December 1^st-2^nd, 2006
FOGG Riders Report
Fredericksburg Christmas Parade Ride
 
We ended up with 23 people, 10 motorcycles and 4 chase vehicles on the trip this year. As far as weather goes, it was cold but dry.

The Manifest:
	Kerry Baxley       Bob Buckner             David Johnson Angela Baxley Carla Buckner Mike Klekar Joshua Baxley Ronald Byrd Marry Klekar Mikalyn Baxley Rhonda Byrd Lynn McDaniel Leo Bell Richard Dickerson Diana McDaniel   Paula Bell Tim Gautreau John Willis Wayne Bittick Madonna Gautreau Gladys Willis Elaine Bittick Jeff Herndon

 

Mike Klekar, Mary Klekar and Angela Baxley went up Thursday to get in some extra shopping. Mike's motorcycle made the trip to Fredericksburg in the back of a truck.
 
We only had three wash outs this year. They had canceled early enough that we could easily cancel the room.
 
Friday 12/01/2006:
At 6:30 AM five motorcycles and two chase vehicles left from the First Baptist Church of Splendora parking lot. We picked up 4 more motorcycles at the gas station on highway 105 (on the west side of I45).
 
It was a cool 28º F, 85% RH and clear when we left Conroe. At 28º F he wind chill is around 7º F at 60 mph. Needless to say, no on a motorcycle one enjoyed the first few hours very much. But, eventually the sun warmed us up a little and we felt much better.
 
We stopped southwest of Austin and ate lunch and continued on to Luckenbach. Then we made our way to Fredericksburg. We arrived in Fredericksburg around 4:00 PM.
 
At 5:30 PM we had chili in Kerry and Angela Baxley’s room. They treated us to some really fantastic chili with all the trimmings. Because Angela had gotten there the day before, she was able to have the chili cooking all afternoon, in her room. At 6:30 PM we all headed to Main street for the parade. After the parade we went back to the hotel and sat around the outdoor fire place. Richard was having a little trouble getting the fire going. But soon enough, he found a woman that could light his fire. Ha! The fun and fellowship was great as we enjoyed roasted marshmallows, somores, hot dogs, coffee and hot chocolate around the fire. We will spare you the details of all the banter and fun poking. But, I think everyone had a great time.
 

 
Saturday 12/02/2006:
The next morning the group split up into smaller groups. Some people wanted to get back home before dark and some preferred to stay in town and get in some shopping. At 8:00 AM, eight of us (on six motorcycles) left the hotel and headed for a ride through the hill country.  We traveled north on highway 16 to Willow City and then took the Willow City Loop. We again turned north on highway 16 and turned back south on Ranch Road 965 towards Enchanted Rock. We continued south on Ranch Road 965 and stopped at a roadside park just outside of Fredericksburg to tell the others to head towards Harper for lunch.
 
We had a fantastic lunch at the BBQ place in Harper. We got back to Fredericksburg around 1:30 PM and rounded up the troops for the ride home. Four of the motorcycles and one of the chase cars (Leo & Paula Bell, Wayne & Elaine Bittick) had already left for home before we got back from lunch. Two of the motorcycles (Tim & Madonna Gautreau, Ronald and Rhonda Byrd) were staying in Fredericksburg for and extra night.
 
The ride home was much more enjoyable (due to warmer temperatures). We left Fredericksburg around 2:30 PM. We stopped off in Brenham at K-Bob’s for dinner. Bob Buckner bought us all dinner.
 
We arrived home about 9:00 PM. Every one had a safe trip home and great time at Fredericksburg.
 
This is the biggest group the FOGG Riders have had on a ride. God was watching out for us and there were no mishaps with the bikes or riders. By all accounts everyone had a good time and enjoyed the trip. The FOGG Riders really enjoyed meeting and fellowshipping with the Byrds, Gautreaus, McDaniels and Jeff Herndon.
 

 
Lessons Learned:
 

• It may be impossible to keep 21 adults and/or 14 vehicles together for more than one day.
• Using Frog Togs (rain gear) as one of your layers helps a lot when you have to ride in the cold.
• The more motorcycles you have, the longer it takes to get everyone going again, after you stop for gas.
• It’s hard to find a pair of gloves that will keep you hands warm in sub-freezing temperatures and still be able to feel the throttle, clutch and breaks levers.
• We had tried to get a conference room reserved to eat chili in. But, they were all reserved by another group (I never heard how much they cost).
• We asked about a group rate after we got there, however this has to be arranged prior to blocking off the rooms.
• While the hot tub is a little slice of heaven after a long ride, it’s a long run back to the room when you’re dripping wet and the temperatures are in the 30’s.
• Next year we will have a few rooms at the Bed & Breakfast on Main Street. They have a balcony we can use to watch the parade.

 
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