This trip wasn’t across country, nor was it a multi-day mile muncher. It was never intended to be that. Instead, I killed two birds with one stone on this one. Until now, I have done a motorcycle trip in almost every month except for November, December, and January. For my standards, a motorcycle trip means at least spending one night on the road. The second reason this particular trip was special is the most important part, it was my daughter’s first bike trip! My daughter (Abby) was ten years old, which is around the same age I was when my dad took me on my first motorcycle trip on the very same Moto Guzzi! This was a quick trip. We left San Antonio Texas on December 23rd, rode about 275 miles north to Abilene Texas, stayed a night in a hotel and returned home on Christmas Eve. It was a fun trip and one that Abby still talks about!
The day before we left, I spent the day looking over the 1986 Moto Guzzi California and making sure she was fit for travel. I knew I wouldn’t find any surprises. The old Guzzi is always ready to go. We had to pack light on this trip. The old Guzzi side panniers have long disintegrated. Only an aftermarket top box remains. I sat down with Abby and discussed the plan. Abby went on plenty of short rides with me, but this one would be about 5 hours each day…a lot for a 10 year old! I reminded Abby that if she needed to stop, she should tap my back three times as a signal. I then asked if she had any questions…her only response was “when do I get to go swimming at the hotel pool?” It quickly became apparent that the indoor pool was going to be the focus…Abby is like a mermaid when it comes to water.
December 23rd
Abby was up and ready to go! I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to leave because the mornings in central Texas are cool this time of year. Wait until the sun warms everything up and it makes riding a lot more comfortable. We ate breakfast and I enjoyed my morning coffee. I checked the weather one last time, it was supposed to be around 70 today, and around 60 tomorrow…that turned out to be a big lie that would add a little drama to this trip.
About mid-morning Abby and I put on our gear, said goodbye to the family, and headed for the garage. The Guzzi was anxiously waiting to hit the road. She fired right up and seemed to run perfectly…as if she knew what was in store. That beautiful Guzzi sound echoed off the buildings of the narrow San Antonio streets as we made our way north. I could hear Abby singing in her full face helmet. I was a content dad!
I try to avoid interstates as much as possible when on my bike trips. They’re boring, plain and simple. I’d rather pick my way through country roads and enjoy the scenery. I stop whenever I see something interesting. On this ride, we rode HWY-281 for part of the way, and took back roads the rest of the way. Along the way we stopped several times. We stopped and checked out the Colorado River…Abby played with a friendly dog that was thoroughly enjoying the water.
Abby enjoying the Colorado River.
Texas is filled with tiny towns that are rich with history and memories. We stopped often and I made sure Abby was well fed and had plenty to drink. The old Guzzi was in great spirits as well!
The Guzzi was in great spirits! Small Texas towns like this are plentiful…crudely decorated for Christmas.
Old lonesome churches in the middle of nowhere are a common site in central Texas.
We slowly but surely worked our way north, and we finally reached Abilene around dinner time. We pulled into the hotel parking lot and the Guzzi was satisfied with the day. What a fine machine these old Guzzi’s are…they just keep ticking like an old clock. The weather was perfect…sunny and about 65 degrees. We checked into the hotel and Abby was chomping at the bit to go swimming. And although she swore up and down she wasn’t hungry, I knew better. She hasn’t had anything to eat since lunch…she was just itching to get into the pool. The hotel was right next to a BBQ joint so I promised her extra time at the pool if she came and ate with me first. She finally agreed and we were in for quite a treat. They were getting ready to close when we got there, but still had a lot of food left over from their Christmas special. The young kid at the counter said that they do a special meal every year. This year was smoked ribeye steak with all the fixins and sides. It was absolutely incredible and Abby and I walked out stuffed to the gills. I was tired and ready for bed, but Abby wasn’t about to let me off the hook. I stayed with my “little mermaid” until the pool finally closed. We both slept soundly…Abby dreaming about what she might get for Christmas, and me dreaming about the ride home!
December 24th
I woke up early, like I always do. When I took a glance outside I could tell something was different. The sky was filled with low hanging clouds and they looked menacing. Last night the weather said it was supposed to be partly cloudy, yet these clouds look like rain is coming. I checked the weather again and much to my dismay, the forecast has completely changed! Apparently there was a winter storm north of us that was hitting Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri pretty hard. We were supposed to be south of the storm but it seems that the storm dipped further south than expected. Instead of being in the 50’s and 60’s as previously forecasted, it was hovering around 40, and it was supposed to get colder throughout the day. Damn, there’s no way around it…it’s going to be a cold ride to start our day. At least it’s going to be sunny and in the 60’s in San Antonio by the time we get home.
I was worried about Abby. I didn’t want her getting cold. If a kid is uncomfortable on a bike, they won’t want to ride anymore. I was also worried about the old Guzzi. She’s cold blooded and does not easily start in cold temperatures. We loaded up the Guzzi and I said a little prayer before turning the key…alright old girl…here goes nothing. I turned the key, switched the choke, and hit the starter button. The Guzzi wheezed and slowly turned over..she stuttered, coughed, and finally roared to life! What a relief! I kept her running for a while…making sure she was good and warm before hitting the road.
The Guzzi was eager to roll once she was warmed up. They are kind of like an old diesel in that way. They’ll run forever once they’re warmed up…but boy do they protest the cold when starting! We rolled out of Abilene and headed south towards San Antonio. The going was slow…not due to traffic but because it was cold! I kept the Guzzi around 40-50mph as we rolled down the empty Texas back roads. We stopped about every 30 minutes to warm up. Abby appreciated the warmth of the Guzzi’s cylinder heads as she warmed her hands during our breaks.
On a cold Christmas Eve morning, warm cylinder heads are much appreciated!
Slowly but surely the temperature began to rise as we worked our way south. Before long, we were under sunny skies and it felt amazing as it warmed our stiff bodies. The roads were empty, and both of us were eager to get home after the cold morning. Most of the stores were closed for Christmas Eve, so there was nothing left to do except to twist the throttle and let that Guzzi engine sing.
We settled into a pace that made the miles melt away as we were getting closer to San Antonio. The weather was warm now…a stark contrast to what we experience just a couple hours earlier. We were near the Colorado River when I heard Abby yelp. She rapidly began tapping my back and I knew something was wrong. I quickly pulled over and asked what was wrong. She was holding her hand close to her heart when she cried “I got stung by a bee!” I felt terrible. She removed her glove and sure enough, there was a big welt on her little hand. Somehow a bee or a wasp hit her sleeve, slid inside her glove and stung her. She was in a lot of pain and we were in the middle of nowhere…there wasn’t much I could do. We took a long break and I let her play for a while until she felt well enough to ride again. A promise to stop by Starbucks for some hot chocolate before we got home helped speed up her recovery.
Abby played for a while until her hand felt better…a promise to stop at Starbucks on the way home for hot chocolate helped speed up the recovery.
The rest of the ride home was uneventful. We stopped at Starbucks and Abby got her hot chocolate as promised. She soon forgot about the bee sting and her focus turned to Santa Clause. Before long I could hear her singing in her helmet again. This time she was belting out Christmas songs…she serenated me all the way home, and I enjoyed hearing her sweet little voice singing away!
This ride was a special ride for me. It was the first overnight ride with one of my children, and Abby did an awesome job as a passenger. Having her sit on the same seat I sat when I was her age made it all the sweeter! I’m thankful for the wonderful memories that old Moto Guzzi made for us.
Sport Touring Cycle Adventures 