Stan Brein
In North Texas we have come to expect the unexpected when it comes to the weather. Our lawns, shrubs and trees are very confused not knowing whether to remain dormant or make their annual entry. As motorcyclists we know that we are fortunate in being able to ride 12 months out of the year in relative comfort. Wisconsin, not so much. The riding bug struck on January 17.
On a beautiful, windy, but unusually warm, end-of-January day, several riders (Andy McConnell, Mark Kuxhause, Steve Williams, Jim Sico, John Nagy, Jim Olson and Norm Zilinsky) departed for a northwesterly day trip, the Robson Ranch Riders’ Recreational Red River Ride. Hopefully it will become a regular ride. Led by LT Bryant the ride wound its way north to Krum and then struck out northwest towards Forestburg. The initial plan was to have lunch at Doc’s in Muenster, which turned out to be closed, so we continued west to St Jo where we had an excellent meal at the Lazy Heart Restaurant on the town square. We then rode west to Nocona and continued north and then turned east along the Red River. The group crossed the Red River at Courtney, OK. There were photo ops on the bridge across the Red River and again in the Historic town of Spanish Fort. The gang then started south to Muenster and then returned to the Ranch via a different set of backcountry FM roads. LT did an exceptional job of keeping the group together on the 200-mile, six-hour adventure.
Joseph Ace volunteered (as he frequently does) to lead a ride on ride Wednesday, February 22. The promise of 70-degree temperatures sang out a siren song to us. Somehow Stan Brein hijacked the ride and led the group northeast on Hwy. 377 toward the famous Hamburger Inn located in Ardmore, Oklahoma. This is a hole-in-the-wall that really does have great burgers. We have been meaning to go there for a while, but it has never come together. With Mark Kuxhause, Joseph Ace and Jim Sico in tow we headed out with good intentions. But alas over some great Golden Chick iced tea in Whitesboro we agreed that time had gotten away from us, and the additional hour to Ardmore would not work out. Fortunately motorcyclists are flexible and good at tap dancing. We headed for the Fried Pie Company and Restaurant in Gainesville. There is nothing that does not taste good when enveloped in a golden-crusted baked wrapper. Everything was good, and the desserts? Oh my!
But the best part of the impromptu ride was yet to come. Gainesville, Texas is a Medal of Honor Host City. We found out that we were a few blocks from the Medal of Honor Park and went for a visit. Poignant and impressive! The Medal of Honor Host City Program Park honors our Medal of Honor recipients and recognizes Gainesville as the only Medal of Honor Host City in America. A bronze eagle with the ribbon and Medals of Honor clasped in his talons majestically sits atop a granite monument listening intently to the cascading waterfall feature. Here amongst beautiful gardens, landscaping and park benches one can pause to reflect, remember and give thanks to those who bravely served our country. We urge our fellow Ranchers to head up to Gainesville for a visit. http://www.medalofhonorhostcity.com/medal-of-honor-park
Not to be outdone, Larry Hampton led a group on Thursday, February 23. Norm Zilinsky, John Nagy, Eddie Schmidt and new member Ted Soprenuk headed northwest through some of our favorite roads. The culinary destination was Catfish O’Harlies in Decatur, another group favorite.
Finally Ted and Sonia Soprenuk planned to lead a group to Greenwood, Texas to check out the food at the Greenwood Grocery. Located adjacent to the LBJ National Grassland, it combines great scenery with great food. We will be planning to return!
In addition to Ted and Sonia, welcome new members Rich and Terry Gensheimer. We look forward to riding with you. The group has grown to 42 members, and we welcome Robsonites who ride or are interested in motorcycles.
Beware of cagers and keep the rubber side down!