The Bankhead Highway

“The best path through life is the highway.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Is the best path through Texas the Bankhead Highway?

Today the journey begins, and maybe, when complete,  I can answer that question.

A chilly morning in Texarkana, Texas, and I attempt to get some shots of the Machine in downtown.

Texarkana is still asleep, and I decide not to wake her.

Texarkana is a town on the brink of rebirth. A resurgence can be felt all around. The discovery of something old and interesting by the heritage tourist and urban explorers.

Efforts all around the community excites the aging stone and iron, stirring the soul of the town that produced “The Father of Ragtime”, Scott Joplin.

Revitalization is no longer lip service, as crews, scaffolds, and engineers rework, redesign, and reward a downtown that had fallen on hard times.

I drop by the Harley Davidson dealer, and they are busy jockeying bikes. I discuss my trip plans with an interested employee. Before the conversation turns to bike purchasing, I decide to get on my way.

Today will be a short day in the mileage sense. The point is not to get from A to B; it is to find a lost highway, The Bankhead Highway.

I have no plans to continue any further than Sulphur Springs, Texas, during today’s ride. This entire journey will be a slow ride, visiting towns, looking, listening, and attempting to find the Bankhead Highway’s pulse.

I know it exists; I know this road is alive.

Quickly outside of Texarkana, I  pick up “Old Redwater Road.”

Old Redwater Road is the original Bankhead Highway alignment. The road’s purpose today is to service a handful of homes and shade the motorcycle traveler with a canopy of trees.

As I travel toward Maud, Texas, I begin to see the old original Bankhead hidden in the trees only feet from the current pavement of Hwy 67.

Century-old bridges and asphalt are partially hidden in plain sight. I scout for a way to access the old road. Soon I find the spot.

The condition of the abandoned roadway is a testament to the longevity of the skilled craftsmen’s construction.

Maud’s main street still carries the name Broadway. An homage to the Bankhead Highway’s nickname, The Broadway of America.

From Maud, I turn south on Texas 8 toward Douglassville.

Deep in the trees of East Texas, I pause to appreciate the colors of spring. A mixture of pine and oak crowd but do not overtake the needed space, nutrients, or sunlight from one another, while clusters of wildflower collectively create colorful roadside tussie-mussie.

I roll into Naples, Texas, nestle the Machine next to a curb, and look for a place to grab a cup of coffee. Unsure that I will find success in this small Bankhead town, I am pleased when I stumble upon Chartier’s Wine and Coffee Bar. 

Chartier’s proprietors, Dennis and Connie Chartier, have built a comfortable cafe that was an unexpected surprise to find in Athens. While I enjoyed the coffee, I learned more about the Bankhead Highway, a subject in which the Chartiers is well versed.

From Athens, I find more original Bankhead Highway. One can tell the Bankhead by the bridges. The same style of the bridge was used all the way across Texas. The Machine and I will cross many original Bankhead bridges in the upcoming days.

The old Bankhead route is incredibly, and surprisingly, smooth. A very relaxing ride.

Mount Pleasant and Mount Vernon,  come quickly. I make my way to the historical museum in Mount Vernon, Texas.

Mount Vernon was home to Dallas Cowboy’s quarterback Don Meredith. The museum has an excellent exhibit with many personal items from the Dallas Cowboy’s legend.

The museum also has a permanent exhibit of bird eggs. A unique collection that contains eggs from extinct birds.

While picking up some “road” food, I found the local convenience store celebrating Meredith and Bankhead Highway.

I will end Across the State in Eight (part 2) – A Bankhead Highway motorcycle adventure with a pour for Sulphur Springs’s own Backstory Brewery’s “Blonde Blood Orange”.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Bankhead adventure that will take us into Sulphur Springs, Texas, a dynamic East Texas community. We will visit microbrewery and unique attractions before continuing into Greenville and the big cities of Dallas and Fort Worth.

Please join us on our ride.