windows down

Winding Texas Hill Country road tracks as one of the best scenic routes in America

There's nothing like the feeling of being on the wide open road.

www.cycletrader.com

If a long, out-of-state vacation isn't in the cards for you this summer, perhaps a short road trip could be a great compromise. There's nothing like the feeling of being on the wide open road and enjoying the grand beauty of the Texas Hill Country with the windows down, especially if you make it out early enough to watch the sun rise on the drive.

Cycle Trader, a classifieds sites for motorcycles, named The Twisted Sisters as one of America's best routes in their recent report called "Top Destinations for Your Next Motorcycle Road Trip." Located about five hours from Dallas (it begins outside San Antonio), The Twisted Sisters spans about 130 miles along Ranch Roads 335, 336, and 337 with dozens of bends, drops, and inclines to keep drivers on their toes the entire time.

While on the drive, Cycle Trader suggests making a few stops to fully immerse in the Hill Country culture.

"Along the way get some barbecue, pay a visit to the Lost Maples State Natural Area, and get up to date on your motorcycle history at the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum," the report says.

If you want to turn the drive into a longer trip, consider adding the Devil's Sinkhole Natural State Area to your list of stops, and if you decide to stay overnight, the Historic Leakey Inn isn't too far away.

The route isn't exclusive to just motorcycles; four-wheeled vehicles are also welcome, but you'll likely need to be more alert about your surroundings. Most importantly, make sure the gas tank is full before embarking on the drive.

Motorcycle rental and tour company EagleRider provided some advice for drivers considering a Twisted Sisters trip.

"Be forewarned that some of the blind curves are unexpectedly sharp, making you feel like you’ve been snapped by a slingshot," EagleRider said. "Have fun, yet ride with caution as this is purely ranch country. There are cattle guards in between ranches, not to mention free-range cattle and deer. Plus there might be ranchers moving slowly in their pickups."

The Twisted Sisters was the only Texas route included in Cycle Trader's report. Several other well-known routes were chosen across every region in the United States.

Other prominent road trip routes include:

The Pacific Coast Highway
The Tail of the Dragon
Montana Highway 200
Blue Ridge Parkway
U.S. Route 1
Route 66

The full list of best destinations for motorcycle road trips can be found on cycletrader.com.

Motorcycle Road Trip Road Trip Texas Hill Country Twisted Sisters driving hill country

DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

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