Thurber Texas Ride 9-1-08

On Monday (Labor Day), 9-1-08, I got a call from Russ and he asked if I wanted to join them on a run down to Thurber Texas for lunch at The Smokestack. Thurber Texas is about 125 miles South of Wichita Falls Texas at I-20/Tx Hwy 16. He said the usual band of renegades were going, so I naturally accepted his offer and joined up with them at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Southwest Parkway, here in Wichita Falls at 0900 hrs, for the ride South. I decided to do something different with the pictures this time. I took pictures of all the bike engines and thought this was a kewl idea until I loaded them on this post..I forgot to mark down what engine went with whose bike. So with the obvious bikes (the ones you & I know by color) I got the engines matched up to the owners..On the others, I took an educated guess. I am sure there will be some editing/corrections made when the folks see this post and re-educate me as to what belongs to who.. Scroll down & check out the bikes & ride and REMEMBER: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE BIGGER, JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE...









As we gather at the parking lot of Wal-Mart, waiting for KSU at 0900 hrs, Vicki & Rodney appear to be in great spirits.. That is Robert in the background, Janis's husband.

Rodney & Vicki still having a great time prior to KSU. My wife, Janice, did not go with us as she was seeing her Aunt & Uncle off to the airport and she was going to return home and rest up from the weekend wedding of our youngest daughter, Amy..

That is Sissy in the yellow and Kevin & Deborah on their Harley waiting to go..

Here is Sissy, saddled up & ready to get going..

Here we go with the engine pictures: this is Vicki's Harley

This is Rodney's Harley

This is Russ & Linda's Harley

This is Janis's Harley

This is Kevin & Deborah's Harley

This is Sissy's Harley

This is Robert's Harley

This is Pattie's Harley

This is Lance's Harley

This is Jim's Harley

This is Steve's Harley

Sissy, Deborah, Kevin, Steve & Jim just prior to KSU at Wal-Mart in Wichita Falls, Texas

My Vulcan (Ms. Clone). She will be with us until next spring or so, then she will be replaced with a John Harley... She has been good to me, but you know how it is with Harley people displaced on other make of bikes. It's still fun but not the same.. I am just thankful that my friends here in Texas and around this great country don't hold the make/model thing against me & still let me tag along with them on the Harley runs and such. I am old school Harley but have always let others ride with me irregardless of the bike they rode. If they were morons or jerks or moronettes & jerkettes, then that was a different story all together.

Here we go.. South bound on US 281, heading for the Tx Hwy 16 cutoff... This is Janis (right) & Robert (left) and some of the others up front..

The view of the rest of the bikes behind..That is Vicki (white Harley) and Rodney next to her

Vicki & Rodney bringing up the rear

The group in the lead, Southbound on Tx Hwy 16

Another view to the rear....

John's Harley. He drove from Ft. Worth Texas to Graham Texas where we met him & he joined in our ride.

Here is Russ, Janis & John at the gas station in Graham, Texas

John & Russ in Graham. Check out the diesel gas price behind them...That is ridiculous. We need to build more refineries and then wall off the oil fields in Iraq & make them US territories for the next 100 years as payment to the U.S. for the lives lost in freeing Iraq. But ya know that will never happen....We are too PC right now.

Some of the bikes at the gas station in Graham Texas

Janis, John & Russ talk prior for our departure from Graham Tx to continue down to Thurber Texas.

We continue South on Texas Hwy 16. This is Kevin & Deborah, just in front of me to the left.

Another view over my shoulder of the bikes behind me. This is Rodney on the right & Vicki on the left

Kevin & Deborah in front of me and the other lead bikes on Hwy 16 as we head for Tx Hwy 16 & I-20

Another view of Deborah & Kevin and other lead bikes

Deborah & Kevin and other bikes as we approach Northbound cars

A view to the rear,from the mirror. Be sure to click the picture for a larger view of the bikes in the mirror

Yet another view of Deborah & Kevin..

Getting into some scenic territory

A view of Lance coming up quick

Lance as seen from over my shoulder

A view of Vicki in front 0f me as well as the lead bikes

A view to the rear of our column

A view of the bikes in the rear as we near Thurber Texas

The bikes in the parking lot of the Smokehouse Restaurant in Thurber Texas at the I-20/Hwy 16 (Texas) junction

Rodney, Vicki & Lance's Harley's at The SmokeStack Restaurant, Thurber Texas

The bikes in the SmokeStack parking lot.

Russ came & got the camera and took this picture for the next "Crack Addict Magazine" cover..Wonder who it is?

Another view of the applicnt for the cover of Crack Addict Magazine. The applicant told me it was the scar that made it look longer than usual. So, naturally, I thought I would get me a vasctomy and maybe that scar.....

Rodney & Vicki in The SmokeStack Restaurant

Robert, Janis, Sissy & Steve at their table in The SmokeStack Restaurant

Jim & Pattie. I wonder what Jim is thinking about because he has that far away look...

We are preparing to depart the SmokeStack parking lot. Note the large SmokeStack behind us..

Getting ready to leave the SmokeStack. If you click on the picture, you should be able to see the castle on the far hill. The hill is across I-20. We decided not to make a run up to the castle this time. However, we will check the castle out on our next visit. For more information on the SmokeStack Restaurant, click the following link: http://www.smokestack.net/

When we left the SmokeStack, we headed East on I-20 to Tx Hwy 4.. Here is Vicki and the lead bikes..I like riding in the midde of the pack because I love the sound of the thunder the pipes on the Harley's make.. Next year, I get to add my new bikes voice to the thunder song..Can't wait!!!

Here is a shot of Rodney and Kevin & Deborah as we head East on I-20. The 18- wheeler wanted to get in the picture, so.....

A mirror shot of Rodney & the others behind me as we head East on I-20

Another I-20 shot to the back of the pack as we near the scenix Tx Hwy 4 exit

Another forward view as we come up on the Texas Hwy 4 exit off of I-20 and some "go juice" for the bikes...


Here we are at the Shell Station, Tx Hwy 4/I-20. There was another group of riders gassing up when we got there, so we had some hang time while we waited. That is Robert in the tan shirt and Lance standing on the other side of the pumps in the black helmet.

Another gassin' up shot...My bike was thirsty as it had some miles on it prior to departing Wichita Falls and this stop was about 149 miles later....

Rodney fixin' to leave the pumps so I can gas up..

As we head up Us 281 (north) to Jacksboro, we switch positions again..Here is Rodney and Vicki in front of me..

Here is Lance as he pulls up next to me as we head North on US 281 to Jacksboro Texas

Another view of Lance heading down the highway. He "got his engine running, heavy metal thunder" as the words to the song go... (Born To Be Wild- Steppenwolf)

Rodney & Vicki's Harley's at the Dairy Queen in Jacksboro Texas..

The other bikes at the DQ in Jacksboro Texas

Here are Steve & Sissy inside the DQ. It started to get hot out (upper 90's) and those cold drinks hit the spot. Naturally, the DQ ice cream machine was screwed up and no ice cream was available until we were getting ready to leave.. No ice cream at a DQ....Go figure. For those of you who live in a country with no DQ, a DQ (Dairy Queen) is a major ice cream staple in Texas and an almost "gotta stop place" on a hot day while on the road...Well, a major ice cream staple more popular in the Southern U.S.

Vicki. Rodney & Lance having a humerous conversation while enjoying the a/c and cold drinks..

Kevin & Deborah also having a good time in the DQ in Jacksboro Texas.

At the other table in the DQ sit: Janis (pony tail), Linda, Russ,Pattie & Jim.

Sissy, Vicki & Rodney coolin' down at the DQ

Final shot of the day is Vicki Northbound on US 281 as we head home from Jacksboro Texas.. Wichita Falls is about 50 mile from Jacksboro. It took us a few minutes to catch the leaders way out front..But catch them we did..

This will conclude this post..As always, I had a great time as, I believe, the rest did also. I look forward to the next ride. I always have fun with these friends and we always go somewhere be it a repeat or new location..Scroll down for more rides, events & posts and don't forget to click on the "older posts" link at the bottom of EACH page for more posts, back to Jan 08. Until next ride/post, ya'll be careful out there, ride safe & keep the rubber on the road. AND keep your anti-virus up to date...........John