Paris, Tx to New Mexcio
Waking up in texas was difficult. We didn’t make it to Austin, failed our attempt at finding an off-highway road and still had many, many miles to cover for the trip and both realized my pre-planned schedule was falling flat on its face. Glad to have the bike in the awning at this Hampton inn we grabbed a nice free breakfast and started west again.
Roads in texas are huge. Literally if you know the mass pike, 95, 87 or the like out east or the I-40 west the backroads in texas are about the same size. Break down lines the size of roads out east. Texas was cloudy when we started out and we cleared about a dozen towns to our first gas stop.
At our first gas stop of the day I was surprised to see a cop car (actually since the rodes are marked at 70mph (including side rodes) whom turned around to come visit with me. Again me questioning what I could possibly be doing wrong in texas expect not riding a Harley. The cop stopped and asked “hey what year that bike”. I said an 2007 and he said he had graduated high school in 87 and that bike was the hottest ticket around back then. I said yeah part of the reason I got the red/while/blue one was the colors from 83. It was nice to be recognized on that interceptor once again and the 25th anniversary addition it is.
Funny part about texas is the number of people in the towns. Numbers like 30 are common and numbers greater than 50 are uncommon. A bit of a change from east coast townships. Further you don’t see a lot of signs out east about religion and in Texas about every 5th billboard is something about god, your soul or magic.
Anybody that knows me recognizes my enjoyment of country music. Traveling in texas we had the pleasure of passing right through Amirillo on the I-40. Not notable to most but George Strait sang “Amirillo by morning”, “Baby Blue”, Jason Aldean Sang “Amirillo Sky”, Little texas sang “Ami’s back in Austin” and the “bluest skies in Texas”. So of course my excitement of seeing Amirillo was second to none. And although we didn’t get to tour the city or really feel the out the city people I was still beaming from the opportunity to see this place in Action. If you’ve never been think of Amirillo as Manchester, NH or Albany, NY. Big, full of cars and lots of billboards on the highway. I wished for more time in Amirillo and hopefully sometime might have to make it happen. And a Rodeo in Austin might be just the next adventure I’d need to see in person. Probably won’t be on the bike however since texas is not really a bike friendly state, I’d say a lifted truck would be a better means of travel there.
Sadly after a few minutes in Amirillo and a 550 mile schedule to keep we headed west until dinner called and we settled a few miles (probably 40 out of somerset, NM) at a K-Bob’s. Another best western, bike parked under awning with the slightly too small cover and Rachel and I fast to sleep. Not really too eventful.
The one major regret I have for Texas was not stopping at a steakhouse renewed for its 72 ounce free steak. Free in the way that you’d have to eat the whole thing in one sitting. Rachel and I must have counted 15 signs along the highways that advertised this steak. Schedule prevailing and Austin being a miss we passed it by both questions what a 72 ounce steak looks like anyhow.
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