G.W.R.R.A

Region H Texas 
Chapter F
Newsletter

Come Meet With Us: 

New location

The Lakeside
Restaurant!

In
Madisonville
Texas

8:30 a.m.

The 2nd Saturday
of each month.

Upcoming Meetings:

May 14, 2005
June 10, 2005
July 8, 2005
August 13, 2005

News & Views from our CD

     The newsletter is way over due!  Things have been a real hair ball for Sandy and I since the first of the year.
     Sandra and I are the new CD's for Chapter "F" when we get all the paperwork finished!  Frank and Pam Lucas have consented to be Assistant CD and Glenn and Marilyn Conner the Educators.  We need someone to pick up the newsletter (Newsletter Editor).  Terry will continue to be our websmaster.
     Our next meeting is on Saturday, May 14 at the Lakeside, Madisonville, 8:30 a.m..
     

C. E.  & Sandra Wooten, Chapter Directors

A Week out West!

Sandra, Frank, Pam, Weedia and Howard beside the spring fed pool 
at Balmorhea State Park.

     April 21, 2005 found Howard and Weedia Gay, Frank and Pam Lucas and Everett and Sandra Wooten on their way to the Big Bend of Texas with stops along the way!
     We were trailering the motorcycles to our destinations with the first stop for lunch in Mason at the Willow Creek Cafe' on the square for the best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas and it was very close!  From there we went on to Iraan for the first night.    Frank, Pam, Sandra and Everett all at Alley Oop Park and Howard and Weedia at the best motel in town.
     With the new day we headed for Fort Davis.  On the way we stopped at the State Park located in Balmorhea.  The park is a beautiful place with RV and camp sites and a huge spring fed pool that also feeds Lake Balmorhea a few miles away.  The pool and most of the buildings were built by the CC in the 30's.
     We continued from Balmorhea to Fort Davis on Hwy 17, which is a beautiful road itself.
     We arrived in Fort Davis just in time for lunch, of course!  After lunch we headed for the Davis Mountains and the McDonald Observatory.  We took the Tour of the Telescopes and grounds and signed up for the Star Party that night.  After the Tours we  all went back to Fort Davis for dinner.  Frank and Everett went back for the Star Party and had a good time looking through the telescopes at the stars, planets and moon.  They didn't get back off the mountain until almost midnight.
     The next morning we all went to the Indian Lodge for a very good breakfast.  The Indian Lodge is in the Davis Mountain/Indian Lodge State Park.  If you are ever in Fort Davis, go there, the food is very good and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
     We did not get by without motorcycle trouble.  Everett  had a flat!  The valve stem on the front tire went bad.  Thanks to Howard's truck and trailer he was able to get it fixed at the Big Bend Cycle Shop in Alpine.
     After the repair, we went back to Fort Davis and had lunch.  After lunch we left Fort Davis on Hwy 17 to Marfa and 67 to Presidio and Highway 170 (The River Road) to Lejitas.  The road has a lot of character and a lot of challenges.  The river road is at least 50% of the ride in the Big Bend.
     At Lejitas we turned around and headed back to Fort Davis by way of Presidio.  On hwy 67 we passed a ghost town named Shafter where silver was minded for many years.  Shafter at one time had a population of about 4,000.  Now not much is left.
     At Marfa we had dinner at the DQ and then went to see the "Marfa Lights"... you will have to talk to Frank about the lights, he's the only one that saw them.  We got back to Fort Davis around 11:00 p.m.  The River Road from Fort Davis was about 260 miles round trip.

     We ended our two night stay in Fort Davis on Sunday the 24th, but not before a two hour visit to old Fort Davis.
     From Fort Davis we headed for our base of Terlingua for three days of riding in and out of the park.  The trip was set up to ride all the paved roads in the park in the three days allotted.  
     On the first day, we entered the park and went to the Visitor Center at Panther Junction for an overview of the park.  After the visitor center we went on to the Rio Grande Village and Boquillas Canyon overlook.  After the Rio Grande Village we headed back up the road and to Chisos Mountains Lodge for lunch.  Green Galda Road is without a doubt the most challenging road in the park, but well worth the effort.  The restaurant in the Lodge was very good and the view was even better.  After lunch we went back down the mountain to Terlingua for the night.  Monday was spent in Terlingua for Dinner at the Starlight Theatre and light shopping.  The first day of the trip worked out to about 135 miles and around 8 hours in the saddle.
     Day two began about 8:30 a.m. as we entered the park and headed east to the Santa Elena Junction.  The road to Santa Elena Canyon is the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.  AS you ride this road, you pass Sam Nail Ranch, Burro Mesa, Homer Wilson Ranch, and Mule Ears Peaks.  Soon you arrive at Castolon, one of the farming areas in the Big Bend.  From there on to the end of the paved road and Santa Elena Canyon.  Santa Elena Canyon is one of three or four canyons the river flows through where the river narrows down to not much more than a 100 yards or so.  Heading back to Terlingua, we rode about 125 miles on day two.
     The start of day three began around 9 a.m.  We went back into the park and rode to Panther Junction and then north on hwy 385 to the North Entrance.  After leaving the park to the north, we rode about two or three miles to Ranch Road 2627 to a place that is a must visit... "The Stillwell Store" and the "Hallie Stillwell Museum."  We continued to the end of 2627 to the river and the Mexican ghost town of LaLinda.
     Day three turned out to be the longest day in miles at 180 miles by the time we returned to Terlingua.  With the two days in Fort Davis and three in the Big Bend, we rode all the hardtop roads in the park a lot  of the Davis Mountains and the river road for a total mileage of 830 miles.
     If you ever have the opportunity to go to the Big Bend, be sure to go.   Plan your trip for the cooler months of the year and go prepared with lots of water and picnic supplies.  There aren't too many places to eat!

Click here for Photos of our West Texas Adventure!!

Safety First

     I would like to say a  few words about what we who ride Goldwings know.  One of the weak points in the wing, is that it can be very dangerous and always inconvenient, is the valve stems in the tire rims.  The stems should always be replaced with new tires and always have the little support, but sometimes that is not good enough!  I had one go bad in Fort Davis (no Honda Shop). I was lucky and found "Big Bend Cycle" in Alpine open on Saturday and was able to install an after market stem.
     It would be an excellent idea to have one with you!  Take my word for it! 

C. E. Wooten, Chapter Director

Above article as printed in The Hondo Anvil Herald, Hondo, Texas.

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