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  One of the best things we have found when exploring the Texas Hill Country area is there is always something new around the next bend in the road. Recently, we found a group of local motorcycle riders who invited us to go along on one of their tours of the area.

Since our motorcycle is our main form of transportation when on the road in our motorhome, it is great to join up with people who know the area and can play tour guide for us. Sometimes, this works out well. Unfortunately, this was one of the times it didn't work as well as we would have liked.

When we met up with this group to start the tour, we didn't realize that it was all local people except for maybe 3 other bikes who were also visiting the area. The group consisted of roughly 35 motorcycles and the leader was obviously in a hurry as we were heading out of town and soon racing across unknown roads that we were not familiar with at 70-85 mph! I realize that in much of Texas, the speed limit is 70 and that might be fine for some people, but my wife and I enjoy seeing new things along the ride and going that fast, you see very little, other than worrying about how good the biker is riding close to you and if you are staying pace with the group. I have been a biker for over 36 years now and have ridden with motorcyclists all over the country, but this was getting dangerous in a hurry.

After 90 miles of breakneck speeds on twisting roads, we decided enough was enough and at a lunch break, several motorcycles informed this speed demon group leader we would venture off on our own at a pace we would be much more comfortable with. 2 of these motorcyclists were also Rvers out of Indiana and we joined this small group so we could enjoy the sights along the way. One of the local riders offered to take us on a scenic view route and soon our small mutiny group numbered 6 motorcycles and we were on our way again.

Pete, the local rider who lead our group definitely knew the area we were in and we saw things I never expected to see in Central Texas. We stopped by a ranch that raises exotic African animals and others. Seeing livestock along the road is nothing new to us as that is a normal sign along the roads back in Ohio, but I never expected to see Giraffes, kangaroo, ibex and many other exotic animals wandering in the fields like cattle and horses would! We rode into small texas towns I had never heard of like Vandenpool, Junction, Camp Wood and a few others that were just enough buildings together to have a name. I have never known for sure just what qualifies an area to have a name. One that sticks out in my mind is Mountain Home.

As we passed through the area, I saw a sign for Mountain Home, we rode past a post office and a fire department building, and that was it! Within a few miles, we stopped at a rest area along side of the road and I asked Pete where the town was, he said that was it! 2 buildings must be enough I guess.

At the end of the day, we decided the ride was worthwhile after all even with the way the day had started. We got to see some of the country that we would not have known about before and made some new friends who also live part-time in their RV.