Backroads and Burgers

June 18, 10:35 PMHouston Motorcycle Travel ExaminerDrenda Thomas

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On my never-ending quest for a good burger, we took off north from Houston on I-45. Traffic was light -- maybe because it was a Sunday. A more scenic route starts north of Conroe on Highway 75. It’s a 2-lane highway with pine trees lining the road and few cars to muck things up.

At Huntsville we took Highway 19 east towards Crockett and then Highway 190 east towards Livingston. Highway 190 is a country, 2-lane road that eventually turns in to a 4-lane highway. This area must be the Trailer Capital because raggedy trailers to trailers modified to look like a log cabin littered the countryside. Most lawns need a riding lawn mower to keep the yard from becoming pasture land. Horses, cattle and farm land spring up intermittently as we roll down 190. I find myself looking for “for sale” signs. It’s peaceful here. Few cars or bikes pass us.

A “biker leather” sign catches my eye, and we turn around. Liz’s Leather Shop. Liz greets me as I walk in. The store sells leather goods as advertised, along with pins, knick-knacks, bandanas, etc. Liz offers cold drinks or bottled water for $1. A few hundred yards beyond Liz’s, fisherman stand on the banks of Lake Livingston trying to catch dinner.

Shortly before Livingston we turn right on FM 350 south. Within a couple of miles we see the Polunsky Unit of the Texas State Penitentiary that houses death row inmates. FM 3126 meets and crosses FM 350 south. We stay on FM 350 and turn in to The Wet Deck parking lot. The Wet Deck is a bar and grill with air conditioning, a pool table, dominoes and video slot machines. Outdoor seating is available on the deck overlooking Lake Livingston. Pontoon boats and jet skis pull up and tie off. The passengers get off and stroll up the steps to the deck, take a seat and order drinks. The table next to us ordered a round of buttery nipple shots to complement their beer.

Dogs are welcome on the deck as long as they are well-behaved. Our five pound Schnoodle sat in a chair beside me waiting for a bite of my burger. I didn’t want to share this burger with anyone. First, the meat. Real beef. Hand patted. Thick. Fresh, not frozen. Secondly, cool, crisp, thick tomato slices. Next, sweet, raw onions. Lastly, the bun. Done the old-fashioned way on a hot grill. Slightly greasy but not too much. It was perfect. The burger was too big for me to eat so I shared a few bites of the meat with my dog. She gives the burger 4 paws.

Even though we had an umbrella shielding us, we were beginning to bake. Time to head back home. We turn east on FM 3126, right on FM 1988, right on FM 3278, right on FM 222, right on FM 3128, and left on FM 1514 ending up in Coldspring. These roads rival anything in the Hill Country. Rolling hills, lazy curves, great scenery. Out of Coldspring we take 2025 which is a 2 lane, concrete, wide open road passing by Big Creek Scenic Area (part of the Sam Houston National Forest). Staying on FM 2025 leads to Hwy 59, or you can follow signs to New Waverly and get back on I-45.

It was a blissful few hours. Nice to get outside -- even if it was blistering hot. Many stores were closed because it was Sunday. Here are a few that were open:

• Liz’s Leather is open Thursdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Hilltop Ice House in Point Blank on Hwy 190
• Jerry’s Restaurant in Onalaska
• City Grille - Hwy 190 & FM 350 south
• Hitch N Post - BBQ and shaved ice - FM 350 south
• The Wet Deck offers everything from popcorn to seafood platters. Prices are reasonable. My huge cheeseburger was $5.69.