdLEVJ-g%3BFZKSYAIdhgTf-g%3BFWz7OwId53pb-w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=11&mrsp=18&sz=8&via=10,11,12,13,15,17,18&sll=44.960911,-117.685547&sspn=1.978366,7.009277&ie=UTF8&ll=39.402244,-112.807617&spn=34.351096,112.148437&z=4

Steve

[LarryC]

Thanks for the ideas. I have tweeked the route. Take a look at the new link.

Steve,

I think you'll be happier with your new Oregon route. US 26 is much better than 20, and you'll like Prineville. That stretch between Baker City and Halfway is very pretty, being well-watered by runoff from the Wallowa mtns to its north. (North of the Wallowas is gorgeous, but too far out of your way.)

Your new route goes down into Hell's Canyon, and it looks like you'll see two of the Snake River dams, Oxbow and Brownlee. I think they're very interesting. Then, you're taking ID-71 (I knew the hwy no. without looking) over to Cambridge. That stretch along the Snake always scared me some -- it runs along a bluff over the deep, still reservoir without any guard rails, and usually no one's around if something happens. There're a lot of scary dropoffs in the West, but that one has given me the willies. [EDIT:] I think the reason is the curves aren't that well engineered for consistency, and some are surprisingly sharp when you don't expect it.[end edit]

Cambridge and Council are really deadly for scenery IMHO (my grandfather lived in Cambridge and dad grew up there). It depends on what you like to see (I don't really know). It gets better north of Fruitvale, and really nice near New Meadows, tho' mostly not as good as ID-55 to McCall and New Meadows IMHO. However, you saw the pics I posted along the Payette No. Fork and McCall, so now you know I'm a mountain-and-forest guy. I'm not sure when your done that you'll think the Baker-to-Cambridge thing was that special. Keep in mind that some of those back roads, like ID-71 and US 95 to New Meadows, aren't very fast. 55 isn't bad.

There are usually quite a few 'cyclists on US 95 along the Salmon. I remember seeing them between Riggins and White Bird

Larry

[customsteve01]

Day 5 07/09/09 and start of Day 6 07/10/09

Didn't get to post these yesterday, we were visiting with Carolines daughter, husband and our grandson. It was really noce that they have a pool. It was so refreshing to get in the water. It was in the triple digits yesterday. I will say the cool vest helps alot in this heat.

Before we left I took a few pictures of the outside of the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at. Its the Lambs Rest Inn. Its in New Braunsfels but really closer to Greune. It is the only B&B that is on the water. They have some really nice landscaping and decks out back.
The Inn from the front.


Looking from the upper porch down to the river.


Down this path leads to the decks by the river.

The upper deck


The lower deck


Devil Duck wanting to get in the river.


They had a really cool gazebo made from old doors. It had a two person swing and ceiling fan. You could sit here with a drink, book and your wife and just relax and watch the river.


Stopped for gas aways outside San Antonio and met Val from Michigan, she was on a VRod and had rode out to the Grand Canyon and was on her way to Katy. We were passing right by there so we rode together for about 100 miles. It was 103 today.


Today We are going to head North to around Tomball, its only about 45 miles or so. Staying with more friends up there.

[customsteve01]

Oh, Devil Duck did get to go for a swim in the Lambs Rest Inn pool. I didn't get him out at Carolines Daughters house because my grandson would have wanted to keep him. lol

[jbsl]

Was down in Gruene the week before you and wanted to go jump in the river. Have a safe trip and enjoy!![H]

[customsteve01]

Looks like I got alittle behind, let me chatch you up.
Day 7 07/11/09

Made it to Tomball, staying with friends not much else to say and no pictures. I did go get a oil cooler and put it on.

Day 8 07/12/09

Left for the Gulf Coast around 11 am. We went west to Dayton on FM 1960 then over to 90 and then down 365 at Nome through Winnie to 124 South down to High Island, then down the coast on 87 to Bolivar to catch the ferry over to Galviston. Was a nice ride to the ferry. We had to wait an hour to get on the ferry then over to Galviston. We ate at Tortuga Coastal Cantina on 61rst street. Then headed up I-45 to Richard and Carols house. It was a really hot ride home.

Here we are waiting on the ferry and the line looking both directions

I am going to head out in the morning and try to make Amarillo, Talk to yall soon.

[customsteve01]

Ok Time for another installment of "Devil Duck goes Cross Country"..... lol

Day 9 07/13/09

It's hard for me to believe that I have been away from home for 9 days already. I really feel this is the first day of the trip. For the last few years I lived in VA but worked in Houston, TX and comutted back and forth all the time, and I lived in Houston for 11 years prior to moving to VA. Plus today is the first day of the trip that I have really been solo also.

Enough of all that lets get on with what Happend today, Thats what you guys want to know, right....
Well I was up around 7:30 and got ready but still had to load up the bike. Left my friends house around 8:30 or 9:00 I think, didn't really pay attention to the clock I was hot and sweaty already and knew it was only going to get worse.

Ready to leave.

Headed up to Tomball to say "see ya later" to my Dad and grabbed a quick bite foor breakfast. Headed up 249 at 10:30 then turned left on 105 to HWY 6 North

Alittle shot of 105

HWY 6 takes you thru College Station home to Texas A&M then thru Hearn and Calvert. Calvert has a bunch of old shops and the Yellow Rider as I call him. He has been there for a long time and never gotten anywhere. Actually he did move across the street a few years ago.
If you want some Texas stuff go in this store

Yellow Rider

Shot of main street Calvert

When coming down from Dallas the other day I told you about the corn dead in the fields well here it is. This is on I-35 south of Fort Worth


It looks like they are just plowing it into the ground.

Oh did I mention that is has been increadably hot today... I can't wait to get into some cooler weather. After getting thru Fort Worth I headed North on 287 and stayed on this all the way into Amarillo. I saw a sign at a truck stop near Wichita Falls that said it was 112 degrees. I thought about turning around to get a picture of it but I did need gas and I really didn't want to prolong todays ride by even 15 min. yes it was that hot. here are some shots along 287.
Just Northwest of Fort Worth

coming up on Wichita Falls I saw two trucks hauling tires, yes those are tires. Each truck had 3 big and 3 little tires.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01688.jpg

It started getting alittle greener as I past Wichita Falls, but it didn't get any cooler.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01690.jpg
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01691.jpg

Not too bad of a self picture going 75 down the highway.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01693.jpg

I stopped to get a this picture and noticed the train coming so I waited and got some of the train too. Most of the trains I saw today were really long and they had 2 engines in the front and two more in the back.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01697.jpg
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01698.jpg
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01699.jpg
This is the direction I was riding with the sun right in my face.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01700.jpg
And the end of the train.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01701.jpg

The sun set about 30 min. before I got into Amarillo and it was a really comfortable riding tempature.
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo328/LoneStarAcres/DSC01702.jpg

I rode 577 miles in right at 11 hours and I think I mentioned it was really HOT didn't I. I told the clerk when I checked into the motel that I just needed a room with a good airconditioner.

Well thats it for today kids.