By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
A Cooke County town known for promoting its cultural heritage in a big way now has another reason to celebrate.
Muenster was named one of the top ten best small towns in the February/March issue of Ride Texas — a magazine geared toward motorcycle enthusiasts.
Muenster is in pretty good company.
It joins Luckenbach, Kerrville, Jefferson, Leakey, Fredericksburg, Gurene, Bandera, Alpine and Granbury as cities picked by Ride Texas readers as the best places to visit via motorcycle.
For each of the top ten cities, Ride Texas provides information travelers might find useful such as GPS coordinates, online resources and restaurant and lodging information.
The magazine notes that Muenster — ranked #10 on the list — is the sister-city of Munster in Westphalia, Germany.
Besides Germanfest, a colossal 3-day German heritage celebration held the last full weekend of April each year, Muenster has several attributes motorcycle aficionados crave including FM 373, a highway which cuts a swathe through what appears to be unending prairie.
Recognition from Ride Texas is a honor, Pct. 4 County Commissioner Leon Klement said.
Klement said he already knew the magazine named Muenster a Top 10 Texas city.
“I get the magazine myself,” he said in an interview Friday morning. “I think it’s pretty neat. I’m not a biker, but I do have a Goldwing my wife and I like to ride on weekends. It’s just a hobby.”
Klement said Cooke County is a draw for motorcycle enthusiasts, many from Fort Worth or Dallas.
“A lot of folks come up here from the Metroplex. They like to ride the scenic back roads and make the 373 loop that goes through Bulcher. It’s not just in Muenster. There’s a lot of bikes that come through Cooke County,” he said.
The visitors also make an impact on the local economy, he added.
“They spend money at our gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants,” he noted.
