The MOST Comprehensive Event Listing Published in Texas!
A Road Trip to the Golden Aspen Rally Ruidoso, NM * September 14-18, 2011
January 2012 ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Also Inside:
Biker Generosity &
Christmas Spirit Party in the Pines Rally
Contents
28
January 2012 On the Cover 28 A Road Trip to the Golden Aspen Rally This Month
15
17
15
Biker Generosity & Christmas Spirit
17
Party in the Pines Rally
Regular Features 6
From the Editor
8
PigTrails: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful
10
Two Wheel Thunder TV Review: Lyndall Racing Brakes
12
Pink Thunder: It’s THAT Time of Year...
14
From the Road
24
Ride Map: Texas All the “News” of Texas
30 32
ThunderCam Joker’s Wild
Resources 19
Event Listing
CENTER - Pull-Out January 2012 Calendar 35
24 34
Biker Friendly Listing
On the cover: Riders at the 2011 Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally in Ruidoso, NM. Photo by Randy McCamey.
OWNERS Bob Cooney, CEO/Photography ThunderRoadsBob@yahoo.com Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan, Editor Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com
ADVERTISING SALES
FEATURE WRITERS
Thunder Roads Texas Main Office 281.866.8149 ThunderRoadsBob@yahoo.com
“Crazy Al” - PigTrails; Peggy Beck - Two Wheel Thunder TV Reviews; and sharing Pink Thunder, each sumbitting quarterly: Joni “Even Meaner” Kelton (Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct), Brandy “Tex” Valdez (Feb/ May/Aug/Sep), & Terri Williams (TMRA2; Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec)
Bill “Shovelhead” Barnes - Houston ThunderRoadsBill@yahoo.com 321.960.6161
CORRESPONDENTS
Bonnie Estes - Austin/Hill Country AngelWing1555@yahoo.com 512.673.6679 Laura Mae Benson - Houston/Galveston Laura.ThunderRoadsMagazine@gmail.com 979.481.9642 Shelly “Cricket” Beatty - Hill Country CricketGOC@yahoo.com 210.445.2477
Thunder Roads Texas Bob Cooney & Shelly Horan State Edition Owners 4631 Cashel Glen Drive Houston, TX 77069 281.866.8149 ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Linda Morris - Houston; Joyce Siegert - D/FW; Dean Downey - Amarillo; Linda Nilsson - East Texas; Shelly “Cricket” Beatty - Spring Branch; Randy McCamey - West Texas; Don Brewer - Livingston; Donny Phillips - LaPorte; Mike “Biker” Boone - Houston/Gulf Coast... MORE COMING ONBOARD!
Layout & Design Shelly Horan Top of Mind Marketing 832.585.4045 Top.of.Mind.Marketing@gmail.com Thunder Publishing, LLC Toni & Brian Shearon National Founders 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 615.792.0040 ThunderRoadsMagazine.com Thunder Roads Magazine® is Trade Marked and may not be used in any way without consent from Thunder Publishing. Thunder Roads Magazine of Texas is published by Thunder Roads Texas. All rights reserved. No part of its’ content may be reproduced without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not to be held liable for errors beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error, slander of any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our control, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Roads Magazine®, Thunder Publishing, or Thunder Roads Texas. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs. Ride & live responsibly. Thank you. Thunder Roads Magazine®, Thunder Publishing, and Thunder Roads Texas. Thunder Roads Texas is a wholly separate entity from Thunder Publishing LLC and Thunder Roads Magazine editions in other states. As such, content that runs in other states’ editions has no relation to the content in Thunder Roads Texas. Unless specifically stated, Thunder Roads Texas does not endorse, and is not responsible for, any content in other Thunder Roads Magazine editions.
It’s the New Year!!! Hope everyone’s Christmas and New Year were full of family, friends, and safe fun! We have held off on the 2012 Points Across Program, taking it to a seasonal situation, rather than starting it in January. So, before the end of the quarter, we’ll have something in place and be able to get the details out to you all. In the meantime, until we finalize the plan, we’re open to suggestions… What places should be on the qualified destination list? What levels? Patches and/or pins? Would you be willing to pay a nominal fee to participate, to help us cover the cost of the program? Whatever you think, we’d like to know. We did a Reader Survey last year and some of the results were surprising, some not so much. We’ve found that there are a big chunk of readers moving to the Internet for information, asking for more unique online content. We want to get this going, but need your help. We really need riding folks to commit to helping us report on goings on around the state – particularly, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Hill Country, Panhandle, and East Texas. If you’re interested in helping, let me know. Another great result… you read the magazine cover-to-cover (71%)! This is GREAT. This means that overall, you enjoy the whole magazine – content and advertising. One of the surprising notes – the predominant favorite feature… (drum roll, please)… this one! Yep, the Letter From the Editor is sitting at the top of the list. Not sure if it’s because you like it, or if it simply is the first feature in the magazine… either way, I’m flattered! We asked what our readers would like to see covered in 2012 or added as a regular feature. In general, the most requested (though each topic is still less than 1% of respondents) is bike maintenance and cleaning (we’ve covered this, but not in a regular focus), motorcycle rights (can be found once a quarter in Pink Thunder, when Terri Williams with the TMRA2 contributes), rider safety, best eats, and a military rider section. All great suggestions and we’ll work on incorporating them in some way in the future, if we don’t already. Again, I send out the call for help – we need folks from these areas of expertise to help us out. While a little negative, and we really try to hard to remain positive in the magazine, I have to admit some surprise at a couple of comments – like “stop out of state, concentrate only on in state”. We are Texas-based, Texas-focused… and Texas PROUD! As such, the vast majority of our content is solely about Texas, by Texas riders. We do occasionally stretch out to other states – but only if there is a Texas connection. I can count on one hand (or foot) the number of times in four years of us publishing that we reached outside of our state borders. We are the ONLY motorcycle magazine with this focus. Maybe this reader is confusing us with another publication? It’s possible. Regarding another comment that comes up, even without a survey… we have avoided political content all together, with the exception of the biker legislative efforts here in Texas. We are more concerned about what you do when you go riding. It is hard sometimes to ignore (in these pages) some of the stuff going on; while we’re bikers, we are Americans, too. But we believe it to be in the best interest of the magazine to stay away from these divisive topics. There… I said it. And, lastly, the comment asking for more specials on service and products… we can’t offer these ourselves, but our advertisers most definitely do! That’s what’s good about our content-to-advertising ratio. We work very hard to keep honest and worthy advertisers mixed in with great content, for a well-rounded overall publication for our readers. With that said, we asked for survey takers’ email/phone for entry into a drawing for a FREE weekend stay at Koyote Ranch in Medina, Texas, in the Hill Country. When we got the survey results, this contact information was provided separately by the survey company – in other words, not connected with any specific question answers. So, effectively, the responses were completely anonymous. We drew and notified the winner right before going to press…. We hope your New Year is off to a great start! Keep riding... and remember, you don’t have to be a correspondent to send us photos or articles or such. Just email them to me and we’ll share with our readers! Ride safe... and ride with THUNDER! Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan Editor / Owner Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com Owner, Top of Mind Marketing Top.of.Mind.Marketing@gmail.com
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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful! ell the good thing is one more year has gone by and we’re still alive to talk about it. So many good things happened this year, in a year that so many bad things occurred. Almost a year ago my wife suffered a major stroke. While she does have some disabilities her health is great and her spirits are even better. Since the day this happened I have had hundreds of friends tell me how if there’s anything you need just let me know. I can’t tell you how far this has come true. We had two benefits in the beginning. Hundreds of bikers, friends, and family gathered around to put their efforts
together to turn a bad thing into good. In a world where you see so many bad people on the news, I can tell you there are so many more good people in the world. I have not been shocked at the fact but rather amazed that it is true. We should all have more faith in the common man! We should not wait until something tragic happens in our lives to look back and say I truly do have a wonderful life! My wife and I have always had a little dream of building a nice deck on the side of our house. It just didn’t seem possible with our current situation that we could make this happen. But it did happen. And I want to personally thank all the people involved who helped us make this dream come true. It truly touched me to see how many people just jumped in and said I want to help! I’m good to go ahead and state that I have the best friends of all! Don’t try to challenge me on that. They’re my friends! And they’re better than yours! I wish I could list the names of all the people that were involved in this project but I don’t have Page 8
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enough paper in this article! You know who you are and you all know that I love you very much! And thank you for allowing me to believe that people are good! It’s all good! Now with all the good things that happened there has been some bad as well. No matter what you do, it will sneak up on you and bite you in the butt. It’s like buying new speech dictation software and then have a real bad case of smokers cough! It doesn’t work very well. I don’t care who you are and that is some funny stuff right there! It’s called Murphy’s Law. Who was this guy Murphy? Believe it or not he was a real person. He was some sergeant in the Army
somewhere that was put in charge of making those ground sleds go 1,000 miles an hour. Four months into the project at a staff meeting he told the staff “anything that could go wrong will go wrong in a matter of time.” Why the hell did he ever say that? All he did was open up a big bag of worms! Okay here are some of my examples of this past year. Paula and myself were going to be able to go on a motorcycle ride. We were going to shoot down to Granbury, visit the local Babe’s Chicken. Then a little shopping around the square and take in a wonderful day on the motorcycle! This would be the first trip Paula has taken on the motorcycle since her stroke in February. Boom! What was that? That would be a flat tire! We had traveled 60 miles and were just coming into the city limits. Our day of fun was basically over. No chicken, no shopping, instead we got to sit in the parking lot for about three hours trying to organize the rescue. It seemed like everywhere we turned the people we contacted had one thing but not the other. There is another
case that damn Murphy’s Law! Hope they dude got fired! No I don’t. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone! Anyways by the end of the day my motorcycle was safely at the HarleyDavidson dealership. Paula and I had made it home and we were safe. And nothing too bad had really happened! The beautiful is easy! That is my wife, Paula Bunch! I can’t say enough about her! She is stronger than any person I’ve ever known. She has more patience than I’ll ever accomplish! She never complains about a life that has changed so drastically over the period of one year! She is still in a good mood every single morning. Still willing to get
out and make the most out of life. She has never once said “woe is me”. She still works her butt off every single day. She is not able to work a job yet so instead she takes care of the house. She is so amazing! Her sisters, Nola and Peri, come over every Thursday night for craft night! Paula spends all day making sure that everything is just perfect for their night of fun! On February 10, 2012 it will have been one year since my wife and her stroke. I pray every day that the miracle of healing will find my wife! She is my beautiful. She is my life. And I thank God every day that she is my wife! Always be thankful for what you have! Love your family like nobody’s business! Don’t sweat the bad stuff. It happens to all of us! And live your life to the fullest. Because you never know what tomorrow will bring! God bless all of you and as always the adventure of riding is to ride another day!
ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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By Jimmy Kay, Two Wheel Thunder TV Guest Writer
Lyndall Racing Brakes
elcome to 2012! Can you believe it we made it?
So with this New Year comes a new riding opportunity for all. Let’s start with some very important items to consider. First you need good tires to make for a good year of safe riding. Then to me, finding the best brakes on the market comes to mind. I love to ride however sometimes I just have to stop, and stop quickly. Back in the fall of 2011 I rode down to “The Tail of the Dragon”; 318 curves in 11 miles, Cherohala Skyway, Moonshiner 28, and many other mountain roads. I thought it would be a great place to test the Lyndall Racing bakes pads and
rotors that I’ve been told are the best brakes money could buy. There were some great days of riding. However, there were some days in the mountains that were wet and with the leaves falling on the roads at times very slick. Stopping on slick mountainous roads can be very dangerous. Having 2-3 seconds of stopping time is very important to me. I put the Lyndall products to 1,000 miles of very hard mountain riding. I have often heard that speed doesn’t kill, but the abrupt uncontrolled stop can kill you. Our Bikes are more powerful today than ever. More power equals more speed. More speed requires better breaking capacity. How often have you heard “drive like the other person is crazy”? Add that to “as a motorcyclist drive like you are invisible.” Why do I tell you these things? The following is an excerpt from Motorcycle safety news. Page 10
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“In more than half of all crashes involving motorcycles and automobiles, the automobile driver didn’t see the motorcycle until it was too late. Motorists are conditioned to look for four-wheeled vehicles, but they don’t expect to see two-wheeled vehicles. A motorcycle’s size also makes it difficult to see. Many motorcycle crashes that involve other vehicles occur when the driver of the other vehicle misjudges the motorcyclist’s speed or distance, or fails to see the motorcycle at all,
cheapest pads on the market.
and then stops or turns left in front of the motorcyclist”.
materials.
All this just to tell you what you should already know: Having the best brake pads and rotors are essential! But are good brake pads good enough? We have found that Lyndall Racing breaks offer significant increase in stopping ability.
Why do I use Lydall Racing Brakes? It is because the pads are made of the Carbon-Kevlar variety. They contain a premium blend of DuPont Carbon-Kevlar, nonferrous metal with a high transfer rate. Once the pad material has transferred a layer to the rotor, the rotor becomes one big brake pad, stopping against the two smaller brake pads positioned in the caliper. The result: incredible stopping power, no dust, no noise, no drag, no measureable rotor wear, and the highest service life of any pad on the market.
There are three types of friction material commonly used for motorcycle brakes: sintered metal, ceramic, and Carbon-Kevlar. Sintered-metallic brake pads have a high metal content; can be hard and abrasive to the rotor surface. They only offer moderate stopping power and mechanical strength. Service life tends to be significantly lower while they also tend to run more dirty and noisy than other types of friction material. They are inexpensive to manufacture and are the
Ceramic brake pads usually have a high copper content and are sintered as well. While ceramic pads generally offer a slightly longer service life and run cleaner than sintered-metallic pads, they offer only moderate stopping power. Carbon-Kevlar pads, often referred to as organic pads, usually have a small percentage of iron or nonferrous metal and are softer than other friction materials. CarbonKevlar pads typically run clean and quiet, and offer good stopping power. They have an extremely long service life and are not abrasive to the rotor because they generate less heat than other friction
Start your 2012 riding season like I do, with the best Racing Brakes on the market, Lydall Racing Brakes. Check them out LyndallRacingBrakes.com
ThunderRoadsTexas.com
EVENT
It’s THAT Time of Year... By: Joni Kelton, TRT Feature Writer
he New Year is here and among all the possibilities for self-improvement and life-changing positivity, we ought not forget about our biker lifestyle. We all want to be healthier, wealthier, and wiser in the coming year. But how can that apply to our biker lifestyle? Think back over the past - since you’ve started riding or since you got a motorcycle. What’s worked? What needs improvement? Here are some suggestions: Lose Weight – You and the bike. It’s not just us humans that carry a few extra pounds. How about your bike? Do you have a bunch of crap stashed in your saddlebags, like gloves that are only ONE glove? That broken pair of jumper cables, cleaning products, old musty towels, and what on earth do you need those gross ketchup packets for? After the summer Texas had, those are probably rife with food poisoning anyway. Get to cleaning out and lighten your load. Do you really use your saddlebags? If you don’t use them much, take them off, and save them for longer trips. It’s amazing what shedding a few pounds of leather and luggage can do for maneuverability.
Improve Your Skills - Keep learning. Are you uneasy riding on wet pavement or loose gravel? Do you avoid riding at night just because
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you’re not sure how? Now is a great time to read up on, and practice, skills that might be lacking. There are a lot of great motorcycle skill manuals out there and with cold weather coming, what a better way to keep yourself sharp than to brush up on some tactical skills. On the nice days of our Texas winters, go practice! The Leather Closet – Ok, we all have “that” closet. The brand spankin’ new jacket we bought with our brandspankin’ new bike three or four years (and twenty pounds) ago. The boots that you can’t bear to get rid of that have done their tour of duty and are now retired. If you have old leathers laying around that are of no use to you, either find a worthy benefit to donate them to (please clean them first) or put them up on Ebay. Guess what – when you clean out your leather closet, there’s more room for NEW stuff! Take Your Bike to the Doc for a Checkup – At least once a year, take your bike to a professional to get the once over. You’re doing a great job on the routine stuff, but it’s always best to get a professional opinion once a year. There may be recalls or maintenance bulletins you were unaware of that could affect your warranty, or worse, your trip. This is another great biker use for winter! Extracurricular Activities, Adult Style – We’ve all seen them… the bikers that have a few too many drinks or other adult novelties, shall we say, and not just once in a while. The people that are whispered about at an organized ride “don’t get too close to him” or “watch her, she’s always drunk.” Don’t be that guy (or gal). Make a vow to yourself, your bike, and your biker family that you will behave a little more reserve this year, and keep a rein on the adult libations. Fun is fun, but at the end of the day we don’t want to lose any of our brothers and sisters for a completely avoidable situation. There are enough unavoidable situations we have to watch out for. Plan Ahead – Be ready at a moment’s notice. All of us want to take that great bike trip through Texas’ winding beautiful roads, open spaces, and fresh air. Start planning now for your big trip. Take the rainy cold days and just look at all
the fabulous places Texas has to offer, and learn all about Thunder Roads “Points Across Texas” program. Plan your trip, plan for every eventuality. For the spur-of-the-moment trips, make sure your bike and you are ready to roll. Cover Thine Ass – Okay, as Mean Gene would say, here comes a shameless plug. After everything that I and my family have been through this last year, I am completely changing the course of my professional life. By the time this issue hits the stands, I will be a licensed insurance agent and partnered with a great new agency, TriUnity Group. Why insurance? Like Mean Gene would say, he was really tired of seeing his friends go down and then being the first to be called to do a benefit. It was not that he didn’t want to help. He knew that it takes a hell of a lot of beer drinking at 25 cents per beer and a lot of barbeque to pay for a funeral. I feel so very fortunate that my friends came together for my family. As a former top insurance agent himself (when the boys were little) he knew, as I do now unfortunately, the relatively small amount of expense it takes to get decent life insurance. The earlier you start the better, and it can also be a great investment. Gene and I had an appointment to get life insurance - two weeks into January. Mean Gene Kelton was killed in a car accident December 28, without life insurance or a will. Take a lesson from my tragedy, and take care of your business. Since Gene’s death, I have been preaching the gospel of life insurance and getting your will done. It’s not fun, it’s not pleasant to think about, but wouldn’t you sleep better knowing you are covered and well taken care of, than to leave it up to your friends to drink enough beer to pay for a casket? Call me and I promise I will take good care of you and your family. Gene would have too. Call me at 832-7543952 or email me at joni@triunitygroup.com. We all could use a healthier lifestyle, so vow to do just ONE thing better this year. Drink more water, take vitamins, whatever it is - do ONE thing better. I’ll see you on the road!
ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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Okay my Friends…..this is an excellent opportunity. Motorcycle Raffle Moms Against Hunger has received a beautiful 2009 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle to help with families in need. This gorgeous bike was generously given to help provide funds to feed the hungry. It has only 2200 miles on it, and has never seen rain! It’s a six speed, Cruise Control, and has over $4,000.00 in upgrades! It’s black and loaded with sparkling chrome. MomsAgainstHunger.org For those of you who know me well…I’ve already said I’m driving this baby home on Super Bowl Sunday! WATCH ME!!! Regards, Deborah Ruppert
As the sun is setting and the chill hits me on the brisk December evening, I pack the bikes up for tomorrow’s Wreaths Across America run, and I am reminded of why I do this every year. Just four short years ago my family and I heard about something a group of Americans do for the service men and women who so selflessly fought for our freedom. They raise money to place wreaths on the graves of veterans at Christmas--just a small “thank you” to them for their service. This year my family and I beat our donation record by collecting $850.00 (that is $350.00 over our goal) because we wanted to raise enough money to cover all 59,000 grave sites. Even though only 31,432 wreaths were actually laid, I am very proud to have been a part of it. I am extra excited this year because I got my road sisters (Women in the Wind) involved. Women in the Wind Bayou City Sisters Chapter collected money for wreaths this year too. My friend Candy, and my road sisters Jinx, Wizard, Chaser, Dodger, Reserve, Terri and Stargazer said this is their first time attending but they will never miss another one. As usual, Jinx took a lot of pictures for us on the ride and at the cemetery. I rode with the Patriot Guards this year-- flying my flag high for all to see--just one in a row of bikes that spanned almost 2 miles long. I have such honor in my heart and a tear in my eye to know that I can do this year after year while those who lay there fought to give me the freedom to do this for them. Jenny “Jinx” Jones Women in the Wind * Bayou City Sisters
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Biker Generosity and Christmas Spirit 32nd Annual Eveline Rivers Toy Run By Dean Downey, TRT Correspondent
beer and food. Of course no event can be successful without sponsors and the volunteers who help plan, organize, and work. Everyone involved worked hard and deserves to be commended for their efforts. This year’s sponsors were Tripp’s Harley Davidson, who also provided the venue, Happy State Bank for the stage and sound, Budweiser of Amarillo, Southwest Optimist Club of Amarillo, Just Tees’n for the great looking t-shirts sold at the event, American Classifieds, RC Cola, 7up, Bob Mills Furniture, Erwin Pawn, Inc, Unifirst, Bobby Duby Motors, The Buster Bledsoe Band, and
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ith cool and breezy weather, over 500 motorcycles participated in the 32nd Annual Eveline Rivers Toy Run held on November 20,in Amarillo. A total of 683 people were in attendance. The event kicked off at Tripp’s Harley Davidson where bikers gathered, their motorcycles loaded with a variety of toys to bring joy to children who might not have a Merry Christmas otherwise. Everyone who attended could either bring a toy or $10 to participate. This year the event raised approximately $5,500 and a twenty foot trailer full of toys according to Jason Tripp, the event coordinator. Every year there is a “Top 40”, where participants can pay $100 to get a spot at the front of the parade. All top 40 riders were entered into a drawing for a 50 inch TV, gun, $500 Tripp’s Harley Davidson gift card, and $500 cash. After registration, everyone was then lined up for the parade by the Road Captains of the Amarillo HOG Chapter. The parade began at Tripp’s Harley Davidson and concluded at the Courts of Amarillo. The Amarillo Police Department and the Amarillo Emergency Services provided the escort for the parade and did an exceptional job in keeping everyone safe and blocking the intersections; a special thanks to all of them. Once everyone arrived at the Courts of Amarillo and took
Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
their toys from their bikes to the Christmas tree, they were treated to food donated by the Southwest Optimist Club of Amarillo, beer courtesy of Budweiser, and live entertainment from the Buster Bledsoe Band. The Buster Bledsoe Band is no stranger to this area and always does an excellent job in pleasing the crowd. With this kind of entertainment, we can all be thankful there was plenty of
LPL Financial. Thanks to all those who participated and helped to make a brighter Christmas for those in need this year, proving once again that underneath all that leather lies a sincere, caring, and giving heart. Until next year, RIDE FREE AND SAFE ALWAYS.
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Party in the Pines (PitP) Rally Memorial Day Weekend, 2011
By Josie Siegert, TRT Correspondent
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e left Friday for the opening day of the 6th Annual Party in the Pines Rally at the Longview Fairgrounds. Tickets for the event were $35/person for the whole four days or $20/day/ person. Tenting was free but if you required electricity or water there was a fee for that which was quite steep. We had called to find out if we had to pay the nominal fee for the cargo trailer which we also use as our sleeping quarters with generator run AC and the guy told us since it was self contained to tell the registration desk it was a “metal tent”; works for me. This is one of the more “family” oriented rallies we have been to. We arrived at the rally grounds, registered, and got our site all set up. We camped close their stadium towards the back where there could have been a gauntlet but wasn’t. We pretty much had our pick of spots. There were only two other campers out there when we arrived. Although there were others parked in the pavilion’s shade. Looked like a good idea but I wouldn’t think they would get the breeze we were getting. Throughout the whole rally the weather was beautiful! The skies were a clear blue and we had a brisk 10MPH southern wind with temps in the mid 80’s-low 90’s. It was nice enough to wear my Thunder Roads Texas T-shirt. Had it not been for the wind, we wouldn’t have been so comfortable. At 7:00 p.m. on opening day the Patriot Guards arrived for the flag raising ceremony to celebrate the beginning of Party in the Pines and pay tribute to our soldiers for whom this Memorial Day is all about. For without them we would not have the freedoms we have today. Something about these ceremonies always pulls at my emotions; especially after 9-1-1. Although I didn’t lose anyone on that fateful day, it still makes me realize how vulnerable we are and what more could have happened if it hadn’t been for the speedy actions of our soldiers, police, firemen and rescue workers. In the evening we watched a band called Dazed. They played classic rock. These guys were all mostly in their 20’s. They hardly looked old enough to have hair on their chests. They weren’t even born when this music had first played on the radio, but still they were good! They played several Zeppelin songs and the one kid laid into his guitar Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
with a bow just like Jimmy Page. He even played his guitar behind him. These kids, I mean guys, were great. No… better than that, they were Kick Ass!
massage professionals, tattoo artists and piercers. Most of the food vendors were outside as well as a few garment stands and bike enhancers.
The headliner for the night, Ricky Lynn Gregg originally from Henderson, came out at 9:30 p.m. His band’s music was non-stop. They hardly paused to catch their breaths between songs. He also had a fiddle player who was awesome. What you notice most after her musical talent is the length of her hair. It was down to her hips. You just don’t see hair that long these days. Towards the end, there were several cameo musicians who played later in the show – Rusty Burns (Point Blank), Terry Sayler (bands unknown), Donnie Pendleton (The Alan Fox Band), and a few members of Dazed.
Lastly in the evening, Mustang Sally came on at 9:30 p.m.. They are sort of country rock. They are a 7-piece band, one of which is a guy and the rest girls. They were electrifying and the lead singer is quite comical. If she ever decides to quit singing she could always go into comedy. They even had a bit of audience participation and boy was it a hoot. The chosen participant had a blast up on stage messing with everyone. Some of the music they sing is from Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Janis Joplin. They usually travel the rally circuit and private parties. They have played with Dierks Bentley, Montgonery Gentry, Neal McCoy, The Charlie Daniels Band, and .38 Special. They are also sought after to play at military bases, bike rallies, and rodeos to name a few.
It was an absolutely beautiful night. There was a breeze all night and we didn’t even need to run the air conditioner
on the trailer. We left the back door down and let the southern breeze blow in. In fact, early in the morning we had to close the door because it got too chilly. First thing early the next morning we left for the The Harley Shop of Longview and a ride around Lake of the Pines. It was a beautiful morning for a ride; still a bit of a chill in the air. The store isn’t as big as others but what it lacks in size it makes up in inventory. They had quite a selection in motor clothes I loved the fact that they had all their shirts on a rack with a number. From there you could then just go to their numbered shelves and pull the shirt you want that matched the number of the shirt on the rack. No more having to unfold shirts to see what sort of design is on the back when they are hanging on a rack. After shopping we left for Lake of the Pines. I was surprised it wasn’t at all “piney” smelling. I guess these are not the fragrant type. While riding around Lake of the Pines I also became disheartened to find anywhere we wanted to go there were park fees. Since this is a manmade lake most of the parks are managed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. I can understand if you want to camp, but it seems ridiculous that they charge just to take a look and stop for a few moments to take in the sights. Once we returned to the rally, we walked to the vendor hall to see the vendors and check out their wares. There was a fair share of this and that but certainly not near as many as at the Republic of Texas (ROT) Rally. That was a good thing since I was heading to ROT in a few weeks. I imagined some of the same would be there too and they were. There was plenty to see though – jewelry, patches & sewing, rally shirts and merchandise sales, a few food vendors,
Day three, Sunday; we rode to Lake of the Pines to meet up with several Texoma HOG riders. It was a great ride. We ended up riding to Jefferson for lunch at Auntie Skinner’s Riverboat Club (although there was no riverboat close by much less a river). The interior is quite rustic and the muffeletta large and good. This is a popular hangout for bikers. Bikes were lined up and down the street as well as on the next block too. They have live music; Bugs Henderson was on the venue one night to perform. After eating we headed on to Caddo Lake. First we drove thru a little town called Uncertain. If you blink you miss this little town. It is a popular stop for bikers, especially during the Boo Benefit. We then headed to Caddo for beer and a relaxing view of the lake and cypress trees. Afterwards we headed back to camp to cool off for a bit. In the evening we hung out at our campsite with the door open and listened to the last two bands of the rally -- Rich O’toole Band and Bart Crow Band. Rich sounded so much like Kix Brooke of Brooks and Dunn it wasn’t even funny. Closing day and most everyone was packing up and heading out. One of the disappointments about this rally is the fact that when we asked if they had showers they said they did indeed have showers. We get there and find there is only one man’s and one women’s shower stall for everyone to clean up in. I guess next time I will have to ask if they have showers for more than one person. I am not holding them totally responsible; maybe they didn’t know. The city has a large shower facility sectioned off for men and women on the fairgrounds. It was used when the Katrina evacuees were housed out there. Now if they could build all this for the evacuees why couldn’t the city open it for the rally visitors or did the rally have to pay additional for this and opted not to? I also heard the turnout/ticket sales were lower this year than last year. Lucky we were able to go to a friend’s hotel room to shower. If we go back next year, we stay in a hotel or pay for onsite hookup. Just the camping was good but not much going on that would make me want to stay after hours once the bands finish.
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EVENTS Page 18
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ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Event Listing
The MOST comprehensive motorcycle event listing published in the State of Texas!
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Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT ThunderRoadsTexas.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Our monthly (third Thursday) biker party with a few hundred of our closest friends! Held at Concert Pub North (2470 FM 1960 West, Houston, 77069. Co-hosted by Outlaw Dave. Live music, vendors, stage games, door prizes, and MORE! LARGE reserved motorcycle-only parking, with plenty of cage parking, too. Rain or shine… the BEST and longest continually held bike night in Houston! Iron Horses Chili Cook Off & Motorcycle Swap Meet IndepdenceHD.com College Station Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station Cook off entry: CASI $20; HD Challenge $10; 50/50 Bean $10; People’s Choice FREE. $5/ person registration to judge chili – eat all you want. Registration 9-10am.Live music by Neil & the Real Deal Band. Silent auction benefitting True Blue Animal Rescue. Also, vendors, 50/50 drawings and more! Email fun@independencehd. com for more information.
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Swap Meet & Chopper Show TexasScooter.com Dallas Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth Admission only $8 adults; $5 kids (5-14) & Military; Kids under 5 FREE. Lots of vendors! Booth space goes fast, so reserve today. Only $40 for 10x10 space and includes one admission. Mail payment to Texas Scooter Times, 124 West Main St, Itasca, TX 76055. Payment must be received one week in advance. Walk-in vendors are welcome, but beware… reserve early to guarantee space.
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ALR Post 393 Care Package Delivery 832.428.9730 Cleveland Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston
The McAllen International Carfest 2012 McAllenCarfest.com McAllen Region: South Texas Metro: McAllen ASMI Crash Course for the Motorcyclist AccidentScene.com Pasadena Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston
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February 10-12 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre MassacreRally.com Boerne Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio The Alamo City Gypsy Motorcycle Club invite you to join their party! Held at the Kendall County Fairgrounds in Boerne. Live bands, with Two Tons of Steel headlining Saturday night. Saturday Fun Run, Children’s Field Events, Exotic Bike Exhibit, Silent Auction and this year… you could win a 2012 Harley-Davidson Street Bob. All registrations include a FREE entry for the drawing. The drawing will be held Saturday evening before the headliner takes the stage. Winner does not need to be present to win. Registration is open NOW and closes February 1, 2012. Adult $28; Kids 13-17 $10; RV site $10. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas! March 9-18 Daytona Bike Week DaytonaBikeWeek.com Daytona, FL
March 28-April 1 Arizona Bike Week AZBikeWeek.com Scottsdale, AZ April 12-15 Carts, Bikers & Babes Rally CartsBikersAndBabesRally.com Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station BRING OUT YOUR BAD! Join Damon Dave and the crew for a weekend full of music and fun at Big Creek Park on beautiful Lake Somerville! Live bands, including Quiet Riot and Pat Travers. RV Sites, free tent camping (with entrance fee), bike & cart games, vendors and more. The party never stops! Visit the website or call 979.742.3284 for more information. Registration is open now - $45/person weekend pass. Call for availability of RV Sites – they go fast! Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas! April 13-15 TMRA State Rally TMRA.org Comanche Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Abilene
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March 16-18 South Texas Motorcycle Show TXBikeShow.com San Antonio Region: Hill Country Metro: San Antonio This is the organizers welcome title sponsor, O’Reilly Auto Parts and the show will be held in conjunction with the San Antonio Autorama! Meet “Happy” from Sons of Anarchy! Featuring an ISCA-sanctioned bike show. $50/ entry, includes ISCA membership. Also returning, the popular STXM Stunt Competition. See stunters from across the states give you their best! Also… live music, vendors, and more! Buy tickets now - $15 for adults; Kids under 15 FREE – good all weekend long! Free parking for motorcycles, with a special services section for oil changes, new tires, accessory installation and more. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas! March 16-18 Blowouts Biker Bash BlowoutsBikerBash.com Hitchcock Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Registration is now open for Blowout’s first annual biker rally & party. Bike games; special contests, including best leprechaun nighty contest; best dressed leprechaun; best St Patty’s Day themed campsite. Live music all weekend, with headliners Dimitri’s Rail (Friday) and John Eipperson & Driving Bind (Saturday). Adult rally; 21 & up only. Held at the Galveston County Fairgrounds. $30 weekend pass includes FREE tent camping. $100 Self-contained RV sites include 2 FREE weekend passes. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!
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8th Annual Swap Meet & Bike Show HarleySalvage.com Arlington Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth
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Calendar Sponsored by Walker Texas Lawyer * 713.552.1117 * WalkerTexasLawyer.com
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EvenT Listing May 3-5 Texas State HOG Rally TXStateHOGRally.com Fort Worth Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth
June 30 Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride AlliedRide.org Fort Worth Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth
May 17-20 The Aspen Cash Rally MotorcycleRally.com Ruidoso, NM
August 6-12 70th Annual Sturgis Bike Week Sturgis.com Sturgis, SD
May 11-20 Myrtle Beach Bike Week MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com Myrtle Beach, SC
September 7-10 The Texas Rally TheTexasRally.com Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station
June 7-10 Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally ROTRally.com Austin Region: Hill Country Metro: Austin
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September 12-16 The Golden Aspen Rally MotorcycleRally.com Ruidoso, NM
June 9-17 Laconia Motorcycle Week LaconiaMCWeek.com Laconia, NH
September 26-29 Bikes, Blues & BBQ BikesBluesandBBQ.org Fayetteville, AR
June 18 International Ride to Work Day RideToWork.org International
November 1-4 Lone Star Motorcycle Rally LoneStarRally.com Galveston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston
October 18-21 Biketoberfest Biketoberfest.com Daytona, FL About Our EventListing: Basic Event listings are FREE. Premium Event Listings (bold and up to 75 word description) are only $45/month. Send your event to: events@thunderroadstexas.com. To be included in the print version, information must be received by the 10th of the month prior to the month in which the event is scheduled or the month before you wish a Premium Event Listing to appear. Events must have some motorcycle element. Subscribe to our FREE Web-zine for updates with events that don’t make print, two weeks’ worth of events are provided every week to your email inbox. You can always visit our website to download a list of the “next two weeks” events. Thunder Roads Texas does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and cannot be held liable. Things change, there may be typos, and weather happens. So before you climb on your steed and ride to one of these events, contact the organizers and verify the latest information.
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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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All the “News” of Texas By Shelly Horan, Editor/Owner
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“New” town names are common around the world. In America, many of these towns are named after favorite old-world locations from which the immigrants come, like New Berlin and New London. Some “New” towns are named after other popular towns in the U.S., such as New Boston and New Bluffton. Wikipedia describes a “new town” as a specific type of community, planned from inception, rather than an ad hoc development. Many of these towns are ghost towns and/or have been integrated into another town/city. We offer only those destinations that offer something to still see. It may be a small, bustling community; a memorial park marking the site; or simply the lone cemetery left behind. So for those enjoying Texas history and old cemeteries and such, this is the set of maps for you!
Starting in the Panhandle, around Lubbock… New Deal is located on Highway 27 at FM 1729. It is on the Santa Fe Railroad line, eleven miles north of Lubbock.
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t’s a New Year, so we thought we’d do something a little different. We’re highlighting the “New” towns of Texas! They’re all over the state, so we offer you four regional maps. Ironically, most of the “new” towns are old and many are considered Ghost Towns, with less than 500 in population.
The town was initially founded in 1906, when the railroad track was laid from Plainview to Lubbock. It was originally named Monroe after Monroe Abernathy, a local resident and railroad promoter. In 1935, the four rural schools combined to form a new school district, named “New Deal” after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s programs of the time. When the town went to establish a post office in 1949, Monroe was already in use. So the name was changed to New Deal, after the school district. The town incorporated in 1970 to avoid annexation by Lubbock. New Home is south of Lubbock, at the juncture of FM Roads 211 and 1730. The small agricultural community was part of the Deuce of Hearts Ranch, which opened for settlement in the 1890s. When a new church was built, the residents felt the need for a new name. New Home was suggested because all the homes were new to their occupants. The best known business was, and is, New Home Co-op Gin, which processed 12,000 bales of cotton in 1985. New Moore is just a bit further south, at the intersection of FM 213 and FM 179. Also known as Nurmoore, the town was first settled in the mid 1920s, when the Slash-L Ranch sold off its lands to incoming farmers. The name is a combination of two founding fathers, G.A. (G.O. in some reports) Newman of the Newman Development Company and W. McCarty Moore, who bought land from the ranch. While it was still listed as a community in 1990, the 2000 census reports the population as only 10. Today, all that is left is a closed community center building, a working cotton gin, and a dilapidated old school house.
New Sweden
Moving down to the Hill Country, starting just east of San Antonio…
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New Berlin is among a favorite “new” name, sharing sister towns in 14 other states. It is located at the intersection of FM Roads 2538, 415, and 775. Originally founded in the 1870s, Ed Tewes built the first store and is considered the founding father. The community served as a shipping point for cotton, cottonseed, corn, and oats. The town’s name comes from where you think… German immigrants thinking of home. Here you’ll find Bohannon’s Brietzke Station, a favorite local stop with really yummy homemade pies! If you like old cemeteries, the Concrete ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Cemetery is one of the best kept, located outh of New Berlin on FM 775, outside of La Vernia.
Today, the mine site landmark twin smokestacks can still be seen.
New Braunfels is probably the most well known of our destinations. Named for Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels who contracted to settle the “western lands” of the New Republic of Texas. Carl didn’t stay long, returning to Europe in 1845, never to return. Immigrants found rough conditions and a war-torn area. During the Mexican War and Civil War, New Braunfels was the fourth largest city in Texas and it continued to grow through the late 1800s. There is plenty to see and do in New Braunfels, the Sophienburg Museum (where Carl initially planned on staying to govern his people), the Comal County Courthouse, New Bruanfels Square, the Lindheimer Home, and so much more.
New Bielau was named after Bielau, Germany, a prosperous Germany city from which many of the settling German immigrants came from. Being so close to larger Weimar, the town had stunted growth over the years. Located at the junction of FM Roads 155 and 2144, three miles south of Weimar, the site was first settled in the mid1800s. Today, the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church completed in 1888 still stands and the community has a few historical markers of interest.
New Caney is located at the junction of FM 1485 and Highway Loop 494, 17 miles southeast of Conroe. It was founded in the 1860s and in its earlier years, was known as Presswood for pioneers Austin and Sarah Waters Presswood. The community became a shipping point for livestock when the Houston, East and West Texas Railway came into town in 1877-78. The station was called Caney Station after the dense canebreakers on Caney Creak. When a post office was created for the area, the town took on the name of New Caney. New Waverly, as with many small towns reinventing themselves when the railroads came in, began as simply Waverly. The Houston and Great Northern Railroad Company entered the area, but didn’t have one of the best reputations. So the company was denied right-of-way by
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New Corn Hill split off from (Old) Corn Hill because the old portion was absorbed into Jarrell, while enough of the residents of Corn Hill chose to move east and retain the name. The new town is located on FM 1105 where rolling pasture and prairie converge at the historic Holy Trinity Church. Recently, Monk Ivicic, a retired Texas Department of Transportation employee, took it upon himself to get signs for New Corn Hill posted. So now you’ll know where you are! Still there to see, the beautiful Holy Trinity Church, some old houses and outbuildings, and an abandoned two-story structure that was once a hotel.
New Wehdem is located just south of Brenham on
New Kentucky is an abandoned ghost town established in the early 1800s. Before it was abandoned in the 1840s, it was a thriving trade town. Today, the site is honored with a park and marker outside of Tomball, off FM 2920.
New Sweden is a small unincorporated community originally established in 1873 as Knight’s Ranch. The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was established in 1876 and the area became known as Manor. In 1887, the town was renamed as New Sweden, for the New Sweden Lutheran Church. Today the church holds the honor of “most photographed church in Texas.”
Moving over to the HoustonGulf Coast area… New Gulf (Newgulf) is situated southwest of Houston, near Boling. It is on top of the Boling Dome, the largest inland deposit of sulphur in the world. Considered a ghost town by TexasEscapes.com and not often shown on maps, you can find New Gulf just east of Boling. The Texas Sulphur Company built the town in 1928, comprised of 400 small, single family homes constructed by the company and leased by employees. The name was determined through a contest in which only employees could submit. Reaching its height in 1940 with 1,586 residents, the town declined after WWII, as demand for sulphur decreased. Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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New Bluffton (or Bluffton) is located on FM 2241 near the western shore of Lake Buchanan. The original town site is located under the waters of the lake, submerged when the Buchanan Dam was completed in 1939. The area was originally settled in 1852 by Billy Davis, followed by a relative, IB Maxwell in 1853. The town was named by Maxwell for his hometown, Bluffton, Arkansas, probably because of the bluffs facing the new community on the east bank of the Colorado River. In 1883, a fire destroyed the town, thought to be caused by drunken cowboys. It was rebuilt about a half mile north of its original site. In 1937, when the dam flooded the site, the town moved again, this time five miles west. Most recently in the news, thanks to the draught (some good things can come from awful situations), the original town site under Lake Buchanan can be seen.
New Ulm is one of the premier German settlements in Texas, located at the intersection of FM Roads 109 and 1094. [EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’re running the map as proposed here, you’ll go through Frelsburg and at the corner where FM 109 takes a sharp turn, you’ll see a piece of my immigrant heritage – the Heinsohn Country Store.] The original name, Duff’s Settlement, went by the wayside when the first settlers, Anglo-American, sold out to German buyers who arrived by the boatload (most through Galveston). The new settlers named the community New Ulm for the first post office in 1852, after the well-known city of Wurtemberg, Germany, the province from which most of the early inhabitants originally immigrated. Many 19th Century buildings remain and the town hosts the annual British & European Motorcycle Rallye (28th Annual, May 18-20, 2012), one of the biggest vintage events in the state.
Highway 36. However, it is not to be confused with the New Wehdem of the 1890’s. That New Wehdem was located a few miles to the northwest and was also simply known as Wehdem. The current New Wehdem was created when residents of the original Wehdem moved into the vicinity and carried the name with them. Today, the only remaining building to see is the St. James Lutheran Church and is still has a very active congregation.
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All the “News” of Texas the locals. Then, as railroads did, they simply obtained right-of-way nearby, about ten miles west of town, and established “Waverly Station” in 1870. Residents of Waverly were drawn to the new community in order to access the rest of the world through the railroad. So, New Waverly was born. Today, the small community is still bustling, primarily driven by the lumber trade.
the community of Chapel Hill began when the Bascom and Murph schools merged with a new school as part of the Chapel Hill Independent School District was created. In 1968, the community incorporated as New Chapel Hill. Today, there isn’t much to see, but there is still a small community of about 500 residents.
New Baden is part of the fraternity of Texas towns named after former cities in Germany; in this case, after Baden-Baden. Located on Highway 79, four miles east of Franklin, the town was founded in 1881 by three German immigrants, trustees of the Texas Land and Immigration Company. They built an initial two-story structure to handle new arrivals until they could build their own residences.
New Summerfield takes us southeast in our travels. First settled in the 1850s, the town was originally known as Union Chapel, after a union church built there. In 1895, Caley Amos Summers donated land for a school and the town of Summerfield was born. The town’s name comes from literally being in Summer’s field. By the time the town opened its second post office in 1938 (the first closed in 1905) another county had appropriated the name, so the town became New Summerfield. Aside from the small town, you can also visit two old cemeteries established in the 1850s, the Union Chapel and McDonald Cemeteries.
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Now up into North Texas, starting outside Dallas and traveling into the East Texas Piney Woods…
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New Hope is one of many New Hopes through the northern part of Texas over the years. I counted as many as 13 that I could Google! For our purposes, we’re going with the one that appears first when mapping New Hope. It should be noted that many of the other New Hope’s town sites are worth visiting for old buildings and cemeteries. This New Hope is known as The Town of New Hope, located just east of McKinney. It was established in the early 1850s as a school and church community for area farmers. Today, it is a “bedroom community” for residents who commute to and from McKinney and Dallas. New Chapel Hill is not to be confused with the Chappel Hill near Brenham. This one is located in East Texas, on Highway 64 about eight miles southeast of Tyler. The area was settled by the late 1800s and Texas poet Therese Kayser Lindsey was born here in 1870. In 1945,
New London, as with other towns that came in and out of existence through their formative years, this one originally began as simply London in 1855 (first post office). The area was built on agriculture, primarily cotton and vegetable farming. When the East Texas oilfield came into existence, everything changed. A new post office opened with a new name – New London – in 1931 and Humble Oil established their district headquarters here. Everything changed again when a gas explosion lifted the London High School off its foundation and killed 311 of the 540 students and teachers. It was March 1937; the explosion was blamed on a natural gas leak beneath the school that was ignited when a teacher started up a sanding machine. Within weeks of the disaster, the Texas Legislature passed a law requiring an odor to be added to natural gas. Today, a monument and historical marker remember the tragedy and a local museum that honors the victims. New Diana was formed in the 1930s when oil was
discovered three miles south of the original town site of Diana. Located at the junction of Highway 154 and Highway 259. Today, the small town is still a commercial center for the area farmers and ranchers. New Boston, the last on our list, is a small “Main Street America” community. They are proud of their seasonal events that take place in the downtown park. The town has a similar, yet different, background related to the railroad. Boston, located just north of New Boston, was named for an early store keeper, WJ Boston. It is the geographical center of Bowie County, and is the county seat. When the railroad built a depot about four miles south, New Boston was born. At this point, Boston became Old Boston and the courthouse was moved to Texarkana. In the 1880s, Bostonians got the courthouse back, but it was located in between the two Bostons. When the post office named the courthouse location as Boston, it caused Bowie County to sport three Bostons: Old Boston, New Boston, and Boston. We are always looking for new map ideas. Our 2011 Reader Survey indicates that the monthly Ride Map is one of the most popular and widely used features in the magazine. If you have a favorite road, route or theme, please consider sharing it with our readers. Send your information to Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com. If we use your idea, you’ll get credit, a complimentary copy of the magazine in which the map is used, and a Thunder Roads Texas T-shirt!
New London
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A Road Trip to the Golden Aspen Rally Ruidoso, NM * September 14-18, 2011 By Randy McCamey, TRT Correspondent
what I did. The dealership was serving hot dogs and drinks to weary travelers, but all the riders I talked to were ready to get to the mountains, so off we went. Once in Ruidoso, I headed the few miles out of town to the Inn of the Mountain Gods. I wanted to register and to get a first-look at the new venue. (Hint: The first day of the rally, anyone could get into the vendor area for free between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. I don’t know if the event promoters will do this again next year, but it would be great way to introduce your nonbiker friends to some of what they can see at a motorcycle rally without costing a lot of money.) After a quick look around and a glance at the rally schedule, I headed to the Gathering of Nations Buffet in the Inn for their massive seafood buffet. (Another hint: When you go to the Wednesday night seafood buffet, be sure to get a glass of complementary champagne – it is not on the menu, so you have to ask!) The meal was splendid.
Harleys for sale. Friday evening was prime time for people watching along the main street in Ruidoso. Many of the rally participants went into town to visit the local food and beverage shops, ride up and down Main Street, and walk the sidewalks admiring the bikes parked along both sides of the street.
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reen grass, cool temperatures, tall pine trees, aspen groves, and big blue spruce… No, this is not a description of Texas. With all the heat and lack of rain this summer, our area looks bleak by comparison. Rather, this is Ruidoso, New Mexico. Beautiful any time of the year, but this year in particular, the lush scenery, tall trees and cool weather were truly a gift to savor. To make the weekend even better, the Golden Aspen Rally came to life at its new venue, the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino just outside of town. Traveling from Central Texas to Ruidoso was uneventful on this particular Wednesday although there were patches of rain every 60 to 80 miles between Post, TX and Ruidoso, NM. It had
been so long since I’d seen rain it did not bother me too much and did not seem to bother many of the other riders on the road either. A quick stop at Champion Harley Davidson in Roswell, NM is always a good thing, so that’s Page 28
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Several veterans groups were also in attendance. Pinstriping, lighting, and oil changes were available under the tents on the outdoor parking area. Barnett Harley of El Paso and Las Cruces, a major event sponsor, was in full-force inside the vendor area with all manner of shirts, caps, and jackets, as well as outside with a tent full of used
Morning temperatures were moderate every day and there was some rain each night. Rain threatened most of Thursday, but never materialized except for a few spotty areas in the county. Friday was clear. As bikes came into the rally, the tours, poker run, and games got into full swing. Many great looking bikes lined the parking area including a number of custom bikes and several Orange County Choppers custom rides. The vendor area also had an increasing amount of foot traffic as the rally ramped up. Many vendors were there with leathers, tee shirts, patches, jewelry, and sunglasses.
One of the big events Saturday was the bike parade. There were, by my estimate, about 1,000 bikes in the parade but there were many, many more lined up along the street just watching the parade go by. Had they all been part of the parade, it would have lasted for hours! Not a bad thing either way. By Saturday Noon, I was pretty much overwhelmed by all the bikes and happenings and decided to check out some of the rest of the area. There was a Wine and Music festival in Alamogordo, so I ventured in that direction. Along the way, I stopped at McGinns Pistachio and Tree ranch for a few packages of flavored pistachios. McGinns must have the largest pistachio in the world – it must be 40 feet tall – just outside their front door! Coming back to Ruidoso, I took the mountain road up to Cloudcroft where bikes lined the street. I had the chance to watch a series of real lumberjack competitions as part of their Lumberjack Day. Of course, any trip to Cloudcroft requires a walk on the boardwalks and a peek into all the ThunderRoadsTexas.com
curio shops. And, without a doubt, the mountain road between Alamogordo and Ruidoso via Cloudcroft is a bikers dream. As with any change, there were some areas for improvement in the rally. In this case, the rally went from being held at the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack in prior years to The Inn of the Mountain Gods this year. One of the biggest differences between the venues is that the Inn has a multi-level parking garage. The good news is that this keeps the bikes protected from the weather and probably reduces vandalism (there were a number of volunteer security people in each level of the parking area). I’m told that the weather has not been so nice
signs and markers, along with daily schedules posted at several locations on the property rather just at the registration booth, would have made things run a bit smoother. Overall, however, I’d give the Golden Aspen rally high marks. It was a
great rally being not too big and not too small… but just right. Local
sources estimated attendance being from 25,000 to 40,000. I’d say attendance was on the upper end of that range. The rally is also in a wonderful location in the southern Rockies and the Ruidoso area is a great place to ride the cool mountain roads in comfort after a long, hot Texas summer! The new venue is first-rate and should enhance the image of the Golden Aspen rally, so look for even better things to come! I’ll see you next year in Ruidoso.
in years past so many bikers probably liked the parking garage for that reason if nothing else. The bad news is that the garage parking severely restricted some of the “social aspects” of typical rallies
where we all walk around, check out each other’s bikes and generally “shoot the bull”. Another issue I heard was that, while there were lots of vendors, there were few (if any) motorcycle accessory vendors. So, if you were looking for new chrome goodies, footboards, handle bars, air intakes, exhaust systems, or slip-on mufflers, you were out of luck. Last, the organizers need to improve the signage. For many bikers, and even for the general public, it was difficult to know where on the property the various events were to be held. The registration area was crowded at times, being near the front doors, and this was due, in part, to people asking about the schedule or location of the rally events. Improved Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!
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A married couple was in an accident where the husband’s face was terribly burned. The Doctor informed the couple that they couldn’t graft any skin from his body because he was already so thin and there was just nothing to graft. So the wife offered to donate some of her own skin. However, the only skin on her body that the Doctor felt was suitable would have to come from her buttocks. The husband and wife agreed that they would tell no one about where the skin came from, and they requested that the Doctor also honor their secret. After all, this was a very delicate matter. After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at the man’s new face. He looked more handsome than he ever had before! All his friends and relatives just went on and on about his youthful beauty! One day, he was alone with his wife, and he was overcome with emotion at her sacrifice. He said, “Dear, I just want to thank you for everything you did for me. How can I possibly repay you?” “My darling,” she replied, “I get all the thanks I’ll ever need every time I see your mother kiss you on the cheek.” An old guy goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to the Urologist as a precaution. When he gets there, he discovers the Urologist is a beautiful and voluptuous woman doctor. The beautiful doctor says, “I’m going to check your prostate today, but this new procedure is a little different from what you are probably used to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a deep breath and say, ‘99’.” The old guy obeys and says,”99”. The doctor says, “Great”. Now turn over on your left side and again, while I repeat the check, take a deep breath and say, ‘99’.” Again, the old guy sighs boringly and says, ‘99’.” The doctor said, “Very good. Now then, I want you to lie on your back with your knees raised slightly. I’m going to check your prostate with this hand, and with the other hand I’m going to hold on to your penis to keep it out of the way. Now take a deep breath and say, ‘99’.” The old guy begins, “One .... Two ... Three” ... My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table. I asked her, “Do you know him?” “Yes”, she sighed, “He’s my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn’t been sober since.” “My God!” I said, “Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?”
A married couple were asleep when the phone rang at 2:00 in the morning. The very blonde wife picked up the phone, listened a moment and said “How should I know, that’s oodles of miles from here!” and hung up. The husband said, “Who was that?” The wife answered, “I don’t know, some woman wanting to know if the coast is clear.” A truck driver had to deliver 100 penguins to the state zoo. As he was driving his truck through the desert, the truck broke down. After waiting by the side of the road for about three hours, he waved another truck down and offered a good ole’ boy named Bubba $500 to take the penguins to the state zoo for him. The next day, the first truck driver arrived in town and saw Bubba crossing the road with the 100 penguins walking in pairs directly behind him. The first truck driver jumped out of his truck and said, “What’s going on? I gave you $500 to take these penguins to the damn zoo!” Bubba boastfully replied, “I did take them to the zoo. And I had quite a bit of money left over, so now we’re going to see a Disney movie.” A ragged, old, biker shuffled into a down and dirty bar. Stinking of whiskey and cigarettes, his hands shook as he took the “Piano Player Wanted” sign from the window and handed it to the bartender. “I’d like to apply for the job,” he said. “I ride an old shovel head and have been repairing them babies for years until the shop I was working at decided to replace me with a youngster straight out of some damn pup wet behind the ears. I learned to play the piano at an old biker bar near the shop, so here I am.” The barkeep wasn’t too sure about this doubtful looking old guy, but it had been quite a while since he had a piano player and business was falling off. So, why not give him a try. The seedy biker staggered his way over to the piano while several patrons snickered. By the time he was into his third bar of music, every voice was silenced. What followed was a rhapsody of soaring music unlike anything heard in the bar before. When he finished there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. The bartender took the old biker a beer and asked him the name of the song he had just played? It’s called “Drop your Skivvies, Baby, I’m Going Balls to the Wall for You,” he said. After a long pull from the beer, leaving it empty, he said “I wrote it myself.” The bartender and the crowd winced at the title, but the piano player just went on into a knee-slapping, hand-clapping bit of ragtime that had the place jumping. After he finished, the biker acknowledged the applause, downed a second proffered mug of ice cold beer, and told the crowd the song was called, “Big Boobs Make My Afterburner Light.” He then excused himself and headed for the john. When he came out the bartender went over to him and said, “Hey biker, the job is yours, but do you know your fly is open and your pecker is hanging out?” “Know it?” yelped the old biker, “Hell, I wrote it!”
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Ma was in the kitchen fiddlin’ around when she hollers out....”Pa! You need to go out and fix the outhouse!” Pa replies, “There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the outhouse.” Ma yells back, “Yes there is, now git out there and fix it.” So...... Pa mosies out to the outhouse, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the outhouse! “ Ma replies, “Stick yur head in the hole!” Pa yells back, “I ain’t stickin’ my head in that hole!” Ma says, “Ya have to stick yur head in the hole to see what to fix.” So with that, Pa sticks his head in the hole, looks around and yells back, “Ma! There ain’t nuthin’ wrong with this outhouse!” Ma hollers back, “Now take your head out of the hole!” Pa proceeds to pull his head out of the hole, then starts yelling, “Ma! Help! My beard is stuck in the cracks in the toilet seat!” To which Ma replies, “Hurt’s, don’t it ?!” The football coach noticed that his star tackle, “Boner”, had so many women hanging around that he couldn’t possibly handle all of them. So one day he asked Boner “Just what the hell is your secret, kid?” Boner replies, “Well, Coach, whenever I’m about to have sex, I always whip it out and bang it on the dresser like a hammer. That numbs it up, and I can screw ‘em till they beg me to stop!” The coach went home early one day and went to the bedroom. He heard his wife in the shower. Seeing a window of opportunity, he tore off his clothes and started bangin’ the hell out of his “wanker” on the dresser. His wife stuck her head out of the shower and yells out, “That you Boner, baby?” One day a father gets out of work and on his way home he suddenly remembers that it’s his daughter’s birthday. He pulls over to a Toy Shop and asks the sales person, ‘How much for one of those Barbie’s in the display window?’ The salesperson answers, ‘Which one do you mean, sir? We have: Work Out Barbie for $19.95, Shopping Barbie for $19.95, Beach Barbie for $19.95, Disco Barbie for $19.95, Ballerina Barbie for $19.95, Astronaut Barbie for $19.95, Skater Barbie for $19.95, and the most popular; Divorced Barbie for $299.95’. The amazed father yells: ‘It’s how much?! Why is the Divorced Barbie $299.95 and the others only $19.95?’ The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers: ‘Sir..., Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken’s Audi A-8, Ken’s Malibu Beachouse, Ken’s Danzi Z33 Race Boat, Ken’s Designer Futniture, Ken’s Screamin’-Meanie Platinum Computer, one of Ken’s Best-Looking Friends, and a custom key chain made with Ken’s Balls. Well, I lost the Trivia Contest at our Christian Game Night Party last night by 1 point. Not only got the last question wrong, but was immediately asked to leave. The question was: “Where do women have the curliest hair?” Apparently the correct answer is Fiji. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
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ThunderRoadsTexas.com
Biker Friendly
Listed here are businesses that are SERIOUS about serving the Texas Motorcycle Community. The list is set up in categories. Regional and Metro information is included. An “*” means the location is a Thunder Roads Texas distribution point. Visit ThunderRoadsTexas.com to find a full listing of distribution points. Tell them you saw them in Thunder Road Texas!
Accessories & Parts * Stitches 1308 Hwy 6 South Houston, TX 77077 281.558.8572 Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
Bars & Restaurants * Alamo Bar & Grill 7846 Fallbrook Dr Houston, TX 77086 281.537.7647 www.myspace.com/ houstonsalamo Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Barbed Rose (Alvin Restaurant Group) 113 E Sealy St Alvin, TX 77511 281.585.2272 www.barbedrose.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Boll Weevil’s 16003 FM 1236 Needville, TX 77461 979.793.6163 www.Facebook.com/Boll.Weevils Region: Closest Metro: Houston * Concert Pub North 2470 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77068 281.583.8111 www.theconcertpub.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Curtis Lowe’s Bar 11800 FM 1960 E Huffman, TX 77336 281.324.7400 Find us on Facebook! Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
* Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop Bent Rim Grill 657 West Ranch Rd Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.6629 www.friocanyonmotorcycleshop.biz www.bentrimgrill.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio * George’s Bar & Grill 2031 Plantation Dr Conroe, TX 77301 Region: Piney Woods Closest Metro: Houston * Noah’s Ark Bar & Grill 4438 Boulevard St Bacliff, TX 77518 281.339.2895 www.noahsarkbarandgrill.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Rolling Thunder Bar & Grill 6441 County Rd 2173 Fluvanna, TX 79517 325.573.HAWG (4294) www.rollingthunderbarandgrill.com Region: Panhandle Closest Metro: Lubbock * RPM’s Bar 26210 FM 2978 Magnolia, TX 77354 713.557.1103 Region: Piney Woods Closest Metro: Houston * Scooters & Shooters 525 E Hwy 29 Bertram, TX 78605 512.355.8070 Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: Austin * The Loading Dock 504 25th St Galveston, TX 77550 409.765.5155 www.theloadingdockbikerbar.com
Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * West of the Brazos 23220 Hwy 36 Damon, TX 77430 979.742.3100 www.WestoftheBrazos.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Yankee’s Tavern 8703 Ada Oaks Ln Anderson, TX 77830 936.873.3314 www.yankeestavern.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Bryan/College Station
Dealerships & Shops * Cowboy’s Alamo City H-D 11005 IH 35 North San Antonio, TX 78233 800.397.7875 www.cowboysalamocityharley.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio * Cycle Heaven 3770 Hwy 69 N Lufkin, TX 75904 936.634.8404 www.cycleheaventx.com Region: Piney Woods Closest Metro: Tyler * Harley-Davidson of Kingwood 111 Northpines Dr Kingwood, TX 77339 281.358.0457 www.kingwoodharley.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
* Harley-Davidson of Waco 4201 S Jack Kultgen Expy Waco, TX 76706 254-753-0393 www.hdwaco.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Waco * Hawgs N Dawgs Motorcycle Shop & Café 1333 SE Military Dr San Antonio, TX 78214 210.924.0203 www.HawgsNDawgs.com Region: South Closest Metro: San Antonio * Houston Motorsports North 9550 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.890.2020 www.houstonyamaha.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Javelina Harley-Davidson 29078 I-10 West Boerne, TX 78006 800-860-9696 www.javelinaharleydavidson.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio * Legacy Harley-Davidson 12100 W Hwy 80 East Odessa, TX 79765 800.788.6921 www.legacyh-d.com Region: Big Bend Closest Metro: Midland/Odessa * Longhorn Harley-Davidson 2830 West I-20 Grand Parairie, TX 75052 972.988.1903 www.longhornhd.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Ft Worth
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Biker Friendly * Mancuso Harley Davidson - Crossroads 12710 Crossroads Park Dr Houston, TX 77065 281.970.9700 www.mancusocrossroads.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
* Thunder Alley Cycles 416 NE Wilshire Blvd Burleson, TX 76028 817.295.0955 www.thunderalleycycles.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Ft Worth
* Insurance Lady Agency 642 W Rhapsody, Ste A San Antonio, TX 78216 210.403.2216 www.insuranceladyinc.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio
* Motorcycle Tire Shop 1917 S Hackberry San Antonio, TX 78210 210.533 BIKE (2453) www.motorcycle-superstore.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio
* Yamaha of San Antonio 15664 I-35 Selma, TX 78154 210.655.2625 www.kentpowersports.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio
Walker Texas Lawyer - Calendar Top 1924 Portsmouth Houston, TX 77098 713.552.1117 www.walkertexaslawyer.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
Entertainment/Bands
Lodging & Campgrounds
* Mean Gene Kelton 901 N Gaillard Baytown, TX 77520 713-866-4872 www.meangenerocks.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
* D’Rose Inn & Cabins Highway 83/Market St; BILL FOR JANDEC 2012 Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.5246 www.droseinn.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio
Insurance & Attorneys
DUBL-C Guest House (Gastehaus Schmidt Properties) Fredericksburg area: Located between Ingram & Hunt Ingram, TX 866.427.8374 www.vrbo.com/385945 Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: Austin
* Phantom Rider Choppers 6535 West Hwy 46 New Braunfels, TX 78132 830.228.4606 www.phantomriderchoppers.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio * Potterosa Cycles & ATVs 19447 FM 1485 New Caney, TX 77357 832.971.3728 Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Southern Metal Choppers 11116 Middle Fiskville Rd, Ste E Austin, TX 78753 512.833.5044 www.southernmetalchoppers.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: Austin * Team Mancuso Powersports Southwest 7537 Southwest Fwy Houston, TX 77074 713.995.9944 www.tmpsw.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
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* Ball Insurance 416 S Main St Highlands, TX 77562 800.444.7014 www.ballins.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Farrar & Ball Law Firm; Law Tigers 1010 Lamar, Ste 1600 Houston, TX 77002 713.221.8300 www.lawtigers.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
Miscellaneous Outlaw Dave Productions PO Box 25028 Houston, TX 77265 www.OutlawNation.us Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston
Continued... Motorcycle Towing * Dragonstar Motorcycle Transportation PO Box 444 Bryan, TX 77806 281.935.8890 www.getaride.net Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Bryan/College Station Mission Wrecker 4535 FM 1516 North Converse, TX 78109 210.341.0333 www.missionwrecker.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio
Riding Gear & Leather Goods * Moto Liberty - Dallas 11441 N Stemmons Fwy, Ste 201 Dallas, TX 75229 972.243.5995 www.motoliberty.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Ft Worth * The Hog Pound 13710 RR 12, #4 Wimberley, TX 78676 512.847.3444 www.thehogpound.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: Austin * The Motorcycle Outpost 103 S College Westminster, TX 75409 972.838.8222 www.TheMotorcycleOutpost.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth
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