This was a longer-than-usual trip because I spent a couple of days in the Houston area catching up with some old friends and family. So this first day was, by my standards, a leisurely affair.
Itinerary for Day 1 here:
I set out on Saturday morning from Wimberley, headed for La Grange, seat of Fayette County. This is fine, rolling country, conducive to relaxed, comfortable cruising south of triple-digit territory.
The bike for this trip was, again, the BMW – it is so comfortable, and convenient, I have a hard time saying “no” to it…
In addition to this being cattle country, it is also host to cotton farming, now ripe and ready for harvest.
The Fayette county courthouse was another of those unexpected surprises. I used to come to La Grange quite a bit as a boy, but I had no recollection of ever being at the town square. Better late than never…
From La Grange, I went next to Fayetteville
Next stop, Bellville, seat of Austin county.
I was gratified to note that Bellville’s Trump Cafe seems to be defunct, consistent with the maxim “Everything Trump Touches Dies”, ETTD.
And in case you were wondering why it’s called Bellville…
And then on to Hempstead, through which I learned highway driving in the early sixties on old 290, which still looks the same, though the dirt-floor BBQ joint and watermelon stands are long gone…
Waller county is (in)famous for being the site, three years back, of the arrest and then death in custody of the African-American woman Ms. Sandra Bland. If you have not seen the video of the arrest, you should Google it. She wound up dead in a cell after being arrested for a trivial traffic stop. I guess she got “uppity”… This kind of thing should not be happening.
Hempstead was the last courthouse stop of the day – then on to Houston, where I met up with my childhood friend, Dale Woodard. Dale and I disagree on practically everything, but we are able to agree that we are still friends, 60 years later. That’s worth something!
Tomorrow, playtime in Houston.
What a difference between the Fayette County and the Waller County courthouses. Was there an original Waller county courthouse that had more character?
I’m surprised the Trump Cafe closed given the demographics of the area. Maybe even a name can’t overcome tasteless food.