For various reasons, I’ve chosen to include a number of single-courthouse runs out from Wimberley and back on the same day. This is their story…
Comal County – New Braunfels – 24 September 2018
Even though this is my first son’s birthday, that was not the reason for this trip. Sadly, this was the last ride I ever did on my beloved Triumph Thruxton 900 – it was traded later in the week as partial compensation for a 2018 Indian Springfield. I felt like the Thruxton deserved to do at least one courthouse before it went to its next owner, and nearby New Braunfels was the place. I was very lucky, it was a gorgeous day to go to New Braunfels, which is itself one of the most beautiful and interesting towns of central Texas.
It was originally established in 1845 by a German nobleman, who named it after his hometown in Germany. Texas was still an independent Republic at that time, and New Braunfels became, effectively, the command center for a below-the-radar and probably unofficial attempt to set up a German feudal state in the middle of the Anglo land rush. Thousands of German immigrants, including some of my ancestors, came in through the ill-fated Indianola (raided by the Comanche in 1840, destroyed by two hurricanes, and now a ghost town under water in Matagorda Bay, Gulf of Mexico).
New Braunfels became one of the main centers of German (and Czech) speaking immigrants in Central Texas, and it is to this day home to the annual Wurst Fest. It is also situated right on the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers, with crystal clear waters, good food, and plenty of tubing down the rivers.
I had a great ride over on the twisty back roads, and got to the courthouse just in time to catch the afternoon light:
On the way home, I took Rte 32, which passes over the Devil’s Backbone, a twisty piece of hill country biking nirvana that runs along the top of a ridge. I stopped up there to shoot some final pix of this fine motorcycle, which was customized extensively over the 7 years I had it. Thanks to Jeremy Slepekis, ex of Death Trap Motorcycles, for his (eventually) successful work on the motor!
Bexar County – San Antonio – 30 September 2018
Having traded the Thruxton and its stable-mate the 2014 HD Deluxe for a new Indian, I needed to get some easy miles on the Indian before its first break-in checkup at 500 miles. San Antonio was the choice, partly because I wanted to do San Antonio on a Sunday so as to avoid the urban weekday maelstrom.
Though I had to run a gauntlet of flying bugs that left the bike and me coated with insect remains, and a few sprinkles of rain, it turned out to have been a great idea – the courthouse was uncluttered and the light was gorgeous.
The remains of the “Texians” who famously defended the Alamo (also in San Antonio) against the Mexican army commanded by Santa Anna, are enterred here.
Though I’ve been in and around San Antonio for a good part of my life, I had never known that it was originally founded, in 1731, by “immigrants” from the Canary Islands, sent there by King Philip V. I’m not sure if the “immigrants” had a choice, but they did get here, after a year-long trip, and began the amazing story of San Antonio.
On the way home, I noticed that the light on Fischer Store (which gives its name to the road I live on), perfectly mimicked the coloration of the new Indian. So I got these beautiful photos of it…
An auspicious beginning to a new motorcycle love affair.
Here’s a map update with these two singles trips on it:
