Five hamburgers were on the table between them. I was eating ice cream with my friends and overheard them talking about their day. The loaded bikes were outside...
Bicycling across America.
I thought to myself... someday I'll ride across America.
It only took 30 years.
Friday, April 12, 2002
I was up early and ready to go. Allen was kind enough to take me, my bike, and all my possessions for the next seven weeks down to the station. The train pulled away at 9:45 a.m. and I sat back and tried to relax. I thought of all that had happened to get me to this point; the one week Washington bike trip that got me thinking again about the bike tour I always wanted to take; the 9-11 event that got me off my butt to start doing some of the things I always wanted to do; the house to prepare for Beth, the house and cat sitter; the projects finished at work; and all the gear collected and packed. I also thought back over my training; the many days of riding through the rainy winter and all the weight sessions in the gym. Would it be enough? Was I ready? I was also worried about my back – always a weak link in my riding. I had severely cranked it the day before and now it was really stiff and sore, I knew this would be a problem.
I finally convinced myself that I was ready or at least there was nothing more I could do at this point, and settled back into the rhythm of the train.
A few observations from the train:
• Trains go through the “backyards” of most towns.
• The ‘drug runner guy’ on the train who couldn’t get into Canada, “They wouldn’t let me in,” I heard several versions of his story on the way south.
• The couple that slept almost the whole way and only ate chocolate, pepsi and chips.
• The train was almost two and a half hours late into Santa Barbara, but the commuter to Anaheim left only 20 minutes late. I don’t know where we made up the time.
• Got to the hotel at midnight, ate my warm chocolate chip cookie I received at check-in and slept soundly in my DoubleTree bed.
I finally convinced myself that I was ready or at least there was nothing more I could do at this point, and settled back into the rhythm of the train.
A few observations from the train:
• Trains go through the “backyards” of most towns.
• The ‘drug runner guy’ on the train who couldn’t get into Canada, “They wouldn’t let me in,” I heard several versions of his story on the way south.
• The couple that slept almost the whole way and only ate chocolate, pepsi and chips.
• The train was almost two and a half hours late into Santa Barbara, but the commuter to Anaheim left only 20 minutes late. I don’t know where we made up the time.
• Got to the hotel at midnight, ate my warm chocolate chip cookie I received at check-in and slept soundly in my DoubleTree bed.
Sunday, April 14, 2002
I slept in as long as I could, put my bike together, ate a good breakfast, and then it was off in a taxi to the official tour hotel. Moved into the Hampton Inn and started meeting the group. I was able to check in early and met my roommate for the evening, Kathy Jo from Minnesota. She threatened to have me talkin’ like a Minnesotan again before the trip is over.
Got settled in and wandered around the neighborhood. Decided to drop in this Italian place for a ceasar salad and some chianti. They served “family style” so the salad was enough to feed 3 or 4 and the wine was in a 12 oz. tumbler! I had the time and my book, so I settled in and ordered a second glass.
We got together for the group dinner – introductions and last minute instructions were our entertainment for the evening.
It seems like a good group, maybe a few odd ducks – I’m sure they’ll all come out in time. I’m wondering about the training and skill level of some, but I guess we’ll see on that one too.
This was also our introduction to what would be a common method of feeding us – I called it ”trough” – food served in big warming trays, where we could scoop out our own proportions. It wasn’t high cuisine, but you generally could get enough – important when your riding a bike all day.
Day 1 - Los Angeles to San Clemente
It was the first day of riding and we woke up to rain – it could have been Seattle! I don’t care, I’m ready to go.
We got out of LA via a bike trail along a cement river (drainage ditch). Not very scenic, but it got us out of town without car traffic. The wind was blowing in our faces, but we moved along at a good pace. Next, we were on the coast highway and headed south to San Clemente; lots of traffic, but with a good shoulder. Picked up speed a few times with some of the guys, but mostly just pedaled my own pace. Stopped for tacos at noon with Keri, Jeff and George.
The tent is set up – some people seem a little unsure of this part, it will probably take awhile to get it all working efficiently. My bag looks like my bedroom floor, I’m sure it will work itself out also. Its nice to have a short day so we can get the hang of it.
I went down to the beach to watch the waves and to think about what’s to come. Surfers were doing their thing and the sandpipers were eating – then whales! A pod of 3 maybe 4, a 100 feet from shore – very cool! This is going to be a wonderful trip!
47.8 miles - some bonus miles down to the pier at San Clemente, its always nice to get lost with friends.
Day 2 - San Clemente to San Diego
We rode mostly along the coast highway – some on the freeway shoulder and a lot of bike paths. The sky was overcast for most of the day. Mild headwinds all day, everyone said they never have a headwind on this part of the coast – how lucky for us!. Keri and I rode the first part of the day on Sigmund’s wheel – going 19 mph helped the freeway part go by much faster. After the checkpoint, we had a small hill climb up to Del Mar where we had lunch. A mile and a half climb was next, and then we threaded our way through the neighborhoods of La Jolla and San Diego. Finally we rode on a bike path along the ocean to our camping spot for the night. The area was beautiful with the water and boats, but our camping site was mostly dirt and very crowded.
Randy cooked for us again some fine trough and had his motorcycle blender mixing up the margaritas for the second night, we’ll miss him.
59.0 miles
Day 3 - San Diego to Potrero
This was the day the ride really started across America – we turned east – and began to climb.
We left our camp and headed south with the rush hour traffic along the waterfront. I’m still getting used to reading and following the directions on our DRG’s (daily route guide), the amount of directions and detail seems change on whim, calling out every little thing and then long stretches where they don’t call out landmarks very similar to things pointed out earlier. I guess we’ll learn to go with the flow and pay attention to our odometers.
We had almost 5000 feet of climbing today; it turned out to be three climbs, the first 2 weren’t bad, but the last one curved this way and that and never seemed to quit. I never used the granny gear (probably should have – my knees might hate me tomorrow), I just wanted to see if I could make it in the higher gear.
It felt so good to conquer our first hill day – a positive experience. I know I can do more.
We’re in a odd campground with nothing to do. The owner didn’t think we would be there so early, but he has found us some beer. I have my fellow riders to get to know and the blues are on the tape player – it’s a good day.
58.6 miles - 4,770 feet of climbing
Day 4 - Potrero to Brawley
It was cold this morning, rode with the fleece vest, rain coat, long sleeve top, knee warmers, and long fingered gloves. I warmed up some when we started climbing, not the big climbs of yesterday, but long rollers. I was tired from the day before, so went slower than usual. Our entertainment was provided by the border patrol guys flying by us in their SUV’s. At one point we witnessed one poor person face down on the side of the road getting ‘cuffed. We’re very close to the Mexico border.
The next part of our ride was this long eight mile descent on the freeway – a 6% grade – it should have been a fun downhill, but was really kind of scary. The winds could really rock you around, I would brake when I thought the wind would hit and then hang on! – very tense and tiring. Bonnie fell on the rumble strip, fortunately not hurt too badly.
The checkpoint, about halfway through each days’ ride where we had to sign in, was at the bottom. Off came all the warm clothes and into the mexican restaurant I went for a burrito to split with Keri.
The riding after lunch started out good, even though the road was kind of bumpy, we had a tailwind. Then it switched to a headwind and the road totally deteriorated into a completely beat up piece of crap. We swerved all over the road looking for the smoother sections – there weren’t any. We finally came upon the reason for the poor road – a large business called “Plaster City” and their big trucks. Thankfully it was only 10 miles of really bad stuff and then on and off for the rest of the day.
We were in the desert! Sand, rocks and not much else except for the military planes flying above us. The signs said we were riding through a “Live Bombing Area,” I assume they close things off if they’re doing anything dangerous. Sig, Keri and I were riding together, Sig swerved to miss a pot hole, I barely missed it, and Keri went in and crashed. She was ok, her bike was a bit messed up, but she was able to finish the day.
It was hot by the time we finished, but I felt pretty good for 90 miles. We camped at a community center – pitched our tents right next to the pool. I had time to walk around town and write before it was time walk to the chinese restaurant for dinner.
90.4 miles - 3,730 feet of climbing
Day 5 - Brawley to Blythe
Another 90 mile day.
The first 30 miles went by quick with the help of a nice tailwind. We climbed to the observation area in the Imperial Sand Dunes. The dunes were really cool, the sand making nice shapes and interesting patterns.
Then it was on to a section of rollers. At first I could stand up and pop over them, but then the legs started to go and they became more like climbs. There were also head/side winds that came and went. I was really happy to get to checkpoint because then we only had 20 more miles to go.
Food sources today were scarce, checkpoint didn’t have much and it was very hot. My back was really starting to hurt, the many days of riding a row were accumulating. I never got to ride this many days in a row in training and also the lack of food I would have immediately after riding if I was back in Seattle was preventing me from full recovery. I think I could have dealt with it all better if it wasn’t for the sore back.
We’re in a hotel, I’ve had a massage, the laundry is done, and we had Sizzler cow for dinner. Life is good. It’s amazing how some rest and food make it all better.
91.2 miles - 2,630 feet of climbing
Day 6 - Blythe to Aquila
Nothing like flying into camp with a tailwind on a 90 mile day at 22+ mph, legs spinning effortlessly, to make you feel good about your day.
It started out kind of slow, my legs felt bad and we were on a freeway shoulder that had these hideous “wake ‘em up” strips. Every few pedal strokes “ku klump!” as your bike went over the strip whacking your hands and your butt – Mark said there were 100 of them per mile – that’s a lot of butt whacks. The next road was fairly bumpy also, but slightly downhill, so we could move well.
Checkpoint was at the Koffa Cafe, a very funky cafe were I got a big sugary coke, one of Bob’s french frys, and a bite of his cherry pie. After resting in the coolness of the cafe it was back on the bike for a nice gentle climb. About halfway to the top Keri and I stopped to look at some petroglyphs, then it was on to an excellent wind assisted pedal through the valley. There were small mountains on both sides with enough color to look at and keep it interesting.
Our camp has only small grassy area for tents, so we’re a bit squwished. Laundry is done. Sig has brought back from town (six miles) skanky cheese and wine, Dave has brought beers, so we had happy hour. Dinner was at a tavern down the road. The locals there look like cowboys, and the ceiling has lots of hand written messages to read. Mr. Bill is feeling good so we all get free drinks on him, the food is good and plentiful.
90.5 miles - 3,620 feet of climbing
Day 7 - Aquila to Mesa
We rode our bikes to breakfast, the sun was just coming up over the top of the mountains. It was so cold my fingers hurt! After breakfast it had warmed up a bit – still cold, but bearable.
Bob towed us the first 25 miles to Wikenburg, it was really nice to get some miles in without a ton of effort. After Wikenburg we shed our coats and did a climb, lost Keri, but waited for her at the top of the hill. Then it was kind of a grind into the wind to the checkpoint 50 miles away. I wandered around the area for awhile, taking some photos and picking up rocks.
After the checkpoint the next item on our DRG was a cattle grate in 10 miles – something to look forward to – a cattle grate! We had 112 miles to go and it was just going to take awhile. Keri and I just kept peddling into a kind of a side/headwind with some up and down to break it up. The scenery consisted of a few different cacti and rocks with a glider plane up above thrown in for fun. It was only about 25 miles more until we reached suburbia, where there was more to look at, but also more directions to follow. Keri and I met up with Steve and Skip in Scottsdale. Steve pulled us for many miles at 28 mph – what a way to make up some miles! We finally couldn’t stay with them and we were back on our own. After about 6 more miles we met up with Dave and rode with him until he pulled over with a flat. We went by a few others who had stopped for food and it became Art, Keri and I to the finish. I lead us in the final miles at about 19 mph, feeling good! We turned into Dobson Ranch almost the first to finish – Matt was first, he started riding at 5 am – mostly ‘cause the guys stop for food more.
111.4 miles - 2,510 feet of climbing
Day 8 - Mesa
The resort is very nice place to spend our first layover day. There’s a bar to hang out with fellow riders, a pool to relax in, and the food is well executed trough. Its our first mail stop, so I have letters to read and snacks to eat from Mom and Bruce. Found a post office and sent some stuff home along with many postcards. The laundry is done, and many riders are cleaning their bikes, but I’m ignoring mine.
A bunch of us went to the Frank Lloyd Wright’s Tallisen West for the tour – very cool – and then on to REI for another pair of “good” shorts and another bag so I can sort out my stuff better. Later I had drinks with Bob and Sig before our pasta dinner. We’ve labeled it “Tour ‘d Puddin’”, so far we’ve had puddin out of the can, puddin’ at the Sizzler (best so far) and now puddin’ in the pie.
Day 9 - Mesa to Globe
Today was an interesting day. We rode for about 20 miles before we got out of town and out into the open. The terrain was kind of rolling with an ok road surface. At about 45 miles I stopped at the Boyce Thompson Desert Arboretum. I wandered around for about 2 hours looking at all the desert plants and cacti, lots of them in bloom, with the help of drip irrigation. Wanted to bring some home, but good sense prevailed and I only bought postcards. I was glad I stopped to look around, it was time to see things other than the pavement.
This woman at the arboretum saw my helmet and wondered if I knew anything about all the bikes she saw on the road. When I told her we were cycling to Florida, she pulled down her sunglasses a bit, looked over the top of them and said “You’re what?” in a deadpan voice of total disbelief.
I had a couple of good climbs after the checkpoint, but geared down and pedaled along. At the top I stopped at a junk store and on the way down I stopped to look at a copper mine. A great downhill and a bit more up and then a short steep climb to the funky B&B (an old schoolhouse) where we’re staying.
75.4 miles - 4,870 feet of climbing
Day 10 - Globe to Safford
Our stay in the B&B was fun. The old schoolhouse was an interesting building, but the high ceilings and with not much around to dampen the noise made it really loud. The many people in one room thing for sleeping “indoor camping” as they called it, is potentially a bad thing, but this one worked out – no noisy people in my room. Breakfast was superb – strawberries, yogurt, egg burritos, muffins and we were off for the day. Made up for the horrible overcooked dinner the night before at Jerry's Cafe.
The weather was beautiful, the terrain a bit rolling, with a tailwind. I lead out Keri until we got to checkpoint, a gas station/food mart type of place. I sat around for about 40 minutes having a snack and then rode with Bob the second part of the day.
Not much to do in Safford, especially when you get in at noon. Started some laundry, got some nachos with Bob and then off to the grocery store with Keri. Afterward I sat around outside the motel with Bob and George having a beer, talking slow about absolutely nothing and watching the ice melt in George’s knee bag. At 5:00 p.m. we went over to the bar where we were going to have dinner for cheap margaritas and the prelude to tonight’s entertainment. “Tall, Dark and Country” would be preforming at our dinning establishment that night. All the gals from miles around were arriving for the show; dressed in their finest, makeup and hair done to perfection. Leaving after dinner and threading our way through the painted crowd back to our motel was very enlightening.
79.5 miles - 2,180 feet of climbing
Day 11 - Safford to Buckhorn
I started out slow as we exited Safford, worried about the climbs ahead. Felt like I was really dragging, but then I realized we were on a long slight uphill that went on for miles. Then there were a few rollers, a really nice downhill, a pretty good climb followed by a really great downhill. The only problem was that now we were at the very bottom of the valley and we had a long climb ahead. It started out moderate then got steeper (in the granny now), then road flattened out and I could see the real climb for the day laid out in front of me. I couldn’t tell exactly where it went, hoping it didn’t go where I thought it would – it did. I found a good pace and just kept pedaling up the switchbacks. At one point I looked up and though “o no!”, but then I looked back where I came from and thought “I can do that again.”
The sky was overcast which kept the climbing cool. At the top our checkpoint, Rochell had a little fire going for us and we were able to relax and eat the sandwiches that were waiting for us. Then it was back onto the road and into the Gila National Forest – trees again! On the downhill I wanted to go slow just to look at the scenery, but finally had to stop to take pictures. The rest of the day was mostly rollers and generally downhill.
I stopped for a couple of beers at the Last Chance liquor store before getting to camp with Dave and Matt – they were finishing two six-packs and stayed to have more after I left.
We’re at this rustic (rundown) Christian camp, there’s nothing to do except write and commune with our fellow riders. We’re also in bunk beds in large dorm rooms hopefully it will be quiet. The food is good, even though they want to serve us restaurant style, which is a little slow.
81.4 miles - 5,890 feet of climbing - 35,000 in 11 days
Day 12 - Buckhorn to Kingston
This was suppose to be the most difficult day of climbing on the trip and it most certainly lived up to its reputation. When we started out it was cool, but I warmed up just fine on the rollers and the mile long uphill grades. We crossed the Continental Divide before checkpoint, it was a little unassuming as the DRG suggested, but an accomplishment at 6,000 feet.
We finally arrived at checkpoint, in the middle of nowhere, right next to this huge copper mine. It was really awful to think of this monster gaping hole in the ground, but it was really pretty, the ridges and the subtle cascading colors – I stared at it for a long time leaving long after the people I arrived with.
After checkpoint was the “meat” of the day – uphill for seven + miles. I met up with Jeff at this point and we cycled together for most of the climb, it was nice to have someone to talk to. The grade wasn’t so terrible, but combined with the previous days, it became a long grind. I saw signs that we were on a bike race route, I couldn’t imagine racing up this. Parts of the climb were in a pretty canyon that was shady and cooler. Mo, one of the sag drivers, insisted on keeping our water bottles filled for this whole climb. I didn’t want any more weight to carry, it was hard enough pedaling and we weren’t that far away from tonight’s lodging. When I wouldn’t stop she took the bottle from me as I was riding, filled it and drove forward to catch me so I could have my water without stopping.
I finally made it to the top of Emory Pass at 8,228 feet, the highest point on the trip. The observation area was only a quarter mile off the route, so I climbed the few extra feet to get to the viewpoint and took some pictures of the awesome sight. All that was left was the downhill to the lodge, it should have been more relaxing, but the wind was really blowing. On almost every corner I slowed practically down to a stop and braced against the wind, trying to stay upright as the wind blew me sideways to the edge of the road.
Finally into Black Range Lodge – very funky – we were sleeping all over the place – beds, couches, floors – not much space at all. The food was excellent! Lasagne, salad and wine, they grow most of their own food so its all very fresh and wonderful.
84.6 miles - 7,850 feet of climbing
Day 13 - Kingston to Las Cruces
It started out as a cool, beautiful day, the road was still a little downhill leaving the lodge, so the first ten miles went quick. Then the area opened up and the terrain became more rolling. We had an ok pace going with Keri leading, but then the road turned and we went into a strong headwind. I left Keri out there buckin’ the wind, (I certainly didn’t want to be there,) it was hard to keep the speed in the upper single digits. Then I got my first flat – a big thorn – we changed it in record time, but couldn’t get the pump to work properly. We tried my pump, then Keri’s pump, I thought, mine’s not great, but it has put air in the tube in the past. We finally figured it out – we had put the same punctured tube back in! How stupid! We changed the tube again and were finally on our way. Pierre was on his way to us with the van and we caught him a few miles down the road, he got a good laugh out of our folly.
I lead to midday in Hatch, NM – chilli capitol of the world – catching up to a bunch of people. In Hatch a group of us stopped for lunch at the Pepper Pot for some good mexican chow. The waitress asked if someone wanted onions with their burrito, I’m thinking “can you have mexican food without onions?” I said to Bob “That’s just wrong!”
After lunch I was riding solo and feeling really good, stomping on the pedals and passing a bunch of people (to the chagrin of some of the men). Pierrre had stopped his van next to a calf roping contest – a perfect excuse to stop. I stopped to watch, and asked some locals how it all worked, they were more than happy to explain it all to me.
Finally it was time to head on in to Las Cruses, the wind – flags flying straight out – was most of the time sort of a tailwind and sometimes to the side, I made it into town at a good pace. Rode awhile with Ann, trying to shield her when we had sidewinds, since she hadn’t been riding much because of medical problems.
I kept going straight to see some of Las Cruces instead of turning at the edge of town to go to our campground. Stopped at a DQ for some ice cream and postcard writing, then meandered back toward the campground, trying to find a brew pub one of the locals told me about. I finally made it to camp realizing I was very close to riding a hundred miles (a “bob”) so I toured the campground to get the required .4 miles to complete my “century”.
Our campground was fine, but the food lacked in quantity – our caterers insisted on serving our trough for the night and it was very skimpy. Katie, one of the staff, also agreed to do an alcohol run, so I put in my order for red wine, around $10, preferably local. It was undrinkable, I think it had been recorked or at least the cork was reused, it was poured out after the first whiff, a taste was not needed.
100 miles
Day 14 - Las Cruces to El Paso
We left Las Cruces after a good night’s sleep at the Best View RV Park, it was nice to camp after so many nights in odd indoor accommodations. There was no need to hurry; the mileage for the day wasn’t too great, and the next day would be a rest day. I wished we could have rode a little later in the day because there would have been more to see along the way. The town of Old Misilla had very interesting buildings and shops that would have been fun to look through; there was also a wine tasting farther down the road that would have been fun, but it didn’t start until noon; there was also a polo field – we all thought it would have been wonderful if they had been playing, I definitely would have stopped to watch. It was not to be, but we did have some pretty riding through the pecan groves, we could also see how the irrigation worked. When its your turn your field would be flooded with water while its neighbor would be bone dry.
Checkpoint was at the DQ 45 miles into the ride, Keri and I went across the road to the Subway and were later joined by Bob. We got to the beginning of “city” riding after five more miles and had to start paying more attention to our route guides.
After cleaning up at the hotel, Donna and Bobby formerly from Seattle, picked me up and we went first to the ariel tramway – great view! Then went to the art gallery where Donna’ worked. She had to stay for a meeting, so Bobby and I went to a brew pub for snacks and beer. I went back later with Donna for more food.
65 miles
Day 15 - El Paso
Day 15 - El Paso
The day before Katie and the van were at the 1000 mile mark, blowing bubbles and dancing in the street in celebration. When I went by she yelled “your friend was here,” I didn’t quite catch what she said and kind of went “huh?” It turned out that it was Donna’s church our route passed by and before she went into church she asked Katie if I was on this trip. When Donna came out, Katie told her I had just gone by. Bobby and Donna’s way home was the on our route to the hotel, so they saw me riding several times, afraid to honk or yell ‘cause they thought I might crash or something.
It was wonderful to have a layover day, also a nice bonus to get away from the group and have old friends to visit with. Did the usual chores of laundry and sent a few things home along with postcards. Then Donna drove me out to see the old Missions, there were 3 of them all different styles and also very different on the inside too. The one was getting a major refurbishing, they were making traditional mud bricks. According to a flyer I found, the weekend before was the great “mud-in,” soliciting volunteers to help make bricks, their efforts were drying in the sun in front of the church. Donna and I had a late lunch together and then I went back to my hotel. I shopped for a few items across the street at the mall and reunited with my ride mates at the Italian restaurant across the street from the hotel.
Day 16 - El Paso to Ft. Hancock
Day 3 of 17 Days of Texas. Sig, Keri and I left El Paso later than usual, way behind the rest of our group. We didn’t have that many miles to go and we wanted to stop at the Texas Store. Sig thought we all should have Texas flags attached to our bicycles “for protection.” As if in displaying Texas flags, folks would think we were natives and be kind to us on the road. So off we went, down the road, our flags fluttering – the wrong way. When we finally figured it out Sig was far ahead and we had to scream many times before he heard us, we finally got turned around and with some creative route finding, including a construction site portage, we got back on the correct route without too many extra miles.
Along the way we visited the missions, the same ones I had went to the day before with Donna, but Keri and Sig hadn’t seen them and we didn’t stay very long. Then Keri and I rode behind Sig as he plowed through the wind all the way to checkpoint. After a short rest and a big coke I was ready to go. The road direction changed and we had a tailwind! Keri and I ended up leaving Sig as we motored the last 25 miles in – we even passed farm equipment.
Our accommodations for the night was a small motel. Drank some beer in Bob and Sig’s room with the AC on full blast until dinner. Food was just across the street in a little cafe and afterward we had entertainment – some of the local kids came out and did some mexican dances for us in very colorful traditional dress. After a nice sunset it was time for sleep. I had my own room this night, but had to move at one point because of plumbing problems. The new room had no AC, but by then it was cool enough for me.
55.0 miles
Day 17 - Ft. Hancock to Van Horn
Day 4 of 17 Days of Texas. Rode the whole day by myself. The word from the weatherman was for 45 mph gusts and dust storms possible by 3:00 p.m., so I wanted to get in early. I began with a comfortable pace and gradually warmed up, felt good until I hit a stretch of freeway shoulder, slightly up, slight headwind and chip seal roadway – the combination had me down to a crawl. After a few miles it changed to better road, better wind, and better time into checkpoint.
After checkpoint there was more tailwind – made it pretty easy to go 21 mph and sometimes 26 - 28 mph in parts. Good thing too, because after getting hit with a couple of side gusts of wind, I knew I didn’t want to be out any longer than necessary.
Setting up our tents in the wind was a real challenge – had two others help me – the dust was really blowing out there. Doing laundry at the KOA, we just went through the “who’s out there yet,” while waiting for dinner.
76.4 miles
Day 18 - Van Horn to Fort Davis
Day 5 of 17 Days of Texas. Hideous, energy sucking, chip seal road all day – had to work for every inch. Checkpoint was a rundown gas station/store with no decent food, I had a half a peanut butter sandwich and a coke. I also had a flat leaving checkpoint – a wire from a steel belted radial – at least I was still near the van so I had access a good floor pump.
The road was a grind, none of the hills would have been so bad if the rough road hadn’t sucked all the energy out of the legs first. It was a mentally and physically tiring day. I “bonked” – didn’t get enough food to eat – which made every hill a challenge. When I got to camp I needed food badly, but there was nothing but cheery smiles from those who had rode in the sag wagon. So I signed in and immediately biked the extra 4 miles into town – lucky for me, down hill. In town nothing was open, Ft. Davis was so small most of the restaurants shut down in the afternoon until dinner time. Ended up at Bob’s Grill for something called “steak fingers” – strips of ground steak, breaded and fried, with gravy for dippin’ – french fries and texas toast too! (Not a meal I would normally eat.) The place had 5 clocks on the wall, but I was so out of it I still didn’t know what time it was, so I asked “is it 4:15?” The staff person pointed to the clocks “well that one’s Paris, that one’s London, that one’s New Zealand and that one’s New York, but we use the one in the middle, that’s Fort Davis time.” I said “but there are no hands on that one,” “yep, that’s Fort Davis time”. The five old guys sitting around the table burst out laughing having great fun at my expense. By then I had gotten some food in me, was feeling better and could tell them a little about our trip so far – they thought I was a little nuts. Finally, I felt like riding again and easily rode back to camp. I got my tent set up, had a massage and then walked over to where our real dinner was served – roasted chicken and real vegetables – yum!
The story of Day 18 was the marauding wild pigs that went through camp during the night. I heard them about 1:00 a.m. rustling about outside my tent. I could tell they were pigs by the sound when they walked – the pig farm background – so I just rolled over and went back to sleep. In the morning we found they had gone through all the trash, got a cooler open and gulped the water and everything in it, and generally made a big mess. It was fun breakfast conversation, but some people were genuinely frightened by the whole event.
98.0 miles
Day 19 - Fort Davis to Marathon
Day 6 of 17 Days of Texas. Got started riding about 8 a.m., rode around the town of Fort Davis, pretty, interesting buildings to look at. Then it was down the road to checkpoint in Alpine “In the Heart of the Texas Alps.” I rode around Alpine for awhile too, but finally stopped in at checkpoint, the parking lot of a grocery store. Found some snacks and settled in for a hour. Outside of town was a museum that Sig and I stopped at, not a great museum, but it had the sweetest old lady there. She was trying to help me make my purchases, I had this bowl of what they call ‘worry stones’ poured out on the counter trying to find the best one, she looks over and says “how many worries you got girl?” Sig and I were bantering back and forth, she was trying, but unsuccessfully to follow what we were talking about. Finally Sig gets his stuff and heads for the door, she gets all distressed about this and says “you leavin’ her?” Sig says “oh yeah, she’ll catch up,” she was clearly horrified by the thought of this man just leavin’ his woman behind – and on bicycles! She had a terrible time trying to ring me out, she’s upset by this episode and then says “I can hardly wait to have my cataract surgery so I can see” I had to help her find the right codes for my purchases and then find the numbers on the computer keyboard so she could peck them in – I’m sure we made her day.
Good riding for the rest of the day. We’re camped on the football field of a high school, unable to go in and take showers until school lets out, most of us went into town to get something to drink at a real authentic soda fountain. It had a wonderful porch to lounge on and watch the last of the riders come into town. There also was this wall of cow skulls that I thought was very cool, we all had to line up for photos. After showers and pitching our tents for the night it was time to again walk the 3 blocks into town for happy hour. As Keri, Bob, Sig and I were having our Texas wine and beers we were joined by many others in the group. We walked by the nice looking and world famous Gage Hotel, where some of our non-campers stayed, on our way to a rather awful meal of chicken fried steak. Back to our happy hour place for an after dinner drink and then to our tents.
65.0 miles
Day 20 - Marathon to Sanderson
Day 7 of 17 Days of Texas. It should have been an easy day – under 60 miles – but the wind had other ideas. Maybe the wind wasn’t as bad as I thought, the lack of sleep may have had something to do with it. There were many freight trains throughout the night and while they were not exactly coming through town, they blew their whistles the entire length of the valley waking me up several times. Then there were also the roosters, they started crowing at about 3 a.m. – aren’t they suppose to wait until at least sunrise? Our breakfast this morning was also just as bad as the meal the night before. This morning it was breakfast burritos, kind of yucky, kind of greasy, very crappy riding food.
After checkpoint and the entertainment that went with it – Katie and Mo singing to the tape player and dancing – I was able to get some speed up and get in at a reasonable time. A tour of town turned up a lack of services, but in the park right across the street from our camping area, a celebration with food was happening. Sanderson was celebrating Cinco di Mayo one day early, so at least we got some pretty good bbq for lunch. Bob, Sig and I then headed off to the only bar in town for a beer, I thought it looked pretty scary from the outside, but proved to be quite harmless on the inside. The barkeep was a hapless old man who had a real hard time with our order - three beers. A cheat sheet on the cash register was there to help him with his pricing – 1 beer = $1.50, 2 beers = $3,00. The three others in the bar looked like they had been there awhile and probably would continue sitting there for the rest of the day.
Dinner tonight was in a closed restaurant. They opened up just to serve us dinner, it was good and plentiful. Back at camp we could see that the celebration was revving up and the bands were getting ready to play – which they did until 1 a.m.
56 miles
Day 21 - Sanderson to Comstock
Day 8 of 17 Days of Texas. This was a long, long day. An eighty mile day into the wind, a wind that grew stronger every hour. Did a bit of paceline work in the morning and that helped, but the group finally broke up, partly because of the hills and partly because one of the riders tried to control us and was determined to “teach us how to do it right” (there were 5 of us doing just fine until he showed up). The 20 miles before checkpoint and all the rest of the miles after checkpoint I was on my own. At checkpoint there was a bbq place where Bob and I stayed for an hour eating, drinking coke and soaking up the air conditioning – I don’t think I would have made it otherwise. It was over 100 degrees and windy, even though I was beat and my head felt like mush, I passed a bunch of the guys on the way in, maybe the heat and wind was even harder on them. I focused only on peddling and getting to camp.
Finally arrived at the visitor center near the campground. They had cold drinks and air conditioning, several of us stayed for 40 minutes (until they closed). When I dragged into camp another mile down the road, I found that the best/close camping spots were taken by all the people who had sagged into camp. Some didn’t ride at all, some rode only about half before they took the van in. I was later told by a couple of riders who had been on a lot of bike tours, including other cross country trips, that this was the hardest day they had ever spent on a bicycle.
Dinner was also bad, there was no one who would will cater food for us out in the middle of nowhere, so the staff grilled up burgers and served salads. I don’t think they could have done much else, but I definitely needed more and better food to recover from that difficult day.
More of the same tomorrow, I’m worried.
83.3 miles - 11.5 avg mph - ouch!
During the night...
I’m trying to get to sleep, the wind has died, and it’s just sticky, still, hot and humid. I left my tent to sit on a nearby picnic table to get some air. Dave comes by and says “you’re sitting in my bedroom” he’s planning on sleeping on the picnic table tonight. I commented on the heat and said “where’s the wind when you need it” – be careful what you ask for… Very soon after that the wind picked up and we were in the middle of a tremendous wind storm, my tent was being severely buffeted about. I heard people talking outside, the crew was tearing down the food tents and trying to rescue everything they could by throwing it into the baggage truck. (I half thought “this is really bad, we’re going to ‘bug out’ – leave because a really huge storm was coming – I don’t know where we would have gone or how they would have got us there…) Rider tents were also collapsing because their poles were breaking. I finally got up and sat outside the bathroom, away from the wind, hoping it would calm down, because I certainly wasn’t going to get any sleep in my tent. I finally gave up at 2 a.m., took my tent down and hauled all my gear into the bathroom and slept on the floor. From then on we called it Hurricane Ridge.
Day 22 - Comstock to Bracketville
Day 9 of 17 Days of Texas. Hot – Damn Hot!
This morning while lifting my bag into the truck, I must have twisted and severely crunched my back again. I cursed my stupidity, because I knew there would be days of pain to come. The morning was cool and breakfast consisted of a cold bagel and some cream cheese.
After riding some miles I stopped at Pierre’s van to stretch out my back, which really hurt. I shed a few tears, and I’m told uttered several colorful words as I laid on the side of the road. Later after pedaling a few ok miles, Art rides by and said “Is that rain?” “I don’t feel anything,” “Must just be my tears,”…
At checkpoint (a crummy gas mart) we are met by many of our cheery ride mates, they did not ride most of yesterday, they are not riding today (some of them even stayed in a quiet, windless hotel 10 miles down the road) – I cannot stand to hear their voices. I’m incredibly tired and my back is killing me – it totally sucks. Bob and I head for the Subway down the road for some decent food and peace. It was still very hot, but after checkpoint the road turned and the wind was more favorable. At the end of the day I got to a quick mart type place and I noticed a number of bikes outside. Knowing there was probably nothing at out camp to eat I stopped too. I’m sitting with Sig and Jeff, we’re slumped over icy, sugary concoctions with our elbows on the table. I finally say “what’s that smell?” I have my hands up by my nose and realize to my horror – its my bike gloves, sweat soaked, stinky gloves – yuk!
Our surprise for the day is that we got to indoor camp in a big house – there’s some air conditioning and ceiling fans. I also get a bed! A huge, king-size bed all to myself! I hop out of the shower, but I’m sweating so much I can’t even towel dry in the stuffy bathroom – at least I’m clean.
A bunch of us wander over to the bar before dinner for happy hour and then it’s on to a very disappointing dinner. Fettuccine with five little shrimp on top – f i v e . After what we’ve gone through these last days, we need way more than five shrimp.
75.3 miles - 10.7 avg mph
Day 23 - Bracketville to Concan
Day 10 of 17 Days of Texas. What a difference a good night’s sleep – six and a half solid hours – has on your psyche. I started out by myself into the wind and thought “oh great, another day of wind,” but after a few miles Cliff, Bill, George and Danny went by so I hopped on their paceline. They weren’t going too fast so I thought I wouldn’t wear myself out trying to hang on. We were all taking our turns out front, but every time we got to Katie’s van I was in front, so she made a big deal out of me pulling all the men. Pilot Bill was being very complimentary on how smooth my riding was, making him feel more comfortable riding in a paceline, he would fight to stay behind me, not letting anyone take his place, it was a little weird. We passed Keri, Roberta, Sig and finally Bob, our little paceline stayed together all the way to checkpoint. It was more hilly after, and my paceline group wanted to stop at the top of most of the hills and rest, so I finally just rode on my own.
After putting up my tent in camp, Sig asked if I wanted to share their big air conditioned cabin. It was 100 degrees and it wasn’t suppose to cool down a bunch that night, so I quickly took them up on their offer. Got laundry done, sat on rocks in the river and relaxed until it was time to eat. Dinner was good trough. I had a late massage lined up and when I finally got back to my pull-out couch for the evening, Bob and Sig were already in bed, but my covers were turned down and there was a slice of cheese on my pillow – I guess they couldn’t find a chocolate mint. I giggled appropriately and crawled into bed.
66.5 miles - 15.5 avg mph
Day 24 - Concan to San Antonio
Day 11 of 17 Days of Texas. A long, hot, windy day, our ninth day of riding in a row. A DQ was our checkpoint, but Bob and I opted for the Subway a little farther down the road. We hit our official halfway point soon after lunch. We were met by Katie and Mo dancing in the road with horns and pom poms, the locals thought they were a bit bizarre. Bob was sick and riding slower than usual so I rode the next 35 miles alone. I thankfully caught up to Sig as I started to fade, he lead the way in as we faded together. We agreed to stop for beverages as soon as we got to civilization, but even after stopping to rehydrate it was still mentally hard to concentrate, follow all the instructions, and make all the turns. At one point Sig asked if I wanted to stop and I said “no, I just want to be there.” So on we went, with him giving me “cold water hits” out of his camelbak whenever we stopped at a light. I don’t know what the people of San Antonio thought, but I didn’t care. Finally we dragged into the motel where I immediately fell into the pool.
After getting settled in and throwing my stuff all around the room, I headed out and found a florist and ordered some flowers – it was almost Mother’s day. I’m glad we were in civilization so I could remember Mom. I also found myself some Texas wine at a local liquor store for later.
Dinner was along “The Riverwalk”, a beautiful area in town for walking, we had outdoor seating and people to watch. Service was a little slow, but we were professionally served and we could take our time. Most of our group had left, but Bob and I were still there sipping wine when the strolling musicians came by and asked if they could play something romantic for us. The last thing we wanted was to have to sit and listen to some awful music, so I said “no! we’re fighting!” – we weren’t – Bob then called me a “bitch” and I called him something equally bad back. Those musicians ran off so fast. We just laughed and got out of there.
94.2 miles
Day 25 - San Antonio
Day 12 of 17 Days of Texas. All I wanted to do was rest so I would be ready to ride the next segment and every mile after that to the Atlantic. When I signed up for the trip I just assumed it was everyone’s goal to ride across the country. It became quite clear to me over the last weeks that this was not an assumption made by many of my ride mates, they seemed to be quite happy to ride whenever it was convenient. I think the less they rode, the more determined I became to ride “every freakin’ inch” (EFI as it was known among the few who were riding every day.)
I got my laundry done and met Bob and Sig for lunch, I wanted cow and Bob had already checked into what was available, so it made picking easier. It was wonderful! Tasted soooo good, I would have eaten more if I could have finished what they gave me. Bob, Sig and I then walked some more of the Riverwalk and ended up at the Alamo. I was surprised it was right in town, I guess I just thought it was out in the open somewhere. After the very interesting tour I went back to the motel and tried to nap, mostly just laid there until it was time for my hour and half massage I had arranged with the help of the hotel staff. The massage place was in a big mall and I was early, so I had time to wander around before submerging myself into total relaxation.
Dinner was at another Riverwalk restaurant and like the night before, we had a view of the passing parade of people and a wonderful meal. I walked around afterward with Sig and then it was back to the room for lots of sleep. Tomorrow we’re back on our bikes again for another 9 days of riding in a row.
Day 26 - San Antonio to Gonzalas
Day 13 of 17 Days of Texas. The wind was with us all day, not too strong to start with, but got stronger as the day went on. Skipped the TK&A breakfast because it looked like they weren’t going to be ready to serve us very quickly and what we had ate on the previous morning wasn’t that great, so we left in search of something more interesting. Bob, Sig and I stopped at The Pig Stand, a funky place – pigs in all shapes and sizes being used in the decor – known for many “firsts” such as the inventor of texas toast and onion rings, first drive-in in the state, first use of air conditioning, fluorescent lighting and neon lighting. Breakfast there also took awhile, but I’m sure my omelet was far superior to the food I would have received back at the motel.
I lost Sig on the way to checkpoint and lost Bob after checkpoint for the next 45 miles. There were some decent roads, but the wind kept blowing and it kept getting hotter. I wanted to stop for awhile and rest, but couldn’t see the point of stopping in the blazing sun, so I just kept riding. Finally ahead, a lone tree was casting a shadow as one of our vans was also approaching. What timing, ice water and shade at the same time!
The last place to get anything to eat appeared to be a truck stop, about seven miles before camp. They had the usual snack food, but also a grill. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, coke and water. The place also had the sweetest little boy there, I think he had sat there all afternoon watching the parade of cyclists come through. He was telling us all about himself and how he wasn’t going to have a girlfriend until he got to college. Mo was there taking pictures of all of us and when she turned her camera at me and the little boy I gave him a big smooch. The little boy was very surprised, a little pleased, and a lot embarrassed. He quickly went outside to play after that, but when he saw us getting on our bikes to leave, he ran over to say good-bye.
Finally, it was back onto the road for the final miles in, the wind was really strong. The driveway into the Christian center where we’re staying at was also difficult to ride on, all squishy gravel, most people rode half in the ditch to have something more solid to ride on. The center had a big pool to cool off in, the dinner a little sparse, but ok.
85 miles
Day 27 - Gonzalas to Edna
Day 14 of 17 Days of Texas. Another day of fighting the wind, I stayed in Bob’s draft as much as possible except for the 20 miles before checkpoint. During the first part of the ride we passed Steve who was on the side of the road with Danny, didn’t know what the problem was at the time, but found out later that Steve’s frame had broken. Steve was now on a mission to find someone to weld his aluminum frame back together – good luck in this part of the country, even if he found someone that did welding, it would be for heavy duty farm equipment not lightweight aluminum. The checkpoint was at this rundown little store, but it also had a grill and the lady there at my request made me a mean custom ham and melted cheese sandwich which I happily devoured. Bob, Sig and I left checkpoint together into the wind. For awhile we were on this very pretty road with big trees forming a green canopy above us.
Our camp for the night was right on Lake Texana, fairly sizable and very windy. I think everyone needed help putting their tents up. Steve rode his broken bike to camp and was now, with the aid of a dremel tool he had purchased and some pipe, attempting to make a bracket to hold his bike together so he could ride until a replacement could be found. He had called the manufacturer, but because we were in the middle of nowhere, he would be attempting to ride his broken bike for at least 2 more days.
Dinner tonight was served out at the camp. It was still very windy, we tried to sit with our backs to the wind to shield our food, but it didn’t work very well and the food got cold immediately. More than one plate of food went flying, you just hoped you weren’t in its flight path when it did.
70.1 miles
Day 28 - Edna to Freeport
Day 28 - Edna to Freeport
Day 15 of 17 Days of Texas. Still in Texas. I started out by myself, Bob caught up to me about 20 miles into the day. The wind wasn’t too strong and the terrain was fairly flat all the way to checkpoint. Since it was Sunday, there were a lot of locals out on the road, most of them were pulling boats. This was the only day in Texas where the car drivers were upset with us – we were yelled at more than once as they were getting to their recreation areas. I had expected more rude behavior on other days, when instead most times even the cars coming toward us from the opposite direction pulled over onto their shoulder to give us more room.
After the checkpoint at a small gas/food mart, the wind got stronger, so I rode behind Bob, having a big wind block sure makes the miles go faster. He also eats more than I do (a lot more), but its a reminder for me to eat something, even if its bad gas station food, because food might not be there when you need it. That was true again today, according to the DRG there should have been services the last miles before camp, which was not true, so we ended up backtracking to another bad gas/food mart for a horrible prepackaged sandwich.
Tonight’s camp is in a county park right on the Gulf, its pretty cool. We walked over to dinner, a small restaurant on an inlet to the Gulf. Most of the riders went over early for happy hour. Bob and I had a seat on the edge, it was so relaxing to watch the water with a drink in hand. I love to watch the water. The food was pretty good, they had Jimmy Buffett playing and I stayed late talking to Michael. It was a nice night.
89.7 miles
Day 29 - Freeport to Galveston
Day 16 of 17 Days of Texas. We should have had a short day, it was only 50 miles. I was hoping for an easy pedal, getting in before noon and relaxing for the rest of the day. If the wind had kept the same direction as it had the night before, and us riding in a slightly different direction, it should have been a tailwind or at most a side wind. But no! a storm front came in during the night and we were left with a headwind for the rest of the day. I really needed an easy day, just couldn’t get going, I was too slow to ride with anyone.
After hanging out a checkpoint for a long time, I finally ventured back out and after awhile on the road I felt better and picked up speed. On the way to Galveston I saw a cell phone laying on the side of the road, so I stopped to pick it up. I thought it might have belonged to one of our riders, but even if it didn’t, whoever lost it wasn’t going to find it along the road. When I got close to Galveston the phone rang, I answered it and I informed the person that I had found the phone on the road and that whoever he was trying to call, he should try to reach him (Doug) another way and I would leave the phone at our hotel for him to pick up. A few miles later Doug’s wife called, I think she was a little taken aback when I answered, but I also explained the whole story to her. As I was turning it in at the hotel front desk, it rang again so I answered again. This time it was another one of Doug’s “friends”, I again explained the phone situation to him and he said that I probably couldn’t do anything about the money Doug owed him, I said “no” and got out of the phone business.
It was too early check into the hotel upon arrival, but I found out that many of the riders were at Joe’s Crab Shack near by. We ended up with a big table of riders, good food, a fun time, especially watching Dave eat. Spent part of the afternoon just resting, then the need for tacky souvenir shopping hit and Bob agreed to go along. We walked about a mile before we found a proper tacky store and I happily purchased a fish wind chime and a t-shirt. We then walked back along the Gulf, found a fine eatery that had a deck so we could sit outside, watch the water with our margaritas and shrimp. I got to look out over the water again – so peaceful. By the time we finished, we were late for dinner and quickly walked back, past our hotel to a small restaurant for a nice meal of catfish.
50.1 miles
Day 30 - Galveston to Port Arthur
Day 17 of 17 Days of Texas. Another day of riding into the wind. We rode to breakfast just a few miles down the road. This is were Bob finally came up with the words to express the feelings of our last 16 days - “Texas Blows!” With that in mind we rode a few more miles to a little ferry that would take us across Galveston Bay. On the other side we rode into the worst wind of the trip; Keri, Sig and I all got behind Bob. He worked as hard as he could and still had trouble staying in the high single digits. Bob and Sig stopped at one point and Keri and I struck out on our own for awhile, it was incredibly hard to move forward. When we got to Mo’s van I couldn’t believe we had only gone 30 miles.
Then road turned a bit, so the next 20 miles into checkpoint were a little easier. We stopped at the DQ as the sag vans pulled in full of riders who had given up for the day, or didn’t even start the day riding. They were kind of annoying and loud, so Keri, Bob and I went farther and found a Subway. After refueling, we set off at a better pace and caught up to Sig just before we came to the 2000 mile mark. Kelly had drawn the state of Texas on the road with chalk and had included all the riders names except mine – she hastily fixed her error before we left to finish our last miles. There were many squished armadillos and one flat six foot gator on the side of the road.
Our accommodations were at a YMCA, wonderful showers and a very hot tub to relax in. We could camp outside, but I elected to sleep inside along with about half of the others, but wish I hadn’t – some of them are very weird.
83.5 miles
Day 31 - Port Arthur to Cameron
Another day of wind. I set out on my own through what was probably not the best part of Port Arthur, but that early in the day it was still very quiet. Then we went over a really big bridge – our hill for the day – and onto horrible chip seal for our departure out of Texas. Since we were finally leaving Texas and entering Louisiana there were plenty of reasons to stop and take celebratory pictures.
Checkpoint was awesome! Just a little store in the middle of nowhere, but it had Shirley, who cooked us up a feast. Turkey, ham, veggies and german chocolate cake with pecans in the frosting and all for free. She could have made money on us, but instead she just fed us, we wanted to adopt her. Shirley also told me how to measure a gator – inches from eyes to snout equals the length of the gator in feet, and also about crawfish and how to cook them.
After checkpoint we rode through a tall grassy swamp where we saw gator eyes and snouts, white herons and what looked like really light pink flamingos. We were on the gulf again where it was real windy and we had to work for the next 15 miles or so. I had been riding alone and finally got tired of riding into the wind and wanted the day to be done, so I put my head down and pedaled hard. Don hopped on behind me and wondered who was up ahead and I said “Sig, let’s go get him,” so we stomped on the pedals and caught him. When I got up to Sig I asked “Who’s that” pointing up the road. He said “Bob,” I replied “Ha! I think I’ll go catch him” and off I went – caught and flew past him, not stopping until I almost ran into a truck waiting for the ferry. We threaded our way through the line of cars and were able to get on the ferry just as it was leaving – great timing.
Just a couple miles more and we were to our “modest motel.” A little cleaning up, a snack, some sorting and rearranging of gear, a bit of a rest, and it was time to go to dinner.
58.8 miles
Day 32 - Cameron to Abbeville
I expected another day into the wind so I started out by myself right after breakfast. It was a lighter wind to start with and there were a lot of trees to block, so it was pretty good riding. I stopped three times to stretch out my back, Bob caught me a little before checkpoint and we rode together for awhile.
The extra food from Shirley’s the day before magically was transported to today’s checkpoint, so again, we basically got free food to chew on and some to feed the wild kitty that was hanging around. While we were there, the store was doing a brisk ice business, we looked in the ice chest of one of the locals – it was full of blue crab and shrimp – these people are so lucky! Seven miles after checkpoint the road turned and we had a tailwind – it was beautiful! Made the next 25 miles a joy to ride! Bob went off route for awhile so I rode by myself until I caught up to Jeff. We stopped at a store for a snack and then rode the rest of the day together.
When we got close to Abbeyville, Pierre stopped us and told us about a change to the route ahead and either he didn’t explain it very well or we didn’t pay attention, but we got quite confused on the ride into town. Back on route and riding through town our DRG’s had us making a lot of turns in a very short distance; combined with the beautiful buildings to look at – lots of brick and detail – Jeff and I got lost again. We went a few miles out of our way, found the motel from the opposite direction, but we got there.
With our extra exploration of the town, we did see that they had a movie theater within walking distance of our motel. So after cleaning up, Keri and I went to the store for some wine and skanky cheese to share with Bob and Sig for happy hour. Then we rushed through dinner so we could go see “Spiderman.” It was fun to do something different, but a really bad movie.
98.8 miles
Day 33 - Abbeville to Morgan City
Today several of us decided to go to Avery Island – home of the Tabasco factory. The factory was early into the day’s ride and we thought it would add about 12 miles to the route. We weren’t positive about the mileage and that was enough to keep most of the riders on the official route. After breakfast Bob, Sig, Michael, Young Mike and I set off in search of tabasco sauce and adventure. The first plant tour started at 9:00 a.m. and we were there in plenty of time. The tour was interesting; a movie, a tour of the bottling operation and displays told us all about the history of tabasco. Then it was off to the company store for souvenirs – a t-shirt, serving tray and boxers.
Back on the road there were a few windy sections, but our little group stayed together until we got back on the official route. By the time we got to checkpoint, our tour staff had moved on. The owner of the lounge, where checkpoint was suppose to be, directed us to where we could get food and a shortcut to town. A couple of miles before we got into town, the sky’s opened up and we got dumped on hard! We got off our bikes to safely walk across the metal grating on the bridge and then cowered on the lea side of this little building until the worst of it blew over. Then it was back on our bikes for a few more miles to the nearest Burger King and food. The poor manager kept glaring at us and following us around the store mopping up all the water we tracked in.
We finally ventured back out when the rain let up, I thought it would be cold out like in Seattle, but no! it was warm – not bad at all. We made good time the last seven miles to the motel on the freeway shoulder. Most of the riders, without our two hour Tabasco stop, got in before the rain, but others quit riding as soon as the rain started and got in the vans, how sad! With our extra miles, minus the shortcut, we ended up with only five extra miles – well worth it to do something different. I still had time to do some shopping in the dollar store next door for more shampoo and snacks, and run my wet clothes through the dryer before dinner.
Our restaurant for the evening was only 200 yards away, but some of our riders got a van ride over – it was misting at the time. What kind of bike riders are these?
82.8 miles
Day 34 - Morgan City to New Orleans
We made it – the Big Easy – New Orleans. We had over 100 miles to go today, I think everyone wanted to get an earlier start than normal. I overheard some of the riders complaining this morning, “we rush to get up, we rush to eat breakfast and then we rush to ride our bikes.” I guess they were wondering if there was more to bike touring than riding their bikes just to get to the day’s end – many times a campground in the middle of nowhere. I said “you can change that,” thinking to myself; just stop once in awhile, look at where you are, think about what you’re doing, and talk to a local person. I don’t think they got it, even though they were thinking something was missing, they seemed powerless to change it – at least I didn’t see them doing anything different in our last weeks.
I was on the road by 6:30 or so, doing my own pace. The road surface was hideous at times, but it got better after 20 miles. I stopped to stretch out my back at Pierre’s van at 25 miles and took the 800 mg ibprofrin Ann gave me, I think it helped. Sig passed by with out seeing me while I was stopped so I went after him and said “don’t make me chase you again!” he just looked at me like ‘where did you come from and what did I do?’ We rode together until checkpoint at 53 miles. It was a gas station/store place, so I wasn’t expecting much, but inside they were making fresh sandwiches. I think the lady behind the counter was speaking English, but I sure couldn’t understand her local dialect. I think she said “you want that dressed?” which I guess meant put everything on it. I just said “yes”. It was a wonderful sandwich and big too! Bob arrived while Sig and I were still there so we helped him with the ordering process and waited while he ate. When we left checkpoint I was really cold, it was kind of gray and windy, but warmed up after we rode for awhile. We were able to crank up the speed when we turned and got a side/tailwind to help us. We made good time for the rest of the day and arrived at the hotel a little after 2:30.
Bob and I skipped the group dinner that night and headed into the French Quarter to Dickie Brennan’s Steak House for some wonderful cow. We listened to a bit of the blues at a couple of bars before heading back to the hotel.
108.7 miles
Day 35 - New Orleans 1
A day off means sleeping in as long as possible and getting the laundry done. That taken care of, we headed into town. Our hotel was across the Mississippi River from downtown, but the hotel made it easy to get there by providing a shuttle to a little ferry that made the crossing to the French Quarter every half hour or so. Bob, Sig and I headed out in search of a brunch place Bob had read about, but so had many others, so Bob searched his mental rolodex and we were off to the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen for lunch. After a fine pie and fine beverage we were off exploring, Sig went off to find a museum, Bob and I to the market to buy crayfish or “mudbugs” to send back to Seattle. Then we roamed the streets looking into shops for trinkets and taking in the street performers. Some zydeco music caught our attention so we went into the coolness, sat down for a drink and to listen to the music. After awhile the band started to play more old top 40 hits instead of zydeco, so we moved on search of more authentic music. The Storyville Jazz Club farther down on Bourbon Street was playing music to our liking, so we settled in again to listen. We needed to rest from all the cycling and listening to music was the perfect way to accomplish that and play tourist at the same time.
For dinner that night we went to Mr. B’s Bistro for fish, not as great as the steak the night before, but it was a treat the be waited on in a nice place and have wonderful food and wine. Then it was back to Storyville for more music. They had four or five bands playing throughout the day so when we went back it was very different and better music. We stayed fairly late, caught the last shuttle back to the hotel, and called it a night.
Day 36 - New Orleans 2
I knew I had to get a good massage to get my back somewhat back to normal or the rest of the trip was not going to be fun. I wanted Wendy, my Seattle massage therapist, but how to I find the massage I was looking for in a place I don’t know anyone? To the yellow pages I went scanning the ads looking for key words that would hopefully get me to the right person. There were only 2 ads that looked promising. The first place was out of business, the second, a long taxi ride away, agreed to fit me in. With my appointment set, I headed into downtown for more looking around and a little more souvenir shopping. Bob and Sig had signed up for a cooking class and we had plans to meet up afterward. We did find each other, but by then it was time for me to locate a taxi.
Out into the suburbs I went and after a few trys we found the massage place tucked into the back of a little mall. I met my gal and within seconds of getting on the table and explaining my problem, she said “this is going to hurt.” Wham! she stuck her elbow exactly in the right spot. After a few moments of great pain – ahhhh – I had found my “wendy.” An hour and a half later feeling rejuvenated and ready to ride again. I was back in the cab, heading back into town to meet the rest of the gang for our group dinner.
After dinner Bob and I again went back to Storyville to listen to jazz, and again there was a different band playing. They weren’t as good as the others, but we stayed for quite awhile anyway. After two days off, it was time to ride again.
Day 37 - New Orleans to Biloxi
It was kind of weird to get back on the bike. The day started with an easy ride through the east side of town to the little ferry we had been taking for the last three days. We had a group of about 12 heading through the city and finally to open road. We made good time for the first 50 miles with the pacelines coming and going. We stopped to eat at a little quick mart, then on to a scenic ride along the gulf. Fantastic water and sandy beaches on one side, interesting, beautiful homes on the other. We arrived at the hotel/casino by about 2:30 and after checking in, Bob and I turned around and rode back out to a Denny’s to find our afternoon snack.
After getting settled and rested it was off to the casino for dinner, but not before we took some time to look out at the gulf. Dinner was a total pig-out-all-you-could-eat dinner buffet: crab, prime rib, veggies, rice, pecan pie, ice cream, anything and everything – a cyclist dream trough.
We went into the casino later, after losing $3 on the quarter and nickel slots, Bob put $20 into a different quarter slot machine and ended up with $44 dollars. So he gave me one of his lucky dollars and I tried the nickel slots again and made $8. Woo Eee!!
95.0 miles
Day 38 - Biloxi to Dauphin Island
A beautiful day to ride, not too hot and a clear blue sky. We were back at the casino for breakfast and another total pig-out buffet. Rode with Sig to start with through a lovely neighborhood to the Katie, Mo and Rochell van stop. The trio were singing tunes and playin’ their drums for our entertainment. A cop had stopped to check out the commotion, I think he thought it all was very strange, but harmless. I caught up to Keri and Bobbie on the road and cycled with them the rest of the way to checkpoint. I waited an hour at checkpoint for Bob to show up (he had a problem with his bike and had got a late start) and we rode the rest of the day together. Parts of the ride were very pretty, especially when we could see the water. The only climbing we had were the bridges over the waterways, an easy day of cycling.
Our campground is nice enough, lots of grassy space to put up tents. Dinner was down the road a few miles and so we had to be shuttled. After dinner Bob and I took the wine we purchased earlier and followed the wooden plank walkway out to the beach and watched the water.
76.6 miles
Day 39 - Dauphin Island to Navarre
Bob and I rode to breakfast so we wouldn’t have to be shuttled. It was one of those “hurry up and wait” kind of days. We had to get our gear on the truck before going to breakfast, so the truck and vans could get in line and not miss the ferry or they wouldn’t be available to us on the other side when we needed them. Everything was done extra early, and that gave us plenty of extra time to sit and wait for the ferry. The ferry ride was 40 minutes; our entertainment was Dauphin Island getting smaller and smaller, the oil rigs, the sea gulls, and Katie playing with the bubble maker I had given her a few days before. I almost wished we were done for the day after the ferry ride, it was so relaxing, but we had 90 miles to go and it was already 9:45.
Bob was leading out a paceline of about 15 riders for miles until it finally broke apart and we could get back to “normal” riding. We stopped several times to look at the incredible water colors – five shades of blue and teal and blazingly white sand – amazing! We had a great lunch at a “world famous” sub place, the owner even wore a bicycle century t-shirt. We asked about his ride, and then he asked where we were going – just a little farther than he did. A wonderful sandwich, a huge slab of chocolate cake and we were good to go for the rest of the day.
Up and over a few bridges and we were onto this long sand spit with beautiful water – we had to stop and get in. The drivers on the other hand were not so beautiful, one in particular gave us a long honk of his horn and shouted at us to get on that “million dollar sidewalk” they built for us, and to get us off his road.
I didn’t realize how much farther we had to go, my odometer didn’t match the route guide because of our extra breakfast ride and adding more miles durning the day to find a post office. There was another big bridge in the distance and I was convinced it was on the next days’ route mostly because I didn’t want to climb another bridge. Bob said it was today and we “discussed” this for awhile, so when it loomed right in front of us I said “okay, so we’re going over the freakin’ bridge,” Bob is always right.
Our campground tonight is very nice with close water access – it seems more like a lake than the gulf. Dinner was across the street, a bunch of us met early for beers and then we ate our way through the dinner trough.
92.2 miles
Day 40 - Navarre to Panama City
Another day on bicycles. After the wonderful breakfast that Hazel prepared for us, we got going at a great pace. Light winds, gorgeous views of the water and amazing homes to look at. Checkpoint was next to the water – Mexico Beach –and Rochell encouraged all of us to get in, which a bunch of us did. Getting bike shorts totally wet maybe wasn’t the smartest thing to do, it made for interesting riding, but it was well worth it.
A subdivision called “Watercolor” caught my eye, it was so “designed” it almost looked like a fake village, we called it “toon town.” Next to it was Seaside, another “planned community” from the 70’s. Cliff, the architect on our trip, said it was one of the first of its kind in the country, the subject of many architectural conferences years ago, now it just looked like expensive vacation homes.
We held out to have lunch until what we saw a sign that we both thought said “The Spicy Poodle” – really it was noodle – we thought it was funny, so we stopped for lunch. Inside we ordered pizza and while we were waiting they brought us some bread with some really spicy dipping sauce. It was so good I had to be careful not to keep gobbling away and save room for the main course. The restaurant was so cold I had to go out to my bike to get long sleeves to wear – then I went into the bathroom – it was freezing! They could have stored ice cream in there! After eating I was glad to get out into the hot sun and back on my bike so I could warm up.
The rest of the way was crowded with traffic. Panama City is a major college spring break town, it was full of all sorts of tacky places and scooter rentals. We were going at a quick pace and rode through all of it as fast as possible. We had a lot of campsites to pick from, most of our group had packed in close to the baggage truck and the bathrooms. Bob and I picked a space ‘far from the maddening crowd’ and had plenty of peace and quite. I rode back into town for a bottle of wine to have with our dinner, catered for us out at camp.
75.1 miles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)