Marco Torres Jr. (flag no. 733) and Marco Torres Sr. (flag no. 655) live near the Texas / Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley towns of McAllen, TX and Pharr, TX.

Marco Jr. told me his Dad has been riding motorcycles for as long as he can remember. In fact, his Dad taught him to ride a dirt bike when he was in 2nd grade. Marco Jr. rides a 2006 Yamaha V Star 1100 and his Dad rides a Yamaha Road Star 1700.

Marco Jr. told me that he and his Dad were going to do a border to border (US/Mexico to US/Canada) ride, then ride to Sturgis. They started their ride on July 31st and got home on August 12th.

Here they are at the Canadian border marker.

At the US border entry in Scobey, Montana.

On their way north, they stopped to checkout the Cadillac Ranch and the Route 66 Mid-Point. They road through nine states on this trip.

Marco Jr. told me that some of their favorite sites during their trip were Devil's Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Bison in Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and riding on Iron Mountain Road. They also found Lone Star Rider in Sturgis.

Devil's Tower in the background.

Welcome to Sturgis Sign

Talking to Marco Jr. about the trip really made me want to go to next year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I think I'll be there for the 83rd Annual Rally...

On their way home, about 40 miles south of Abilene, drizzling rain started. Unfortunately, the drizzle made the built-up oil on the road very slippery. They went down due to the slippery road conditions. Marco Jr. suffered road rash and Marco Sr. suffered several broken ribs. Luckily, their injuries will fully heal in a few weeks. They have a few parts to replace on their bikes (mirrors, grips, floor boards, etc.). The mishap won't prevent them from taking future rides. In fact, they are planning a Coast to Coast ride in 2023.

Have a speedy recovery Marco Jr. and Marco Sr. I look forward to seeing y'all back on the road.

Events Planned:

We have a block of rooms at the YO Ranch Hotel that can be booked now at a discount. Reserve your room before they sell out.

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Book directly at www.bigbendbikerhotel.com and use the discount code MCGTTX for Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas riders at checkout!

The hotel can accommodate up to 46 guests, and Alpine Country Club Lofts can host another 18 or so. For group rates email info@bigbendbikerhotel.com.   

Folks are doing a great job of finding the tour stops and submitting qualifying pictures. However, a few pictures have been submitted that were taken at wrong locations.

Be sure to carefully check the locations and ensure that the tour stop pictures on the website match the tour stop feature where you are at before you take a picture. Be sure that you have the right mural, sign, etc. There are two different motorcycle museums on the tour. Be sure to select the correct one when uploading your picture.

Be sure that your tour flag number is clearly visible in the picture before you upload it to the picture submission portal.

Please do not reply to this newsletter email. Instead, use the "Contact Tour Director" button, if you have a question. Thank you.

We have some great tour sponsors in the lodging business. Click the button below to check their rates and availability.

If you made all 50 tour stops and I have not yet updated your record, please contact me so I can review your pictures out of sequence and update your status.

When the tour ends, I will issue a Tour Update Newsletter that lists all tour finishers (25 or more tour stops).

Riders who submit 25 to 49 qualifying tour stop pictures will receive a rocker patch like the one shown above. If this is your first year qualifying on the tour, you will also receive the round logo patch.

As of August 13th, 151 riders have submitted 25 or more qualifying tour stop pictures. You can check your status with the button below (as of the review date indicated).

Be sure to save the following dates on your calendar for these events.

October 1 - Run with the Big Dogs fund raising event for Veterans Assistance Dogs of Texas in Kerrville, TX. Book your room at a discount while the block of rooms is available. Click this link for the schedule of events.

November 15 - Last day to submit pictures to the Picture Submission Portal.

Do you need to get your picture with Lone Star Rider's trailer (tour stop 44)? He plans to be at the following events:

In accordance with the rules for participation, submission of receipts from specified tour sponsors (up to 3) earn additional points.

Be sure that the name of the sponsor or non-profit, date of purchase or donation is visible on the pictures of receipts that you submit. Be sure to write your flag number (with a pen) on the receipts that you submit.

If a receipt for lodging or food is to be split by a couple, write both of your flag numbers on the receipt. The split receipt would need to be uploaded twice (one for each participant).

Sponsors whose receipts earn points are:

BONUS POINTS – For five (5) bonus points, take one picture of your bike at a tour stop with your tour flag and a copy of Ride Texas magazine. You pick the tour stop location, but only submit one picture. Submitting multiple pictures with the magazine in the picture will not increase the bonus points – just send one. The Ride Texas bonus points selection is right after stop 50 on the drop-down selector in the picture portal. For a list of where you can get an issue of Ride Texas magazine, see this link.

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American Diabetes Association (Lone Star Rider's Mission)

To make donations to Lone Star Rider's Fund Raising page for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), submit a picture of the receipt you receive via email from the ADA. When you fill-out the on-line donation form, put your name in the "name recognition box" and in the personal note box, enter a note to state that you are participating in the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas.

There have been two riders registered for the 2022 tour that died in motorcycle accidents. Both of the riders were men of honor and integrity. They both served their communities. You can click their names for their obituaries. God bless these riders.

On March 5th, Rickey Thielen (flag no. 10) was in a group ride with friends. A rider ahead of him went down and Rickey collided with the downed rider. Rickey was a very experienced rider with 700,000 + bike miles. Rickey was retired from Koch Refinery and was the Fire Chief of Taft, Texas.

On July 2nd, Paul Denton (flag no. 1010) was in a motorcycle accident out of state. He was riding in an endurance motorcycle challenge event through the mountains. He was riding in the mountains, in the rain. He hit gravel on the road, which caused the accident. Paul was a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and a retired US Deputy Marshal. Paul was a member of the Patriot Guard and VFW Post 8273.

Be sure to review the Rules for Participation, the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page and the reminders on the back of your tour flag. Many rider questions are answered in there.

Be sure to take your pictures and upload your pictures in HIGH RESOLUTION.

Be sure to enter your correct flag number, as pictures uploaded with an incorrect flag number will not receive credit.

Check your picture while still at the tour stop, as you may need to re-take it to get a good picture that will count.

If you lose your tour flag, use the Contact button on the 2022 Tour Riders page to let me know. I'll then send you an invoice ($4.75 + tax) that you can pay on-line so I can get a replacement tour flag in the mail to you.

If I notice a copy of "Ride Texas" Magazine in one of your tour stop pictures, I'll give you credit for the bonus. However, you should select "Bonus" (which follows stop 50 on the drop-down list) when you upload a picture with the magazine to receive credit. If you have a picture with the magazine and I did not give you credit, upload it as the "Bonus" picture.