Well, I did something I normally don’t do, I left in the rain. The kickstand was up at 10 am. I was on a mission, probably from God.
Headed east on Hwy 290 towards Fredericksburg, cruising through town. Stereo playing Bad Company, fits me. Ground Pounder Pipes keep the beat of the music. Continue east on 290 thru “Wine Country Safari” towards Johnson City, never seen so many wineries, lots of winos I guess.
Head south on 290 to Austin cut-off, Henly, Dripping Springs, and finally Austin, traffic. How about those left-hand drivers, are they stupid or just controlling, Maybe both? The rain continues all the way to Bastrop. Make a quick stop at Bucee’s, Necessary items, beer, and ice! Contact a friend in town, we meet at the American Legion for chat and beer. Leave legion with “Give me Shelter” filling my ears, maybe it worked, and the rain stopped.
Moved on down the road thru Paige, Giddings, to Brenham, and made a hard left toward Lake Somerville. Checked in to the Best Value Inn in Somerville. Nice people, always accommodating. Texted my buddies from South Carolina, to see their whereabouts! They are on the way they proclaim, we will see. Went up the street to the Hwy 36 Ice House to wait for their arrival. The Ice House has a long porch on the front, thus not a bad place to wait. About 3 beers later they arrive. These guys I have known for about 30 years. Stories fly for about 2 hours, mostly true. Back to the hotel lobby for more stories and drink. We have a restaurant conveniently located next door. My stomach welcomed that fried shrimp.
Next morning, met at the local food truck for tacos. More riders arrived. We pull out headed towards Bryan / College Station, we ride to Carlos about 20 miles east of Bryan. Carlos is the site of Yankees Tavern, Burgers, and Beer. Yankees Tavern is the starting point for the annual “Yankee Mikes Memorial Ride.”You see we lost Yankee to cancer 3 years ago. Yank was an old friend for around 30 years. We made many trips to Sturgis and Daytona. Yankee was born in Maine, hence the name. I Left Maine in the ’80s and never went back except for family and friends.
A large group of bikers have gathered for the ride. Tammy, Yankees wife, says a few words before we leave. They play a few parting songs by Bob Seger, “Against the Wind, Like a Rock.”
We roll out in a pack, Proceed to Anderson, Navasota, across Washington on the Brazos. The birthplace of the great state of Texas. The next stop is Independence, a small meat market, grocery…We have a German soda and look for shade. We leave Independence and head to Snook, about 20 miles up the road. Snook, the Watering Hole is the destination of the ride. We ride to the back of the bar where we are greeted by a 3pc band. We step inside for some much-needed A/C, We are met with a table full of BBQ sandwiches, beans, and potato salad. What a treat.
We spent most of the afternoon listening to music and visiting with old friends. I believe Yankee would have been pleased with today’s gathering.
Ride Free My Friend Forever!
‘Turn the page’ Dad,
I think this is a great tribute to an old friend, May his memory last forever.
