Circumnavigate Texas

[birkdale10]

I have a dream.

Someday, I want to do the 4 corners of the USA. But, I need more vacation time than I have to do that.

So... I set my sights a little closer. I would like to circumnavigate the state of Texas.

I would like to stay as close to the border as I can, using county roads if they are at least paved. I tried with google maps, and I think I reached the limit of 'points' - it just wouldn't work anymore.

I bet this will be at least 4k miles. But, I'm not sure how to come up with a route.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[odot]

Rent an airplane?

 

[airboss]

Big trips I break into what I want to cover each day.

Works with Streets & Trips and Gramin.

Don't use google much so don't know.

 

[ArtJ1107]

The MTF sponsored this ride in 2010. https://www.mctourer.com/rides/2010/FoundersFeast/RAT.html

 

[Ignacio]

Streets and Trips will probably work for you pretty well. Interesting exercise actually!

Several of the choices that would become clear to me include exactly how many and how often you want to get near a border town. Fore example, in the NW corner of the panhandle is Rinker Road as it comes to 412/56. (I pondered this exact intersection as I rode in the 2009 Iron Butt Rally cutting across Oklahoma) Do you want to actually touch that specific important corner of Texas (even though it's probably not paved) or is Texline close enough? Or, for that matter is Stratford to Romero close enough on 54 to count the corner?

Then assuming you go through Bronco....is running 769 south OK and is it OK to cut into NM on 132 a few miles or do you have to go back through Denver City to stay exclusively within the state?

Texas would an interesting challenge depending on what rules you follow...or choose to adopt.

Other interesting areas that S&T could help with (or drive you crazy) include what to do down by Oinaga. Terrain and roads near the border seem sketchy down there...although Oinaga, Lajita, Corner Windmill seems interesting.

And again from Brownsville to Sabine Pass are subject to interesting interpretation for routes. Anybody have a fractal equation to try and solve what seems crazy barrier island coast line? Or is South Padre Island and a picture with a hotty on Spring Break a moral imperative?

If I were to tackle it in terms of 3 back-to-back in-state Saddle Sores....I'd estimate mileage closer to 3300 range. My basic route in S&T 2013 has about 40 waypoints currently.

 

[gregory]

HMMMMMMM,

I might have to do this with CA.......

 

[Ignacio]

HMMMMMMM, I might have to do this with CA.......

Or if you want them to cart you off to the looney bin....try Alaska and accept dirt roads, ferries, and ice roads as acceptable.

 

[gregory]

HMMMMMMM, I might have to do this with CA.......

Or if you want them to cart you off to the looney bin....try Alaska and accept dirt roads, ferries, and ice roads as acceptable.

No doubt!
I can only imagine after reading Ghost Rider what that must be like.

One day, when time and money collide, I will ride Alaska.

In the meantime, there is this to consider:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Redding,+CA&daddr=Arcata,+CA+to:Crescent+City,+CA+to:O'Brien,+OR+to:Happy+Camp,+CA+to:Alturas,+CA+to:Truckee,+CA+to:36.8548931,-118.2333044+to:36.4855326,-116.8695229+to:35.1960226,-116.1368204+to:Needles,+CA+to:Yuma,+AZ+to:san+diego+to:Long+Beach,+CA+to:35.6071305,-121.1373152+to:CA-1+N+to:38.3573219,-122.713061+to:39.103018,-123.493077+to:Arcata,+CA+to:Redding,+CA&hl=en&ll=29.53523,-110.43457&spn=18.864195,28.168945&sll=35.835628,-121.530762&sspn=8.81239,14.084473&geocode=FSxNawIdhXO0-CkvIEo71pHSVDFXDzZ77FgzHw%3BFdWSbwIdaKWa-CkB6LlnDlfRVDGGh4Whj9eKfQ%3BFSwlfQId7dSY-CnbiGJcN2bQVDEu5nVzsJrodg%3BFcTjgQIdtnGg-CnhERqBpf3PVDFaqmSSnidD4A%3BFY60fQIddmSl-ClPBbhtjNfPVDHgtBC6aBgbYQ%3BFQsLeQIdCavQ-CnzAJVprZDLVDE5cWA8cooHfQ%3BFdoYWAIdKybW-CnXjU487N-bgDHJ_DTBiC8XbQ%3BFW1cMgIdKOfz-ClpzuddNLm_gDGTDWTvwVzBMg%3BFZy5LAIdbrYI-Sn3JwQ4vUDHgDH6HZxMBJ3L-A%3BFXYMGQIdjOQT-SmPDXr3VrvFgDEqJwgvnoDmzA%3BFTy9EwIdjCAr-SkzijXhciPOgDHzlA3hF6hfIA%3BFavZ8gEdlOsq-SnZrU0hh2LWgDFYQp71Bzqpzw%3BFUEy8wEdeVIE-SlLHpKtD1PZgDF53xX9_SE6DQ%3BFYFDAwIdX3r0-ClZ15lA6MrCgDGqjyrE-joAoQ%3BFVpSHwIdXZfH-Ckb5mj1zjPtgDHVwYmk_hTTZg%3BFYAzPAIdpEuz-A%3BFUlJSQIdG4yv-CnbqFOoCEqEgDHTbR3mlwJZ1A%3BFSqqVAIdK6Wj-ClhIaeNmQ2BgDEoyqZEIp7eDg%3BFdWSbwIdaKWa-CkB6LlnDlfRVDGGh4Whj9eKfQ%3BFSxNawIdhXO0-CkvIEo71pHSVDFXDzZ77FgzHw&oq=reddin&t=h&gl=us&mra=dpe&mrsp=16&sz=6&via=7,8,9,14,16,17&z=5

 

[Fontanaman]

Here is a Google Map route of circumnavigating Texas.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Ok, stop the freaking boat here!

You have time to do 4K of country roads and you are going to waste it motorcycling in Texas??? I do love living in Texas but I'll admit that we don't have the most motorcycle friendly roads in the country. With that kind of mileage I'd be booking it out of Texas on the fastest roads possible and then enjoying some mountains and nice views.

When are you doing this? If it's in the summer, then definitely seek higher altitudes! Doing the big circle could be interesting, but not where I'd be spending my time if it were me.

 

[gixxerjasen]

And just for some mileage comparisons, 4K miles round trip can roughly get you to Bangor Maine or Seattle and back. Basically anywhere in the country. Or go about halfway and then ride every twisty line on the map in the area.

 

[jmdaniel]

Ok, stop the freaking boat here!
You have time to do 4K of country roads and you are going to waste it motorcycling in Texas??? I do love living in Texas but I'll admit that we don't have the most motorcycle friendly roads in the country. With that kind of mileage I'd be booking it out of Texas on the fastest roads possible and then enjoying some mountains and nice views.

When are you doing this? If it's in the summer, then definitely seek higher altitudes! Doing the big circle could be interesting, but not where I'd be spending my time if it were me.

+1000

This is how I did my last trip in Texas, on the way to Denver:

Too much nothing between here and there to do again.

 

[TomInPA]

Being near Dallas, I'd say you are as close to the abyss of riding as possible. I agree the objective should be to get out of Texas and ride somewhere with a view. Not to mess with the great state of Texas, but it's the place the rest of us would rather avoid or fly-over when touring cross country. I'm sure you can find ways to make it interesting, but you have to be imaginative and find the "character" spots along the way. The Google map posted above leaves a lot of good opportunities in Southwest Texas wasted, so I would tighten that best part of the trip up a bit.

I'm taking a cross-country trip in May and was considering a southerly route, but I'm having trouble convincing my ride partners that there is anything in between Roswell NM and New Orleans. That kind of puts you in the middle. It's a part of the country I have never ridden before.

 

[Fontanaman]

The Google map posted above leaves a lot of good opportunities in Southwest Texas wasted, so I would tighten that best part of the trip up a bit.

The point of my Google Map was to follow the state line as close as possible and circumnavigate Texas. As I know darn little of Texas it would hard for me to waste or take advantage of any opportunity.

My step daughter lives in Llano Texas the heart of hill country - a deer infested place if there every was one. The locals are proud of these varmints.

My relatives are very nice folks and we enjoy their company. They invite me and my motorcycle to Texas to go for a ride. My response is "You must not like me for these deer out here are killers." Hell they drive SUVs with deer guards hung on the front of their trucks so no problem for them as most of these forest rats are on the scrawny side vs a deer from most west coast States.

That is all I know about Texas other than the day I leave Llano to return home is a good day. There isn't a jack shit to do in Llano except hang out on the FJR Forum.

 

[Chuck35]

Ok, stop the freaking boat here!
You have time to do 4K of country roads and you are going to waste it motorcycling in Texas??? I do love living in Texas but I'll admit that we don't have the most motorcycle friendly roads in the country. With that kind of mileage I'd be booking it out of Texas on the fastest roads possible and then enjoying some mountains and nice views.

When are you doing this? If it's in the summer, then definitely seek higher altitudes! Doing the big circle could be interesting, but not where I'd be spending my time if it were me.

+1000

This is how I did my last trip in Texas, on the way to Denver:

Too much nothing between here and there to do again.

That's a great looking trailer!

 

[gixxerjasen]

Funny, you know how many motorcyclists ride from the edges to the area around Llano? Lots. In Texas, the only good road riding is in hill country. Decent stuff around Big Bend, but you'd be better off on a Super Tenere there.

If circumnavigating Texas is your thing and what you want....do it. Don't skip what you want and what makes you happy because of us. However my vacation days to me are too few for me to use like that. I want mountains. I want twisties. I want deer. You know, as jerkey.

 

[Fontanaman]

Funny, you know how many motorcyclists ride from the edges to the area around Llano? Lots. In Texas, the only good road riding is in hill country. Decent stuff around Big Bend, but you'd be better off on a Super Tenere there.
If circumnavigating Texas is your thing and what you want....do it. Don't skip what you want and what makes you happy because of us. However my vacation days to me are too few for me to use like that. I want mountains. I want twisties. I want deer. You know, as jerkey.

Yeah hill country is one of the better places to ride in in Texas but I think the area has more forest rats per square mile than any place else in the USA. I read that somewhere just can't remember where, darn hate it when that happens.

Anyway I live in Washington State. I am a spoilt brat when it come to good places to ride. In season of course. The season is about to begin.

 

[101stpathfinder]

The MTF sponsored this ride in 2010. https://www.mctourer.com/rides/2010/FoundersFeast/RAT.html

I did that ride and was honored to get to ride (Part way) with a rider named "Jack" from Oklahoma.

In hindsight I wish I would have gone up the SW Texas border AND remembered to reset my spot after 24 Hours

The ride is an IBA ride called RAT (Ride Around Texas)

 

[Bokerfork]

I'm thinking of circumnavigating Rhode Island.

JSNS,

Mark