Dual Sport and Street Riding in the Big Bend
March 1 – 4, 2012
Terlingua, TX
Mark your calendars: The 5th Annual Uncle’s Around the Bend motorcycle rally is Mar 1 – 4, 2012 in Terlingua, Texas.
Big Bend is full of fantastic motorcycling adventures. From one of the best twisty paved roads in Texas (Hwy 170 from Terlingua, TX to Presidio, TX) to the most scenic dual sport road in Texas (Pinto Canyon Road), Big Bend is a motorcycling paradise. It doesn’t matter whether you ride a street-only motorcycle, an adventure touring bike, or a true “street legal dirt bike” there are a wealth of riding opportunities for all motorcyclists in the Big Bend area.
Registration for the 2012 Around the Bend rally is now open. You can download the registration form here: 2012 Around the Bend registration
This is the 5th year of Uncle’s rally and, as always, this event is open to all. It doesn’t matter if you are a street only or a dual sport rider, there is plenty of good riding for all, so come on out.
What kind of event is this? It’s a motorcycle rally open to one and all. Street-only, adventure, and dual sport riders all all invited to attend. Come by yourself or bring some friends. Ride when you want and where you want. Have an adventure. Got a few extra days off? Then come on out early. Or stay a few days late. The main point is to have fun.
Street riders There are some awesome paved roads in the Big Bend area that really shouldn’t be missed, especially if you are a Texas motorcyclist. In fact, Hwy 170, aka “River Road” is one of the top 5 motorcycling roads in Texas.
Dual Sport and Adventure Riders Lots of dual sport riders show up to ride the Big Bend boonies, so if you’ve always wanted to go play in the dirt at Big Bend but just haven’t made it yet, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.
Registration Check-In Pick up your registration packet on Friday morning in the Starlight Theater parking lot, 7-8am. Registration ends Wednesday, Feb 15th to provide enough time to order the commemorative glasses. Registrations received after Feb 15th will be handled as late registrations.
Late Registration Got commitment issues? You can register late at the rider check-in table on Friday morning, 7-8am, in the Starlight Theater parking lot. Late registration gets you the breakfast buffets and the Saturday night banquet and show.
Thursday Night Meet and Greet Fajita Dinner The High Sierra Grill is hosting us on Friday night with a Fajita Dinner on their upstairs deck. 6-8 pm This dinner is included with your paid registration.
Breakfast Buffet and Rider Meeting: The Starlight Theater Restaurant is providing a breakfast buffet on Friday and Saturday morning from 6:30 – 8 am. Buffets both days are included with your paid registration.
Friday Night Rider Rally Friday evening 6-8 p.m. the Starlight Theater will have a bar set up just for us on in their back courtyard area.
Saturday Night Banquet and Show This year’s banquet is at the Party Barn in Study Butte. We have a special Fire Dancer show scheduled for this year’s banquet that you don’t want to miss. The banquet and show are included with your paid registration.
Commemorative Drinking Glass A commemorative engraved drinking glass is included with your paid registration. You get one glass with your registration but if you want extra order them with registration because only a very few extras will be available for purchase during the event. If you wait until the event to late register the odds are that you probably won’t get a glass. If you wait till the event to buy an extra one you probably won’t get it. Like I said, limited quantities.
Texas Adventure Rider t-shirts? A time or two each year I have a new batch of limited edition Texas Adventure Rider t-shirts printed up. This is one of those times. If you don’t have one of the new ones, now is your opportunity. Order one with your registration.
Texas Adventure Riders stickers You can order stickers with your registration. Medium stickers are $2 each, Small stickers are $1 each.
Hanging Out at Uncle’s Place: Uncle’s got a nice place in Terlingua. Please feel free to stop by and say hello. The grid coordinates to Uncle’s place are 29°18’49.32″N 103°36’33.39″W.
Sleeping: Need a place to sleep? The El Dorado hotel in Terlingua is “hotel central”. Their phone number is 432-371-2111. Call early, ask for Deena, and let her know you are with Uncle’s group to get the group rate. They always get booked, so make your reservations now. For other motel options in the area, see the Big Bend ride guide.
Want to camp? Free camping is available at Gareth Park (across the street from the El Dorado Hotel). The land is private property but the owner allows us to use the land during this event. It’s just raw land, so no hook-ups or anything like that but it did have an outhouse the last time I was there. In the past, most campers end up at Gareth Park, which can be good and bad (good = lots of folks to hang out & visit with; bad = might be a little too close to snoring campers; the good probably outweighs the bad). There are also several pay camp sites where you can pitch a tent for a few dollars. See the Big Bend ride guide for a list of all the motels & camping places.
Can we ride in Mexico? Absolutely. There is a really awesome canyon (Peguis Canyon) about 25 miles south of Ojinaga, Mexico that is well worth a visit. You don’t need to do any paperwork to visit it either; just cross the border and head south, you can’t miss it. Bring your passport or passcard though, because you will need it to get back into the United States.
Is it safe? Mexico sure is close. As of this writing all the border drug stuff you’ve been hearing about on the news hasn’t been an issue in the Big Bend region