23rd Annual International Ride-In
July 7, 8 & 9, 2009

You will enjoy beautiful scenery as you ride the Hill Country. For a quick preview, let's travel 35 miles south of Kerrville to Bandera, Texas, "The Cowboy Capital of the World". Bandera is a 35 mile ride on Highway 16 South. This highway changes from a 4 lane road to a two lane once you get over the hills in South Kerrville. If you are a new rider or a beginner this may NOT be the route for you to take. There are a few very sharp turns as you get over the hills into Medina that can unnerve the new rider. One of the turns in particular will have you down into second gear or maybe even into first gear. Once you are past the sharp turns, the rest of the ride is very scenic passing many ranches before coming into Medina. 

After you pass the mountain and sharp turns you will see Koyote Ranch on your right heading south on Highway 16. Koyote Ranch offers motorcycle camping and lodging along with gas, food and hospitality. Most weekends the outdoor bar and patio is packed with motorcyclists taking a break from the open road. Koyote Ranch is a wonderful place to kick back and relax before heading down the road once again into Medina.

Medina, Texas is a very small town with a population of 250. In 1989 the Texas Department of Agriculture declared Medina the Apple Capital of Texas. When you enter Medina keep in mind the speed limit is reduced and enforced. Worthy of a stop while in Medina is the Cider Mill and Country Store at Love Creek Orchards. They have everything from gifts to apple ice cream. Their apple pie is truly my favorite. It reminds me of the apple pie that my grandma made.

Once you are thru the town of Medina, you are about half way to Bandera. Once out of Medina the road is mostly flat with plenty of gentle curves as the road follows a path along the banks of the Medina River. Just before Bandera and before you cross the Medina River bridge there is a roadside picnic area on your left. This is a good place to stop for a picnic, swim or a rest. Continue on Highway 16 South until you come to the stop light in Bandera at the intersection of State Highways 16 and 173.

Continue straight thru the light into town and you will see the main shopping district, restaurants and watering holes.

Bandera is a small town (population 950) rich in early western history. Bandera is " The Cowboy Capital of the World." Many champion cowboys have come out of Bandera County. After the Civil War, Bandera was used as a staging area for cattle drives to Dodge City and beyond. Each year during Labor Day weekend, Bandera holds a longhorn cattle drive through the streets of Bandera. If you like country music, almost every bar, dancehall and honky-tonk features live music. A favorite spot in Bandera among the biker crowd is the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. It is one block west of Main Street. Look for all the parked motorcycles, you can't miss them.

A "Must See" is Fredericksburg, Texas is a picturesque setting 22 miles north of Kerrville, Texas. It was settled in 1846 by German immigrant families and still has a rich German heritage. The National Historic District is comprised of several older buildings which retain the traditional styles of Germany. Many restaurants still offer traditional German dishes. Oh yes, and German beer too. Fredericksburg celebrates its German heritage through Oktoberfest. German music, food and drink, arts and crafts, children's area and family fun are enjoyed each year on the first weekend in October. Fredericksburg is without a doubt the "shopping capital" of the Hill Country. With over 150 shops, galleries, boutiques and emporiums, shopping remains one of the primary reasons visitors come to Fredericksburg. Many of the shops are concentrated on or near Main Street with some also located on the side streets. Also worth mentioning is the National Museum of The Pacific War located on Main Street. The Museum has grown into a dynamic, first-class experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and from all backgrounds. In addition to nearly 34,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, the museum boasts an impressive display of Allied and Japanese aircraft, tanks, guns and other large artifacts made famous during the Pacific War. The area around Fredericksburg is also said by many to be the next Napa Valley. The Fredericksburg area has around 14 wineries that are open to tours.

Eleven miles east of Fredericksburg off Highway 290 is Luckenbach, Texas (population 3). Luckenbach is 42 miles from Kerrville. Luckenbach is famous for its dance hall, unique post office/gift shop and live country music played under the cool shade trees directly behind the post office. Notable concert appearances in the town include Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen, and Lyle Lovett. The little community is still a very active home to country music. Every weekend folks gather to listen to area musicians, eat and drink cold beer. But please drink sensibly.

Just North of Fredericksburg is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. It is 18 miles from Fredericksburg along Ranch Road 965 and is a nice motorcycle ride through scenic country. It is rather isolated and is not on a direct route to anywhere else. Enchanted Rock is several large domes of pinkish granite rising 450 feet above the surrounding plateau. The rock is a protrusion of volcanic origin, and part of an underground mass of 90 square miles, one of the largest such features in the US.

For a very scenic ride back to Kerrville from Fredericksburg/Luckenbach and points North I highly recommend this route for its scenic beauty. Take Highway 87 West to Ranch Road 648. Make a left on Ranch Road 648 and stay on 648/783 through Doss, Texas until you come to Highway 290. Make a right on 290 then a left on Ranch Road 783 and stay on 783 until you come back into Kerrville. If you looking for a bite to eat on the ride back to Kerrville, about 8 miles before you reach Kerrville on RR 783 is the "Road Kill Grill". It will be on your left. They serve good food at a fair price and everything I have tried is delicious. The ride from Fredericksburg to Kerrville using this route is 50 miles. It is a very nice ride through some very beautiful country. If you time this ride in the Spring or early Summer you will see many wildflowers in bloom on Ranch Road 648. Keep the camera handy.

Hunt and Mountain Home, Texas located just a few minutes west of Kerrville is another scenic ride. Take Highway 27 (Junction Highway) toward Ingram and it will take us through Mountain Home, Hunt and then onto Lost Maples State Park and The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum. Before you begin this ride be sure to top off your fuel tank before leaving Kerrville or Ingram. There are NO fuel stops for some time. This ride has great scenery all along the way. To begin, take Highway 27 West out of Kerrville and follow 27 to Mountain Home, Texas. The ride will take you past resorts and many ranches. When you get to Mountain Home, turn left on to 41 ( known to the locals as "The Divide" ) and follow it to FM 1340. The ride along 41 also passes many ranches and wildflowers can often be seen along the road. As you are coming down FM 1340 and approach Hunt, Texas you will see the strangest thing sitting in a pasture, a replica of Stonehenge called Stonehenge II. 

Stonehenge II was erected as an art project by the late Al Shepperd and his friend and neighbor, Doug Hill. The finished product is 90% as wide as the original, and 60% the height. Visitors are welcome to walk around the project and enjoy its beauty.

Continue on FM 1340 till you intersect with Highway 39 in Hunt. Turn right on Highway 39 and follow it to Ranch Road 187 South. Turn left on Ranch Road 187S and follow it until you see Lost Maples State Park on your right. The ride on Highway 39 has everything from nice gentle curves to hard turns and crosses the South Fork of the Guadalupe River many times. Be VERY careful on Highway 39 as it is very easy to get caught up in the scenery and miss one of the many turns the road takes.

As you leave Lost Maples State Park take 187 South again and one mile down the road from Lost Maples State Park is The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum. Since we are all motorcycle enthusiasts, this is a must stop and see sight along the way. If you ready for lunch at this point, inside the museum is the "Ace Cafe". The Ace Cafe offers Gourmet Hamburgers, Aussie meat pies, salads and deserts. The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum displays a wonderful collection of machines from around the world dating from the 1910's to modern. It will be a very enjoyable stop on this trip.

When you leave The Lone Star Motorcycle Museum continue south on 187 until you reach Ranch Road 337. At this point you can do one of two things. You can make a right on to 337 and enjoy the wild curves on the way to Leakey or turn left on 337 and head back to Highway 16 which you will pick up in Medina and either go North back to Kerrville or head south towards Bandera.

A Hill Country Road Trip to Willow City, & the Knot in the Loop Saloon. It doesn't get any better. The Knot in the Loop Saloon is a wellspring of adventure, stories and memories and... The Gateway to Willow City Texas. The Knot has been servin' up cold beer and fun in the Heart of the Hill Country since August 2, 2003. Located in the beautiful ghost town of Eckert near Willow City we ain't on the Famous Willow City Loop -- dubbed one of the most scenic drives in Texas -- but from Fredericksburg you gotta go past us to get there. Part Saloon, part Wild West-O-Rama, from the moment you walk in the down home feeling and friendly people will get you set just right. Wander around, check out the walls, the rafters, toss a dollar on the ceiling... It's all so rustic/eccentric, tong in chic, it's a feast for the eyes. So stop by, sip a cold one and have fun. Knot in the Loop was started in 2002 , by 2 folks who just wanted a good bar to have a drink in. Tired of slow bartenders, crude customers and dirty bathrooms, we believed we could build the best Saloon in the country. We were almost right, so if occasionally the restrooms are crude, the customers slow, and the bartenders dirty, please bear with us, its a work in progress. What's up with all those dollar bills on the ceiling? And how'd they do that?

"The Three Sisters" or " The Hundred Mile Loop" or "Holy Trinity" (RR335, RR336, & RR337) are without a doubt the best motorcycle roads to be found in the Hill Country of Texas. This ride takes you through the highest concentration of turns in Texas. These are the roads everyone wants to ride when they visit the Texas Hill Country. Again I caution, if you are a new rider or are a cautious type, then you DO NOT belong on these three roads. This ride will take you on the most awesome roads the Texas Hill Country has to offer. FM 335, 336 and 337 will test you, and your motorcycle’s, ability to handle sharp, linked turns, as well as steep grades. Both 335 and 337 offer the most scenic views on this ride. FM 335 offers a rollercoaster of a ride up and down the West Bank of the Nueces River. They follow canyons and climb over jagged, steep and crumbling hills. They have many tight twisty curves with shear drop offs and not much in the way of guard rails. In one section about 15 miles long, there are around 65 curves. If you are an experienced rider, then this is the ride for you. If you like scenic panoramic views, bring your camera and take this ride! Ranch Road 337 was also voted #1 road to ride in Texas by Ride Texas Magazine© readers and rightly so. It is the best road in the Hill Country to ride. 

While in Leakey I would highly recommend topping off the fuel tank before taking off for each ride. We have a map here of the 3 Sisters. While in Leakey stop and visit to the Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop and Bent Rim Grill. It is a good place to cool your pipes for bit. They just opened this new location in April of 2007. Stopping at the Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop while in Leakey is just one of those stops you just have to make. To quote the owners, Bob and Robin Albright, "Our place has became an oasis in the middle of nowhere." It's a fun place to visit and rest for spell. 

See Ya'll There!