::: Viethorse experienced riding Texas and Smoky Mountain

Got a plan for a biz trip to US. Well, it's quite a long way from Vietnam, and of course not easy to make a trip like that.
Therefore I took a week of during my time there, engaged with some of my forum inmates (TWT and VFRD), planned for some days ride out.
My first trip destination is Houston TX. I had a weekend free and that's for a ride to Austin, experienced ThreeSisters.
Second destination is Smoky Mountain. Some of my great friends arranged for me an awesome trip from Atlanta GA, to Smoky Mountain, passing North and South Carolina and Tennessee.
Those were all great days with very nice riding buddies and wonderful fall scenery.

A lot of communication flying back and forth to help me arrange for the trip. Day by day waiting for the time to come....

Finally, the trip really happens...
Got into the plane, try to sleep to cut short the waiting time - but I could not. Awake all the time for watching movies:

It's not easy to fly directly from Vietnam to US, unless I have my own airplane
Transit at Narita Airport, Tokyo Japan - I have tried to drink lots of beer, try to have something which could knock me down and get me to sleep:

(Noticed that the Air Lounges in Vietnam and Japan are much better than in US).

Landed Houston airport, got this Avante from Avis:


During biz time in Houston, visited a friend of mine there. Looked at his collection then think of the near future ride:




His Acura NSX is one of the 6 NSX in the world was produced in this color and some more options:


Could not stand beside his CBR600, tried it without proper riding gears:


And tried out craw fish:


The restaurant is owned by a Vietnamese in Houston. Crawfish was not so big but that's really nice stuff:





....

Before flying in, I have contacted and arranged with some other friends in TX for a ride there.
I borrowed the helmet and jacket from my friend in Houston, and all are ready for a ride:


Thursday afternoon, got this bike:


A ZX6R 2009, quite new and all stock, except the muffler - really loud.

Friday early morning, rode around 20miles to the meeting point with a friend - Camilo, stopped at a McDonal:




He came on a pretty new BMW K1600:


We were ready:


Met up with an other friend after around an hour ride - It's a GS1200 rider - Tourmeister:


The ride in Texas started with the large, long and straight roads:




Most of the roads which we rode thru are going between the country side, between the grass field and country villages:












...

Looking forward to the rest of your report and your impressions of the good ole usa.

Cheers

Thank you and hope you enjoy it, too.

Some more pic for the first day ride in TX:




















It was really nice day for a ride:




Stopped for a short rest:




A court house which has been renewed recently:




Gas price is almost as in Vietnam:


Keep riding:










Lunch time, also in front of a renovating court house:








...

Too bad I wasn't there to be part of your welcome party. I'd have loved to show you around. Looking forward to more, man!

The Texas Hill Country has some great riding and fun people and places to visit, but you will love the Smoky's!

Excellent photos and thanks for bringing us along!

Cheers

Hey Steve, you were around during my trip to the Smokey? Too bad that you did not give a sign.
Anyway, be patient on my trip report and upcoming plan.
Cheers!

Well. As you said.
For me, all the above places are new to me. All of them have their own beauty and attractive. I love them all.
Thanks for riding along my report.

No, I don't think I was, unfortunately. I wish I had been though!

Saw some deers beside the road - Scott kept telling me about crossing deers. I quite worried when passing some corners with lots of trees:

Lucky me, all my ride, I don't have to use my brake in front of any deers.

A nice house, seems to be a representative symbol of this area:


Long road ahead:




I stopped on the way to take photo of the bike with the oil well background:


Felt sleepy that time, asked my friends for a short nap at this place:






After that, we headed to a friend's house in Austin. We have BBQ there at his house, too hungry so I forgot to take a pic.

...

Friday night, say farewell to Camilo, who was on the BMW K1600 as he gotta visit his children nearby.
Saturday AM, we had some more riders come and joined.
The Sport bike ZX6R seemed lost among the GS gang



Got fueled up - I used to fill the Premium until the guys told me not necessary. LOL...:


Some first view of the roads - unlike what we had in Tennessee and North Carolina :




A really flat view ahead:



My riding buddies:




Stopped for a quick rest before getting to the twisty route:


Full equipped GS:




During my ride in North Carolina, I was thinking of getting the Spot like this - good for the ride to the middle of no-where, and alone:




Tested the GoPro view:


Ready faces.
Rusty, who hosted me for two nights in Austin:


Scott, who was the one like RollingAgain and Wrestler, setting up the route and invite the inmates to join the ride:



Kurt, who just moved to a GS from a Goldwing:


...

Nice road started. Now I really don't remember which routes we have been thru. Just know they are Three Sister something.

Well, dam, it a small dam:


A few cruisers:


The twisty roads was so strange to me. And also the GS guys rode too fast. The sport bike make me uncomfortable with the Camera in hand, I gotta concentrate on the road and having no photo for this.

There are some other view after that:









Here's how a reporter work:



...

Around 12hrs, we stopped for lunch:


Nice place, seemed familiar with my buddies:


Welcome Y'all. Such a Texans banner:



Nice decor inside:

This place seemed to be a tourist point also:


Happy lunch:




Oh, this was mine, looks okay huh:

The road after lunch time was good as well.
I was trying to talk to Rusty that we were missing one rider but he kept going... . One of our GS (Kurt) felt sore on his back after long time no riding then he headed back home after lunch.

I was not familiar with the roads so did not dare to ride too aggressive. Sometimes, at the 15-10mph corners, I saw lots of tire marks on the road surface then I gotta pull the brake.

Really nice mountain roads:


Stopped for some air:












He said: I will buy this area :

(actually that 's how he stretch his legs and arms after a long ride)

Kept moving with the twisties, we were quite disappointed with a bunch of Harley affront.

Passed the Harleis, we stuck with this:


Scott asked Rusty - what's going on!?
I wish I know - said Rusty.



Oh, I was there as well, but don't know exactly what it was:


There was a chopper just flying up, seemed the good time to start moving:


Started rolling again:


I don't know what they was discussing about:


Just beside the HOGPEN - I have no idea what the HOGPEN means:


Cornering for a while, we stopped for rest at the place where I knew that we had passed on the way in:


Some more good roads:


His GS seat may not so good. So he kept standing up like that most of the time LOL...

Great stuff VietHorse. I have always enjoyed your trip reports from Vietnam and am very happy to see you now riding State Side. Excellent photos as always and big props to those showing him around..!

-tim

Thank you. It was so great for me to have such great riding buddies. Some other friends of mine in Atlanta also made my trip become a trip of lifetime.

4:15PM, it seemed like my last fuel up for the day:


It was starting to be chilly. I did not prepare for such kind of weather.


We rode along a river for a while, then to a freeway. Doh, that time I really felt cold. I have only one more thin layer behind the leathers only. My gloves is for summer as well. My body started to be shivering.

Tried to take a photo to make me warmer when buddies stopped for discussion:


Finally, we got to the dinner place. Thanks God. I survived:


Really nice place. We were arriving on time as we did not have a long queue as some minutes later:




One friend of mine said it's a good place:


Mine - really great BBQ:


Enjoyed the dinner:


...

We went back to Rusty's and chitchat until midnight. Slept very well that night.
Woke up in the morning and really did not want to get outside. It was very cold. I had not be prepared for that.
Gotta wear all of my T-shirt which I brought with and two more TwowheeledTexans shirts from Scott.





Look at me, I was too fat in comparison with my normal status because of all the T-shirts.

On the way back, I had to use my own towel to cover my neck and hooped down under the windscreen to avoid getting cold.

Thank to Rusty's gloves. They saved my hands.
Stopped for fuel, my throttle clamp came loose. I was thinking of it had been loosen since we were on ThreeSisters.


Scott guided me thru a Country roads again. The roads was almost no traffic, with open air, good road condition... and it's really cold.
We stopped for a while at the middle of the field:




After passing Texas A&M University, where Scott had his Degree, we said goodbye to each other.
I turned right and get on to the Hwy-6 then I-290 to back to Houston downtown.
My last fuel stop on Hwy-6:



Got back to the hotel just after lunch. Returned the bike without any issue.

Well, that's it. That 's my wonderful riding trip Texas with all great people. Really want to ride with them again

....