Skip to main content

Day 29- Kerrville TX 47 miles

 Texas started out a little pouty this morning with overcast skies and some pretty good wind. We headed downhill towards Lost Maple Recreation Area where we raised the curiosity of three emus (maybe ostriches?)that were behind a fence. Actually everything in this part of Texas seems to be behind a fence and/or no trespassing signs.

At mile four we hit a hill that on paper looked like it went straight up but really was just about 1 1/2 miles at 6% grade. At the top I stopped to look back and take a picture. It looked MUCH worse from that angle than it actually was. This is Jack coming up over the crest of the hill.

We passed large ranches with golden grasses and small live oaks. The hills rolled which is just how I like it. Weird things popped up: a trenching machine, a fence line of boots, and the Guadalupe river which was an unexpected green color running along the road into The town of Hunt.



Hunt is significant because it is our halfway point. We stopped in front of a small market, all but Terry, and ate lunch and guzzled a beer. A motorcycle group came to do the same and I walked over to ask if they might take our photo. They looked as if I was coming to offer religious salvation but when I explained why we needed the photo, they burst into,”Are you shitting me? From San Diego?” We made a number of new friends.



We’re now settled in at the Kerrville KOA. It was my night to cook with Jack. He made a great spinach salad to go with my chicken cacciatore. It’s amazing what you can make with two pots and an outdoor stove.

The tent is hot because it’s 76° outside, but rain is forecast so the fly is staked. Could be a wet ride tomorrow.

Things I learned today:

  • Everything that grows in Texas is prickly, so look before you squat.

Comments

  1. Halfway! Does that mean it's all downhill from there? Great pictures and stories. I love your writing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I missed this one previously. Wow, halfway! Lydia makes friends everywhere and with everybody! Debbie

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 1- Ocean Beach to Alpine

 Day 1 is in the books! Great day that started at Dog  Beach and a back wheel dip in the Pacific. Tad, Kathy, and Charlotte met me down there. It was great to see them as we headed out. The ride was flat for the first 25 miles or so, but hot! Temps were in the 90s with blazing sun and clear blue skies. We separated out early into smaller groups. I found good peddling with Sue and Ann. We also crossed paths with Adam and Kelly, the tandem riders. Our route took us to through Mission Gorge regional park which was absolutely gorgeous. A nice pass that cut through the mountains and made it possible for us to miss an incredible climb. No worries; there are plenty more ahead of us. At 30 miles we made sure we were fully loaded with water and electrolytes. I’m not sure if I’ve ever consumed this much fluid in a single day. Then the climb began. On the map it looked evil, almost straight up. In reality it was less steep than it was long. It was 6 miles at about three or 4% grade. It d...

Day 53- Perry FL

 We had a very windy night which made for a great sleeping. I set an alarm for 1:00 AM so I could see the Artemis unmanned moon rocket launch, but when I got up I found it had been pushed back and well, 70 miles, so I chose sleep over history. It was gray when we got up, and gray as we headed out. And chilly! I wished I’d opted for leggings over my shorts but was happy to have gloves. Small victories.The temp said it was almost 60 – my body threw the BS flag. I was cold all day. Not much to say about this ride. We had a 20 mile bike path that took us off route 98 for a while. We met another Bike traveler named Tony who had been on the road since June 26.  He started in Connecticut and rode to Indianapolis, then back towards Pittsburgh where he rode the trails to DC. He then went to Key West and is now on his way to New Orleans. We asked questions about his gear (there wasn’t much!) and traded a few stories and wished each other well. We got off the trail and crossed the St Mar...

Day 45- Poplarville MS- Rest Day

 Today was our first day of rest after 12 days of riding, so of course I woke up at 1:30 AM. I was absolutely sure it was 6:30 AM and I was ready for the day. I love all these perks of getting older. As luck would have it, there was a lunar eclipse starting right around this time.  I was, of course, wide awake for it. I peeked out of the tent, took a look at the moon,  read for a while, peeked at the moon again, and decided I was hungry. I snuck out to my bike to grab a bar, there being no milk and cookies readily available like there are when this happens at home. I finally called it a night again around three. 630 finally came around for real and I was ready. The Snowflake Donut and Taco store. Beckoned and a bunch of us that off for coffee. The tacos looked pretty good but I held out for brunch back at the campground. After brunch, most of us loaded into the van and headed into New Orleans. We parked in the French quarter and headed right to café Dumond, will became im...