Texas Two Trip

Long distance trips are amazing, but not always feasible due to life constraints and scheduling. An overnighter or small multi day trip with a base for accommodations may fit the bill a little more readily.

Living in the Lone Star State, we repeatedly ride to Big Bend National Park, about 545 miles from our home. While some may consider this a long distance trip, we view it as a quick getaway. Also, in Texas, the first day of any long distance trip is usually get out of Texas!

The first time we decided to go to Big Bend National Park was in December of 2021 and on a whim. We couldn’t get accommodations within an hour of the park and therefore stayed in Alpine. We rode eight hours in one day to get there and witnessed a gorgeous sunset along the way.

Sunset outside of Fort Stockton, Texas

We took advantage of staying in Alpine and sought out to find “The Desk.” In 1981, a metal desk was placed up on Hancock Hill, behind Sul Ross University, by three students looking for a peaceful and scenic site to study. A notebook is left in the desk for visitors to leave notes. As a former educator, this was a must. Finding the desk proved to be a little difficult, but after doing so and writing in the notebook, we headed to Terlingua.  It was near 80 degrees in December and quite an enjoyable ride. We got a bite to eat and headed straight for Big Bend National Park.

"The Desk" on Hancock Hill in Alpine, Texas.

Upon entering the nationl park, we rode Maxwell Ross Scenic Drive to Santa Elena Canyon, and yes, did the hike. As bikers and hikers, we tend to take advantage of opportunities to stretch our legs. We hit most of the turn outs to see Mule’s Ear, Sotol Vista, Castolon and more before heading to the Chisos Basin.  We had planned to eat there, but at 3 pm the restaurant at the visitor center was not serving. Hungry, we excited the park.

That evening we ate at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua. We had about a 45 minute wait. Ok, so we can now say we have eaten there, but in my opinion, the food was ok, but did not meet up to the hype.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel in Alpine. With the sun down, we were beyond cold and physically shaking on the bike. The hubs thought about pulling over so we could warm up, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to get me back on the bike! I am pretty sure he was right. Lesson learned… don’t ride after dark unless you have the appropriate gear and dark skies in December equals real cold!

The next day we road the River Road, FM 170. The road runs along, you guessed it, the Rio Grande River. It is a two lane winding road with quick turns and surprising scenery throughout. We returned to Big Bend National Park and rode to the other entrance and back before returning to Alpine.

The Rio Grande seen from the River Road.

We intended to go to McDonald’s Observatory in Fort Davis for the Star Party, but after the previous night’s experience after dark, we decided it would be best to do on our next visit. Note to others, a reservation is required. Had we gone that evening, we would have been turned away.

Texas is said to have seven great motorcycle rides with two in the Big Bend area: Maxwell Ross Scenic Drive and the River Road. Our first ride of 2025 was another one of the seven top rides: Texas Park Road 4 between Marble Falls and Lake Travis. The highlight is Lime Creek Road with limited traffic and lots of twists and turns.

Marble Falls is 170 miles from our home, so we headed out the night before to get an early start the next day. Lesson learned from the Big Bend trip, we took and wore our warm weather gear after the sun went down and were perfectly warm with temperatures in the 40’s.

Our return trip home, including Park Road 4, was 272 miles. We ate breakfast at the Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls and a late lunch at Loco Coyote in Glen Rose. Both restaurants are biker friendly and have great food and customer service.

Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas

As a couple, we have traveled to/through 17 states in the past six years. We will add six more states to the collective this summer. I will feature trips outside of the Lone Star State in the very near future, but if in Texas, I recommend checking out the Big Bend area as well as any of the seven great rides in Texas.

The Blonde Backpack