If you are looking for a unique motorcycle destination, we have just the place for you, Turkey, Texas. Turkey is a small town in the Texas Panhandle with a unique past. It is the home of Country Swing legend Bob Wills. He was born in Groesbeck, Texas, but his family moved to Turkey and established a Ranch just east of town. The town population is roughly 317 and swells to fifteen times that size for the annual three-day Bob Wills Festival on the last weekend of April. The festival includes an array of musicians, a parade, food, vendors, and a car show.
Many think the Panhandle region is nothing but flat land full of cotton fields and cow pastures. There is some truth to that, but you just have to know what roads to take. For starters, get your map out and look for Farm-to-Market Road 1919 and Farm-to-Market Road 267 out of Seymour, Texas. These two roads exemplify cotton fields, cow pastures, and rolling hills. Ranch Road 1440, Farm-to-Market Road 94, and Farm-to-Market Road 656 off of Texas Highway 62 just north of Paducah twist and turn through rolling valleys and past picture-perfect ranches.
Once in Turkey, the must-sees are the Welcoming Plaza, 1928 Phillips 66 Gas Station, Bob Wills Museum, and Bob Wills Memorial. After visiting the sites, you are probably going to want some food. The options in Turkey are limited but include the Turkey Creek Winery, Tona’s Mexican Kitchen, Tony’s Ice Cream Shop, and the Hotel Turkey.
Hotel Turkey is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Saturday night is ribeye night. You can watch them cook your ribeye on an open grill and have it served with shrimp, quail breast, and all of the trimmings. The hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has remained in constant use since it opened in 1927. It has an old rustic ambiance and gives you the impression you are back in the days of an early John Wayne movie. George W. Bush once stayed there while still the governor of Texas.
Hotel Turkey is a hot spot for live entertainment. Bands and soloists come from all over the U.S. to play at the hotel, and the compensation is tips and hospitality from the hotel management. In the two nights we stayed there, we saw Forrest McCurren, Robert Cline Jr., Rhett Uhland, and Landin Tally, all accomplished artists. All put on a great show to a packed house. For a complete schedule of who will be playing, check out the hotel website.
While in the area, ride 25 miles west of Turkey to Caprock Canyon State Park. This is one of the jewels in the Texas park system. Opened in 1982, the park contains 300 free-range buffalo donated by the descendants of Charles Goodnight. The Texas Legislature designated the bison herd at Caprock Canyons State Park as the official State Bison Herd.
As we entered the park, a large buffalo herd was lying along the roadside. It is a scary feeling to ride so close to the buffalo that you feel you can reach out and touch them. Make the stop at the Visitor’s Center for a bathroom break, information, and souvenirs. The ride to the end of the park is a little over five miles. You will pass a lake, several camping sites, and some of the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen. Just be careful of all the buffalo droppings on the road. If you are the hiking kind, several trails run through the park. There is a five-dollar fee for motorcycles to ride through the park. All of the money collected is to help preserve the park.
Ride back to the Bison Café for lunch in Quitaque (pronounced locally as Kitty-Qway). Governor Greg Abbott declared the city the Bison Capital of Texas in 2015. A BisonFest is held annually to raise money for the bison herd at Caprock Canyons. The menu at the Bison Café is diverse and features good ol’ Americana food. We recommend the tacos.
From Quitaque, ride west on Texas Highway 86 to Farm-to-Market 256. Take a left on Farm-to-Market Road 256 and keep on riding. You will think this is just a ride through the cow pastures, and then suddenly you will come to the William E. Schott rest area. William is known for overcoming the Caprock barrier by building the first wagon road to Silverton, where he helped organize Briscoe County in 1892. Turn into the rest area, and you will be amazed at how quickly the terrain changes.
After you have admired the views from the rest area, continue on FM 256 for some more winding and twisting turns down the Caprock to Texas Highway 70. Turn right on TX Hwy 70 and follow it back to Turkey. Along the way, stop on the bridge over the Little Red River and admire the view.
A final word of advice: if you decide to ride the less traveled backroads of the Texas Panhandle, be on the alert for turkeys, road runners, deer, and the occasional wandering cow.
