Howdy folks,
This one is out of order as it is a ride report that I wrote for our Central Texas Painted Churches ride in March 2023. Check it out!
On Saturday March 4th, a small group of Lone Stars headed south out of La Grange to tour the country roads and see the beautiful painted churches of Central Texas.
PERFECT weather- CHECK!
Beautiful country roads- CHECK!
Wildflowers in bloom- CHECK!
Zero traffic- CHECK!
Great friends to ride with- CHECK!
Or as they might say in this part of Texas- CZECH!
Our ride begins at the Lukas Bakery on the main square of
downtown La Grange, across from the county courthouse. This family bakery has
been a fixture in La Grange for over 75 years and makes the real-deal kolaches
and apple strudel. The way to meet people in La Grange is to sit on the bench
outside Lukas, with a map in your hand. We had every local stopping by to say
howdy and offer help with directions! One lovely lady had her hands full of a
huge apple strudel that she was taking to the Future Farmers of America (FFA)
fundraiser where it was to be auctioned off. Her last year’s donation raised
nearly $1,500 for FFA scholarships! Everyone should go spend a Saturday morning
on the bench in front of Lukas… It will leave you with hope for mankind. (Photo by Vincenzo Murphy)
At about 9:30 we headed south to FM 155 on the first leg down to Shiner. The start of the route takes you up a steep twisty road onto the bluff overlooking the Colorado River and La Grange. 155 is a sweet two laner winding through the farmland and rolling hills of the area. Traffic was non-existent and bluebonnets dotted the fields. Our planned route included some smaller county roads that turned out to be unpaved resulting in some changed plans, but we were certainly off the beaten path. We meandered our way, ending up at our first stop in Shiner at about 11:30
Our first stop was Sts Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner. This is one of the newer structures, having been rebuilt in 1920-21 but it is in the style of the original churches with beautiful stained glass and ornate fixtures.
One thing about the churches in this area: They are always easy to find as the tallest structures you see as you ride into town! Here is the spire of Sts Cyril and Methodius as we entered Shiner
Lone Star Corey Levenson joined us in Shiner, riding direct from his place in San Antonio. After our visit to the church, we moseyed over to Howard’s Package Store and gas station. Howard’s serves Shiner on tap and is the local meeting place, with an outdoor patio in back. What a time warp! They even had VHS videos for rent on the shelves!
At Howard's: This is Shiner Country!
Next up was a quick photo stop at the Spotzel brewery gate,
then up 95 to County Road 340 across to Witting Then north on 1295 to St.
Mary’s Church of the Assumption in Praha. I tell you, the town names around
here are a challenge to your spell checker! Or would that be spell czecher?
From Praha we traveled east on 90 for the short run to Schulenburg for a lunch stop at the Tulum Mexican Café. Next on the tour was the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in High Hill, just north of Schulenburg. This was the one church we didn’t get to go inside of, as there was a wedding in progress just as we pulled up to the entrance. The bride was about to enter and gave us Lone Stars a big wave!
Next up we headed east on 615, also known as Piano Bridge Road, to Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. We easily rode across the Piano Bridge built as a 1 lane wagon bridge in the late 1800’s. The bridge has been recently restored and was a lovely piece of structural art.
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Dubina. That’s Peter in front of the Altar
Next up was a jog north on 1383 to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ammannsville. Another thing about these churches: Other than the wedding in progress, all the churches were fully open and welcoming to walk around. There was zero security, and often zero people present when we passed in. Definitely harkens back to a time when folks trusted their fellow man to be respectful and do the right thing.
We had one more fortuitous detour on leaving Ammannsville as our planned route north had a bridge under repair. That forced us to take Bohuslay Rd north through some beautiful rolling hills to get back up to 155 north towards La Grange. We made a final stop at the Kreische Brewery historical landmark and the Monument Hill State Park. In 1860, German immigrant Heinrich Ludwig Kreische started one of the first commercial breweries in Texas at this location, using the cool waters of the Colorado River as part of the temperature control for his brewing process. The stone structure remains as part of the park. The park is also has the monument to the to the men who died in the Dawson Massacre and the Black Bean Episode of the Mier Expedition into Mexico. Man’s inhumanity to man. You Texas history buffs can read up on it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_massacre
Monument Hill sits on the bluff overlooking LA Grange and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. That’s the bridge over the Colorado through La Grange in the distance
After about 160 miles of riding, the only thing left to do was ride north to the brewery on the north side of town to sample their wares. We held our debriefing with the chickens running around, then rode back to the hotel right at sunset. A full day! We had empty country roads, wildflowers, longhorns, dirt roads, Shiner, a piano bridge, big oak trees and churches…LOTS of churches! I would most definitely do that ride again. One of my top 10 for sure.
I put some of my photos of the day here: https://churches-loop.austinvintagewheels.com/
Corey Levenson put some of his great ones here: https://coreylevenson.smugmug.com/Things-with-Wheels/Mar-2023-Painted-Churches-Ride/
See you on the next ride!
Mark Scott
Lone Star Section, Vincent Owner's Club.
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