Just a little trivia item that surprised me. We went to BBT by back roads -- FM1485 and FM3083 to Conroe, 105 to 390 and 390 around Brenham. Then 290 to Paige, and 21 down to San Marcos. Then 12 and 32 to Blanco, and 1623, 1888, and 1376 to 290 just east of Fredericksburg. It was 273 miles to the motel from the house.
Going back, we took 290 all the way from the motel to Burton, and 390 around Brenham, and backtracked the route home. 272 miles. Two years ago we took the same route and made better time that the "290 all the way" riders. Now that the construction gridlock in Austin is gone, I doubt our route was faster, but it was definitely a nicer drive. There are some spectacular vistas along 12, 32, 1623, 1888, and 1376 that just won't be matched on 290. For a one mile difference, the way we went is certainly worth it in my opinion, unless you're in a hurry. The only real traffic jam we hit was going through San Marcos (it's always that way), and if we had bothered to detour around on the side streets we would have bypassed that, but I was looking for a place to buy some synthetic oil and figured the odds were better on the main drag.
Anyway, I was surprised at how close the mileages were between the fast route and the scenic route, and if one were to drive through at the speed limit on both routes, I doubt the difference in time would be too terribly great.
