Thunder Roads Texas - July 2013 by Thunder Roads Texas

It’s not about the bike... it’s about the RIDE!

Bik ers and ParroTHeads Welcome!

July 2013

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Also this month:

 2013 Texas State HOG Rally  Spring Rally in The Crater

The NEW home of

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NORTH - NOW “CENTRAL” Always the 3rd Thursday

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Contents 

July 2013 On the Cover 34 Bikers & Parrotheads Welcome! Also This Month

30 Texas State HOG Rally 32 Rally in The Crater

Regular Features

8 Letter From the Editor 10 From the Road 12 Two Wheel Thunder TV Review: All American Batteries 14 Pig Writes: Being Pig Enought to Go For It! 18 Ride Map: A Hot Time in Texas - Part 2 38 ThunderCam 40 Joker’s Wild

Resources

23 Event Listing CENTER - Pull-Out July 2013 Calendar 35 18

43 Biker Friendly Listing On the cover: Noah’s Ark.

OWNERS

ADVERTISING SALES

Bob Cooney CEO ThunderRoadsBob@yahoo.com

Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan Managing Editor Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Points Across Texas Administrator

Randy McCamey Harley.Doc@hotmail.com Monica Clark Monica@ThunderRoadsTexas.com Thunder Roads Texas Main Office 281.866.8149 Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Don “DB” McGovern - Dallas/Fort Worth ThunderRoadsDon@gmail.com 972.896.1919

Bill “Shovelhead” Barnes ThunderRoadsBill@yahoo.com 321.960.6161

Darlene “Lady Diva” Hanson Dallas/Fort Worth ladyd1va@hotmail.com * 817.680.8121

Laura Mae Benson - Houston Laura.ThunderRoadsMagazine@gmail.com 979.481.9642

Aaron “HookemHaulin” Gerbert Austin Facebook.com/hookem.haulin

Traci “Sweet N Low” McClure - East Texas Traci.McClure@yahoo.com * 936.671.9567

Chere “FlipFlop” Laine Corpus Christi 361.215.4661 ChereLaine@ymail.com

Bonnie Estes - Austin/Hill Country AngelWing1555@yahoo.com 512.673.6679 Shelly “Cricket” Silva San Antonio/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

FEATURE WRITERS

Shelly “Cricket” Silva, Pink Thunder (Feb/May/Aug/Sep) Terri Williams, Pink Thunder (TMRA2; Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec) “Pig” Meinhardt - Pig Writes

CORRESPONDENTS

Chris Hensley San Antonio chrishensley.ch@gmail.com

Thunder Publishing, LLC Toni & Brian Shearon National Founders 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 615.792.0040 ThunderRoadsMagazine.com

Layout & Design Shelly Horan Top of Mind Marketing 832.585.4045 Top.of.Mind.Marketing@gmail.com

Joyce Siegert - D/FW; Dean Downey - Amarillo; Mary Taylor - Austin; Don Brewer - Livingston; Donny Phillips - LaPorte; Mike “Biker” Boone - Houston; Jason English - East Texas; Don McGovern Terrell/DFW; Jason English - Rusk; Donna Herrin - Edinburgh; Leah Hanscom - Piney Woods; Ann Edwards - El Paso; Chere Laine Corpus Christi.

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.

Facebook.com/ThunderRoadsTexas

Happy Summer to All! Last month was a difficult month for me… and I sincerely apologize for the delay in getting the magazine out. I lost my dad on Father’s Day weekend, right as I was beginning to work on the magazine. To all those who have lost a parent, I feel for you. I want to thank everyone for all their kind words and thoughts sent via Facebook, email, and phone. The outpouring of love and support was all-enveloping... providing me a cushion for when I had the harder days. A special shout out to Randy McCamey (assistant editor) and Monica Clark (Points Across Texas administrator) for their extra special care. Without them, this magazine would never have made it to print In the meantime, life goes on. We continue to take on sponsorships – sponsoring the Lone Star Rally again this year! If you have an event you’d like us to sponso, send the information my way and I’ll see what we can do. Summer gets quiet as far as events are concerned… too hot and vacations abound. But we know you’re riding! So take pictures – share them with our other readers. Tell a story – we welcome article submissions by anyone and everyone! And don’t forget our Thunder Cam page! As we head into the fall riding season (just around the corner), we know you’re using Thunder Roads Texas to choose where to go, what to do, who to visit. So be sure to let businesses know about us! If they’re an advertiser - make sure you let them know you saw them in Thunder Road. If they’re not an advertiser - tell them they should be! Have a great 4th of July. Happy Birthday America! Ride safe... and ride with THUNDER! Shelly “TX Dragonfly” Horan Editor / Owner, Thunder Roads Texas and Owner, Top of Mind Marketing Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com

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May Biker Wedding Shared Photos from Avid Thunder Roads Texas Readers!

Annual Ride for Autism Returns Home to Galveston After trying out several other destinations (and yielding to the wishes of the regular participants) the 2014 Ride for Autism will again travel to Galveston Island. The annual event is an overnight motorcycle poker run originating from Lafayette, LA and strives to increase public awareness about the mysterious affliction while raising money to help those dealing with autism. All proceeds benefit Project Independence (www. projectindependence.org) and autism support group dedicated to “raising awareness and creating resources for families living with autism”.

News from the Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride The 2013 Texas Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride on July 6th will be to Honour Flight Lieutenant Leslie Broderick, May 19 1921 to April 8 2013, was trained to fly here in Terrell, flew the Lancaster bomber on 18 Missions, became a Prisoner of War, and was one of the 3 last survivors of the Great Escape, finally becoming a teacher in South Africa. Just wanted everyone to be aware that as of this morning the AMRR has “Officially” grew to 4 nations, One Ride ! Demetri Friend from the South African Legion has taken on the duties to bring the Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride to South Africa ! Would like to extend a huge WELCOME ! Ride Safe & Ride with Pride! George (Tank) Sherman http://www.alliedride.org/

A Happy Reader

GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE?

Send your news, updates, comments, etc. to shelly@thunderroadstexa.com

Yes Ms. Shelly I got your [subscription] notice. I was ordering your magazine through the mail because it is so interesting and I enjoy reading it and being able to find places that are of service to me locally when I require it. I still receive the computer version. Thank you for all your help. I still ride my Harleys when my knee allows me to. At 65 I still ride with thunder when I ride, but it is the bike that produces all of the thunder now. Keep up the good work. Your friend, James Zarychta Facebook.com/ThunderRoadsTexas

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All American Batteries hunder Roads Texas and Two Wheel Thunder TV is a strong supporter of American made products and ThrottleX Batteries is an all American company to which we give a big thumbs-up; an American business putting Americans to work. ThrottleX is a Michigan-based business. The owners are a father and son team with over 50 years combined experience in the battery industry. ThrottleX batteries have a strong and respected reputation in the motorcycle battery aftermarket thanks, in large part, to their wildly successful line of batteries made in Lyon Station, PA. The American made ThrottleX batteries are produced by East Penn Manufacturing, the same company that has made OEM Harley Davidson batteries for the past 25 years; same materials, same process, same assembly line. Harley Davidson, once the original American made bike, is still using American made products! Not only does ThrottleX have replacement batteries for Harleys, but they are a premier online power sports battery retailer. That means they have batteries for any make, model, on road, or off road power sport vehicle you ride! East Penn is the worlds’ largest and most modern independent battery manufacturer with a long history dating back to 1946 when a young Air Force veteran started a battery business with his father, a seasoned battery professional. The war made materials for new batteries scarce, so they started by rebuilding batteries. The company began to build new batteries as materials became available. With a new plant in Lyon Station, Pennsylvania, by 1971 the company had grown to 350 employees. That number would double by 1976. Currently, East Penn has a 490+ acre plant site, the largest in the industry, with over two million square feet under roof and produces more than 25 million batteries a year. Since 1946, they have developed an enviable reputation for world-class, quality products made in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

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The American made batteries offered by ThrottleX are distinguished from their counterparts by solid lead posts that have molded female threads. This patented design greatly reduces the chances of loose cables due to vibration by eliminating the nut which makes for a more secure connection. ThrottleX also makes it easy for you to buy batteries! Their Application Guide lets riders know what batteries are available and which battery offers the best combination of performance and value for their particular ride. With ThrottleX, you know exactly what you’re purchasing before you buy. Here is a quick overview on the technology of batteries for all you techies out there. A battery is like a piggy bank. If you keep taking out and putting nothing back you soon will have nothing. Today’s motorcycles, with all the electrical devices, require a source of reliable power. ThrottleX batteries use AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) technology that is designed for performance. AGM batteries also are better equipped to handle the higher electrical loads that are increasingly being required of the battery in newer applications with combustion engines. AGM batteries last longer in demanding applications and they are completely spill proof, leak proof, and maintenance free. The AGM technology increases power while improving rider and environmental safety. The key to this technology is the highly porous microfiber separators which completely absorb and trap the electrolyte. The AGM construction allows the electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity to the plates’ active material. This is designed to enhance both the discharge and recharge efficiency. And without getting into a whole lot of chemistry – the one thing you might have remembered from school is H2O, remember – water? Do you remember also in “the good old days” when you had to replenish the water in the batteries? AGM technology has a chemical process that makes the battery self-replenishing, thus they never need to have water added to the electrolyte! The engineers who developed this

technology really knew what they are doing when they devised a way to manipulate the negative and positive ions to cancel out just the right amount of hydrogen and oxygen to end up with a self watering battery! They even have special pressure valves that allow dangerous gases to escape safely. The life expectancy, measured as cycle life or years, remains excellent in most AGM batteries if the batteries are not discharged more than 60% between recharge. In other words, if you just don’t run your battery down by leaving the lights on overnight and you use a battery charger, especially during the off season or when you aren’t riding for a while, your battery will last a good long time! The days of frequent replacement and high battery maintenance could well be over! Call ThrottleX batteries today! You will talk to a qualified customer service team member! Yes, a live human being! Who would have thought that an American company would have good old fashioned, knowledgeable, customeroriented, live human beings to talk to and still keep up with technology and provide a superior product? You can reach Throttle X at 855-704-8320 or TrottleXBatteries.com.

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Being Pig Enough to Go For It! appy Fourth of July to all, I hope you celebrate with a big bang this year. You know what I have come to realize? Well, several things actually, but the one big thing I have come to realize is that the true nature of being a biker comes from within. It is a spirit, if you will, that comes forth and takes over your body. This spirit is strong; so strong in fact you can never truly extinguish it. This spirit grows from a small flame deep inside you; its power builds and gets stronger all the time. The spirit overpowers your mind and changes your desires. Eventually it takes over your whole being; there will be no stopping the biker spirit when that happens. I had this life changing revelation one Sunday afternoon when Rainman and I went for a ride with some folks we had never ridden with before. We all know and understand that bikers are a particular group. We like things our own way, we live by our own rules, and we go places where we like to hang-out. Bikers are particular about our bikes too. We customize our bikes to suit our needs and our desires. (I have heard that one particular biker used his bike as a penis extension!) Our bikes are an extension of our inner spirit. One thing I have also learned is that bikers tend to stick with our own kind. That is, people who are like us and understand our spirits and how we experience

our freedoms. We have the Harley groups, the Sport Bike groups and even the Metric groups. Somehow, we all seem to get along and keep the peace. We keep the peace because of that same biker spirit that lives in each of us, even if that spirit is in a Pig like me. Today, I would like to introduce to you another group of

bikers (well, sort of) that I met recently. A group we may not know much about. At first I was very skeptical of them, but they welcomed me in as one of their own. The group is the Scooterist group. Now I know what you are about to say, so just bite your tongue for a minute and hear me out. Scooters may not be considered real or even full blown motorcycles, but look at it this way, scooters have two wheels, a frame, and a motor. They are just smaller versions of our big bikes, that’s all. A couple of friends of ours, Fred & Jason Trott, are a father and son team who own of the Motorcycle Shop here in San Antonio. They specialize in selling Scooters. They carry several brands including Stella, Vespa, and Kymco. Every year they host a Scooter run through the downtown streets of San Antonio. We were invited to join them for this years run. Now, Rainman was all for it. I on the other hand, was not so sure. I do have a rep to uphold and being seen on a Scooter could have some serious ramifications to that rep. Imagine if things went wrong, how could I face being seen in the strip club next time? But then Rainman said those infamous words once again, “Pig Up”, I had no choice, I was ready. We met up with the group on Sunday, May 5. There were about 150 of them. I could not believe it! There were scooters of all kinds and people of all kinds, both young and old (people and scooters that is). There were people dressed the part wearing their

scooter scarf’s and other similar styled clothing, just not as much leather as you might see at regular biker event. Jason had set us up with a scooter of our own for the ride. It was a silver Kymco 200 with less than 2000 miles on it. It had all the features that the Kymco has to offer, a comfortable little two-seater with lots of room, a full 200 cc of power with an automatic transmission, fuel gauge and even a clock on the dashboard. It also had a spacious storage compartment that can hold a 12-pack easily. I looked over the speedometer; it went all the way up to 100 M.P.H. Impressive. The only thing missing was a set of highway bars and a cup holder! Watching a fifty year old fat guy sit on it was funny. It took Rainman a wee bit getting used to at first. He kept on wanting to pull in the clutch when slowing down, but it was actually the rear brake. So, after a few sudden lurches forward and a small case of whiplash, he finally got the hang of it. Before heading out on the ride, we had time to mingle with some of the other riders and had a chance to see their rides. What we found were all sorts of regular everyday kind of people. There were couples who rode together, old friends who seem to never part from one another, and individuals who had all the same desires for the open road as we did. Everyone welcomed us and shared with us their tales and stories of the open road on a scooter. I even spotted a couple of hotties in the group I could chase around after the ride. The time came for us to head out. Jason lead the pack with his customized scooter loaded with a side car, stereo, speakers, and his two young kids. I’m not sure but I think he even had a picnic basket in there too! I never would have thought a scooter could handle three people. Rainman elected to hang towards the back of the pack. The signal was given to crank up. Now, while a hundred and fifty scooters starting up does not compare to a hundred

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You can contact Pig or Rainman by e-mail at pig8080@LIVE.COM For more of Pig’s wild adventures, check out his blog at pigspage.wordpress.com or follow him on Facebook.com/pig.meinhardt Page 14

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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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... continued and fifty Harleys, they didn’t sound like a bunch of busted chainsaws either. For the next 70 miles we rode all around San Antonio. The south side of the city offered us plenty of rural back roads to enjoy. That was where we did our best to “ring out that bitch”. Oh oh, did I say that out-loud? I meant to say, “we tested the performance and handling and the scooter did an outstanding job.” At 60 MPH, the Kymco handled nice and smooth. The engine’s acceleration was also impressive. I did wonder, though, just how the Kymco would do in a burn-out pit!

a BBQ lunch and enjoyed some fun with biker games a lot of camaraderie. While a scooter would not be the first choice to ride on the highway, it doesn’t mean you are limited in your traveling. I talked to one couple who rode their scooters from San Antonio to

We continued up along the Mission trail into the south downtown area. With 150 scooters rolling through the streets, most people stopped and let us pass. We did see several people get out of their cars and video us with their cell phones as we were passing by. The ride ended at Almos Park in Alamo Heights where we had

While some bikers may not wish to consider scooters to be a true motorcycle, that doesn’t mean that scooterist’s fall short of having that same spirit living inside of them. I, for one, was apprehensive at first but soon realized that scooters are a real blast of fun to ride. I’m ready to go again. Now I have a new challenge for you. I would love to know how many of you big, ugly, scary looking bikers out there are pig enough to go for a ride on a scooter through the downtown streets. Call me if you wish to accept my challenge. New Orleans and back. They completed all of this by running the backroads the whole way. I can see why a scooter would be perfect for running the local streets, commuting and running errands. Scooters are very fuel efficient with some models getting up to 140 per gallon of fuel.

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I want to give a big hearty thanks to Jason and his crew over at the Motorcycle Shop for all their hard work putting together the ride. It really was a fun filled day. OK people, it’s time for me to crack open another cold one, till next time. Ride HARD or Stay Home

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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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A HOT Time in Texas

A Ride Map Two-Part Special Edition

RIDE

MAP

By Randy McCamey, TRT Associate Editor

Part 2: The HOT Rally

he Heart of Texas (HOT) Rally is a 12-hour scavenger hunt across the state of Texas. Points and themes change each year. This year, Rally Master James Stovall identified 77 bonus point locations roughly equally distributed across the entire state. Based primarily on the difficulty of getting to each location and its distance away from Brady, Stovall assigned point values to each bonus location. Located in McCulloch County, Brady is the geographic center of the state and is known as the Heart of Texas, thus the name of the rally The Bonus List was emailed to all riders 72 hours before the start of the rally on Saturday, April 27. Riders used that time to map out a route between their starting location and Brady that will yield the most bonus points. This year, riders chose their start location. In previous years there have been required starting locations. The confounding factor is that bonus points can only be collected between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. the day of the rally. Riders must check in with the Rally Master at the designated end destination at or before deadline. If riders arrive and check-in even one minute after 6:00 p.m., they get no points for all their efforts. Collecting bonus points is most often accomplished by taking a picture of the rider and/or rider’s rally flag (IE their rider number) with the marker/location also in the picture [very similar to our Points Across Texas (PaT) rules]. In some cases, an electronic receipt with the location, address, and time and date stamp are all that are required to collect the bonus points. This year, riders who collected bonus points at locations that spelled out the entire phrase “2013 HEART OF TEXAS” were awarded not only points for each number and letter, but also received an additional 500 bonus points, called a progressive bonus. An bonus point example from this year’s list:

Karen & James Stovall, Rally Coordinators at the Heart of Texas marker in Brady.

• Olin: N31 52 43.33 W98 06 23.62 • Olin Baptist Church Historical Marker. Located ¼ north on US 281 from the intersection of FM 219. • Photograph the historical marker with your rally flag included in the photo. • 20 points This is all very simple even though it may sound complicated. Basically, riders have 72 hours to map their route and then only 12 hours to pick up as many bonus points as they can between their starting location and Brady. The twist this year was that the point locations were mostly small towns – even some ghost towns – from Happy to Horseshoe Bay, Edinburg to Electra, and Angleton to Alpine. The theme was that riders had to tag point locations of which the first letter of the town names tagged would spell 2013 HEART OF TEXAS. (Getting the “2013” was a bit different; I’ll explain later in this article.) While 77 point locations may seem like a lot, when you scatter them across the entire state, there is a lot of map between each location! Couple that with the fact that there were only between 5 and 15 point locations per letter, mapping a route that could be done in 12 hours was a daunting task! This year, Rally Master Stovall must have had some sympathy for me as five of the point locations I needed were

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within two hours of my starting location. With an almost infinite number of routes to choose from, each rider had 72 hours to map out a route to pick up, or tag, the maximum number of points. This month’s ride map is the route I selected. In all, it is about a 600 mile ride. Although 600 miles in 12 hours is a good rally pace, I encourage you to back off the throttle a bit, enjoy the scenery, and make a nice long weekend out of the ride. I know you will enjoy every mile. Wednesday prior to the rally, I received the email containing the point locations and associated points. James also included files that would load into various mapping software systems. I looked over the point locations and uploaded the files into my computer mapping software. Knowing that I could not make the corners of the state, I removed the farthest locations. Then I began to look at a combination of distance, points, and locations that would spell out the required phrase. Fortunately, and thankfully, riders did not have to get the “letters” of the phrase in order. After having spent an inordinate amount of time evaluating routes to get all the letters and maximum points, I chose a long loop that would take me east and south of Brady deep into the Texas Hill Country.

After getting a picture of the historical marker at Early City Hall, my second stop was about 40 miles further down the road in the little town of Sidney, a small spot on the map in Comanche County with a community historical marker. If you are ever in the area on a Friday night in the fall, the Sidney Eagles are a great 6-man football team to watch.

then

headed

Onward to Llano, then south to Enchanted Rock on FM 965 where I took a picture of the entrance sign and my rally flag. Certainly one of the most scenic Hill Country rides north of I-10; this stretch of back road should be a requirement anytime a person has a motorcycle to Texas!

The last stop was to gas up in Brady. By design, the one required gas stop in Brady was also a bonus location. Why was it a bonus location? The address – 2013 Bridge Street! Ah yes, that is how I collected the “2013” bonus. I finally arrived at the rally checkpoint at 5:20 p.m., some 596 miles later, where I met James and checked-in for my finish time. I prepared my rally package with my gas receipts, my time and odometer log, and the memory card from my camera with all the pictures of my bonus location stops.

The longest single stretch on my route between stops took me south from Enchanted Rock through Fredericksburg, Kerrville, and into Bandera. There I gassed up a second time and headed west toward the next bonus location, the city limits sign at Tarpley. I began to see a lot more bikers on the roads riding in the Hill Country and they all seemed to be having a good time on the winding Hill Country back roads!

Other rides drifted into the checkpoint where they met James and checked their times. After handing in our rally packs for scoring, many of us gathered in the parking lot to talk about the bikes and the ride. A few riders from the Gulf Coast ran into some rain showers along the way. While it was cloudy the whole day for me, I saw a few light showers but managed to skirt them all. It was a very pleasant ending to a great day of riding.

Once through Tarpley, I rode to Utopia and on to Rio Frio for my next point, capturing a picture of the Rio Frio Landmark Oak Tree historical marker, near Garner State Park. As I rolled out of Utopia, I run into my second road construction area. An ominous sign says “Pavement Ends in 10 Miles”. What is a man on a mission to do but ride on! Fortunately, the surface was a hard-pack material, so it did not slow me down much. It would have been a much different story had it been raining!

For those of you double-checking my bonus point letters, here’s the tally:

North on one of the Twisted Sisters, Ranch Road 336, I survived the twists and turns and dumped out on Highway 41 where I went west a few miles to just north of Rocksprings. I then headed north on US 377 to Telegraph for the Telegraph Store and Post Office historical marker point. There was a bonus point location in Rocksprings, but with only 10 minutes to spare based on my route and estimated time to Brady, I deferred the 16 miles and the bonus points and kept the 16 extra minutes to myself. One of the requirements of the HOT Rally is that you have to be checked in at Brady by 6:00 p.m. on the dot or you get no points! That is a definite motivator for the rally riders and I preferred to get checked-in with fewer points than to arrive late and get no points. My third gas stop was in Junction where I then continued north through London and then to Hext. Here I acquired a picture/point of the old Hext Post Office. For those of you who may be wondering,

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

Leaving Hext, my next stop was east of Mason in the small town of Art where I got a picture of the Kothmann Homesite and Family Cemetery Historical Marker. Surprisingly, at least to me, was the lack of wildflowers along the southern hill country portion of my ride. Maybe it was a little late in the season. Fortunately, there were plenty of Bluebonnets between Menard, Mason, and Llano.

2013 2013 Bridge Street, Brady H Horseshoe Bay E Early A Adamsville R Rio Frio T Tarpley

MAP

Past Sidney, east toward Carleton, I caught a short stretch of FM 219 to Olin (See Thunder Roads Texas, March, 2011), another of the point locations, where I grabbed a photo of the Olin Baptist Church historical marker. Then on to the Fairy cemetery about 10 miles further down the road.

I gassed up in Burnet, went east a few miles toward Bertram where I then turned south to Oatmeal; the giant “Oatmeal” container was the next bonus I collected. From there I rode into Marble Falls and attempted to cross the Colorado River Bridge. I say attempted because this particular day, Marble Falls was hosting a full array of outdoor activities, including a bicycle race. So, not only were there throngs of tourists, but law enforcement had many of the major roads and intersections blocked or rerouted. To make matters worse, the bridge itself was under construction. All-in-all, it probably took 20 minutes to go two miles! Finally through Marble Falls, it was on to Horseshoe Bay where I got a photograph of the fountain on Horseshoe Bay Boulevard.

there are no towns in Texas that start with the letter “X”, so, four “X” locations (i.e., towns with an X in their names) were offered from which to choose; Hext (near Brady), Nixon (east of San Antonio), Texarkana, and Texas City. Of course, due to its nearness to home, I was hoping James would have chosen Exray (near Thurber in Erath County) as one of the X’s, but he may be saving that for next year!

O Olin/Oatmeal F Fairy T Telegraph E Enchanted Rock X Hext A Art S Sidney

PHOTOS: Left - A selection of Randy’s bonus points. Right - James Stovall presenting donation to Martha of Casa Care and Randy with is Certificate of Achievement.

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RIDE

My starting location was in Early. Yes, you could say that I left very “early” from Early! Based on the point location, James had riders either photograph historical markers or structures or collect computer generated receipts. Having to put gas in the bikes over the course of 600 miles, getting a computer generated receipt was the easy part.

continued on south and west of Fairy toward and through Hamilton, I kept going along US 281, the American Legion Memorial Highway, to pick up my next bonus, the historical marker at the United Presbyterian Church in small town of Adamsville.

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A HOT Time in Texas

Sunday morning, the awards were presented. A great part of the HOT Rally is that part of the entry fees are used to help a charitable cause. This year and last, part of the proceeds were given to Casa Care of Brady. Casa Care is an after school non-profit outreach ministry designed to create an environment of trust and respect where children can grow emotionally, spiritually, socially, and physically. The program allows working parents a safe learning environment for their children. The Casa Care staff hosted a great breakfast for all the riders. During the awards ceremony, James presented a check for $500 to Casa Care President, Audra Wilcox.

2013 HOT Rally Winners

... continued now to get on the HOT Rally email list for next year. James’ email is jamesnkaren4656@gmail.com.

MAP

2. Brian Walters 1820 points 3. Steve Bracken 1655 points 4. Rusty Baldwin 1460 points 5. Ron Milleman 1445 points 6. Richard Swim 1360 points 7. Randy McCamey 1275 points 8. David Trail 1255 points 9. Paul Tong 1230 points 10. Jim Orr 1190 points

Special Rally Flags were awarded to the top riders and Certificates of Achievement were given to those riders who successfully completed the Unique Bonus Ride the month prior to the rally.

RIDE

1. Rex LeGalley 1875 points

11. David Whitford 1160 points 12. Owen Quarles 715 points 13. Bobby Kent 580 points

So, there you have it. If you fancy an interesting scavenger hunt across a big slice of the state, check out the 2014 Heart of Texas Rally. Next year, the date is April 26 which is the last Saturday in April. Preregistration is required, so send James a note

14. Karl Zuercher 495 points 15. Donny Phillips 455 points 16. Rusty Allen 455 points

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17. Cary McCamey 390 points

Points Across Texas Qualified Destination List July 2013 Ride Map Historical Marker of Early, located in front of the Early City Hall

Telegraph – Telegraph Store and Post Office Historical Marker

Sidney Community Historical Marker

Hext – The old Hext Post Office

Olin Baptist Church Historical Marker

Historical marker of the Kothmann Homesite and Cemetery in Art

Fairy Cemetery Historical Marker Historical marker of the United Presbyterian Church in Adamsville Giant Oatmeal container on FM 243 in Oatmeal Fountain on Horseshoe Bay Blvd in Horseshoe Bay

Heart of Texas marker on the courthouse square in Brady * This month’s list is limited to these specific photo opportunities (markers, fountains, etc).

Enchanted Rock State Nature Area entrance sign Tarpley town limits sign on the west side of town Rio Frio Landmark Oak Tree Historical Marker A special note for all you hard core PAT participants: Discussions are in the works to use a “town name letters” theme, similar to that of the HOT Rally, for the 2014 Points Across Texas reader rides program. We’ll update you with the specifics this fall, so keep reading!

Quick Rules:

• Locations/items must be easily identifiable in the photo. Signs are best (cities, events, mountains, parks, etc.), but some are self-explanatory (like Prada Marfa, a mural, the bank vault, etc.). • Your AND/OR your bike must be in the picture. • Photos must be emailed to PaT@ThunderRoadsTexas.comor can be posted on our Points Across Texas Facebook page (Facebook.com/PointsAcrossTexas). • Deadline for 2013 photos is January 15, 2014. Page 20

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EVENT

Thunder Roads Texas * Page 21 * June 2013

Thunder Roads Texas * Page 22 * June 2013

EVENT

Event Listing

The MOST comprehensive motorcycle event listing published in the State of Texas!

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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Snowzilla Beat the Heat Party RenegadeTheWoodlands.com Spring Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Back by popular demand! FREE beer; FREE food; vendors; live music by CrossTown Renegades; Girls on Ice; and a Bikini Bike Wash. All bikes welcome!

Roughriders Motorcycle Rally RoughriderMotorcycleRally.com/ Las Vegas, NM

70th Annual Sturgis Bike Week Sturgis.com Sturgis, SD Lone Star 92.5 Bike Night LoneStar925.com DFW Area Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth It’s a roaming bike night! Randy James of Lone Star 92.5 hosts an every Thursday bike night at various locations around town. Visit LoneStar925.com for information about upcoming bike nights. Proudly sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

Lone Star 92.5 Bike Night LoneStar925.com DFW Area Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth It’s a roaming bike night! Randy James of Lone Star 92.5 hosts an every Thursday bike night at various locations around town. Visit LoneStar925.com for information about upcoming bike nights. Proudly sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

Biker Pallooza Facebook.com/events/490630124333422 Houston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston VIP Apparel and Strip Club Choppers of Texas invite you to the best party you’l never remember! Party fee: $10 presale/$12 at gate; Free tent/self-contined camping with ticket. Hosted by The Hawg Stop (11335 Sheldon Rd). Vendors, bikini dunking booth, bike wash, 50/50 contest, burn out contest, pole dance compeition, wet T-shirt contest, bike games, tattoo contest, fun run with cash pay out, and MORE! Live bands include Victim, Scars Heal in Time, Sid 18, SYLO, Blues Crew, Dean Seltzer and more coming. 832.287.4586; lonnie!vipbikerapparel.com. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

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Ladies Only Saving the TATA Motorcycle and Limo Run Facebook.com/Events/355983627852526 Caldwell Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station

Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT NORTH ThunderRoadsTexas.com Houston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston ~NEW~NEW~NEW LOCATION~ Bob & Shelly are at this location this month. Now hosted by Outlaw Dave at his Worldwide Headquarters (6502 Washington Ave). Live entertainement with no cover or drink minimum, drink specials, vendors, and MORE! Reserved motorcycle-only parking, with cage parking, too (if coming in a cage, park behind I-Hop). Rain or shine… the BEST and longest continually held bike night in Houston!

Bikers Adult Rally - Summer BikersAdultRally.com WARNING: Adult Content Wills Point Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

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Red’s Run A motorcycle run in memory of Bruce Engels 915.731.8439 El Paso Region: Big Bend Metro: El Paso

3rd Annual Bikefest and Wounded Warrior Project Event RGSElPaso.com El Paso Region: Big Bend Metro: El Paso

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Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride AlliedRide.org Fort Worth Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth One ride, three (now FOUR) nations; united in remembrance of our fallen heroes. Two rides with three starting points. For details and registration, visit their website. All rides end at the No. 1 British Flying Training School (BTFS) Museum at Terrell Texas. Riders will have time to visit the museum and ask question of volunteers before climbing on their steel steeds in a procession to the Oakland Cemetery nearby for a memorial service, including a flyover. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

AUGUST

Four Corners Motorcycle Rally (Previously Ignacio Bike Week) IgnacioBikeWeek.com Ignacio, CO

Facebook.com/ThunderRoadsTexas

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Rumble thru the Pines Facebook.com/events/481160865284591 Huntington Region: Piney Woods Metro: Tyler

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Thunder Roads Texas BIKE NIGHT SOUTH ThunderRoadsTexas.com Kemah Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston Hosted by Jackie’s Brickhouse on Marina Bay Drive (FM 2094) just west of Highway 146. Co-sponsored by the Outlaw Dave Show. Live music, Big Ass Beer, door prizes, CRAWFISH, and more! Reserved motorcycle parking. Rain or shine!

Fun-Relax-Parade Ride TheMotorcycleOutpost.com McKinney Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

EvenT Listing FUTURE September 5-7 Hot Springs Rally TheHotSpringsRally.com Hot Springs, AR September 12-15 7th Annual Texas Rally and Luau TheTexasRally.com Lake Somerville Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Bryan/College Station Held at Big Creek Park & Marina on beautiful Lake Somerville (out of Lyons). Always a huge party and always with a Damon Dave surprise! FREE Luau meal on Saturday (while it lasts), Tiki Lounge, Moment of Silence for 9/11, live bands, bike show & games, bike & campsite decorating contests, and so much more! Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

EVENTS

September 18-21 Bikes, Blues & BBQ BikesBluesandBBQ.org Fayetteville, AR September 18-22 The Golden Aspen Rally MotorcycleRally.com Ruidoso, NM

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September 21 5th Annual Freedom on the Hill Ride 281.592.1692 Romayor Region: Piney Woods Metro: Houston Hosted by the VFW Post 8953 and Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas! Benefit Fun Run – bikes or cars welcome! $20/single; $25/couple. Fee includes meal andpoker hand. First bike out at 10am. Ride T-shirts available fro $20 (pre-order only). Live and silent auctions, 50/50 drawings, raffle. Poceeds benefit the VFW Post 8953. For more informaiton: 281.592.1692. Auction items appreciated, by September 20 – call 281.610.0273 or 713.397.4222.

Revvin’ for the Ribbon Motorcycle Rally & Benefit RevvinForTheRibbon.com DFW Area Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth Multiple starting locations throughout the DFW metroplex, ending at the Quick Trip Park in Grand Prairie. Visit the website for details as they become available. All proceeds go to provide the Utlimate Healing Kit to patients at local hopsitals and surgery centers. Vendors, live music, contests, useful information about breast cancer survival and more. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

September 26-29 Rally in the Crater - Fall RallyintheCrater.com Mount Enterprise, TX Region: Piney Woods Metro: Longview

October 2-6 Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally MyrtleBeachBikeWeek.com Myrtle Beach, SC

Cowtown Round-Up Music Fest & Rally CyclesForACure.com Fort Worth Region: Prairies & Lakes Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth Presented by Cycles for a Cure, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Join them in the famous Fort Worth Stockyards for a motorcycle fun run, live local bands, vendors, food trucks, silent auction, raffle, bike show, and one big party! Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society Patient Navigation Program. Go online to register today! Additional information in their website or Facebook. com/cyclesforacure or chairperson@cyclesforacure.com. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

ThunderRoadsTexas.com

October 11-13 Boo Benefit BooBenefit.org Jefferson Region: Piney Woods Metro: Tyler A legendrary ride… a Texas-sized cause! Each year, the small 2500 population town of Marshall is overrun with bikers from all across the nation, booming the population to between 30,000 and 50,000! Ride with “Boo” himself, attend the ball, buy a raffle ticket to win a new HarleyDavdison. Plus… live music and other entertainment, plenty of vendors, beer and food! 100% of net proceeds benefit Camp I’m Still Me, a camp for burned children. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

October 11-13 Corpus Christi BikeFest (formerly SPI BikeFest)’ CCBikeFest.com Corpus Christi Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Corpus Christi

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

Lone Star Motorcycle Rally LoneStarRally.com Galveston Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston The best and largest 4-day motorcycle rally in North America. Free admission, lots of free live music on two stages. Beautiful historic venue. Hundreds of vendors. Visit their website for updates. Call 832.437.2318 for vendor or band information. Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

About Our Event Listing: Basic Event listings are FREE. Events must have some motorcycle element and take place in Texas. We do not list business activities, such as sales, open houses, grand openings, etc., unless a Premium Event Listing is purchased. Premium Event Listings (bold, up to 75 word description, preprinted on our pull out calendar, and FREE Mobile App listing) are only $15/event. Send your event to: events@thunderroadstexas.com. To be included in the print version, information must be received by the 5th 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. 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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EVENTS

October 17-20 Biketoberfest Biketoberfest.com Daytona, FL

October 31-November 3 Blowout’s Lone Star Campground LoneStarCampground.com Hitchcock Region: Gulf Coast Metro: Houston It’s a huge party campground for visitors to the Lone Star Rally. Galveston Island no longer allows camper parking along the seawall and the island has very few other options for camping. Blowout Productions provides a full-blown campsite, complete with live music, vendors, contests, and after-hours partying (21+ only)… all for only Sponsored by Thunder Roads Texas!

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ThunderRoadsTexas.com

EVENT

Thunder Roads Texas * Page 29 * June 2013

Texas State HOG Rally

Sponsored by THUNDER ROADS TEXAS!

San Antonio * May 17-19

By Don “DB” McGovern, TRT Correspondent

hile visiting one of the local DFW Harley dealerships in April, I heard cheers and clapping outside and joined fellow patrons to check out the commotion. The Texas Flag for the 2013 Texas State Harley Owners Group (HOG) Rally had just arrived on its statewide relay, being delivered by another local HOG Chapter. I suddenly realized that the Texas HOG Rally was coming soon and I had yet to register or secure lodging in the host city of San Antonio. As soon as I got home I contacted Rally Coordinator Maria Robles to make my arrangements to cover the Rally for sponsor, Thunder Roads Texas. I was greeted with an enthusiastic welcome and instructions on where to meet Maria upon my arrival.

PHOTOS: HOG Chapter Flag river cruise; Traveling Texas Flag being passed from the D/FW HOG Chaptger to Fort Worth Harley-Davidson; Mustang Sally on Friday night; Charlie Daniels Band on Saturday; Quilt donated by CiCi Ann for the raffle; and TJ from Crystal River, FL HOG Cahpter who volunteers at various State HOG Ralies around the US.

My Harley was packed the night before and Thursday morning, May 16 we rolled out of Terrell for a 300 mile sprint to San Antonio and three days of celebration with HOG Chapters from across the state. Upon arrival at the Alamodome, Caliente HD (the sponsoring dealer) offered a warm welcome and directed me to the ample and secured parking. Entering the Alamodome, greeters were very hospitable and registration was simple and quick. I met Rally Coordinator Maria Robles and received a rundown of the schedule of events and a generous offer for any assistance throughout the visit. Day one ended with the opening ceremony including our National Anthem performed by a Navy choir. Additional entertainment was provided by Beetle Corps, a local San Antonio-based band performing the Beatle's hits as well as 60s and 70s classic rock songs. Returning to the rally Friday morning, the parking lot was the staging area for several guided tours to area attractions including painted churches, historic missions, Canyon Lake Dam and the ever-popular Twisted Sisters and Luckenbach rides. There was a precision riding practice as the many state HOG chapters anticipated the competition and Saturday's award ceremony. Returning from the run to Luckenbach, I grabbed some cold drinks and a sandwich and headed to the Alamodome's Illusion Theater where everyone was entertained with an energetic performance by Mustang Sally. Saturday was occupied with bike games sponsored by the Texas Hill Country HOG Chapter and at 2:00 p.m. awards were presented for the Precision Riding, the Bike Games and a Ride-In Bike Show. The Panther Creek HOG Chapter from Allen was chosen as 2013 Chapter Challenge Champs. The Precision Riding Finals, sponsored by the Fort Worth Texas HOG Chapter, were awarded for expert and novice divisions. Raffle winners included Manny Pen (Rally Knife), Jenne Oliver (Harley Quilt), and Lourdes Martinez (Michelin Tires). At 2:15 p.m. ten members per HOG chapter were escorted to the Riverwalk barge pick-up area for a one-of-a-kind Chapter Parade of Flags on the river. Members returned to the Alamodome for chapter group pictures and then, once again, we all headed to the Illusion Theater for a classic performance by The Charlie Daniels Band. In closing comments it was announced that 398 bikes participated in rally rides accumulating a total of 329,544 rally miles! Time to leave came too soon, so I said goodbye to my new and old friends, tipping my hat to the 2013 Texas State HOG Rally having had a THUNDEROUS good time. Can’t wait ‘till next year!

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Thunder Roads Texas * Page 31 * June 2013

Rally in The Crater Henderson * May 16-19

By Don Brewer, TRT Correspondent

ally in the Crater is an adult only rally held at Durango’s Canyon in Henderson. Sam and Christy Wehmeyer, owners of Rallys R Us, LLC, host two rallies, actually: Spring (May 16-19, 2013) and Fall (September 26-29, 2013). The Crater is centrally located in East Texas. The Wehmeyers believe this is the perfect venues, thanks to the natural amphitheater.Tthe venue is out in the country where the skies have stars and the air is fresh. No one really knows how the crater was formed. Legend has it that thousands of years ago a huge meteorite fell to earth and left the natural crater. Another story has it that Caddo Indians formed The Crater for some unknown use. The Wehmeyers are riders themselves and love sharing their motorcycle passion with others. Attendees are greeted by Christy at the front gate while Sam is all over the rest of the grounds, making sure the rally goes smoothly. It’s a full onsite rally, meaning RV hookups, cabins, camping, and more are available in The Crater. They boast great bands, bike games, stage games and contests, a bike show, various fun runs, a dual burnout pit, and a non-stop adult party!

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EVENTS

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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Bik ers and ParroTHeads Welcome! By Shelly Horan, TRT Managing Editor/Owner

oah’s Ark Bar & Grill just celebrated 15 years in business. They started with just a small building on Galveston Bay; growing through the years. Today, there is the Lion’s Den (used for private parties and Texas Hold ‘em poker games five nights a week), outside patios with a great view of the Bay (two are open air; one a covered palapa), and their newest addition, the Parrots Nest. The latest is their current pride and joy… a huge palapa bar on the second level, complete with a band stage and dance floor. They are still working on adding a few things, like upstairs restrooms. But it’s full functioning and lively now. For those not familiar with the “palapa”, it refers to an open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves. They are commonly seen in Mexico and are now popping up throughout Southern Texas. Dawn, assistant manager, says, “We send out a special thanks to the Gulf Coast Palapas for such a great job!” When Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast, Houston was hit hard, with residences and businesses on the south side of Houston, especially those along the water, suffering many, many losses. Noah’s Ark was injured, but not taken down. They were fortunate to have a building standing. Fred and Beverly Lyttle, owners, opened up their hearts and their restaurant to serve local residents during the days following Ike. They’ve been in the restaurant/bar business for over 30 years, so they know how to do it right. They provided over 2,000 free meals throughout the week following the storm to local area residents in need, as well as area first responders. Noah’s Ark was also the place to get water and MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), delivered by the Red Cross. During the ensuing mess, even the weather helicopters flying overhead were treated with waves from staff and customers, standing under the sign. Today, because of this, they are even listed on the weather channel. Fred commented, “Clean up inside the building started with tears and then laughter. What can you do but go on?” Local artist, Gary Holman, painted two murals for Noah’s Ark. One is inside downstairs facing the dance floor and a tropical version is upstairs in the palapa bar. Also adorning the upstairs addition the entire bar is trimmed in bamboo, even the bar stools are handcrafted from bamboo. Live music upstairs every Saturday night. Most Houston-area bikers are well aware of Noah’s Ark’s reputation. Front row biker-only parking, cold beer, great views – what’s not to like? Parrot Heads are also a common sight here, with Parrot Head parties every Friday night with live music… guess what kind! For those who need a party venue, the Lion’s Den, palapa patio, or Parrots Nest are available for private parties, with full service, in-house catering. There is no charge when purchasing in-house food and beverages for the party. Noah’s Ark has something for everyone. The menu offers a range from burgers to seafood platters; from liver and onions to the best Gumbo around; from smoked sausage to yummy smoked oysters. There are daily homemade lunches and dinners, starting at just $6.95, Monday-Thursday; family friendly options with “kids eat free” on Tuesdays Page 34

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(8 years and under; from the kids menu); free, allyou-can-eat spaghetti Wednesdays; and, of course, drink specials, including their famous Oyster Shooters. Stop by on weekends for their “$2.25 drink specials (until 4pm on Saturday; all day on Sunday), including their Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers,

and Mimosas. Noah’s Ark supports many local businesses and nonprofit organizations, including the Houston SPCA animal adoption center. They are actively involved in the community with local benefits and biker runs to raise money for charities. As a regular visitor to Noah’s Ark, I can tell you my favorite menu item is the Hot Mermaids. They’re shrimp stuffed with jalapeno, wrapped in bacon, battered, then deep fried and served with ranch dressing. Top that off with a Bloody Mary served with a basket of seasonings to make the drink my own, and it’s a perfect Sunday meal… all while overlooking Galveston Bay. Stay long enough (okay, all day) and you can catch the sunset. Best view for that is the new upstairs Parrots Nest. Don’t just take it from me… here are some reviews: “Noah’s is a great place to kick back and relax with great food, lovely ladies and a beautiful view” ~Edgar Van Lowe, local biker “Great views of Galveston Bay and good food make this restaurant one of our favorite spots in the Bay. If you feel like live music… go to the top floor palapa bar. Great entertainment every weekend.” ~From TripAdvisor.com “Went with my boyfriend last night. He had been before but I hadn’t. We had a nice view of the bay, great food and the nicest wait staff ever!!! A bit of a drive for us inside the loop Houstonians but we will definitely be back - we are in the area quite a bit!!” ~From TripAdvisor.com “The owners, Fred and Bev are customer oriented and have been in the restaurant biz for years ... you will notice that you’ll get a comment thing with your tab ... fill it out and drop it in the box ... it will be appreciated.” ~From TripAdvisor.com … and many, many more. If you haven’t given this biker spot a chance, we encourage you to do so. 438 Boulvard Bacliff, TX 77518 www.NoahsArkBarAndGrill.com

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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

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Thunder Roads Texas * Page 37 * June 2013

The therapist turned to the husband and said, “This is what your wife needs at least three times a week. Can you do this?” The Fourth of July weekend was approaching and Miss Pelham, the nursery school teacher, took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. “We live in a great country,” she announced. “One of the things we should be happy is that, in this country, we are all free.” Trevor, who was a little boy in her class, came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said loudly, “I’m not free. I’m four.” After 35 years of marriage, a husband and wife went in for counseling. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the years they had been married. On and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured. Finally, after allowing this for a sufficient length of time, the therapist got up, walked around the desk and after asking the wife to stand, he embraced and kissed her long and passionately as her husband watched - with a raised eyebrow. The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze.

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“Well,” the husband replied, “I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays, iffish.” An elderly couple, who were both widowed, had been going out with each other for a long time. Urged on by their friends, they decided it was finally time to get married. Before the wedding, they went out to dinner and had a long conversation regarding how their marriage might work. They discussed finances, living arrangements and so on. Finally, the elderly gentleman decided it was time to broach the subject of their physical relationship. “‘How do you feel about sex?” he asked, rather tentatively. “I would like it infrequently,” she replied. The old gentleman sat quietly for a moment, adjusted his glasses, leaned over towards her and whispered, “Is that one word or two?” The United States of America - 237 years of voting down jokes.

Father William, the old priest, made it a practice to visit the parish school one day a week. He walked into the 4th grade class, where the children were studying the states, and asked them how many states they could name. They came up with about 40 names. Father William jokingly told them that in his day students knew the names of all the states. One lad raised his hand and said, “Yes sir, but in those days there were only 13 states.” Secretary of State Colin Powell was once approached by an Iraqi newspaper reporter and accusingly asked, “Isn’t it true that only 13% of young Americans can locate Iraq on a map?” Secretary Powell stopped, turned, and stated, “Yes, it’s true. But unfortunately for you, all 13% are United States Marines.” “I do this real moron thing, and it’s called thinking. And apparently I’m not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.” ~ George Carlin

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Biker Friendly These businesses are SERIOUS about serving the Texas Motorcycle Community. The list is set up in business 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! Want to be on this list - it’s only $149/YEAR; $125 for churches, bands, MC clubs/groups, and VFW/ALR Halls - visit our website or email Shelly@ThunderRoadsTexas.com for information. * Johnny O’s Ole House Tavern Accessories & Parts Biker Churches * Stitches 1308 Hwy 6 South Houston, TX 77077 281.558.8572 Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

Bands LIST YOUR BAND HERE! http://ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Bars & Restaurants

9905 Camp Bowie West Fort Worth, TX 76116 817.874.2535 www.chulachaser.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth

* Noah’s Ark Bar & Grill 4438 Boulevard St Bacliff, TX 77518 281.339.2895 www.noahsarkbarandgrill.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

* Bryant’s Ice House 26913 Katy Freeway Katy, TX 77494 281.392.BEER (2337) HoustonIceHouse.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

* Rolling Thunder Bar & Grill 6441 County Rd 2173 Fluvanna, TX 79517 325.573.HAWG (4294) http://rollingthunderbarandgrill.com/Home_Page.php Region: Panhandle Closest Metro: Lubbock

* Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop Bent Rim Grill 657 West Ranch Rd Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.6629 www.friocanyonmotorcycleshop.com www.bentrimgrill.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio

* Tommaso’s Italian Restaurant 507 N Gordon St Alvin, TX 77511 281.331.6262 www.tomasositaliangrill.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

* Headwaters Saloon 229 S Ranch Rd 783 Harper, TX 78631 830.377.5034 Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio

Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

* 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

Northeast Texas Bikers Church 749 E 16th Street Mt Pleasant, TX 75455 903.563.0948 NETXBC.com Region: Piney Woods Closest Metro: Longview Church service on Thursdays @ 7pm Bible study on Sundays @ 5pm

Dealerships & Shops * Bill Allen Motorcycle Company 3607 S College Ave Bryan, TX 77801 979.822.4294 Facebook.com/BillAllen.Motorcycles * Collin County Choppers AKA Frisco Custom Cycles 6427 Main St Frisco, TX 75034 214.387.0650 www.collincountychoppers.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth * 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 * Harley-Davidson of Waco 4201 S Jack Kultgen Expy Waco, TX 76711 254-753-0393 www.hdwaco.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Waco

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Biker Friendly * Hawgs N Dawgs Motorcycle Shop & CafĂŠ 1333 SE Military Dr San Antonio, TX 78214 210.924.0203 www.HawgsNDawgs.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio

* Southern Metal Choppers 11116 Middle Fiskville Rd, Ste E Austin, TX 78753 512.833.5044 www.southernmetalchoppers.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: Austin

* Javelina Harley-Davidson 29078 I-10 West Boerne, TX 78006 800-860-9696 www.javelinaharleydavidson.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio

* Thunder Alley Cycles 416 NE Wilshire Blvd Burleson, TX 76028 817.295.0955 www.thunderalleycycles.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Ft Worth

* 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

* Tugs Cycles 19529 County Rd, #2 Brazoria, TX 77422 979.798.6061 Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

* 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 * Mancuso Harley Davidson - Crossroads 12710 Crossroads Park Dr Houston, TX 77065 281.970.9700 www.mancusocrossroads.com Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston * Motorcycle Tire Shop Welding/Technical Services 1917 S Hackberry San Antonio, TX 78210 210.533 BIKE (2453) http://motorcycletireshop.synthasite.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio * Potterosa Cycles & ATVs 18143 FM 314 Conroe, TX 77302 281.572.4774 www.potterosa.net/ Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

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* Woods Cycle Country 1933 I-35 East New Braunfels, TX 78130 830.606.9828 www.woodscyclecountry.com Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio

For the Girls GOT GREAT BIKER GIRL GEAR? ADVERTISE HERE! http://ThunderRoadsTexas.com

Insurance & Attorneys * 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

... continued * Freeway Insurance 642 W Rhapsody, Ste A San Antonio, TX 78216 210.403.2216 www.FreewayInsurance.com Region: South Texas Closest Metro: San Antonio

Lodging & Campgrounds DUBL-C Guest House (Vacation Rentals by Owner) Kerrville area: located on Hwy 39 between Ingram & Hunt; Stay 2 Nights, get 3rd FREE 866.427.8374 www.vrbo.com/385945 Region: Hill Country Closest Metro: San Antonio *Scoot On Inn Cabins & Camping, LLC 4397 South Highway 83 Leakey, TX 78873 830.232.4442 Office/Home 512.517.5349 Cell-Tim Region: HIll Country Closest Metro: San Antonio *The Overnight Bunkhouse Bed & Kitchen 13132 Highway 90 North Singleton, TX 77831 936.395.2601 Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

Motorcycle Towing Cyclone Cycle Rescue 1100 Crane Dr Euless, 76039 76039 817.308.9086 www.MotorcycleTowingTX.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth * Dragonstar Motorcycle Transportation PO Box 444 Bryan, TX 77806 281.935.8890 www.getaride.net Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Bryan/College Station

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Texas-based, Texas-focused, Texas PROUD!

June 2013

Page 45

Biker Friendly Riding Gear & Leather Goods * American Man Cave 18 E Main St Bellville, TX 77418 979.865.9383 www.american-man-cave.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Houston * Coppersage Biker Gear 1002 Goodson Rd Coppersage Biker Gear 1002 Goodson Road Magnolia, TX 77355 281.730.1835 Region: Piney Woods Closest Metro: Houston

Miscellaneous * American Legion Post 402 11457 US Highway 190 West Livingston, TX 77351 936.646.7411 * Computers & More ABILENE: 3646 N 6th Street, Abilene, TX 79603 325.670.0200 Region: Panhandle/Abilene Metro COOPER: 1901 W Dallas Ave, Cooper, TX 75432 903.395.4159 Region: Prairies & Lakes/DFW Metro

... continued Oklahoma Backroads OKMotorcycleTours.com 405.996.0411 888.785.8733 blongarborist@wildblue.net Outlaw Dave Productions PO Box 25028 Houston, TX 77265 www.OutlawNation.us Region: Gulf Coast Closest Metro: Houston

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* Motorcycle Outpost, The 103 S College Westminster, TX 75409 972.838.8222 www.TheMotorcycleOutpost.com Region: Prairies & Lakes Closest Metro: Dallas/Fort Worth * Pit Stop Biker Gear 13028 State Highway 21 West Austonio, TX 75835 936-661-7518 www.pitstopbikergear.com

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Thunder Roads Texas * Page 47 * June 2013

Thunder Roads Texas * Page 48 * June 2013