Texas Ride: By the Heart

My companion article explains the numbers involved in my Texas trip.  But what was the real reason to go?  And how did my heart fair?

In January I realized the NRA would be having the Annual Meeting in Houston.  I also subconsciously realized that I needed some seat time on the back of Big Red, my 1995 R1100GS.  All of the work Jeanne and I had done for a year was mostly done, and a little play time was needed for balance.  So a plan was hatched and eventually executed.  

During my Chevron career, I had spent more nights in Houston than I can count.  I have had a love/hate relationship with the place.  It is at once frenetic and dynamic, especially the oil business side.  It can also be ugly and traffic packed and frustrating.  But it is never boring.  And the seafood is excellent.

It has been almost 5 years since I was there, so I wanted to see some friends and what had changed.  And the NRA's wonderful firearms and equipment show is worth seeing periodically.

I also wanted to see more of Texas.  I've been to College Station (A&M), San Antonio, Austin and Midland-Odessa for work.  But what did the rest of the place look like?  Now I have seen NW Texas (flat) and the Hill Country (lumpy) and the ranching middle near Dallas and the SW mountains of Big Bend Park.  I learned there are places to miss and places to see again.  Big Bend Park and the Hill Country are worth a repeat.  And I saw for myself the stark and wild lands along the Mexican border on the River Road.  I always thought a "fence" was a good idea.  Now I know how simplistic that idea really is and how big the challenge is faced by the Border Patrol.

I made new friends of like persuasion in the hotel.  I strolled with a target shooting friend from Livermore at the NRA show.  I had dinner with a Chevron friend.  I struck up instant conversations with many people during the week, each special and fulfilling.  And I scored some good swag.

I saw a lot of new country in TX, AZ, and NM.  I drove a lot of Interstate but enough of the best back roads too.  I recommend the McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis in Texas and the roads to it are high desert mountain splendor.

So, was the trip successful?  Yes, indeed!  Heart fulfilled.