We rounded out our stay in the hill country with a 3-day trip on the Can Am. The “Twisted Sisters” loop is the most famous motorcycle route in the state of Texas and is on most lists as one of the top 10 motorcycle rides in the US.
The name comes from the three roads that make up the loop: Texas 335, 336, and 337, the three “sister” roads that are filled with twists, dips and drop-offs. Together, they are 100 miles of roads made for a motorcycle, and enthusiasts come from all over the country to experience them.
If you are careful, the roads are safe enough. But many motorcyclists are lured by the curves. In the last 15 years, there have been approximately 25 motorcycle-related deaths on these roads. And they can’t blame it on cars; 90% of the fatalities are single vehicle accidents, almost always related to speed and failure to wear a helmet.
We took one day to get to the small town of Leakey (pronounced LAKE-ee after the founder), which is the jumping off point for the trip. So each of the three days (arriving, doing the loop, and going home via a different route) represented about 100-120 miles of enjoyable country driving (although a bit cold at times, with temps from the low 40s to high 50s). Fortunately, it is off-season for this route, and we saw only 3 other motorcycles (riding together) and 1 truck the entire time we were on the 3 routes.
Pictures do not do it justice, and I’m sure it is much more scenic in the summer, but this will give you a sense of this good trip. Ellen and I are glad we did it, but we personally enjoyed the scenery of some of the other hill country routes more. We can certainly appreciate the fact that these roads were made for bikers, though.
Sometimes the road sweeps in wide turns through trees and open sky. Often it cuts through the rock. Many times all you can see is the next curve. But sometimes you can see it cut through the hills. Or hug the side of the cliff. Whenever you see a high fence, it usually indicates exotic game, because this is the home of such ranches. This is an imported Asian antelope. And the critters are varied and fun to photograph. Rarely is there a pull-out, but this one shows one of the vistas. And I guess “love rocks” replace “love locks.” At the end of the ride is a store and outstanding grill catering just to bikers. As we drove away on our 3-wheeler, with high-vis outerwear and full helmets, we imagined the tattooed cook saying, “Lord, please don’t ever let me be like them.” But they were gracious, and the wings and Ninja burger (with Hatch chiles) were awesome. On the way home, we drove almost 30 miles to find the only restaurant serving real breakfast in the whole area. It was a town of about 300. The community’s name? Utopia.
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