The club’s Blue Bonnet Ride March 30th was memorable for both the Willow City Loop’s unimaginable beauty and the ride on its narrow two-lane ranch road winding through some of the oldest and most unique geology carved into the earth by Coal Creek.
After meeting for a Mexican breakfast at Hilda’s Tortillas and receiving instructions from John Sires, the Ride Capitan, the nine cyclists departed for the iconic Willow City Loop about 13 miles outside of Fredericksburg, Texas heading on 16 North toward Llano. The nine were Frederick Wehe, Joe Ferry, William Edwards, Mike Makowski, Geoff Gauger, Randy Link, John Hawley, Tim Kelley, John Sires. The Loop is a 13-mile voyage through a paradise of rolling, rocky hills with magnificent vistas, dry riverbeds, and ranch lands with awe inspiring quintessential displays of blooming blue bonnets, white prickly poppies, and native wildflowers.
The breathtaking trek was at a slow lingering pace allowing the bikers to soak in the majestic beauty that lay before them. The narrow, winding road occasionally permitted traffic to flow only in a single direction when approaching 
cattle guards and often at low water crossings. One also had to beware of potential loose livestock that might be roaming about to enjoy the splendor of the landscape. As the group followed the meandering road through the countryside, it came upon an Ostridge guarding a perimeter fence, no doubt to deter trespassers. They make excellent guardians of property as they can kill an intruder with a single kick of one its two toed feet. The ride concluded with some dining on the house specialty Dino Burger and quaffing cold ones at the Pecan Grove Store, a former Sinclair gas station turned family-friendly roadhouse.
The ride didn’t stop for photo ops so the photos appearing here and elsewhere on this website were taken the following day to demonstrate the beauty of the ride.
If you are in the area during bule bonnet blooming season, or any other time of the year, this is one not to be missed route to take.