For the last few years I've been wanting to ride some in Texas and thinking mid to late April might be a good time of the year. My current plan is ride down to Nashville to the Natchez Parkway and take it into Mississippi, cross Louisiana to Texas and over to Austin hill country such as http://motorides.com/ride/115-hill-country-ride.html then maybe San Antonio depending on the schedule. Return via Hot Springs Arkansas and up Rt 7 to Branson MO.
I will have some but not a lot of time for side trips. Considering this I would appreciate any suggestions from those that know the area (MS, LA, NE Texas, AR, southern MO) as far as fun/interesting roads to incorporate and perhaps towns to overnight in as I’ll be moteling it. Once off the parkway in Mississippi my preference is to travel on smaller un-congested roads. I have ridden some in Arkansas, stopped at Bentonville Walmart museum :-) and kicked around Eureka Springs, been to New Orleans and loved the food but I don’t think I’ll detour down that far this trip. As far as Texas it doesn’t really have to be Austin and San Antonio I just happened to pick them. What part of Texas has the best riding? (I've been following the Twisted Sisters thread.)

 

The Three Twisted Sisters is definitely the best ride as well as several other roads in the area. A good place to start is via Canyon Lake, up thru Blanco and FM 1323 to 16. Then down thru Fredericksberg and loop around the back way into Bandera. I have several hill country routes I designed if you would care to PM I will send links to the maps.

 

Sent PM with links to some good personal maps

 

The best riding in Texas is the Hill Country, where the Twisted Sisters are, or the Big Bend Area, which is a long way from your plan.

So, I suggest riding through the Hill Country before heading north to Arkansas. Check out a trip on my website, http://txharleyrider.com/hill-country-0513/ for some routes and pics of the area.

Mid to late April should be good temperature-wise, but that is the rainy part of the year, if it ever rains again in Texas.

 

>>As far as Texas it doesn’t really have to be Austin and San Antonio I just happened to pick them. What part of Texas has the best riding? (I've been following the Twisted Sisters thread.)

Ridewva...lived in Texas 20 years and, yes, the Hill Country around SA and Austin is the best riding there, along with Big Bend way to the west. I suspect that captain1962 has some good rides to consider. The Hill Country bluebonnets should be looking fine in mid-April. If you find the Natchez Trace a bit monotonous and slow you could always cut over toward Mena, AR and ride that Talimena Drive to the west and work your way into Texas from there, maybe plotting a route to the west of the DFW metroplex so you don't have to ride through it. Also would recommend good rain gear as those spring t-storms can turn into "clear up showers"...where the water gets clear up to your azz. Sure miss those TX expressions

 

+ 1 on the Twisted Sisters...it's a hoot.

 

http://www.hillcountrycruising.com/willowcity.html

Three sisters, Fredricksburg, Luckenbach, Willow City, Bandera...all in above link..enjoy!

You said coming from Louisanna into Texas..would you be coming from Shreveport on I20? If so, get off highway in CANTON and take 19 south to Athens, then 31 west thru Corsicana and keep going west to Axtell and Bellmead. Then 84 thru Waco and head to Gatesville and onto EVANT. Then head south on hwy 281 thru Lampasas and south...This way you avoid DALLAS and WACO highway areas. There's a lot of construction and it's a PIA! Traffic in San Antonio is terrible!

If you come west across the Talimena Skway from Mena, you will hit Talihina, OK. Take Hwy 271 south to HUGO and Sulpher Springs onto PARIS and then 19 south to CANTON and Athens...My wife and I just did this route in Oct and it was great, hardly any traffic..

good luck

 

If you ride all the way to Natchez, US Hwy 84 goes all the way across the country. I don't know what kind of ride it is. You wanted smaller un-congested roads.

 

Thanks for pointing out 84, it does run the right direction and it's certainly easier staying on a continuous US route. Just studying it on my maps it appears to be a fairly major highway?

 

Pm sent!