Southeast Texas DOC

Southeast Texas DOC
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Ride to Bolivar — January 7, 2007

Our first outing for 2007 was on another cool and cloudy day. After a couple of weeks of nearly continuous rain and drizzle it was a nice feeling to be back on a bike. This ride we called "Ferries and Fish", and we had both! It was a small but very enjoyable group. We met for breakfast at a new location on the south side of Houston--Kelley's Country Cookin' at the Gulf Freeway and Park Place. We took off eastward along SH 225, cruising past the San Jacinto Monument to the Lynchburg Ferry. The ferry took us across the Houston Ship Channel. From there the route was supposed to skirt Baytown, but a missed turn took us sightseeing through the city itself. (Hmm...sun on left means we're going south...er...should be going northeast...hmm...oh well, pretend we know what were doing while finding our way out...must remember to mount that GPS unit....)

FM 565 took us the back way up towards I-10, where nature's call forced one of the back riders to turn in to a gas station abruptly. The rest of the group saw it and made a quick right turn on the access road, intending to circle back via what appeared to be a second driveway into the gas station. Appeared. From around the hill. It wasn't. It was the beginning of a driveway but turned to dirt and went up to the top of a grassy hill. Two obstacles lay between us and the gas station parking lot: a strip of wet grass and mud, and a curb with no breaks. Those that went to the top of the hill had no choice but to drive across the muddy area and try and cross the curb. Some of the bikes made it handily, but the low chin fairing on the superbikes made crossing the curb a problem. Eventually we all made it in--some crossing the curb, others managing to go back down and sneak back along the access road to what we now know was the only entrance. Oh well, at least we can brag of an experience most Ducati owners will never have--"mudding"!

Once on our way again we enjoyed some gently curving roads near the Trinity River. The route looped through Dayton and Liberty then back down across I-10 to Anahuac. From there the roads began to straighten out. As we passed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge they became arrow straight and ruler flat. Long before we crossed it we could see the huge bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway looming in the distance. A very high bridge in the middle of miles of coastal prairie. It dropped us onto High Island, where we turned west again and headed along the Bolivar Peninsula. Our lunch stop was at Stingaree, near Crystal Beach. We dined on fish (remember "Ferries and Fish"?) while overlooking the Intracostal Waterway and a procession of huge barges and tugboats.

The ride home took us down to Point Bolivar to catch the Bolivar Ferry. Our second ferry ride of the day was the longer one, taking us across the mouth of Galveston Bay. An interesting sensation, sitting on a bike in the middle of the sea, moving along with the waves. And hoping the sea gulls swarming around hadn't eaten recently. We disembarked onto Galveston Island, drove through the city up Broadway, crossed the causeway to the mainland, then headed north up the Gulf Freeway to our respective destinations.

Two ferries, one fish, some Ducs and a pleasant ride with friends. Life is good!

Crossing the Houston Ship Channel on the Lynchburg Ferry An early stop on the way to Bolivar
Cesar's 996 with evidence of our brief "mudding" experience Lunch at Stingaree
Getting ready to head back after lunch Another shot in the Stingaree parking lot
Steadying the bikes as the Bolivar Ferry leaves the dock On the Bolivar Ferry, heading for Galveston then home
Photos by Sheila N., Cesar A. and Carr S.

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Home > Photo Galleries > Rides & Events Gallery > Ride to Bolivar — January 7, 2007

Our first outing for 2007 was on another cool and cloudy day. After a couple of weeks of nearly continuous rain and drizzle it was a nice feeling to be back on a bike. This ride we called "Ferries and Fish", and we had both! It was a small but very enjoyable group. We met for breakfast at a new location on the south side of Houston--Kelley's Country Cookin' at the Gulf Freeway and Park Place. We took off eastward along SH 225, cruising past the San Jacinto Monument to the Lynchburg Ferry. The ferry took us across the Houston Ship Channel. From there the route was supposed to skirt Baytown, but a missed turn took us sightseeing through the city itself. (Hmm...sun on left means we're going south...er...should be going northeast...hmm...oh well, pretend we know what were doing while finding our way out...must remember to mount that GPS unit....) FM 565 took us the back way up towards I-10, where nature's call forced one of the back riders to turn in to a gas station abruptly. The rest of the group saw it and made a quick right turn on the access road, intending to circle back via what appeared to be a second driveway into the gas station. Appeared. From around the hill. It wasn't. It was the beginning of a driveway but turned to dirt and went up to the top of a grassy hill. Two obstacles lay between us and the gas station parking lot: a strip of wet grass and mud, and a curb with no breaks. Those that went to the top of the hill had no choice but to drive across the muddy area and try and cross the curb. Some of the bikes made it handily, but the low chin fairing on the superbikes made crossing the curb a problem. Eventually we all made it in--some crossing the curb, others managing to go back down and sneak back along the access road to what we now know was the only entrance. Oh well, at least we can brag of an experience most Ducati owners will never have--"mudding"! Once on our way again we enjoyed some gently curving roads near the Trinity River. The route looped through Dayton and Liberty then back down across I-10 to Anahuac. From there the roads began to straighten out. As we passed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge they became arrow straight and ruler flat. Long before we crossed it we could see the huge bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway looming in the distance. A very high bridge in the middle of miles of coastal prairie. It dropped us onto High Island, where we turned west again and headed along the Bolivar Peninsula. Our lunch stop was at Stingaree, near Crystal Beach. We dined on fish (remember "Ferries and Fish"?) while overlooking the Intracostal Waterway and a procession of huge barges and tugboats. The ride home took us down to Point Bolivar to catch the Bolivar Ferry. Our second ferry ride of the day was the longer one, taking us across the mouth of Galveston Bay. An interesting sensation, sitting on a bike in the middle of the sea, moving along with the waves. And hoping the sea gulls swarming around hadn't eaten recently. We disembarked onto Galveston Island, drove through the city up Broadway, crossed the causeway to the mainland, then headed north up the Gulf Freeway to our respective destinations. Two ferries, one fish, some Ducs and a pleasant ride with friends. Life is good!
Crossing the Houston Ship Channel on the Lynchburg Ferry			An early stop on the way to Bolivar
Cesar's 996 with evidence of our brief "mudding" experience			Lunch at Stingaree
Getting ready to head back after lunch			Another shot in the Stingaree parking lot
Steadying the bikes as the Bolivar Ferry leaves the dock			On the Bolivar Ferry, heading for Galveston then home