First Road Trip
by George Mc Daniel - 1200 Sportster
This story is about the elation of my first road trip. To some, this sort of thing is old hat. To others, it may give some incentive to load up and get out for a few days.
Friday, May 7. After months of anticipation, my adventure on the new Sportster was about to begin. I have had a trip like this in mind since the late 1960's when a television show called "Bronson" aired. Some of you may remember this as a very lame Michael Parks feature which was supposedly about motorcycling. In fact, the only motorcycle shots were at the beginning of each week's show when, no matter where he ended up the week before, he would be sitting at the same intersection, talking to the same shrimpy little businessman, week after week. The dialogue went like this-"Taking a trip?" "Yeah!" "Man, I wish I could be you!" "Well, hang in there." Never really understood why he always had to return to the same intersection each week. Wrote that one off in a hurry as just more Hollywood nonsense.
My trip would not include little businessmen, fist fights, or damsels in distress. Just 800 miles of some of the best riding roads in Texas. My plan called for leaving my home in southeast Houston and ending up in the Tyler and Longview areas, in my opinioin, the prettiest parts of East Texas. The object would be to get away from this insane Houston traffic as quickly as possible, find some back roads, and see some of Texas without the 4 wheel cage around me.
The story goes back to mid-November when the fine folks at Mancuso hooked me up with my first H-D. One of the new 1200-S models with the Buell heads, etc. It had been 17 years since I have ridden and in those days, the bikes were little Hondas. Several kids, a divorce, and some pretty hard years later, it was time for the real thing. Since November, I have been learning the ropes again by doing battle with the local traffic and dreaming of good weather for the road trip.
The trip began early in the morning with a trip down the HOV lane into downtown and out the North Freeway. I finally got to use the lane my tax dollars are buying. Seeing the city limit sign and all the big buildings of downtown disappear in my mirrors produced one hell of a great feeling. It was like tossing a huge burden of corporate BS and other daily insanity off my shoulders.
The first stop was made at The Woodlands at the office of my friend and fellow rider Sue Haley. If you don't already know, Sue is an insurance person extraordinaire. If you need insurance, and you better have some, she's the one to see! After an hour of good company , excellent coffee, and a gentle nudge, I was on the road again . By now I am feeling great. The sky was cloudless, the temperature was about 72, and there was no wind. What a day!
I was now ready for phase 2 of the plan. That was to get off the interstate, find some back roads, and enjoy the trip. At Conroe, I moved over to the old Highway 75, which used to be the only way to go from Houston to Dallas. The old 75 is only 2 lanes and was one of the most dangerous roads in the state. From childhood I can remember signs along the way with skull and crossbones indicating how many deaths had occurred in the next x number of miles from head on collisions. On this Friday, however, there were just a few cars, some farm implements, and a solo biker having a good time. In Huntsville, I shifted over to Highway 19, an historic old road which runs through numerous country towns to Palestine and points beyond. (Yes, almost all of them reminded me of Tina's "Nutbush" on Highway number 19. I crossed over the Trinity River at Trinity (imagine that!), taking the time to stop by the bridge and watch several bass boats below. Somehow, I don't think those fellows were concerned with the Dow Jones, either. The river was a pretty green and looked very inviting.
Moving along, I passed through other such famous places as Lovelady, Crockett, and Elkhart. Highway 19 is in very good shape and is lightly traveled these days. Some of it is 4 laned and some is 2 laned. The scenery could only be described as picturesque. As I drove along, I began to notice all the little convenience market/gas stations had barbeque pits going along side. I finally gave in to temptation near Crockett and gassed up. Remember, Sporties need to stop fairly often. Had what could be described as an excellent beef plate, some very welcomed iced tea, and some good conversation with the proprietor. Guess what? He saw the loaded up T-bags on the sissy bar and asked me if I was taking a trip. "Yeah" He didn't seem to want to be me, probably because he didn't have to put on a suit the next week and go downtown.
Crockett is the seat of Houston County (partiotic, isn't it) and has the old timey square around the courthouse where you are routed around the building in a circle to get to the other side. The old courthouse is typical of East Texas seats and I had to circle around 2 or 3 times to enjoy before moving along. Another 35 miles took me into Palestine and the end of my association with Highway 19. One of the best things about Palestine, and very welcome at this point in the day, is that there are places you can buy BEER! Stopped at a convenience store for a cold Bud and more gas. You will notice I haven't mentioned anything about bars, so far. There aren't many along the way. This is East Texas, remember.
There I began the last , and best, phase of the day's ride by changing over to FM 315, about fifty miles of the most picturesque scenery in East Texas. The little FM takes off of Highway 155 just north of Palestine and if you aren't careful, you will miss the turn. This road has been one of my favorites since I was old enough to drive. It is full of twists, curves, and hills and to drive it in a sports car or scooter makes one feel like Mario Andretti. Just past half way down the road is a little community named Coffee City. It was founded some years ago as a "wet" area to cater to people who would build near or visit Lake Palestine. Coffee City? Go figure! A couple of miles beyond the neon of the liquor stores is the Lake. Built in the 1960's, it is large and beautiful with a full complement of lakeside houses, stores, eateries, trailer parks, etc. A great place for fishing and boat riding. FM 315 ends up in a small community called Chandler, population 715, the place of my birth and still home of numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins' kids, cows, horses, donkeys, etc. Rolling onto an aunt's driveway, I knew I had made the first day without event and with flawless performance by the Sportie.
Upon arrival, the old(er) folks had to inspect the ride. As you might expect, they thought I had gone crazy. A cousin lives next door and his two teenage boys had to inspect, also. The bike passed with flying colors, of course, but I think I made enemies with the cousin and his wife. Two future H-D riders had been hatched!
Day 2. Saturday, May 8. Got up early to find the Sportie surrounded by the uncle's cows. As it is black, it seemed to draw more than passing interest of several of the new black calves. Hmmm! Washed off all the bugs and road grime from Friday and hit the street again. On this day, the first stop was Lone Star Harley-Davidson in Tyler to buy the obligatory T shirt and talk scooters. This shop is neat and clean and very well laid out. At the time, they were a little short on new 2 wheeled inventory, but long on used scoots, great clothing and accessories, and courtesy. When I told them of my mission, they were very quick to provide flyers and other information on all the goings-on that weekend. I thanked them and was off to Longview, being careful not to get on anything that even resembled a highway.
I found Highway 271, a mostly 2 lane road which went about 25 miles to Gladewater. Another pristine little town where all the old downtown stores and buildings have been turned into antique stores. I am not a big antique fan, but I had to stop and look around. Found a neat old chair, but couldn't figure out how to tie it to the sissy bar. It would probably look like Granny Clampitt's chair on the Beverly Hillbillies' truck. Anyhow, I would recommend this place to the shoppers. I caught a little farm road for the next 20 or so miles into Longview and the home of another cousin. It seems I made future H-D riders out of his two boys, also. Not sure about the current status of the relationship with the cousin and his wife. Can't figure.
Longview is a large city to East Texas standards and guess what! You can get a beer there. They also have a world class dealership aptly called The Harley Shop. This is a shiny new two story facility loaded with new machines, old machines, and lots of other goodies. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I bought another obligatory T shirt and headed out to the sidewalk to get a picture of the place. When I went to retrieve the trusty kodak, I found some fellow eyeballing the sportie very closely. Seems as if he had been pacing the sidewalk, trying to make a buying decision on one of the 1200's right inside the window. After fielding all kinds of questions about my experience with mine, I asked him his age. He said he was 54. I told him to go inside and buy the bike. He would not be 53 anytime soon. He did. I should have gone back inside for some commission, but had to get on the road to get back to base.
Sunday was spent cruising more farm roads and Monday was a rain out. Finally, it was Tuesday and time to make the trip back home. Ominous skies forced a change in my return plan. I had wanted to go through Tyler and pick up Highway 64, which runs to Henderson and then take 259 to Nacogdoches, a really neat town and the place of my schooling. Along the way to Henderson, I was going to take a slight detour through Overton and once again search for the mountain. (I have looked for it before, but never found it.) oh, well. Maybe next time. Clifton Chowders' pretty young daughter is probably too old to fool with by now, anyway.
I ended up taking Highway 69 through Jacksonville, Rusk, and Alto, ending up in Lufkin, where I picked up Highway 59 to get back to Houston. I had planned to not get in a hurry. However, bad skies and several sprinkles forced me to let 'er rip. These are all neat towns and scenic highways, even at 85. The sportie really earned its keep on this leg. Wish I had time to stop more often and enjoy. Maybe next time. Everyone knows what's on 59, so I won't take the space to describe. Basically lots of chicken trucks, etc. I did beat the rain home, but unfortunately had to pass back through the city limit sign and pick up all the BS I unloaded on the way out. In spite of having to return to the insanity, I had a great ride, an uplifting experience, and great memories. Can't wait to load up again for the next one!
George Mc Daniel
11006 Sagetrail
Houston, Texas 77089
281 481-4332