Tour Update
Newsletter
December 15, 2022
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Happy Holidays
May all of the tour riders have a safe and joyous holiday season.
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Change to Tour Stops
The 2023 tour stops are now posted to the tour webpage. There is a change from prior years regarding the number of tour stops. In addition to the 50 regular tour stops, I have included three alternative tour stops.
The point value of each of the alternative stops is five points. Some of the regular stops are worth more than five points. Keep that in mind if you substitute an alternative tour stop for a regular tour stop. The number of points assigned to each tour stops is indictated on the 2023 tour stops webpage.
Riders have the option to ride to one, two, or all three of the alternative tour stops in lieu of regular tour stops. A maximum of 50 tour stops will be counted. So, riders can who submit one alternative tour stop can submit 24 of the regular tour stops to qualify as a tour finisher or 49 of the regular tour stops to qualify as a 50 stop finisher. If you submit two alternative tour stops, then you need to submit 23 regular stops to qualify as a tour finisher or 48 stops to qualify as a 50 stop finisher. If you submit all three of the alternative tour stops, you need to submit 22 regular tour stops to qualify as a tour finisher or 47 regular tour stops to qualify as a 50 stop finisher.
Do not submit more than 50 tour stops, regardless if they are regular stops or alternative stops. Only the first 50 you submit will count.
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Patches
The last of the 2022 tour patches were put in the mail on December 13th. With the heavy holiday mail traffic, mail delivery is likely to be slower than usual.
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Article submitted by Mark Gross
in November 2022
Although I was only able to complete half of the stops, I had a great time doing so. Being new to Texas, I figured it was the best way to get out and see parts of Texas that I may not have traveled to by choice. It was certainly the best way to see some unique and unusual sights! I also had the pleasure of meeting other MGTTX riders at some of the stops. One of the highlights this year was participating in the Run with the Big Dogs in Kerrville and meeting a bunch of great people with similar interests. Turns out that one of our good friends in CA grew up in Kerrville!
But, here's a couple other 'small world' instances that took place on the tour...
This past weekend, I hit my last three stops - Johnson City, Center Point and Bandera. I arrived at the Vintage Motorcycle Museum around 10:00am, but the owner had already set up the coffee outside and was rolling out a few bikes for display. He was kind enough to let me in early to use the facilities and take a look around. After paying the minimal entry fee of $7, we got to talking about motorcycles and when I told him I had recently moved to Texas from California and was riding my way around the state, he told me he had moved here from California years ago. Turns out that he's from Orinda - only 10 miles from where I used to live! He then proceeded to tell me all about the building and his collection of 92 motorcycles from around the world - US, Britain, Japan, Italy, Russia and elsewhere. I strolled around the museum for awhile, took a few photos and thanked him for his time and the great museum as more people started to show up.
Wanting to enjoy Hill Country, I decided to spend the night in Boerne and took in some of the sights nearby. Needless to say, I had to stop into Javelina Harley-Davidson and chat with the folks there. The first person I saw was sitting behind a table covered with plates, plastic ware and condiments as well as two heating trays and asked, "Hey, would you like a steak and a baked potato?" WOW, I hadn't even checked into my hotel and was being served dinner. Nothing like a steak and baked potato with all the fixins after riding all day in cold weather!
After getting a good night's rest, I took advantage of the great breakfast offered by the hotel and took my time before I got back on the road. There was no need heading out into the 35º weather, so I left for the Flying L Resort in Bandera about 10:00am. As luck would have it, the owner of the resort, Doug Stevens, was coming out the front door just as I pulled up, so I got to spend about a half hour learning all about him, his family, the property and the history of the resort. At the end of our chat, he suggested that I go inside and take a look at all the photographs of Jack Lapham, the developer, the opening of Flying L Resort and the events that have taken place there. After the final photo, I headed back home via Marble Falls, Burnet and Oakalla. What a great ride!
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Have a question?
Please do not reply to this newsletter email. Instead, use the " Contact Tour Director" button, if you have a question. Thank you. |
Congratulations to the top three point earners during the 2022 tour. They won gift certificates from Motorcyclegear.com in the amount of $750 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. |
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Registration will open during January 2023.
Mar 25, 2023 - Open House at the Texas Sidecar Company from 10 am to 2 pm.
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Ride to the Valley
Article contributed by Tom Hendricks with pictures contributed by Roberta Wells and Debbie Hay in October 2022
Over the past 7-8 months I have ridden my Honda trike over much of the great state of Texas, and one small part of New Mexico. It’s been a fun-filled adventure travelling as far West as Hobbs, New Mexico; as far East as Lufkin; as far North of Amarillo, to the little town of Borger; and as far South as Big Bend National Park, and South Padre Island.
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Last February I signed up to participate in the 2022 Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas (MGTT). The tour has a motorcycle Rider travelling to fifty different sites throughout the state of Texas, taking a picture at that location, and submitting the results to verify their visit to the site. If I had elected to ride to all these sites on one concurrent trip, I would have minimally ridden over 3700 miles, and that’s seeing a whole lot of the Lone Star state! In my case I went on 3 major overnight rides and numerous local/daily rides, easily totalling 4-5,000 miles to complete the tour requirements. Needless to say, I paid differing amounts for gas along the way, prices varying as much as a dollar or more depending on the gas supplier, remoteness, and the time of year based on our countries energy policies. I figure gas to complete the tour was in the $450-600 range. Add in 7-8 days of shared lodging costs of approximately $700, and I spent over $1,200 without considering snacks, fluids, and meals. That’s a decent expense amount, but it seems a bargain for the sights, points of interest, wind therapy, and great companions.
There’s always a price to be paid for our hobbies, and life in general. I had some great experiences, and even considering the time and financial costs, I will continue to participate in future MGTTs.
The final leg of my 2022 MGTT included South Padre Island and the Rio Grande Valley to complete the final three of my fifty sites.
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Travelers were myself (Tom Hendricks), Wade Wells, Scott and Debbie Hay, and Ron and Shonale Perry. Roland and Maria Morales rode up separately and also completed the 50 site finalist MGTT requirements. In this life we are sometimes fortunate to have able companions there for the good ride, and occasionally standing by and helping when complications arise. This core group has completed the base requirements for the past 1-2 MGTTs, in addition to numerous other rides, and we are looking to the future for more shared excursions. |
Leaving the San Antonio vicinity is something I always look forward to, as I know I will see new roads, towns, and Texas countryside. The ride through this part of south Texas is predictably austere with lonesome houses, large ranches with mesquite trees and some cattle, and small towns that often appear to still be barely hanging on, as they have for many years. It is easy to visualize why some old pioneer types stopped where they did; some because they had purchased land and were finally home; and others possibly decided that this was as good as it was going to get, and just decided to settle here. I was glad to have a destination, a trike to roll up the miles, and a home in the “big” city to return to.
Every ride in pursuit of seeing all of the MGTT sites has certain aspects that make it special. We started from Schertz, Texas at 7:00 in the dark, and as the sun rose we were treated to a marvelous red and pink tinged sunrise. Well, it had to rain on our parade and about 1-2 hours into our ride we were treated to a light rain, which in addition to the overcast skies, made for slight discomfort, but a cool morning. We proceeded to the site of the World’s Largest Killer Bee in Hidalgo, and after a quick photo op we headed to South Padre Island.
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We finished our riding day taking photos of the South Padre Water Tower and checking into our respective hotels. We ate dinner at the Meatball Café, which was recommended to us; we fully endorse it, as they make some wicked Italian food. We retired to the pool after dinner for some hydration therapy, where we were treated to a fireworks demonstration to top off our day. |
Rolando and Maria Morales bumped into Ron and Shonale Perry on Padre Blvd in South Padre Island, as both couples completed their last of the 50 site stops on the 2022 MGTT.
Day two of our Valley ride had us up with the birds, eating our complimentary hotel breakfast, and heading for our final and fiftieth stop at the Train Depot Museum in Kingsville. High fives were exchanged and congratulations given for making our last stop on the MGTT. We stopped at Sammy’s in Beeville for lunch, and had some excellent burgers at a fair price. After lunch we gassed up and proceeded home via Kenedy and Stockdale.
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Pat Wall, Wade Wells, and Tom Hendricks visited the Train Depot Museum in Kingsville to finish their last stop on the 2022 MGTT.
We had a lot of fun, visited a variety of Texas localities, and thoroughly enjoyed our 2-3 wheeled methods of travel as we finished the MGTT. As was said when I was in the Army, “Job well done, mission complete.”
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Article submitted Daniel Baumgartner
Early this year, I got a new job which meant moving from the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area to the San Antonio (SA) area. We had just purchased a 36.5' (toy hauler) travel trailer, which became our home. We made several trips while in the SA area, but a new job meant returning back to the DFW area.
The plan was to make the required 25+ stops before moving back to the DFW area. We needed to make 15 more tour stops. Well, two weeks before we were to leave, my wife (Sharon) fell and broke a finger on her left hand. The injury required that she wear a cast on her hand. We found an extra glove of mine, which fit over the cast. Due to my wife's dedication, we finished the remaining 15 stops that week!
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Have a question about the tour? Be sure to check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page with the button below. If not answered there, you can also contact me at the Contact Tour Director button. |
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Small businesses (like our sponsors) employ Texans. If you can, buy from a Texas based small business and help keep fellow Texans employed in these challenging times. On-line ordering for merchandise, gift cards, future lodging, etc. is often an option. |
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BENEFITS OF JOINING THE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION INCLUDE:
• 12 issues of American Motorcyclist Magazine
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• More than 1,200 local clubs and thousands of events
• Optional Roadside Assistance program
• Exciting Tour Rider packages from around the world
• AMA Sports and AMA Pro Racing sanctioned programs for all ages and skill levels–from beginner to professional
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