EASTBOUND AND DOWN
The Ultimate Road Trip to LST
“For the past three years a group of truck enthusiasts gather along a trail with a common goal of ending up in Conroe, Texas, for one of the biggest and best shows in the South: The Lone Star Throwdown.”
YOU MAY HAVE heard that the journey is the story and the destination is the result. Eastbound and Down to the Throwdown 3 did not disappoint.
For the past three years a group of truck enthusiasts gather along a trail with a common goal of ending up in Conroe, Texas, for one of the biggest and best shows in the South: The Lone Star Throwdown. Some show up driving their classics, some are towing, and some are just rollin’ in their daily— but the group has gotten bigger and bigger, which means more fun each year.
This year we had people from California, Arizona, Indiana and even Australia join in on the madness. The Provost Motorsports guys showed up all the way from Woodland, California.
The priorities are simple: 1) Have fun, 2) Don’t break down, and 3) Make it as far as you can the first day and keep truckin’. Priority No. 1 always takes a front seat!
Wednesday’s destination was Fort Stockton, Texas, 650 miles from our starting point in Chandler, Arizona. We jumped on I-10 and stayed on it the entire first day. Along the way we picked up some groups like Joey G and the “Bitchen” Boys. One of the highlights is the traditional meet-up in El Paso for dinner at Pablo’s place. I really can’t express enough how this is hospitality and friendship at its finest.
On Day Two, we added some Texans and the convoy grew. We veered o the 10 for a more scenic route on the outskirts of Austin and a killer cruise into Conroe.
Sounds pretty straightforward, but the journey is never without adventure. From a blown diesel motor, a tranny leak, a tire blowout and a few sheered bolts, there were a handful of unplanned stops. But once everyone was back on the road, we had few “necessary” stops at the Deep Eddy Vodka plant, the Martin Brothers Custom shop and everyone’s favorite—bucee’s!! Buc-ee’s is a chain of convenience stores where you can get fuel and everything else you need as a tourist traveling through Texas.
We all made it to Conroe and, before we knew it, LST was over. We put the wheels back on the road and headed west this time.
The trip, like the last three years, was a major success of memories and laughter along the way. So, if you get a chance to jump in next year, I imagine 2020 will have a story all its own.
“The trip, like the last three years, was a major success of memories and laughter along the way. So, if you get a chance to jump in next year, I imagine 2020 will have a story all its own.”