Texas European Capitol Route Plan - Dublin; Paris; Athens; Geneva; Moscow
The Ride: Easyglide and Ghostbuster covered over 1300 miles departing from Austin, Texas to Dublin, Paris, Athens, Geneva and Moscow. Boots and Johnny met us in Crockett for the East Texas leg. The routes covered the North Texas Hill Country along the Red River; Central Texas Hill Country and East Texas; scenic small towns and historic courthouses in Gainesville, Nocona, Sulphur Springs, Quitman, Center, Decatur, Montague, Palo Pinto, Lampasas and too many historic sites to name, including Caddoan Indian Mounds; Carpenter's Bluff Suspension Bridge; Petrified Gas Station and Tourist Camp; Famous Mineral Water Co. in Mineral Wells; Dublin Dr. Pepper Bottling Works; Paris Eiffel Tower; John Chisum's gravesite; and, Oliver (Lonesome Dove) Loving's gravesite.
Day 1 – From Austin
To Dublin, Weatherford; Mineral Wells: 273 mi,. 5 ½ hrs
Get on US 183 and drive north 57 mi.
Lampasas
Keep right onto US 281 N
Continue 281 North 56 mi.
Turn left onto Hwy 219 for 22 mi.
Left on East Blackjack St.
Dublin (Gas Stop/Lunch)
POI: Dr Pepper Bottling Plant; 105 East Elm
POI: Rodeo Heritage/Historical Museum; 116 W. Blackjack Street
Lunch: Ha’Penny Diner, 103 West Live Oak
To Weatherford; Mineral Wells
Turn right onto N Patrick St (Hwy 377)
Turn left onto W Clinton St (Hwy 219)
Left on 108
Turn right onto Hwy 1188
Get on Hwy 1189 and drive northeast
Turn left onto Hwy 4
Keep right onto US 281
POI: Texas Hill Country Mercantile (Largest Rockin Chair)
Backtrack 2 mi. on Hwy 281
Right on FM 4
Palo Pinto
POI: Courthouse
Right on 254 to Graford
Left on Main st.
Backtrack to Hwy 254; turn left
Bear right on Hwy 920
Turn right onto N Main St
Enter roundabout Courthouse Sq
Weatherford
POI: Greenwood Cemetery (Mary Martin; Loving/Deets Gravesites)
405 Front St.; NE Corner of N. Elm & Hwy 180
POI: Chandor Gardens 711 West Lee (817-613-1700)
POI: Parker County Courthouse
POI: Largest Pecan Tree in US/2721 North Main (Hwy. 51 N)
Take the 1st right onto Palo Pinto St
Continue Palo Pinto St southwest
Keep right onto Mineral Wells Hwy
Turn right onto US 281
Mineral Wells
Turn left onto NW 4th St
Lodging: Silk Stocking Row B&B (415 NW 4th St.)
Day 2: To Paris: 332 mi., 6 ½ - 7 hrs
Get on NW 4th St and drive east
Turn left onto US 281
Turn right onto Hwy 199 E
Turn left onto Hwy 1156
Turn right onto US 380
Keep right onto BR 380
Turn right onto W Walnut St
Decatur
POI: Wise County Courthouse
POI: Petrified Wood Gas Station (E Hale Ave @ Tx 287 South)
Get on E Walnut St and drive east
Turn left onto E Bus 380
Turn left onto Hwy 51 and drive northeast
Turn left onto Hwy 455 NW
Montague
POI: County Courthouse
Turn right onto Hwy 59
Nocona
POI: Nocona Leather Co (208 Walnut)
POI: Fenoglio’s Barbecue
Turn right onto US W 82
Turn left onto Cooke St
Turn left onto E Locust St
Turn right onto Hwy 103
Turn left on 2953 East
Turn left onto 677 feeder Road
Turn left onto Hwy 677 137
Big Muddy Stop (Red River Crossing)
Backtrack south on Hwy 677
Turn left onto Hwy 677
Keep right on 677 south to St. Jo
Turn left on S. Broad
St. Jo
POI: Chisholm Trail Mercantile Motorcycle Shop (104 Howell)
POI: Donna Howell-Sickle Cowgirl Gallery (209 S. Main)
Continue on 677 South to Running L Ranch
POI: Running L Ranch (677 @ 3206)
Backtrack on 677 North to St. Jo
Right on S. Broad St.
Left on E. Crump St to Hwy 2382
Right on 373 east to Bulcher
Bulcher
Bear right onto N Main St
Muenster
POI: Fishers Meat Market (304 N. Main)
Lunch: Doc’s Bar and Grill (113 N. Main)
Get on N Main St and drive south
Turn left onto Hwy 82
Take the I-35 S ramp to the right towards Denton
Take exit 496B to the right towards Fm-51/California St/Decatur
Turn left onto W California St
Gainesville
Get on E California St and drive east
Turn right onto S Grand Ave
Turn left onto Anthony St
Keep right onto S Fm 372
Turn left onto Hwy 922
Turn right onto N Ray Roberts Pky
Turn left onto Sherman St
Turn right onto N Race St
Turn right onto Main St
Tioga
Backtrack to 377
Turn right onto Hwy 377 North
Turn right onto US-82
Take the US-82 E ramp
Take exit 20A to the right towards US-75/Dallas/Dennison
Turn left onto US-75 N
Take the US-75 N ramp to the left
Take exit 66 to the right onto Tx-503-Spur towards Denison
Turn right onto W Main St
Turn left onto River Rd
POI: Carpenter's Bluff Bridge @ Red River
Perform a U-Turn back onto River Rd
Turn left onto Carpenters Bluff Rd
Turn left onto Hwy 1753
Turn right onto Hwy 1753
Turn left onto Hwy 1753
Turn right onto Hwy 2645
Turn left onto Hwy 898
Turn right onto Hwy 121
Turn left onto US 82 E
Take the Fm-100 ramp to the right towards Honey Grove
Turn right onto Hwy 100
Honey Grove
Get on N 5th St and drive south
Turn right onto W Main St
Turn left onto Hwy 34
Turn right onto Hwy 1550
Bug Tussle
Continue on Hwy 1550 east
Turn right onto Hwy 824 NE
Harmon
Turn left onto Hwy 137
Petty
Turn right onto US 82
Paris
Lodging: Hampton Inn, Paris
3563 NE Loop 286
Day 3: Morning in Paris
POI: Eiffel Tower, Church Street; Culbertson Fountain
POI: Evergreen Cemetery: Babcock Monument (Jesus in CB Boots)
POI: John Chisum Burial Site - 1100 block of West Washington
POI: Lamar County Courthouse
Day 3 Afternoon: To Athens; Depart After Lunch (153 mi., 4 ¼ hrs)
Get on Tx-286-Loop NE and drive north
Perform a U-Turn back onto Tx-286-Loop NE
Keep right onto Tx-286-Loop S towards Cooper/Sulphur Springs
Take the Tx-19/Tx-24 ramp to the right towards Cooper/Sulphur Springs
Turn left onto Hwy 1497 south
Turn right onto Hwy 1184
Turn left onto Hwy 19
Keep left onto Hwy 154
Turn left onto Hwy 301-Loop N
Turn left onto I 30/US 67
Turn right onto Hwy 69
Turn left onto Hwy 11 SW
Turn right onto N Main St (Hwy 37)
Turn right onto E Goode St
Turn left onto S Hart St
Turn right onto Horton St
Get on Hwy 37 and drive south
Turn right onto W Hubbard St
Turn right onto Hwy 16/110 West
Turn left onto Hwy 773
Turn left onto Hwy 279
Turn right onto Hwy 858
Turn left onto Hwy 19
Turn right onto N Prairieville St
Turn right onto W Corsicana St
Athens (Black-Eyed Pea Capital)
Avonlea Bed & Breakfast
410 East Corsicana Street
Dining: B& B Café; Athens Cafe
POI: Texas Freshwater Fisheries (5550 FM 2495 4 mi. East)
POI: Fletcher Davis Historical “Hamburger” marker (Courthouse Sq)
POI: Henderson County Courthouse
Day 4: To Geneva, Moscow, Boles Field, Center ( 292 mi., 8 hrs)
Athens to Moscow – 155 mi., 4 ¼ hrs
Get on W Corsicana St and drive east
Turn left onto S Carroll St
Turn right onto E Tyler St
Go Hwy 31 East toward Tyler to Chandler 24 mi.
Right on Scenic 315 south to Fincastle, Palestine 41 mi (Best Rd in ET)
Palestine
Left onto E Tx-256-Loop
US 287 Southeast
Latexo
Crockett
Hopewell
Turn right onto US 59
Turn right onto Hwy 350
Moscow
POI: Post Office
POI: Red Square Park
To Geneva, Boles Field; Center 123 mi., 3 ½ hrs
Get on Hwy 350 and drive east
Turn left onto US 59 North
POI: Road to Damascus Sign
Lufkin
Lunch: Bryan’s Smokehouse (609 South Timberland Drive)
Keep right on Loop 287
Keep right onto Hwy 103 47 mi.
Etoile
Turn left onto Lula Hight Rd 8 mi.
Geneva
Get on Hwy 21 and drive northwest
Left on Spur 35 to McMahan’s Chapel
POI: McMahan’s Chapel
Backtrack on Spur 35
Left on Hwy 21
Right on 3448 north
Continue on 330
Turn left onto Hwy 87 northwest
Patroon
Hurstown
Shelbyville
Turn right onto Hwy 417 East
Get on Hwy 2694 and drive southeast 5 mi.
POI: Boles Field; Champion Fox Hound Grave Site; Amphitheater
POI: Latham Cemetery 4.4 mi. on Hwy 139 @ Hurstown
Backtrack on 2694 to 87 West to Center
Overnight in Center
POI: 1840 ROT Boundary: 10 mi. south of Deadwood on 31
Day 5: Return to Austin - 272 mi., 7 – 7 ½ hrs
Hwy 7 to Nacogdoches
Hwy 21 Camino Real to Austin
POI: Caddoan Indian Mounds (6 mi. SW of Alto)
Right on Hwy 290 to Austin |
