The annual Waggin Trail Bide Ride that benefits Hill County Paw Pals and the Hillsboro Police Department Community Outreach Programs has been moved to Saturday, September 25th., 2010. TheWaggin Trail Bike Ride has been moved to this new date to avoid conflict with the MS150 in May and also to align the ride event with other exciting Hillsboro activities that will occur that same September 25th week-end.  With the multiple simultaneous events in Hillsboro, it will be a great time to come out to Hill county and ride some of the best routes in Central Texas and also enjoy a fun-filled, wonderful family week-end at the same time.  Community support for this ride is solid - you won't want to miss it.

Registration for the event will begin at 7:30am with the 5 ride routes stagger starting at 9:00am.

Please check back soon as we are currently updating our website with the latest routes, etc. for this year's event.

Also, please help us "spread the word" regards the new ride date to all your cycling buddies and friends.

See you in September...

Just wanted everyone to see all the sponsors for the Waggin’ Trail Bike Ride 2009 last Saturday, May 2nd.

And a very special thanks to Hillsboro Hog Wild Graphics for donating the banner and the hours spent in putting it together so well.  Thank you Hog Wild.

Hill County Paw Pals and Hillsboro Police Department Community Outreach Programs successfully concluded their joint fund raiser—“Waggin’ Trails Bike Ride 2009”. Designed routes of 10, 28, 40, 58, and 70 miles were provided to challenge cyclists of all levels. The success of this event stemmed from a supporting community, volunteers, sponsors and the outstanding professional support providing by our area Emergency Response Agencies—Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department, Bynum Volunteer Fire Department, and Hillsboro Community Emergency Response (CERT). Hill County Sheriff Jeff Lyon also represented the Hill County Sheriff Office in the command communications center. We are blessed to have a community willing to support two important causes: A group facilitating the installation of a county animal shelter and a program organized to reduce crime by increasing community involvement.

The main event sponsor was Outlets at Hillsboro. The following businesses (in alphabetical order) were our diamond sponsors: Brookshire Grocery Company, Citizens National Bank, Dixie LP-Gas, Expressions Photography, HILCO, Hill Regional Hospital, Hillsboro Lions Club, Hog Wild Graphics, Jackson Insurance and Financial Services, Tipton International Inc., and Tucker Lumber. The following (in alphabetical order) were our valued sponsors: B & G Tire, Days Inn, First National Bank of Central Texas, H-E-B, Hill College, Hill County Insurance Agency—Siddons, Hill Family Dental, Julie Siddons Realtors, KHBR 1560 AM Radio, Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors, Rick’s Quick Lube, and Starbucks Corporation. Sincere thanks to our area newspapers for providing space to help advertise with our related news articles: Hubbard City News, Itasca Paw Print Press, The Reporter Newspaper and Whitney LakeLander.

First impressions for an event that draws cyclists from long distances are very important and begin to form during the registration period. Both Hillsboro Lions Club and Whitney High School Paw Pals Club awakened early to start registering our cycling guests at 6:30am. All cyclists were registered, outfitted with T-shirts, provided maps of their routes, and lined up for the start of the ride at 8:00am.

More...

We at Waggin’ Trail Bike Ride like to support other area bike ride events by announcing them on our website.  Here is one for Grandview, Texas.

The Deb Tribble Memorial "Ride For Pride" Bike Ride will kick off Grandview's Independence Day celebration on July 4, 2009.

 
Mark your calendar and plan to participate in this scenic, challenging bike ride. Pre-registration guarantees a Deb Tribble Memorial "Ride for Pride" T-shirt.  The registration form is available at:

http://www.grandviewvfd.org/Ride_For_Pride-Registration.pdf, or http://www.grandviewchamber.net/news/publish/news_77.html.

Choose between a 10 mile, 24 mile or 50 mile route.

Entry fee is $25.00 and must be received by June 27, 2009. On-site registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Onsite fee is $30.00 and the race starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp!

The starting line for the race is located at the Grandview City Park - 500 5th Street, Grandview TX 76050. This event benefits our Grandview Volunteer Fire Department and is sponsored by the Greater Grandview Chamber of Commerce. Call Chuck McGowen at 817.240.6051 for more information.

A very big and appreciative “THANK YOU” from both Hill County Paw Pals and the Hillsboro Police Department to each and every one who helped or participated in Waggin’ Trail Bike Ride 2009.  The ride was a great success (see pics below – can you pick yourself out in one of them) and the initial review of the “after ride critiques” is positive.

Speaking of the “after ride critique”.  For those who may have forgotten (or just didn’t know there was one available) to complete an “after ride critique”, you can complete one online by clicking here.  The link is also available on the left in the site navigation panel.

Once again, thanks to everyone for making the Waggin’ Trail Bike Ride 2009 a great success.

See ya next year – May 1st, 2010.

Saturday, May 2nd, is almost around the corner and that day promises to be a great day for a terrific bike ride through Hill County.

So!  Get your bikes tuned and ready.  Here are the latest details for RIDE DAY!!

On-site registration starts at 6:30am, Saturday, May 2nd - the day of the ride.  On-site registration will be at the ride start point, Outlets at Hillsboro, North Village
104 I-35 NE, Suite 184, Hillsboro, Texas 76645.

Ride start time will be staggered with the 70, 58, 40 mile rides starting at 8:00am.  Next, at 8:10am will be the 26 miler.  And last, at 8:20am will be the 10 mile kid’s ride through historic Hillsboro.

Don't forget, the Outlets at Hillsboro is having its Cinco De Mayo Fiesta on the 2nd of May as well.  There will be lots of family entertainment available, and for sure you don't want to miss the unbelievable Chihuahua races sponsored by Tractor Supply.  So hang around after the ride and enjoy the day with family and friends - even make new on

See ya on ride day....

Two of Hill County’s finest community oriented organizations, Hill County Paw Pals and Hillsboro  Police Department Community Outreach Programs, have joined together to launch the second annual “Waggin Trail Bike Ride” which has been scheduled on the first Saturday of May (May 2nd).  The event is  planned with five routes to meet the needs of avid cyclists to the casual rider to include 70, 58, 40, 26,  and 10 mile routes.  Hillsboro Lions Club has once again volunteered to manage the registration for this event which will start at 6:30am.  We are proud to announce Outlets at Hillsboro as the event sponsor where planned activities from 11-7pm will include Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and  Tractor Supply’s 2nd annual Chihuahua Dog Races.  The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta will offer live music and activities for children to include face paintings and a bounce house and admission will be free.

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for fifth of May) commemorates the Mexican army’s unpredicted defeat of the French army where the Mexicans were outnumbered two-to-one and up against a force much better-equipped and had known no defeat for 50 years.  Since this victory, no army from another continent has again invaded the Americas.

The planned routes of Waggin Trail Bike Ride will offer cyclists a unique tour of rural Central Texas.  Hill County is 986 square miles of rural area that is joined together with miles and miles of splendid paved farm to market roads.  With a combined county population of only 33,000, Hill County offers plenty of wide open spaces.  On many areas of the bike ride, one can see for miles around—the splendid beauty of open land—flowing creeks, pastures with cattle and horses grazing, farmers’ cultivated fields, and proud, rural communities.

All Waggin Trail routes will start at Outlets at Hillsboro and run though Hillsboro’s historic town square where the famed county courthouse stands.  Built in 1890 and gutted by fire on New Years day 1993, it has been completely restored thanks to the aid of community members, two Willie Nelson concerts, and the Texas Courthouse Alliance.  This massive three-story limestone structure is an impressive seven stories high, making it the tallest structure in Hill County and it can be seen from many miles around.  Hillsboro is known for its historic buildings and features Victorian Bed and Breakfast homes, antique stores, and a popular outlet mall.

  The varied routes all explore the back roads of Hill County and go through communities that were established during the 1850’s when Hill County was created and named after Dr. George W. Hill, a settler who served as a congressman and Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.  This spring season will have a full abundance of Texas wildflowers in bloom—notably, bluebonnets—the Texas State flower, so named by the Texas Legislature in 1901.  Named for its color and it is said, the resemblance of its petal to a woman’s sunbonnet, bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas.  Native Americans wove fascinating folk tales around them and the early-day Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions.  This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plant from Spain, but this cannot be true since the two predominant species of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and nowhere else in the world.

The planning committee for this event, in alphabetical order, are: Hillsboro Chief of Police Tony Cain, Paw Pals Director Lana Crow, Dr. Lane Dykes, Outlets at Hillsboro Marketing and Special Events Manager Rebecca Galuppo, Paw Pals Director Mike Hendricks, and Reverend Reed Justus.

Because Hill County has so many available rural roads, Waggin Trail Bike Ride routes will be altered to change the scenery from year to year.  All offer picturesque scenery just waiting to be enjoyed with your family and friends while at the same time supporting two worthy organizations.

Click here to sign up for the May 2nd, Waggin Trail Bike Ride.

For more information about Outlets at Hillsboro and this year's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, visit www.outletsathillsboro.com; or call (254) 582-2047.