USA4CT - Ride Day 11 - Tour Day 8 - June 8, 2013 - Sat

Start Time: 0630 CDT
Stop Time: 1800 CDT
Start Location:  Vidor, TX
Stop Location: Fort Stockton, TX
Lodging: Comfort Inn
Dinner: K-Bob's Steakhouse
Miles Traveled Today: 618
Weather: 68-95, mostly sunny

WOW, another nice riding day. We got a little "gun shy" about the weather after riding though Tropical Storm Andrea in Florida, but things were really looking up now!

 It was a Saturday so that was good news and bad news. The good news was that there is no real business traffic. We took I-10 straight through Houston and it was a breeze. Couldn't do that on a weekday! That saved us a lot of miles to not take one of the circumferential expressways!! The bad news is a lot of tourist at the "tourist" locations!

Just can't ride though south Texas with stopping at the Alamo. I had never been there so it was neat seeing it. I didn't know it was so small!! Didn't get inside as there was a long line and wait. This was definitely a "tourist" location.

We also visited the San Antonio river walk. It is very nice. A lot of people were down there but it was not that crowded. Bill and I had a nice visit and "cold drink" at Mad Dogs British Pub on the river walk!!

Both Bill and I were really impressed with the road and scenery of I-10 heading west from San Antonio. Nice curves and hills heading out of town. Went on for many miles before getting hotter and more straight. The speed limit west of San Antonio goes up to 80 mph!!! We kept running around 70-75 as the wind noise increases and the gas mileage really goes in the "tank" at that speed. Gas stations are sparse in that part of Texas so it was a "no brainer" for us to keep at the lower speed!

One gas station we stopped at had a Blue Bell ice cream snack bar. Blue Bell just started marketing and selling in the Richmond, VA area. There are no "snack bars" here yet so it was good to get a scoop and a Blue Bell ice cream sandwich!! Especially good in the heat of west Texas!!

We arrived at Fort Stockton, TX and checked in at the Comfort Inn. We had checked trip advisor and called for a reservation before we left Vidor that morning. Didn't want to get "caught" without a hotel room in west Texas due to something like a weekend baseball tournament!!

We had also checked for restaurants in the area and just what we needed for our second night in Texas, a Texas STEAK!! (Hey, we love the BLUE sky too in west Texas!!!)

Of course everything is BIG in Texas including the glass/"jar" they serve a beer in. It sure was good with the heat!

A Texas steak it was. A full 16 ounce one too!!!! It was really good!

On our way walking back to the hotel we noticed this manufacturing facility making these cool looking "dune buggies". We don't know what is up with these. Maybe they are for ranchers or oil/gas workers. They do look like they would be a lot of fun to ride around in! (Found this on the web, Terra Cat). In any case, back to our motorcycles!!!!!