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Back Roads Ride to Rusk (Texas)

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Old Nov 2, 2009 | 08:47 AM
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SailorDon's Avatar
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Default Back Roads Ride to Rusk (Texas)

Sunday was a great day for a ride. I planned a "back roads ride" from Houston to Rusk on Google Map. Once I got north of Huntsville, it was mostly roads I hadn't ridden. I prefer the challenge of the back roads to the mind (and butt) numbing experience of riding the super slabs.

Here's Google Maps 210 miles pasted together.



This kind of route helps prevent square wear on the tire tread.

Rusk is the home of the Texas State Railroad which runs live steam locomotives sometimes. They weren't running on Sunday while I was there. It gave me a chance to get photos of my '09 Street Bob without all the crowds getting in the way.





When I got home, the trip odometer only registered 397.6 miles. Where did the extra 20 miles go?

The construction of the Rusk station and the railroad was done with prison labor. Now the civil rights advocates have the prisoners watching cable TV instead. Riding up FM 247 from Huntsville to Midway is interesting as the Ferguson Unit of the Texas State Pententiary is on that road. You can see prisoners out in the exercise yard (on the other side of the razor wire topped chain link fence).
 

Last edited by SailorDon; Nov 2, 2009 at 09:03 AM.
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Old Nov 4, 2009 | 07:58 PM
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I've been wanting to ride to Rusk too. I want to check out the foot bridge there. It's the longest in the USA if I remember right.

Chop On,
Robert
 
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Old Nov 4, 2009 | 10:03 PM
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Great job on putting the map together for us..
 
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Old Nov 5, 2009 | 06:47 AM
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Originally Posted by flibuoy
Great job on putting the map together for us..
Usually I can easily cut and paste map segments from my Google Map route plan, but this one was a challenge. A lot of different FM road numbers. I forgot to mention that 4 or 5 times, I made wrong turns that took me a few miles off my route before I discovered my error and got back on track.

I plan to do the Texas Honor Ride on Saturday, Nov. 7. No map necessary there. No wrong turns. Just draw a straight line down I-10 from Houston to San Antonio. This will be my first big group ride (100's of bikers). I'm really looking foward to this ride.

http://www.texashonorride.org/

Should be a great ride for a worthwhile cause.
 
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Old Nov 10, 2009 | 04:15 PM
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Sailer - there are many great roads up that way. Hubby and I will switch off who gets to make the maps for our trips. Often we do a straight shot for destination 0- ie ft hood, but then when coming back wander

Hope you had a great time at THR - I know we did. It was a sight to be seen all those bikes on the road. Some GREAT heros to talk too!
 
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