No late-night shenanigans in Houston last night as I needed to get up early so I could have
enough time to get the stamps I wanted along the route and be out of Texas by dark. West
Texas is one of the last places I want to be on a motorcycle at night given the fact that
critters, especially deer, are notorious. Thankfully my friend lives on the west side of
Houston which meant that I could avoid the morning traffic issues since I was heading away from
the city and everyone else was coming into it. I wasn't on I-10 long before I exited to
take FM-3013 (in Texas that stands for "Farm to Market" which translates to being in the middle
of absolutely nowhere. On this very foggy morning I took this road so that I could collect
a stamp at the Attwater Prairie
Chicken National Wildlife Refuge:
If you have never heard of a Prairie Chicken then, well, you're in luck as I'm going to tell
you, thanks to a US Fish and Wildlife employee at the Visitor Center who was riddled with
energy about this chicken. Here's a rare photo of him I caught as he was taking a deep
breathe to continue educating me:
I watched a little video on the chickens while I was being watched by many stuffed dead birds:
Introducing * THE * Attwater Prairie Chicken:
I learned the Attwater Prairie Chickens are dangerously close to following the passenger pigeon
to extinction and that there are less than 40 chickens left (yes, less than 4 dozen) that occupy
the refuge's 10, 500+ acres (yes, that's over 250 acres PER chicken
). It
is rare that a visitor would actually see one of the birds according to Chicken Man. The
entire time I was listening to him tell me about the Prairie Chickens I absolutely could not
think of how to ask "what makes these chickens so important?" without coming across as a
jerk. I mean, there are more chickens than people in the world you know! Perhaps this
whole chicken thing seemed odd to me since I'd just come through Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana where it appears more help is needed higher up the food chain. We're trying to
keep a Prairie Chicken alive when a young boy is trying to survive in a hostile community of
racism?? How about we help the dying spirits of Katrina victims? As it is, vast land
and federal salaries are being directed to a chicken that I'd bet 99.9% of people have never heard
of. I absolutely love animals but it's hard for me grasp such efforts when help is needed for
human beings.
The road leading off of FM-3013 back to the Visitor Center was 2 miles of dirt and, not surprisingly,
completely desolate. Yes, the FJR and I hit dirt once again:
By the way, I was told the color of the FJR is officially called "Black Cherry" but I'm preferring to
tell people it's: Barbecue Sauce.
Onward to Austin, TX where I thought I would be able to obtain the
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park stamp at
the Visitor Center. The ride to Austin was on US-281 which was most welcomed since I would have
enough of I-10 slab later. Unfortunately when I arrived Austin there was an accident which snarled
traffic to a stop.
When my GPS routed me to the center of the Univ of Texas campus, I knew I was in for trouble since I
learned a few days ago at Tuskegee Univ that stamps and universities don't mix well.
Well, my gut sense was right. I finally found out the stamp was located 15 miles away at the LBJ
Ranch. So, off I went to the ranch, which was on US-290, thankfully at least in the same
direction (west) that I needed to be headed if I really wanted to get out of TX before dark. I
got to the LBJ Ranch, stamped my book, and spent just enough time in the VC to witness the surprised
reaction of visitors when the Ranger said that the 95 year old Ladybird Johnson still lives on the
ranch. Since LBJ and First Lady Ladybird are not of my time period I did not have the
"Oh, wow!" that others did. I wonder what Ladybird would say about the PC (Prairie Chicken) bird?
Given the time of day I was getting a bit nervous about getting out of Texas before dark so I didn't take
the bus tour of the ranch and therefore have no photos. I do have proof the FJR and I were there though:
Even though I was needing to make good time (meaning NOT detour--drats!) I did stop and take photos of
a motel along US-290 that would make a very cool place for motorcycles given the shelter and proximity
to your room:
I rode US-290 for 100 miles until I met back up with I-10 to make begin the final trek out of TX. Not
much more you can ask for… 80 degrees, 80mph, an open road ,and a motorcycle that will absorb both:
Shot off of an overpass on I-10:
That 80 mph you see posted is the highest posted interstate speed limit in the US. Given the
desolation and the lack of traffic I'd vote limitless. I'd bet the vast major of accidents are
single vehicle and deer or drinking related anyway. Nonetheless, the FJR and I bonded, shall we
say, at a higher level, and I indeed made it out of Texas before sunset. I took both of these at
the TX/New Mexico state line Rest Area:
My intention was to get out of Texas and evaluate how I felt and how much further I wanted to continue
at that point. I think there was something victorious about crossing the TX (finish) line before
dark, along with the fact that I was in a rhythm riding (hard to explain), so I kept
riding - and riding - and riding - until I reached my garage door and my GPS reached 1200 miles for the day.
This brings the F-A-R Journey to a conclusion, but it's just the start of my journeys with the FJR. Oh,
yeah , I forgot to mention that I got the turbo model FJR (see below).
AGirl
Today's total: 1200 miles, 2 Passport stamps
Three day total: 2,392 miles in 7 states, 18 Passport stamps
Final GPS reading, Nashville to Phoenix:
