DFW VRCC Ride to Paris/Clarksville for Saturday, September 8th

[RainMaker]

Per announcement at our last meeting, we are riding to Clarksville via Paris this next Saturday.

We'll meetup at the Starbucks on Bethany/75 starting at 8:30am for some coffee drinking and telling lies. Have 'em gassed up and ready and we ride at 9:30 for our first leg to Paris.  Houdini is leading the way and he has a really nice twisty route planned for us.  He has plotted this as a Garmin map - PM me if you would like a copy.

Lunch will be at the old train depot in Paris. 

Depot Bar & Restaurant
1264 South Main Street
Paris, TX 75460
(903) 783-9095

After lunch, there are 2 options.

I will be leading a group on a meandering path to Clarksville to the Red River County Stew Cook-off

http://redrivercoc.com/2011/08/29/09102011-red-river-county-stew-cook-off/

This is a big festival and should be a lot of fun.  For $5, you can eat all the stew you can hold.  Stew serving starts at 5PM so we'll ride a couple of hours before arriving there.  Daniel Meyer has extended a personal invitation to this event, so how can you refuse?  He also has offered to let anyone who wants to camp out to pitch the tent in the yard at the old Victorian.  You might even get a tour! 

I plan to ride back around 7-7:30 after filling up on stew.   Return trip - Straight down 37 to I-30 and westward bound home.

Here's the ride from Paris to Clarksville http://goo.gl/maps/pN9q5

The other option is returning to the metromess after lunch with Houdini.

So, if you're looking for a half-day ride, this is the one.  If you're looking for an all day ride, this is the one, too!

If you're coming, let us know.

RainMaker

[Disco]

I'm in!   

[Admiral]

I'm in!  Anything to get Enterprise out of the hangar, and on the road!

[WDAN]

Plan on being there.

[RainMaker]

There was a request for a further definition of the starting point location.  For your GPS, the address is

Starbucks, 727 S. Central Expressway, Allen, TX.

Northeast corner of the intersection of 75 North and Bethany Drive.

RM

[Daniel Meyer]

Looking forward to seeing you guys at the stew cookoff!

[RainMaker]

If you ride to Clarksville and return via 37/I-30, you will have 3 chances for some ethanol-free in your tank:

Weaver Store
178 Fm 269 Ih-30 Exit 136, Weaver, TX; ethanol-free UNBRANDED 87

Hall Oil Company
101 Bill Bradford Rd, Sulphur Springs, TX; ethanol-free UNBRANDED 87

Daniel's Best Buy
3512 Stonewall St, Greenville, TX; ethanol-free UNBRANDED 87

RainMaker

[Timbo]

We'll miss this one...we have a family gathering on Saturday

[Doc809]

Can't make this one.  Will be at The Texas Rally in Somerville.  Sat is a Hawaiian Luau with roast pig over the coals and a Skid Row concert.  Yes, I know I am old and remember who they are!

[Daniel Meyer]

Can ya smell it cooking yet? Some are getting their pots ready even now.

Come on out!

[grego]

plan on being there........ Errp have to work. Won't make it.  Have a great ride.

[HayHauler]

Sorry can't make it this year...  Got Texans football tickets for Sunday and need to get there early.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Daniel Meyer]

Looks like great weather for it too! Gonna cool off!

[Serk]

I'll prolly make it (Hey, would make 3 in a row for me!) but I might be going solo...

Or, I might be coming in the minivan with the kiddoes in tow, but we'll see...

[Super Santa]

I was tempted to join you, but that would be 11 hours and about 700 miles on the road even in slightly reduced heat.

Just got back Tuesday from Tennessee so think I will pass this time.

Maybe I will come through Clarksville on my way to the Dragons To The Cave ride-in in November.

[Bosman]

I'm going to try and make this one. Sounds like fun!
Bob

[Daniel Meyer]

Well, we managed to put a dent in the stew...everybody's headed home. Thanks for coming! Hope you got your fill!

[HayHauler]

If they went home hungry from this event, it's their own damn fault.  I was miserable after last year and really needed the ride to the old Victorian and the tour to work some of that stew down so I could ride back to Dallas.

Hay
Jimmyt

[Daniel Meyer]

Also, a big shout-out to Disco Dave and Rainmaker for helping me move a 100 year old cast iron tub.

Bet you didn't know that was part of your everyday stew cookoff!

[Disco]

Thanks to RainMaker, Houdini, Daniel, Red River County, and all the rest who supported the cause for putting this together.  It was a great day.  It had been way too long since it was chilly in the morning, beautiful during the day, and chilly in the evening!

Too bad we lost Jerry to a rear tire change, but glad to know he's safe now.  

Also too bad we lost Lurker Ray(?) to a spousal interruption/veto.  Sounds like he might need more "scene control"...     Just kidding.  Not really.  Wifey owes you big time for taking you away from the first really nice day in months to ride.  

NP on the tub, Daniel.  Happy to help.

[Houdini]

Here's the only know picture of the lunch ride so we have proof that it really happened



In the pic we see The Mist, Sidecar, Disco, WDAN, Chris-1 and Rainmaker, I'm behind the camera and the Admiral was just to the left of Misty, sorry for cutting you out of the pic Keith.

[RainMaker]

It was a good ride.  What a great day as well - nice and cool in the morning and evening and not so hot during the day.  All you guys and gals who missed this one missed a good 'un.

We did meet up at Starbucks and Houdini led us out.  Stopped in Farmersville to pickup Disco and at that point, we lost Ray to his wife. So it goes.

Houdini's GPS was acting up so we had a few more U-turns than usual, but no one cared.  Nice roads to Paris, where we stopped for lunch at the Depot.  But the Depot restaurant was closed.  (WDAN knew this but he kept the secret until we were on the road  ).  So we went across the street to a little cafe where everyone knew everyone else's name but we were strangers.

Most everyone had breakfast for lunch except me - I ate healthy stuff.  Then we found that everyone but Disco and I were heading back to the metromess.  In the parking lot, ran into 3 harley riders who were on their way to a job.  They tow a trailer and ride from job to job, setting up data links.  What a great job - you get to ride your bike and tour the country in any way you want as long as you get to the jobsite.

Disco and I took off and my GPS got us to the right road, but the power connector was broken so had to use it sparingly.  We  rode on 195 out of Paris and north of Clarksville, then down 37 to the square.  195 is a great road, by the way. Not Tennessee great, but great for Texas.

We stopped at Carrie's store to say hi and get directions to the house.  We apparently missed John by 10 minutes.  Anyway, visited with Daniel and the cats (who took a liking to both Disco and me, surprising Daniel) and after a little while, headed to the festival.  But we stopped and helped Daniel move an iron bathtub from the yard into the bathroom he is remodeling.  My back went "pop" after a little bit, but it was bones popping, not tendons or muscles, so I let Daniel and Dave do most of the heavy lifting and assisted where I could.  Then to the festival.

Folks, there was more stew than anyone could eat, but we found Serk and his buddy there attempting to do just that. Some stew was spicy, some had curry, some was stringy, but most of it was good.    And it cost $5 to eat all you could.  No better bargain anywhere.  

I finished after 5 bowls and a bottle of water.  Disco had cobbler as well, not sure how many bowls.  Daniel was hanging in there as was Carrie.  Stuck around until about 6:30, then we decided to start heading home.  Disco went on 82 and I went down 37 to I-30 and then blasted back across at 85mph to Arlington, getting home around 10:00PM.

Here's some pictures:

This is one of our U-turn stops





Lunch in Paris


Our Valks at the closed Depot restaurant - most just walked over




WDAN flexing his muscles


Two Valkyries ready to head to Clarksville



At the Red River Festival










Disco and his cobbler



Next ride is Oct 12-14, Texas Hill Country Rally.

RainMaker

[5_19]

Looks like you guys and gals had a great time . I really wanted to go on this ride  rather than going to a MSF ERC. (Already paid for it and made plans about 2 weeks before i saw this post) We had 9 riders show up at the course in Abilene plus us 3 from Dublin area. It was refreshing to find the weather chilly at 6 am. Got a little scare when we came up to a horse in the road  at 6:30 am. Called 911 and had the sheriff department take care of it.

We got about 240 miles for the day with 11 hours in the saddle. Eat at Joe Allen BBQ in Abilene and it is so good that I think it beats Hard 8 in Stephenville. Its worth a ride to Abilene just for that.

One of the instructors was on his 2003 fast black standard with 3-brothers exhaust. He wants to come to the next InZane where ever it is! He doesn't go on the VRCC forum and gave me his contact info for me to contact him.

Statistically the Valkyrie must be a popular bike for MSF instructors, I can think of at least 4 in Texas.

[WDAN]

I thought my friend who owns a business in Paris may not be current on the  restaurant in dept in Paris was closed since he lives in Dallas; not Paris.
I really did not want to ruin  Rainmaker's and Houdini's serenity by letting them know we didn't have a place to eat.

Sidecar tried to find us an ethanol free gas station on trip back in Bonham with his GPS. He found the station alright but they informed us they could no longer get ethanol free. (Probably Obama's fault)

[Houdini]

(Probably Obama's fault)

I think I heard on Fox News that the Train Depot Restaurant being closed was Obama's fault also.   

[Serk]

Sorry it took me a few days to finally get these processed, but here's a few pics of the Valks (And honorary ST1300) at the Clarksville Stew Festival part of the ride:

[RainMaker]

(Probably Obama's fault)

I think I heard on Fox News that the Train Depot Restaurant being closed was Obama's fault also.   

I think I heard on MSDNC that closing the Train Depot Restaurant was due to greedy business owners who wanted to sell food and make a profit instead of giving the food away.  Obviously, a sign of the ongoing economic recovery and improving fortunes for the middle class.   

[Houdini]

(Probably Obama's fault)

I think I heard on Fox News that the Train Depot Restaurant being closed was Obama's fault also.   

I think I heard on MSDNC that closing the Train Depot Restaurant was due to greedy business owners who wanted to sell food and make a profit instead of giving the food away.  Obviously, a sign of the ongoing economic recovery and improving fortunes for the middle class.   

I apologize for sinking the TX board to the level of the national board by perpetuating political BS, it won't happen again.