- Jun 9, 2002
- 9,535
- 0
So, the phone rings ...
Wow, it’s Gene (tx246), wonder what he wants?
Gene: What you up to?
Tony: Not much.
Gene: I know it’s kinda late to call (10:50AM), but what are you doing today?
Tony: Nothin’, why?
Gene: I wanted to see if you wanted to go for a ride.
Tony: Uhhh ... [sounds of windows shutting down in the background] yea!
Click ...
So, that is how the ride began. Now I am in East Dallas and Gene is in Denton. I could ride my bike, but it is nearly 100% freeway, so I chose to throw on some shoes rather than gear up and load the bike in my truck. At 12:05 PM, I backed into Gene’s driveway and unloaded my bike. Not bad for 50 miles ... but that is another story.
Geared up, we headed to the gas station to top off the tiny stock tank on my DR and the tanker on his NTH DRZ. This was to be his first real ride on his bike and the second on mine. I was interested in seeing how adjusting the rear shock had affected the handling of my bike. Gene was in learning mode all the way around.
GPS route loaded, Gene led us out northwest on a ramble into northwestern Denton County and environs beyond.
The first few miles were all weather, but we soon turned down a gravel road. Cool, but it shows to be a dead end on my GPS and the sign at the road says ... Dead End. Now, we have all experienced the type of roads where folks try and make a road appear dead end or private, so down it we went, for maybe a half a mile.
Gene did the circle the wagon (CTW) routine and he came about. As he passed, he mentioned some thing about a boss Mustang that used to live in the yard we came about in front of. Resetting sails, we headed back to the asphalt and north towards the next dark grey line on the map.
Heading west and zigging north, we came to the first of many bridges across Clear Creek, that we would encounter.
It was idyllic, almost pastoral. We were less than a mile from I35, but we were lost in a scene from long ago. North of DFW had long been one of the nations bread baskets, but change is underway.
[rant on]
McMansions are popping up everywhere as “city folk” move to the country, trying to escape the hustle and bustle. No sooner do they arrive than they demand that the roads be widened and shopping centers be built, so their lives are more convenient. Well, as the saying goes, there goes the neighborhood. Soon, kids are zooming down the now straightened roads and families are moving even farther out to escape suburbia.
Will they ever learn?
[rant off]
Change is underway in this corner of the metromess and soon, only photos will remain, to remind everyone of what had been lost via modernization.
[ ... more soon ... ]
Wow, it’s Gene (tx246), wonder what he wants?
Gene: What you up to?
Tony: Not much.
Gene: I know it’s kinda late to call (10:50AM), but what are you doing today?
Tony: Nothin’, why?
Gene: I wanted to see if you wanted to go for a ride.
Tony: Uhhh ... [sounds of windows shutting down in the background] yea!
Click ...
So, that is how the ride began. Now I am in East Dallas and Gene is in Denton. I could ride my bike, but it is nearly 100% freeway, so I chose to throw on some shoes rather than gear up and load the bike in my truck. At 12:05 PM, I backed into Gene’s driveway and unloaded my bike. Not bad for 50 miles ... but that is another story.
Geared up, we headed to the gas station to top off the tiny stock tank on my DR and the tanker on his NTH DRZ. This was to be his first real ride on his bike and the second on mine. I was interested in seeing how adjusting the rear shock had affected the handling of my bike. Gene was in learning mode all the way around.
GPS route loaded, Gene led us out northwest on a ramble into northwestern Denton County and environs beyond.
The first few miles were all weather, but we soon turned down a gravel road. Cool, but it shows to be a dead end on my GPS and the sign at the road says ... Dead End. Now, we have all experienced the type of roads where folks try and make a road appear dead end or private, so down it we went, for maybe a half a mile.
Gene did the circle the wagon (CTW) routine and he came about. As he passed, he mentioned some thing about a boss Mustang that used to live in the yard we came about in front of. Resetting sails, we headed back to the asphalt and north towards the next dark grey line on the map.
Heading west and zigging north, we came to the first of many bridges across Clear Creek, that we would encounter.
It was idyllic, almost pastoral. We were less than a mile from I35, but we were lost in a scene from long ago. North of DFW had long been one of the nations bread baskets, but change is underway.
[rant on]
McMansions are popping up everywhere as “city folk” move to the country, trying to escape the hustle and bustle. No sooner do they arrive than they demand that the roads be widened and shopping centers be built, so their lives are more convenient. Well, as the saying goes, there goes the neighborhood. Soon, kids are zooming down the now straightened roads and families are moving even farther out to escape suburbia.
Will they ever learn?
[rant off]
Change is underway in this corner of the metromess and soon, only photos will remain, to remind everyone of what had been lost via modernization.
[ ... more soon ... ]