Don and I had left on
Tuesday because the forecast for Wednesday was looking bad (a great excuse to leave early).
We headed west on 380 (a four-lane, rock-hauler infested speedway) to Bridgeport. Don
introduced me to some new roads going out toward Strawn where we stopped for gas. He also
taught me a new way to fuel. A way in which you could: visit at the pumps, go in to pay; and
visit with the attendant, get a cold drink and maybe something to eat, and just visit some more.
You see Don and I had just returned from our Saddlesore 1000 and BunBurner 1500 to Key West.
When you’re on an Iron Butt ride there is no stopping to visit, you just ride. When you
stop it’s to get fuel, preferably, pay-at-the-pump, then you ride some more.
When we left Strawn, we meandered down 16 (I recommend it) toward Brady to have some BBQ.
This is one of those BBQ places where you walk by the pit and pick out your meat.
This is definitely the way to do BBQ. Once we left there (fat and sassy), we rode west
on 190.
Our stop for the night was going to be Fort Stockton. Don’s mother and sister both live
in Fort Stockton. They have both welcomed me into their homes several times before. When we
arrive they spend hours visiting about all aspects of life while I just listen. Don’s sister,
Cindi, is well-traveled and can tell great stories about going places. I could spend hours
listening to Cindi. Just one of her recent stories was about attending the iditarod in Alaska.
Can you imagine! They took us to eat Mexican Food. It’s always great in Texas, but the closer
to Mexico the better, and we’re getting closer.
We got up the next
morning to discover the “bad” weather that was predicted had arrived. Although it was close
to freezing, Don made me ride anyway? The cold wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t been
drizzling rain also (insanity). I’m a good sport, so I carry on. We rode out west to
Balmorhea, and then headed south to Fort Davis. We stop in Fort Davis to warm our hands
on the hot chocolate cup at the most quaint little soda shop and drug store. Don had been
concerned about an oil leak that had developed on his BMW. We had hoped that it was something
that he’d picked up along the way and was not coming from his scoot. We stopped in Alpine to
further investigate after washing the bike, but it didn’t seem to be much of a problem at that
time. We continued on south towards Study Butte. When we were only a few miles south of
Alpine the clouds broke open and a beautiful day was upon us. After riding to Study Butte,
getting a motel and then sitting down to a hamburger, Bubba and his gang drove up. They had
left Sanger around 4:00 that morning. They laughed as they described the bad roads,
icy conditions, and the wild drivers that they had survived on their trip down. We finished
up the day by riding to Lajitas for refreshment that afternoon. Lajitas is a small tourist
town that capitalizes on the outback lifestyle of Big Bend country. The waitress in the local
tavern showed us a newspaper article where a new owner of the community had just purchased it
for 4.25 million.His intention is to build it up as a “very exclusive” resort for people all
over the world. I hate to see a desolate hide-away turn into an international destination, but
progress continues.
The next
morning while eating Breakfast, Dan and Barry drove up and found us at the café. Don and I
decided to relocate to a motel further south in Study Butte and evade as much weather as
possible, although the weather was bearable. As usual, the group ended up going different
directions during the day. Don and I ended up in Boquillas, Mexico. It is our kind of place.
From Big Bend State Park headquarters you drive east through a tunnel (we call it a time
tunnel—there is no time in Boquillas) to the eastern edge of the Park. We parked our scoots
in a state park parking lot and paid $2 for a round trip on a rowboat. From there, we took a
burro to town ($3 round trip). There’s not much in town but a café/bar/gift shop, a bed and
breakfast, and another bar. The atmosphere is great though. You can sit out on the porch and
view the river and canyons. Upon returning to our motel, we told the others about our “find”.
Everyone agreed they would try it out the next day. That evening, we enjoyed dinner in a
sunken, dark, “cave-like” restaurant in Terlinqua. The furniture was made from tree trunks.
A little different environment from your local Chili’s who also holds some Terlingua history.
The following day we took a few short excursions up the river road between Study Butte
and Presidio, some of the best riding in Texas. After that, Don and I eased back over to
Boquillas. Upon arriving, Bubba and his group were leaving. They had arrived several hours
earlier and absorbed the benefits of Boquillas. Don and I hung around for about an hour
before Dan and Barry showed up. We enjoyed the view and intoxicating conversation with the
locals and a small college group from Sul Ross. As the evening fell, we eased over to the
local Bed and Breakfast to register. We stayed in the bunk room (others were available).
It seemed appropriate for our mode of travel. After checking in our local tour guide took
us back up the river for a "hot springs" bath. This is their only means of personal
wash. I was not impressed, but when in Rome?
The evening brought
very few surprises. Our B & B hostess advised us to use the lawn to go to the bathroom
unless it was "serious", then we could go across the street to the outhouse. Other than that,
it was a typical bunk house stay. I enjoyed it thoroughly as did everyone else. She fed us
breakfast the next morning and we were off to the border. We met Bubba's group going back
into the park as we went out. Dan and Barry went north from Study Butte toward Alpine, while
Don and I chose the river road one more time. We ran across Dan and Barry in Marfa as
they were catching a quick bite. We made another brief stop in Fort Davis, then on to
Fort Stockton to spend another evening with Don's family. Barry and Dan stayed with sister
Cindy, while Don and I stayed with mother Dorothy. They took us uptown to a feed trough for
the local fare.
The next morning brought better weather yet, although none of it was excellent. We took
the long way back home and made a brief stop in Christoval, Tx. This is the home of one of
TV's "Survivors". I noticed a couple of signs wishing Colby good luck. Don had to nurse the
BMW all the way home, because the oil leak had flared-up again. It seems the high speed
affects it even more. We were home by late afternoon on a Sunday. A good ride with good folks.
