Tour Update
July 15, 2021
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The July 10th event to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association, via Lone Star Rider's "Riding for a Cure" mission, raised $780.00!
We hosted the event at the Hill Country Motorheads Motorcycle Museum in Burnet, TX and the Boat Town Burger Bar in Kingsland, TX. Participants registered at the museum, then enjoyed a nice ride on Park Road 4 to the restaurant in Kingsland to pick-up additional raffle tickets. They then returned to the museum for the raffle drawing.
While the day started with rain, Mother Nature cooperated and gave us great weather for the event. We had a great time and raised funds for a worthy cause.
Thank you to all that participated in the event or donated items for the raffles. I particularly want to thank Dan Smith, Joe Morin, Tom Jones, Scott Littleson and Kyle Schellinger for volunteering your time to work the event.
Here are a few pictures from the event:
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On September 11, 2021, attend the "Run with the Big Dogs" event and get credit for tour stop 10 (Y.O. Ranch Hotel).
On-line registration is now open for this event! This event is open to all. To register, click the button below.
This event will benefit the Veterans Assistance Dogs of Texas (VA Dogs). The event is open to all, so please spread the word and bring your riding buddies (even if they aren't on the tour) down with you.
With a $25 event registration ($15 for passengers), you will receive a great event
t-shirt.
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A bike blessing will be performed by the Alamo Apostles Chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association in the Y.O. Ranch Hotel parking lot.
The American Legion Riders (ALR) from Post 208 will lead rides from the Y.O. Ranch Hotel to the Bent Rim Grill / Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop (tour stop 23 for the tour riders). The ride will take you on some great twisty roads in the Hill Country.
At the Y.O. Ranch Hotel, raffles tickets will be will be drawn for great prizes.
Motorcycle Safety Expert Jude Schexnyder will give a presentation in the afternoon.
If you know of a vendor that may want to participate, please contact me.
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Discounted Room Rate Open to All |
The discount rate is good for nights of September 10th and 11th.
Book your room now, at the discounted rate, before they book-up the remaining rooms established at the special room rate.
Some additional rooms were added to the discounted block of rooms. Anyone that wants to take part in the September 11th event is welcome to use the discounted rate. All they have to do is use the button below to access the discounted rate (while rooms are still available).
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Riders Who Made All 50 Stops |
Riders who make 25 or more of the stops are considered tour finishers and receive a patch identifying them as Tour Finishers.
However, there are always some riders who make it to all 50 tour stops! Those riders are recognized here and will receive a patch indicating that they are 50 Stop Tour Finishers.
If you have made 50 tour stops and I have not yet updated your record, please contact me so I can review your pictures out of sequence.
Here is the list of those who have made all 50 tour stops (as of July 11, 2021):
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Long Distance Rider on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas |
The grand tour is not an Iron Butt type of event. The purpose of the tour is to give folks plenty of time to explore the great state of Texas on their bikes. The tour allows folks to see different regions of our state, see and experience things they would not otherwise have done, and meet the locals all over Texas.
Folks plan their own routes and schedule their rides based upon the amount of riding they want to do per trip. The tour is definitely not a race. There is no advantage to being the first rider to finish. Safety first is paramount. I highly recommend that you ride when you are well rested and do not ride when tired and when conditions are not safe.
There are a few very long distance riders who ride the tour. One is Mitch Friedman (Rider 382). He has made a couple of trips from California to Texas to get tour stops. I told Mitch that I think Iron Butt riders are nuts! I also asked him to give me a write-up on his tour experience. His story is below:
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First Time Rider on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas
By Mitch Friedman
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This is my first year riding on the tour. I made one trip to Texas and became a tour finisher, but that was not good enough. I wanted to do more of the stops.
The first time I rode to Texas from California, I did a Saddle Sore 1000 from Sylmar, CA to Fort Stockton, TX. All worked-out nicely. I rode the 1,076 miles in a moving time of 15 hours and two minutes and an overall time, with stops, of 16 hours and 47 minutes. Each day, I picked up Grand Tour stops and saw Texas.
It was so much fun, but there were long days of riding. Day one was 606 miles from Fort Stockton to Temple, TX for the night. Day two was from Temple, TX up to the east end of Texas, finishing in Fort Worth, TX. This was a really fun day of riding with beautiful scenery.
I based myself in Fort Worth for the next few days, doing day trips to get stops and sight see as well. I went to see the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. I was watching the weather and saw that rain was coming again. So, my plan of staying one more week was out the door. I headed west to grab stops in Bowie and Lubbock, and finished the day in a Lightning storm in Memphis, TX. In the morning, it was clear, and I headed home.
My second trip to Texas was an adventure. I was watching the weather down at the Gulf and knew I did not want to spend a few days in the RAIN! So, the ride changed over and over, even to the point where it changed on the ride to Texas.
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The plan was to ride a Saddle Sore 1000 to Fort Stockton again, or so I thought. In Arizona, just before the town of Wilcox, I-10 was shut down for a brush fire. I was told it would reopen soon. After two hours sitting on the freeway, a state worker came by and said to turn back around. I headed to Benson, AZ and south to get back on track around the fire. Well, I rode along the Mexico Border in Arizona and New Mexico into El Paso, TX.
I went to sleep for a few hours. When I woke-up, I decided to turn this ride into a Bun Burner 1500 in 36 hours. I grabbed two Grand Tour stops and a Tour of Honor stop along the way to Fort Worth, in a total of 33 hours and 25 min (with stops and sleep for a riding time of 20 hours). Yes, a lot of people think this is NUTS, but it is fun.
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I based myself in Fort Worth again, doing day trips to east Texas to get Tour of Honor and Grand Tour of TX stops I missed the first time. I also went to Waco one day, to see the Texas Ranger Museum and the Dr. Pepper Museum. I enjoyed both. I went to the Stockyard Championship Rodeo again on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as a bike service at Al Lamb’s Honda of Dallas.
On Monday, I headed to "Wing Ding" in Springfield, MO. That was a fun week. On
July 4th, at just past midnight, I started my ride home from Springfield. My plan was to do a Bun Burner 1500 Gold in 24 hours or less. I did the ride in a total time of 23 hours and 5 mins, with a moving time of 20 hours and 57 mins. It was all good, until I crossed into California and the temp was 112 for the next 3 hours (to the finish in Barstow, CA). After the BBG1500, I still had to ride 109 miles to get home. It made for a very long day, but a good ride most of the way.
If I can, I will try to make one more trip to Texas to get more Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas stops this year.
Now that I know what to expect and what I learned riding this year’s tour, I am looking forward to next year’s tour.
I fell in love with Texas and might even find a place to buy and move to when it is time to retire.
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Receipts From 2021 Sponsors
If you want an opportunity to win a prize, submit receipts (up to 3 per specified sponsor) during the tour.
In accordance with the rules for participation, receipts from specified tour sponsors earn additional points. The receipts must have been issued on or after March 15, 2021.
Be sure that the name of the sponsor or non-profit, date of purchase, and amount of purchase/donation is visible on the pictures of receipts that you submit. Be sure to write your flag number on receipts you submit. If a receipt is to be split by a couple (hotel, food), write both of your flag numbers on the receipt. The split receipt will need to be uploaded twice (once for each participant).
Sponsors whose receipts earn points are (click on names for websites):
BONUS POINTS – For five (5) bonus points, take one picture of your bike at a tour stop with your tour flag and a copy of Ride Texas magazine. You pick the tour stop location, but only submit one picture. Submitting multiple pictures with the magazine in the picture will not increase the bonus points – just send one. The Ride Texas bonus points selection is right after stop 50 on the drop-down selector in the picture portal. For a list of where you can get an issue of Ride Texas magazine, see this link.
Non-Profits whose receipts earn points are:
When you fill-out the on-line form, please enter "Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas" in the "Name Here" box so that VA Dogs will know you are a rider supporting their cause. We will ride to honor all Veterans. You will receive a receipt via email. Submit a picture of the receipt to receive donation points.
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To make donations to Lone Star Rider's Fund Raising page for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), submit a picture of the receipt you receive via email from the ADA. When you fill-out the on-line donation form, put your name in the "name recognition box" and in the personal note box, enter a note to state that you are participating in the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas.
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Please do not reply to this newsletter email. Instead, use the " Contact Tour Director" button, if you have a question. Thank you. |
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Have a question about the tour? Be sure to check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page with the button below. If not answered there, you can also contact me at the Contact Tour Director button. |
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Small businesses (like our sponsors) employ Texans. If you can, buy from a Texas based small business and help keep fellow Texans employed in these challenging times. On-line ordering for merchandise, gift cards, future lodging, etc. is often an option. |
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For information on How to Protect Yourself from Covid 19, see the CDC website.
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