I was up earlier than I planned today, but not by much. I didn’t intend to wake until 8:00 since today was a bit of a short day and I stayed up later than I should’ve. Laurelin is loaded and we’re on the road by 9:00. It’s a nice sunny, crisp morning but I am undoubtedly going to hit some weather today.
Highway 59 is a large split four lane highway and we’re on it most of the way to our first stop. Before long evidence of rain begins to appear in the form of wet shoulders and small patches in the road that create road mist whenever the cars in front of me pass over them. Most of what I saw on radar this morning was moving south so I shouldn’t run into the weather that fell here.
Our first stop is just over 70 miles away and is the Wharton County Historical Museum in Wharton. Not much here. The museum is on the edge of town and save the occasional passing car, it’s quiet. There’s also not much to the town itself, not that I’m getting to see. It’s also hot and extremely humid. I’m dripping with sweat after just a few moments of being there.
Back into town then south towards Lake Jackson. The road we end up on is two lane back road but there’s very little traffic. I don’t see a single car in my lane until we reach the end of the road several miles later which is nice. Highway 35 is another split four lane that moves quickly. The remnants of rain are still quite fresh here as the road is wet and puddles on the shoulder are larger. It appears that I am chasing whatever passed through here.
Stop number two is the Lake Jackson Historical Museum. It too is closed due to it being Sunday. Still hot and still very humid. The passing rain and closeness to the coast has created some very heavy air. If you’ll notice in the photo my bag is covered in a large trash bag. The bag was a new addition to last years trip and I love it. It’s curved to fit perfectly in the back seat and it’s changed how I pack the tour pak or trunk. The only drawback is the rain cover that came with it. The cover slips over the top of the bag and cinches down. The problem is that the straps securing the bag are on the bottom so getting the cover to cinch tightly is tough. It flew off somewhere along the way last year so now I tote a couple of the large trash bag and run a bungee cord around it, what I should have done with the cover.
Our next stop is a longer trek, about 160 miles. And it’s going to be a very long 160 miles. We’re on more split four lane heading towards Houston which is nice but most of it is 55mph and the troopers are out in force. I see no less than a dozen before reaching the outskirts of the city. We still make decent time and before long the metropolitan highways and traffic begin to appear. As does the cloud cover. We’re riding right through the middle of Houston on I-45 but we’re also heading into a large weather system. The Houston skyline appears but is hazy, could be city smog, could be rain, too hard to tell this far off. Traffic continues to build. It’s getting busy but it’s moving, mostly. There’s a short stint of stop and go where a two lane exit merges into one but that lasts just a few moments.
I’m constantly watching the clouds. Some are a bit ominous and some not so threatening. It’s hard to tell which ones I am heading for as the highway twists and turns its way through the city. It’s starts to sprinkle right around lunchtime so I jump off and the highway and stop to suit up. As it turns out I never unpacked and fully dried out my rain suit last year. It’s been in the saddle bag all year and unpacking it is a bit of a chore. The pant legs are completely stuck to themselves and I have to peel each one apart just to get my legs into them. There’s also a busted buckle on the suspenders that I forgot about.
Back on the highway the sprinkles continue. There’s a few really dark spots I’m hoping to avoid but most of everything is pretty light looking in comparison. We make it through much of the Houston area but just as we reach The Woodlands the sky opens up and the deluge begins. It takes just a moment for me to turn on my hazards and make my way to the far right lane. The rain is an absolute onslaught and before long more and more vehicles are driving with there hazards on. The road is difficult to see, the markings only visible about twenty feet in front of me so following the flashing lights ahead of me is all I can do. We’re moving at 20-30mph so it’ll take a while to get through this. I am already complete soaked when traffic finally comes to stop and go. I can feel the heels of my boots dragging through the water every time I lift them back onto the floorboards.
Traffic finally starts to move at a decent speed, just around 30mph, but the rain has yet to let up even a little. Thankfully the wind hasn’t been bad, a few small gusts here and there. Heavy rain isn’t fun, heavy wind also isn’t fun, but heavy rain and wind? I don’t want any of it. The rain does eventually let up a bit as does the traffic but not until after we start getting out of the cities. It’s still coming in pretty hard but I can see better now. Enough to notice some of the looks of amazement from drivers and passengers alike. I can only imagine what they were thinking.
The rain finally starts to let up more and comes to what is just a light rain, at a stand still. When riding, or driving, a light rain is still a good bit of rain. But I am able to safely return to traveling at the speed limit which is nice because I’m ready to get past this system.
Our next stop is the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton. The rain is still falling lightly so getting my camera and papers out quickly is a must. The courthouse is another old and beautifully built one. You’d better see that if they hadn’t planted large trees right in front of it. After getting my photo and updating my tour book, I stand in the rain and rest for a moment. It’s been a long almost three hours. I’m already soaked so standing in this light rain is actually kind of nice.
I think my next stop is camp but after missing a stop yesterday check my notes to confirm. Sure enough I’ve got one more stop before heading to camp. I ride back through Groveton. There’s not much here, especially in the way of food. Not that it would matter. I don’t want to sit in someone’s establishment dripping water all over their floor. Not to mention, being soaked in an air conditioned restaurant would be quite chilly.
Just outside of Groveton the rain finally stops completely and I can finally reach for my water for a long overdue sip. But as I do a pool of cold water releases from the arm of my jacket, streams down my back and into the back of my pants. Not a lovely feeling. Ever had someone stick an ice cube down your shirt or pants? Kinda felt like that. The cloud cover soon begins to break, small pockets of blue sky can be seen. The road begins to dry and being able to continue to travel at normal speeds, we get to the next stop quickly.
Our next stop is the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. But getting there was an amazing ride and my favorite part of the day. The roads are mostly two lane and are lined with 100 foot tall trees on both sides, just few feet off the roadway and, at times, stretching out over it. Normally on a hot day this shaded riding is great, still is, but I’m a bit chilly now and with the rain suit still on I’m not drying out. Highway 227 is an amazing road to ride down. I’ve never been on this side of it but do travel on it at least once a year, albeit in the truck. Highway 227 turns into highway 21 which is another great road and runs right past my cousins small ranch, a place the family gathers at for Thanksgiving weekend. I’d love to stop in and see if he’s home but if he is there is no way I can make it a quick trip.
At the Caddo Mounds sit I can finally get out of my rain gear and start drying out. I’ve decided at this point that this set of gear is essentially useless. Sure I came into a serious amount of rain, but it’s old and even in tamer weather it’s lets too much water in. It’s almost not worth worrying about using again this trip.
Back on the road. A wrong turn out of the drive and a quick u-turn, then a short 20 minute run to our last stop, the KOA in Rusk. This also happens to be a tour stop. Checking in I make mention that I am only here because of the tour, hoping to get some kind of discount. I get a goodie bag, which is cool but it’s just a brochure for the campground and two different styles of koozies, both free regardless. The lady at the counter does give me a 25% discount card meant for future use and lets me use it tonight. My stay tonight is less than $40.
Rusk is a very small town. There’s a very good looking seafood restaurant in town but it’s closed today, as is everything else. The next closest town is Jacksonville, about 14 miles away. The only thing I can find here is Mexican food and a Chili’s. I do love me some Mexican food but just not feeling it right now so decide on Chili’s. It’s against the rules but I just want some food. The weather today forced me to skip lunch again. I might skip lunch a couple of times every trip but the first two days in a row is unheard of.
Dinner is a hamburger and fries and is perfect. Afterwards I head to Walmart which is just behind the restaurant. I need beverages for camp and want to pick up some eggs and sausage. I’ve added to my kit this year. With the bag I got last year I can add a few things like a small camp stove and cook kit. The eggs and sausage will hold fine in my cooler bag tonight, not sure how they’ll do all day tomorrow. We’ll have to wait and see.
Camp is very quiet. I am pretty secluded from everyone else so I have no neighbors. I think I’m the only tent camper and I’m set off away from the RV’s. The cabins are nearby but I’ve seen little action since returning from dinner. Think I’ll attempt a campfire. I didn’t purchase any firewood but I’m nestled in the middle of a bunch of pines. Plenty of fallen wood and the ground 100% covered in pine needles. Tomorrow we’ll head towards the Dallas area and westward towards the panhandle.
The Motorcycle Diaries of an Easy Rider 