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Day 6 - Terlingua to Del Rio to DFW

This would be by far the longest riding day as we had 700 miles and over 10 hours to ride to get home.

We woke up at dawn, packed our camping stuff, said goodbye to our home in the last 5 nights and made our way to our favorite breakfast place just up the road.

As usual we had a blast seeing the people, listening to the music, taking in all the atmosphere of the magic place and also having a great meal.

Before we left the area, we put in gas, filled our tires back to asphalt air pressure and got ourselves out of Dodge riding into the park for the very last time.

We then made our way North to Marathon, TX, stopping just before arriving there, at Border Patrol where we had to show our documents. In Marathon, TX we stopped for gas.

Then onto Del Rio, TX where we stopped again to put in gas and have a sandwich and some fruit for lunch. Leaving Del Rio, TX we had to stop again for Border Patrol. 

We then rode US 337 through the Hill Country which is always a blast and stopped again at Junction, TX for gas.

After Junction, TX the temperatures started to go down dramatically and we stopped again in Brady, TX to warm up and put more gear on. 

By the time we entered the DFW area, it was already dark and we caught some rain. We slowed down as conditions deteriorated but as "slowly one goes far" we eventually made it home well past 9pm. Our ride up had taken nearly 12 hours with all the stops and difficult road conditions.

That evening it felt great to have a very warm and powerful shower (the wonders of civilization), have some good home cooked meals and a quote by a chinese writer came to my mind: “No one realizes how beautiful it is to  travel until he comes  home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang.

What a great adventure ...

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day

Day 5 - South and North County Roads, Hen Egg Road, Terlingua Ranch Road and Old Ore Road

This was our last day together in our trip as at the end of the day, Tomas and Julio left to spend the night in Midland, TX. Tomas had his daughters birthday on the next day and Julio wanted to get home earlier to handle some specific business.

As we had some time we slept in and left a bit later than usual to have our breakfast in Terlingua, TX.

We then left and within five minutes we were into dirt as we rode the South County Road then Hen Egg Road and North County Road that too us to the US118 where we rode a bit north and then entered the Terlingua Ranch Road. We went all the way to the end and stopped at Terlingua Ranch where we had our lunch. A lady made us great turkey and ham sandwiches and we just sat under the shade of a tree, discussed the rides and fought off the dogs that wanted so badly our food as well.

After lunch we made our way East on the Old Marathon Road towards US385. We enjoyed a number of sections with sand where the bikes skidded around but were under control. We encountered no issues.

We then got to US385 and turned south towards the center of the BBNP and a number of miles down the road turned left to do Old Ore Road but this time from North to South.

We had an absolute blast and felt like mountain goats as our bikes "jumped" from one stone platform to the next in one of the sections of the Old Ore. Then we had a section with off camber ups and downs and finally a section of open straight roads where we could open up the accelerators and sing in our helmets. Truly epic.

All went well and we made it in one piece to the end of the road and we had each a cold Gatorade that tasted so amazing. We then made our way back to the camp by riding in the Park and enjoying the breeze and cooler weather that usually comes towards the end of the day in these parts of the woods.

We stopped in Terlingua, TX at the Taqueria Milagro and had tacos accompanied by beer that we brought in with us, on the outside patio. We really enjoyed speaking about our experiences and how we all had enjoyed these days together.

We went back to camp and helped Julio and Tomas load the bikes on the trailer, pack up their tents and said our goodbyes. In an amazing feat of coincidence, our new camping neighbors were also Argentinian and after we donated some of our left over food they promised to bring back later a piece of Ribeye that they were coking for dinner, which they did.

Graeme and I chatted the night away and watched the stars and worked at finishing the whiskey and beers we had left. Loved it ...

We eventually decided to go to bed and enjoyed a peaceful night as there was not much wind.

For the day we had one 182 miles and spent 6 hours on the saddle.

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day

Day 4 - River Road, Glenn Springs Road and Black Gap Road

We had been building up to this day as we knew this would be the day in the middle of of riding and we had chosen it to be the most challenging.

Breakfast as usual at the Espresso Y Poco Mas Cafe where we met Susan, from Massachusetts and had just bought a GS in Texas and took the opportunity to visit the Big Bend area (good for her). We then went all together to the BBNP and separated as we went back into the dirt in Old Maverick Road and Susan stayed on asphalt (later on that day she did do Old Maverick).

We passed close to Santa Elena Canyon but this time we did not stop and kepton going through the Ross Maxwell drive until we met the junction into River Road (East). We stopped brought down the tire pressure even further as we would be getting more sand and started West towards the river. River Road is a blast, Good visibility and not as many rocks meant we could go a bit faster and every time we met a sandy section we would scoot back, lighten up the front and gave the bikes gas and they just cruised through it. Fun ...

We saw the National Park from a total different perspective as we circled anti clockwise on the South side of the Chisos mountains. Usually cars take a full day to transverse this road. We took just under 2 hours and as we approached the West section we crossed numerous washes but as there had been no rain we did them with no issues.

When the Spaniards referred to the Big Bend area as “El Despoblado,” or the uninhabited land, these flat expanses of creosote brush and sun-scorched mountains were probably what they were talking about.

I read that around the beginning of the 20th century (1903), the River Road "probably started out as a game or livestock trail, the most sensible path between mountains and to water. Over time it became a wagon trail, which eventually became a road connecting the floodplain farms, cattle ranches, fishing camps, and quicksilver mines near the river."

The day was getting hotter and we decided to stop and eat our lunch at the River Village once again. We spent this precious time with a number of other visitors to the park and shared stories.

We had just done over 50 miles of dirt under quite warm conditions so we had to decide whether to call it a day or go and tackle the most difficult ride in Big Bend ... Black Gap Road. We decided to do it !

To get to Black Gap Road, we first had to deal with Glenn Springs Road which is a rock garden and quite tiring because the bike is getting shaken, not stirred. We eventually got to the start of Black Gap and we would be doing it South to North and thus go down the 3 foot step and up the off-camber mountain. After doing Black Gap Road in both directions, I personally think this is the most tricky option. Easier on the step but much more difficult going up the off-camber.

We took time to film our feat of dropping the 3 feet on a rocky path and screaming our lungs off once we made it to release the adrenaline and then started our way towards the off-camber climb.

Keeping a clear head, standing up on the bikes and letting the machines do all the work we were all able to make the infamous climb ... yes, screaming in some cases all the way up.

I must give kudos to Tomas and Julio which not having too much experience in off-road riding behaved like they have been doing this forever. Pretty amazing.

We then made our way towards Terlingua, where we were supposed to have dinner with a friend of mine from Dallas, Richard Swim. We arrived about 90 minutes late but Richard was still waiting and had given our names to the Starlight Cafe. We sat outside on the patio and watched the sunset while we shot the breeze. After about one hour of waiting and a couple of tequilas later, they called us in and sat us down. It was a great dinner where we started with chips and salsa and then had Ribeye steak which was very good taking into account we were in a Ghost Town away from civilization.

As I went to bed, I thought about this amazing day and that every time I’ve traveled deep enough into the Big Bend backcountry, I’ve been fortunate to experience special moments, when the hair on my arms stands on end. These are the best days—the ones that catch you when you least expect. I was very glad I had been able to show my friends this unforgettable place.

For the day we had done 190 miles and spent 6 hours on the saddle.

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day

Day 3 - Ross Maxwell Drive and Old Ore Road

As usual breakfast at the Cafe Expresso y Poco Mas and then into Big Bend National Park.

This was the day we paid our entrance. They allowed with my Annual Pass on either bike in but two had to pay the $25 entrance fee (good for a week).

We made our way to Santa Elena´s Canyon on Old Maverick Road and when we got there, Julio took out his drone and made some amazing drone footage. Unfortunately this would be the last videos of the drone as with the trepidation on the bike due to heavy off-road riding the drone got damaged.

We then rode the 30 miles of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and enjoyed the amazing views. One of the favorites where we stopped to take photos and videos was The Sotol Vista Overlook which perched high above the desert floor rewarded us, an unparalleled vista of the entire western side of Big Bend National Park, including magnificent Santa Elena Canyon in the distance.

We then made our way all the way East to the Rio Grande Village where we stopped for a quick sandwich lunch. 

Next we made our way to Boquillas where we rode to the Overlook, stopped the bikes and walked around seeing in he distance the Boquillas village snd enjoyed the Sierra del Carmens and Boquillas Canyon. We also look at the local trinkets on display.

By then we were feeling that the food we had for lunch and the hydration was working well and it was tie to tame one of the most difficult roads in the par ... Old Ore Road. Due to COVID and not as much traffic, the maintenance being done on the road is not of the highest quality which makes riding the road an absolute blast.

Used in the early 1900s to transport ore from Mexican mines to the railroad station at Marathon, the 26.5 miles of Old Ore Road generally follows the route used by mule and pack trains a century ago. So lots of fun for our motorcycles.

The Old Ore Road is very rocky and rough and requires a sturdy hand and an excellent vehicle with the right type of tires to negotiate. We were fine and rode it in a good time from South to North.

We came out on the US385 and then rode it all the way around to Panther Junction and onwards to the exit of the park.

For the night we wanted to eat at a 5-star resort in the area called the Lajitas Golf Resort. We had a shower, put our best clothes on and drove the car to the resort. To our surprise we were told we could NOT eat dinner as we were not staying in the resort. This was a Tuesday evening and the restaurant was half empty. Blew our minds away but more was to come in our experience with this 5?-star resort. We found a bakery inside the resort that served pizzas so we put an order in. After one hour they were still promising the pizzas were being done. Bottom line we never saw our pizzas and had to eat what some other people that we met gave us. They did give us the money back.

A funny story though was that the people we met, and gave us some of their pizza, were appalled by what happened to us and as they knew the owner, they were going to tell him about our experience. Karma is a bitch.

One of the guys in this party of four spoke with a South African accent and it turned out we attended the same University over 40 years ago.

We also learned that the Robert E. Lee statue that was taken down from Naval Air Station on the west side of Mountain Creek Lake in Dallas and sold for $1.4M has now found a new home in the resort.

What a day ... 

We rode for 173 miles and just over 5 hours, most of the time off-road.

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day

Day 2 - US170 River Road, Pinto Canyon Road, Prada Store, Fort Davis Scenic Loop

For Day 2 of our adventure we decided to wake up quite early and have breakfast at the Cafe Espresso Y Poco Mas in Terlingua, TX. 

This became our breakfast place for everyday we were in the area. Love the atmosphere in the cafe and the food and coffee are excellent. The best part of the meal was the bacon and the fresh orange juice.

For our first full day in the area we decided to stay mainly on asphalt and the only off-road we would do would be the Pinto Canyon Road.

But our first experience would be to ride US170 (also called River Road) from Terlingua, through Presidio all the way to Ruidosa, TX. The US170 is one of the most fun asphalt roads to do in the area as it skirts very close to the Rio Grande and out first stop was at the Big Hill - the steepest paved grade (15%) in Texas. We had the opportunity to really enjoy the scenery from up above and see the Rio Grande as it snakes its way through the mountains.

We then stopped at another obligatory place where we left the bikes and walked towards the Rio Grande. Here we were able to set the drone free and create some amazing footage.

We then made our way towards Presidio, TX. We had lots of fun wrestling our bikes through the many curves and also up and downs. After Presidio, TX we kept moving west and arrived at Ruidosa, TX where we took a sharp right and entered the Pinto Canyon Road and were rewarded by scenic vistas and a sense of isolation that are remarkable. As we did it, South to North we started on the verdant Rio Grande floodplain and made our way over a long desert slope to the Chinati Mountains and braved the badly maintained road as we went up the Canyon. It deserves the name of one of "the roads to nowhere" in Texas. After the dirt section finished there is still thirty two miles of pavement where civilization is still only a memory until we got to Marfa, TX.

Here we filled our steeds with gas and went on a hunt for a nice place to eat. And we did find one ! Called the Water Stop, we were able to sit outside in the Patio just next to our motorcycles and had mainly sandwiches that were very tasty.

Next we rode for 30 minutes North West and visited the Prada store in Valentine, TX. "The brainchild of Berlin-based artistic team Elmgreen and Dragset, Prada Marfa was meant to be a “pop architectural land art project.” Built of a biodegradable adobe-like substance, the building is meant to slowly melt back into the Earth, serving as a surrealist commentary on Western materialism. Because of vandalism, all of the store’s Prada wares are heavily alarmed, and stronger windows have been installed to protect the interior from forced entry. Additionally, the handbags have no bottoms and all of the shoes are right-footed.". We took time to enjoy this stop and take a number of photos.

Next in the agenda was to ride the Fort Davis loop which is a 75 mile scenic ride on the States highest highway.  Out here there are no billboards, no honking cars, no gas stations. Naturalists consider the entire Davis Mountains range a “sky island” because many of the plants and animals found here—pinyon pines and madrones, shorthorn lizards and silver-haired bats, for example—rarely appear elsewhere in Texas. The Loop cuts through mountain gaps and windswept valleys and makes a breathtaking drop down into a vast plain. It is always amazing to approach Fort Davis from the West and see in the distance the McDonald Observatory. Unfortunately due to COVID we were not allowed to visit, so we made our way towards town, passing by the Davis Mountains State Park and stopping at the Fort Davis Drug Store where we sat outside and I had a Root-beer Float, Graeme a strawberry and banana milk shake and Tomas an ice-cream sundae. As they use Blue Bell ice-cream it was very good.

It was getting late and we still needed to travel over 100 miles to get to our camping site so we put our turbos on and flew out of "Dodge".

We arrived in time to still see the sun setting in the mountains just behind our camp site and went for showers and washed clothes before sitting down for our dinner meal. We had brought dried food and that is what we had that evening.

Before going to bed we all sat down on our camping chairs and enjoyed the beautiful sky. 

"It’s one of the most spectacular shows you’ll see anywhere and you don’t even need to pay for admission. After the sun sets, the night sky becomes a window to the universe through which you can see distant stars, planets, and even galaxies. The view of these wondrous celestial bodies is second to none. Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park are recognized International Dark Sky Parks. Together, both parks form the largest contiguous area in the continental United States."

It was a full day where we rode 380 miles and spent 7 hours on the saddle.

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day

Day 1 - Traveling to Big Bend and Visit to Santa Elena Canyon

On this day, Armando would be coming from San Antonio, through Del Rio on US90 on his BMW R1200GSA. 

My trip was uneventful and I enjoyed riding on this road specially as one approaches Marathon, TX.

Julio, Tomas and Graeme would be trailering the bikes from the DFW metroplex with a stop for the night in Midland, TX.

On the trip one of the tires of the trailer started to balloon and luckily they were able to see it and, with help from someone with the right tools, were able to change it without too much hassle.

For a very late lunch we went to eat Tacos at the Taqueria El Milagro in Terlingua, TX. We sat in an inside patio and the guys liked it a lot.

In the afternoon we rode into the Big Bend National Park, did Old Maverick Road and visited Santa Elena´s Canyon. We also did the hike up the hill to see the Canyon from up above.

We rode for 56 miles and spent 90 minutes on the saddle (and standing up).

Make Life a Ride !

Click HERE for all the photos and videos of this Day