Today the motorcycles got a good running; we were given a trail map by the Big Bend Ranch State Park ranger but as we got to each of the roads, they had all been gated off. After checking the ones we wanted to ride but had not luck, we returned to the visitor center and explained that none were open to ride. The ranger was unaware that they had been closed. As it happened, there was an outfitter guy there who informed us that as of a couple of weeks ago al...

Big Bend National Park is nestled in the southwest part of the great state of Texas. It is the only U.S. national park that encompasses an entire mountain range, The Chisos Mountains. The park ranger made mention that a black bear had just been seen around the trail we had just been on; he said we probably wouldn't see a mountain lion but do watch for bears and rattlesnakes. At Santa Elena Canyon the elevation was about 1,800 feet and nearly baked us with t...

The drive to Fort Stockton was uneventful and took about 6 hours. Even though the speed limit was 80mph, we maintained our self-imposed 60mph speed. Upon arriving at Fort Stockton, we found our overnight camp at Parkview Mobilehome and RV Park - which we renamed Slum Run RV Park; the only nice word I could think of to describe this place would be "shortlived". Luckily we only needed the space to park and rest before continuing to Big Bend National Park. ...

The drive to Austin was scheduled to be a long days' haul. As we bounced like a baby on I-10W towards Houston, we suddenly realized that our already long day was just about to get even longer. Shortly after a truck carrying a kayak passed us we abruptly stopped when we saw brake lights and suddenly, stopped traffic. Just five cars ahead, the truck that passed us was clipped by an SUV carrying a family of three. The SUV rolled over several times before co...

The 325 mile drive from the Florida panhandle to Breaux Bridge, LA was uneventful; Alabama and Mississippi went by quickly but each spawned fond memories from working in those areas years ago. As we neared Louisiana, the change in culture and French influence became more prevalent. Billboards boasted the best crawfish, dirty beans & rice and gumbo but the only way to know which eating house served up the best Cajun meal would have been to try them all (...