Life On A B-I7

Day 30

I feel like I got some good rest last nigh. We camped in the lot adjacent to the Community Center building in Langtry. This is a very small town. I don’t know what people do here for a living, but I suspect that most of the employment is connected to the Visitor’s Center and Judge Roy Bean Museum. The legend of Judge Roy Bean lives on in this town. The museum and visitor’s center was built and is managed by the Texas Department of Transportation. I overheard one lady say they get 40,000 visitors a year. It is a very nice facility. Much nicer in fact than you would expect to encounter in a town this size.

Last night after dinner I took a walk down to the Rio Grande river. I could not see any water, likely because I could not get close enough. Here the river flows through a very large canyon. On the Mexico side, the canyon wall must be 100 feet high. On the U.S. side the canyon wall is something less, but still significant. The entire landscape speaks of a mighty river that literally is no more. There are a lot of trees and vegetation in the bottom of the canyon, so it seems likely that water still flows here, I suspect mostly underground.

After a nice chat with our Community Center host this morning, our host came to unlock the building so we could use the rest rooms, I learned that the river does flow here. It flows right along the Mexico side of the canyon. She confirmed that the river is much smaller here than it was back in Judge Roy Bean’s day. I shared with our host my theory that Texans pronounce the “o” and the end of words like an “a” so they can tell who the “outsiders” are. She laughed and agreed with me. She is from Missouri and she married a native Texan. She told me that occasionally when she pronounces a word incorrectly, using “o” instead of “a”, her husband laughs at her and tells her that her “yankee is showing.”

I’m going to take it easy today and try to conserve some energy for tomorrow. Tonight we will be in Del RIo. It is a fairly large town and I need to try and find a new bicycle seat. I never thought a B17 would fail me, but it has become so misshapen that it is now uncomfortable. Time to pack up and head out for the day.

Drink before you’re thirsty, eat before your hungry, shift before you have to…

That’s my motto. I left Langtry and forgot to fill up my water bottles. The first town was 30 miles away. The mornings are a bit easier to negotiate without water than the afternoons, and this morning was on the cool side. When I reached the next town 30 miles down the road, I bought a chocolate milk, a 24oz Dr Pepper, and two bottles of water. That fixed me up and got me through the rest of the day. Shortly after I pulled into the town, a dozen (Harley Davidson) bikers rolled in. They were all from a vintage Harley club in Austin. They were riding bikes that were all pre-1970’s era. They were fun to talk to, every one was a mechanic, several were doing repairs to their bike at the stop. I left and they passed me several miles down the road, roaring by in a group. I waved, I don’t think any waved back. I do get waves from the bikers on BMWs from time to time.

Yesterday the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to two researchers doing work in the field poverty, specifically how to alleviate poverty. It was refreshing to me to see this award. Perhaps the four decades trend of selfishly accruing wealth at the top, also know as “Share Value” economics, is coming to an end. It may be too much to ask, but perhaps the science of Economics is growing a soul. It needs to.

I can’t say enough about today. The weather was perfect for cycling. Not too hot, the terrain very civilized. Some days are good days, and some days are bad days. You just have to power through the bad days. The good days like today make the entire experience absolutely worth doing, by an order of magnitude. Today I rode just how I like!

Eight miles out of Del Rio I passed a drive-thru “beer barn.” I have never seen such a thing before! Of course I pulled over and drove through. For my selection I had a Modelo Especial. I also stopped at a liqueur store and picked up a bottle of Crown. I might add I am enjoying that as I write this post.

Tomorrow is a 75 mile day. It will be challenging, but I’m sure it will not be without reward. Tomorrow we enter what is referred to as the “Texas hill country.” Things will probably get a bit more challenging. We will be in the hill country until we reach Austin.

Miles: 61

A truly marvelous day of riding.

Day 31

It’s Wednesday morning. I’m writing this post the next morning because I was in no shape last night to write. Everything I might have said last night would have been negative, or at least less than positive. So I saved the days reflection to the next morning. Here’s what I would have written last night, had I not been exhausted…

One of my companions said, “exhaustion makes cowards of us all.” I laughed when he said that, not because it’s funny, but because of how true it is. You really need to check your emotions at the door when you are exhausted. Some days you have it, and some days you don’t. Today I did not have the physical or mental strength to pull off a fully loaded 75 mile day with anything near my normal grace and charm. (This is where I would normally insert the laughing emoticon due to my use of the terms “grace” and “charm.”) I made it, that’s about all I can say. I will feel much better in the morning.

It’s been two tough days. I did not take a single photo today, the first day that has happened since leaving San Diego. That’s speaks volumes about how the day went. There has been some dissension in the camp over food. We have a vegetarian, one a vegan, and a companion that is highly allergic to many common food ingredients. Then there is the rest, half plus one, that likes to eat hearty. I won’t go in to details about what “hearty” means, but suffice it to say “deconstructed” is not always “hearty.” I see signs after the last two days that we are going to pull things together, we’ll see how it goes. It’s a good group of people. The group has a lot of strengths taken as a whole, but everyone, hearty and non-hearty alike, is going to need to make compromises. One of the compromises that I need to make is I need to give up my “one pot” cooking style. “C’est la vie.” Meals is really about the only challenge we face as a group, so as one companion commented, “it’s a tiny cycling problem.” I got a good chuckle out of that. Tiny in the abstract, sometimes big in the moment.

I arrived in camp at 6:30pm and immediately began setting up the cook kitchen. I didn’t unpack or change clothes due to my late arrival. The meal turned out well. I think the hearty and non-hearty alike enjoyed it… for the most part. We are now officially in the Hill Country of Texas. Tomorrow we will see lots of rollers and a fair number should be the type of rollers that you have to gear down to climb. We shall see. My mental attitude is much better this morning, I expect a good day.

Miles: 75

Entering the Hill Country. Some very challenging terrain today.

Day 32

I had fun taking photos today. The day started out by passing the “Dam Store.” I had to have a photo. When Kelsey and Audrey were little we took them to Grand Coulee Dam. They must have been about 9 and 12 years old. When we pulled in to town, I said, “look, there’s the Dam Visitor’s Center.” I laughed because of course I never spoke like that in front of them. After that it was “the Dam grocery store, the Dam gas station, the Dam cafe,” and on-and-on it went. I laughed every time, they were a bit subdued about the whole thing. Audrey and Kelsey remember that to this day. The photo I took this morning is priceless. It reminds me of those times. The photo of the truck with the smoker out in front of the cow catcher takes BBQ to a completely new level.

Today found us in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. We had to go over three very large hills, the were very challenging. After the first hill, I wasn’t sure if I could make it over the next two. Your mind likes to play with you and plant little seeds of doubt. I did make it over the next two, they were difficult but the trick is to keep pedaling. That sounds stupid, but that’s how it works.The feeling of accomplishment at the end of a day like today is wonderful. For those of you familiar with Seattle hills, each one of these is like cycling from the Nickerson Street Tavern to the top of Queen Ann Hill three times. There where rollers for several miles and a descent after each hill. So it was like doing the Queen Ann climb about nine times, with a nice challenging interlude between each set of three climbs. I know you think I’m crazy, but I’m really not exaggerating. Welcome to the Texas Hill Country.

After the first hill I reached a stretch of rollers that went for three or four miles. Towards the end of the rollers a County Sheriff drove past me going the other way. I heard him slow down and I figured that was not good. I was the only thing on the road. I heard him turn around and head back my way and I knew he was coming after me, I just couldn’t figure out why. He pulled over about 100 yards in front of me, got out of his rig, and stood with hands on hips waiting for me. I pulled up and said “good afternoon Sheriff.” He looked at me and said, “are you all right?” I breathed a sigh of relief, I wasn’t going to get a ride in his vehicle - although that might have been preferred to the next two hills I hadn’t yet discovered. He told me “people in these parts have a tendency to not mind their own business. A car passed you going up the hill and called dispatch saying ‘there’s an old man on the road that looks like he’s struggling and probably shouldn’t be out there.’” That made me smile. I told him I was struggling, but that was because the damn hill was so steep. (Maybe that Dam hill, either way.) We had a good laugh. That’s when I learned about the next two hills. He described them to me in lurid detail. I told him where I was going to be at the end of the day and he asked me if I had a tent. He obviously didn’t think I was going to make it. (That was amusing too.) Before he left me and drove off, I explained to him that there were three of my party behind me on the route, and the motorist must have been referring to one of them. I don’t think he believed me because he got in his rig and drove off without investigating any further. I was a bit downcast. His driving away made me the old man by default.

In this part of the country people drive fast and they don’t slow down for animals in the road, there is a lot of road kill along side the road. A lot. Every truck out here has a “cow catcher” on the front. You even see cars with cow catchers. I saw four cars today with cow catchers. I try and make an effort to wave at people whenever it’s safe to take a hand off the handle bars. Most people wave back. Everyone is very friendly. A car pulled over to chat with one of our company. He told her that he was planning to do this ride tomorrow on his road bike. He told her he could not believe we were out her doing these hills on fully loaded touring bikes. I can’t believe it either really.

Miles: 42

Three hills that will test you. Tomorrow is the half-way mark.

Day 33

Lost Maples Recreation Area to Ingram

Morning. I’m not expecting today’s ride to be as difficult except for the fact that the first hill out of the gate is nick-named “the widow maker.” The notes for this section of the ride say that the grade is 14%. For you Seattleites, If you will recall the road that went from the south end of Southcenter Parkway up to SeaTac, that was a 17% grade. I was never able to make it to the top of that hill, even with an unloaded bike. I suspect I will be doing some walking this morning. Last night we camped in a State Recreation Area. We are sheltered on all four sides by hills, consequently there was no cell service. Surprisingly, that was only the second time so far on this trip where I have not had service. Breakfast is calling.

14% Grade. 1/2 mile long. I made it!

After topping out on that hill, it was mostly rollers for the next 20 miles, gradually becoming rolling flats. The last 16 miles of the day was mostly flat and a welcome relief. I haven’t looked at the grades for tomorrow, I’m just going to be surprised when the day hits me.

I found a bike shop in Austin that will take me in on Monday and give me new tires and a tune-up, no questions asked. I called both REI stores and neither one would take me in on Monday or Tuesday. I guess I’m not shocked by that. Doing business with small bike shops usually works out best all the way around.

The days are beginning to wear on me. I need a couple days of rest. The Hill Country of Texas is every bit as challenging as the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico.

Miles: 52

Last 16 miles today was a breeze.

Day 34

Ingram to Lady Bird Johnson Recreation Area (Fredericksburg)

I suppose this is as good a time as any to talk about why I’m doing this. The short answer is I’m not entirely sure. That is to say, there is no single reason. It is incredible what can happen when you get an idea in your head. Let it grow for awhile and all of a sudden you find yourself with the motivation to do something epic. Never mind that it may take a lifetime. In my case, that was how it happened. When I was 22 years old, I wasn’t ready to become a productive member of the workforce (arguably that has never happened, but that is certainly another story) so I got on a bicycle instead. I rode from Seattle to San Francisco. That was as far as I could get before I ran out of money. That sealed the deal for me. I decided that some day I would cycle the entire West Coast. Over the years, that grew into, “why not cycle across the entire United States?”

So here I am, cycling across the entire United States, at least I have made it to the half-way point. I realize there are no guarantees in life, that includes having even started this trip, and of course finishing this trip. I’m glad I’m here, I’m having a blast, it is the experience of a lifetime, second only to helping raise three beautiful and talented daughters. Will I do this again? Probably not. Certainly not the same route. Not because this route is not beautiful, but because there are so many beautiful places to see in this country. There is nothing quite like seeing the country from the seat of a bicycle.

I hinted that there may be more than one reason why I’m doing this, and indeed there is. It is certainly an accomplishment to attempt a trip this epic in nature. I believe “bragging rights” is a good way to describe that. Certainly it is an accomplishment to be proud of. The older you are I think the more right you have to be proud, It is also a test of one’s physical and mental toughness. Honestly though, I think it is a lot more about mental toughness than it is about physical toughness. The bicycle is the most efficient form of human powered transportation ever invented, and likely ever to be invented. (There will be periodic improvements, like Roloff Hubs, but nothing dramatically different in nature than the basic idea of a bicycle.) It doesn’t really matter what shape you are in, if you are not mentally determined, you likely won’t be able to complete a trip of this nature. But why is a trip like this important? Honestly, I don’t know.

Other reasons? Why yes indeed there are other reasons. The thrill of the ride. Cruising down a mountain pass at breakneck speed after spending 2 hours straining every muscle from your shoulders to your ankles to get to the top. Drifting at 16 miles per hour across an open flat expanse of wilderness. Your pedals spinning almost effortlessly. Of course having a nice bike that allows for that helps a lot, but any bike really will do. The freedom of air in your face, the wind at your back, your sense of smell taking in the essence of your surroundings. It is an experience that I wish everyone could enjoy, even if it is for just a short distance. Anyone that has ridden a bicycle knows what I’m talking about. In this particular case, it is just a matter of doing it day-in and day-out, until you get enough, but once you start it’s not possible to get enough. That is what is so contagious about the experience. I knew it when I was 22, I rediscovered it at 65. It is something I will take with me and will be a part of me for the rest of my life.

That’s probably enough explanation. There are other reasons, but the last one worth mentioning right now is the fact that riding a bicycle is a magical experience. Pure joy. I want to be able to go for a bike ride when I am 90 years old.

A last word about bikes (for now). Bill Davidson knows how to build a bicycle. This bike is a thoroughbred race horse. It wants to go. It hauls ass on the flats and it goes faster down hill than I care to think about. It handles like a sports car, even when it is loaded. Without a load it is a dream machine. All of this, and beautiful too.

Miles: 38

A beautiful 20 mile stretch of back roads.

Day 35

Lady Bird Johnson Recreation Area to Pedernales Falls State park

I’m up early today, I can’t sleep for some reason. The cooking rotation has been swapped around a bit due to our extra day in Austin. I’m cooking tonight. Don’t know what will be served yet, I will need to consult with my cooking partner this morning after breakfast. If I am reading the map correctly, it looks like we will be doing about 52 miles today. The general elevation is down as we work our way out of Hill Country. I do expect some climbing today based on the elevation profile shown on our maps. Google says 800 feet up and 1,500 feet down, but It Google is plotting a different route than we are taking, The route we are on is more rural, so it is likely to have more climbing involved - that’s just the way it seems to work. We will be passing North of Luckenbach. An interesting town that we won’t see. It’s claimed that the first airplane was flown here, ahead of the Wright brothers. The possible home of outlaw country music, it is also the subject of the famous Jennings and Nelsons song “Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love).” The towns folk purportedly dislike the song because it has nothing to do with Luckenbach.

Google was wrong, there was more climbing than descending. After we entered the park where we are staying it was three miles to the camp site. We will have a heads of a climb to get out of here in the morning. It’s between 40 and 50 miles to Austin. Looking forward to being there.

The dinner was great, again. Got lots of complements. I sautéed peppers, onions, poblanos, and jalapeños, with salt, pepper, and some smoked paprika. I fried SPAM in olive oil and the vegetable sauté went on top along with barbecue sauce. It was very good. My partner boiled some sweet potatoes and we had those with some sour cream. It was a very good dinner. Tomorrow for breakfast I am fixing French toast. That will be the first time we have had that on this trip. I’m hoping it will be a success. Like a dumb-ass, I burned my hand cooking the SPAM. It’s not serious.

I cant’ wait to get to Austin.

Miles: 52

Still in the Hill Country

What is SPAM? “Special Processed American Meat.” (Great for bicycle trips.)

Day 36

Pedernales Falls State park to Austin

It has been several years since I have been to Austin. I love that city. I’m looking forward to arriving there at the end of the day today.

It was several years ago that I attended a Perl conference at the University of Texas, Austin. It was a week-long affair. My plan was to rent a bicycle instead of a car. I did not tell the company travel office of my plans. I figured that if they rejected that expense for any reason, I would just pay for it out of my own pocket. Having a bike for a week to get around Austin would be worth the investment. UTA is on the north side of town, I stayed on the southwest side of town, about 10 miles from campus. It was June and it was hot. But it was also a lot of fun. When I returned to work, the travel office had a lot of questions for me about the rental. They told me “your the first person to rent a bicycle instead of a car on company travel.” I guess that is something to be a little bit proud about, since Boeing is such a big company.

I remember the music, the food trucks, the restaurants, Austin has it all. It should be a good stay!

I’m up early again. It’s still dark out and I’m just sort of puttering around (writing this post) and getting ready to start the day. I’m looking forward to making French Toast for this motley crew.

Miles: About 50

Day 37

Austin Texas - Rest Day #1

Last night I went looking for a good hearty meal. I more-or-less stumbled into Perry’s Steakhouse. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I say a 32oz pork dinner on the menu. The server explained to me that it is famous throughout Austin, and only served on Sundays. I thought the whole notion was preposterous, but when it came to the table, I realized immediately that the server wasn’t kidding, this is a one of a kind meal. Of course there was no way of eating a 32oz pork chop. I’ll likely be working on that for two more days. The best part, is that it tasted divine. It was the best pork chop I have ever eaten, or likely ever will. They smoke if for 14 hours before finishing it for the table. I can’t describe the flavor, I would like to know exactly how they prepare their rub. Obviously there was no room for desert, but it was a “dinner”, so desert was included. Just an incomparable meal. One that will not be forgotten.

The day today was strictly reserved for tourist activity while I rested from the previous 36 days of effort. First up was the Texas State Capital building. It is big as you would expect, but it was also elegant as well as daunting. The first thing you will likely notice is the Texas “Star.” It’s everywhere. Texas is very proud of its heritage as a “Republic”, whatever that means. If you look closely at all the door hinges in the building, you will notice that all of them are custom made and carry the “Texas Star” as part of their design. The rotunda was beautiful, and you can access it from three different levels, each containing offices and conference rooms, as well as the legislative chambers. The best part of the tour was my conversation with one of the Capital Guards, a former Texas Ranger. We had a great conversation. It turns out he has been to Seattle. Surprisingly, many of the people I meet and chat with have been to Seattle. Maybe I should not be surprised by that, but I always am. My Texas Ranger friend gave me a list of all the things in and around Austin that I should see and do. Unfortunately there won’t be time for all of that. The one recommendation I did have time for was his suggestion for barbecue. He told me to go to “Stubbs” for BBQ.

After visiting the Texas Capital building, I went to the LBJ Presidential Library. I’m really glad I went there. LBJ was a great President and a good leader. His involvement in Vietnam was his undoing, unfortunately. What he did for Americans might well be the biggest accomplishment of any President - ever. His “Great Society” has never been matched, and is in stark contrast to today’s “every man for himself” political ethic. LBJ where are you? In fairness, much of the Great Society was came from JFK, but LBJ made it happen, he picked up the gauntlet after Kennedy’s passing and took it across the finish line.

Following the advice of my Ranger friend, I went to Stubbs BBQ for dinner. It was very good, the portions were more than I could handle. Now I have more left overs. (Not a bad thing.) That is the same Stubbs that sells BBQ sauce nation-wide. I would not suggest that Stubbs is the best BBQ in Austin, I suspect not, but my Ranger friend was a big man, I think the large portions served there are right up his alley. I won’t have time to find the best BBQ in Austin, that might take a very long time!

Austin has a “Paramount” theatre much like Seattle’s, only a bit smaller perhaps. It so happens that Bill Bryson was delivering a lecture there this very evening. I decided to attend. He is very entertaining and funny. He’s a good story teller. You would naturally expect that from a writer with his skill. He was stumping for his new book. If I could carry an unlimited amount of weight, I would pick up a copy and read it on my way to Florida, but that will have to wait.

My first day of rest is over.

Day 38

Austin Texas - Rest Day #2

Today was a total down day. I slept in, tinkered around with my gear and then went downstairs for a breakfast in the hotel cafe. I added Perry’s Pork leftovers to my eggs. The pork was not the same cold as it was Sunday night, but it was still good. I doubt I will ever have another pork dinner quit like the one I had Sunday night at Perry’s. If you go to Austin and you are there on a Sunday night, you have to go to Perry’s.

I moved to a boutique hotel today for the next two nights. The East Austin Hotel. It reminds me of the Pineapple Hotel on Seattle’s Queen Ann Hill, only cooler. The price is reasonable. This is a really sweet place. The Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin is possibly the nicest place I have ever stayed. The room was luxurious. Twelve foot ceilings in the room where I stayed. It was impressive. Before checking out, I spent about an hour looking at the art work in the hotel. All of the hallways on each floor had original paintings hanging about every five feet. It was fun to look at all the styles and techniques. Every style and technique that I am familiar with was represented in the collection. There must have been several hundred paintings hanging in the hotel’s hallways. Someone had a lot of fun curating the hotel’s collection. Some of the paintings date back to the early 19th Century.

Before dinner I got a haircut. I’ve never gotten a cut this short, so it’s probably a good thing no one can see me right now. (I’m trying not to look at myself.) The bicycle helmet is going to be much more comfortable now, at least for two or three weeks. I can see why a lot of men prefer to wear their hair short, it is very comfortable.

A nice dinner at the East Austin Hotel, a hamburger made from ground beef, and of course ground beef brisket, consumed while watching the first few innings of Game One between Houston and Washington. I couldn’t stay awake long enough to watch the enter game. I’ll try and get a bit deeper into the game tomorrow night.

For a week I’ve had a poem about road kill rattling around in my head. The amount of road kill you see on a daily basis in Texas is beyond what you would imagine. It came out in a rush Monday morning and I wrote it down, it’s called “The Road.” Sometimes I sit down and a poem comes out. Most of the time it rattles around for a few days or longer. This is just like the problem solving technique I employed when I used to work as a software developer. I’m still solving problems in the same way, the problems are just different now. Instead of devising an algorithm, I’m devising a poem.

My second day of rest is over.

Day 39

Austin Texas - Rest Day #3

I spent a good part of the morning hanging out at Mello Johnny’s Bike Shop and Cafe. My bike is getting a new chain, tune-up, new tires, and a new seat. This is a cool place. My bike will likely be here all day, but I do need to leave the cafe at some point and go to REI to pick up some additional gear for the remainder of the trip.

Why additional gear?

I have left the tour behind. I’m going to complete the remainder of the journey to Florida solo.

I couldn’t stay with the group any longer several reasons. I enjoyed the experience and the people were great, I will miss them. Probably the best way to explain this is to say that the group was just too dissimilar in terms of food preferences. We had hearty eaters (as I have described earlier) and those that I refer to as not-so-hearty. Specifically we had vegetarian, vegan, and also food allergies that we had to take into consideration with every meal. This meant cooking “deconstructed, mix-and-match” dinners. My preference is hearty one-pot, spiced/flavorful dishes. Of course that doesn’t work under these circumstances. I finally decided a few days out of Austin that I would be better off, and happier, just trying to cook for myself.

That’s not the only reason I decided to leave the tour. The structured routine required to get a group of people moving in the morning and settled every night became too much for my looser style of travel. If you look at the top of the page, you’ll see my tag line is “I ride just how I like.” It turns out that is an important factor for me. I need time to stop during the day and write if the spirit moves me. I can’t be on a schedule every day. I want time to write and paint. I haven’t had time to break out the paints that I am carrying around with me. (I’m not a painter, but I want the time to play around with them.) As far as the food goes, if I see a cafe or restaurant that looks good (there are many along the way) I want the freedom to stop and enjoy them if I don’t feel like cooking for myself.

All of this probably makes me a solo tourist, or at the very least, a tourist that functions better in a small close-knit group of friends with similar taste and interests. One of my goals (it did not start out to be a goal of this trip) is to do an epic solo tour. It turns out now that I will accomplish two goals, an epic cross-country tour and an epic solo tour. I’m planning to reach St. Augustine two days behind the group. The ACA won’t let me rejoin even if I catch up to them. I probably won’t anyway.

I’m going to try and watch some Game Two tonight, and if all goes well, I’ll be on the road again tomorrow morning.

My third day of rest is over. Austin is a great town to have a little rest.

Day 40

Austin to Bastrop

Morning. Along the way I acquired eight 50ml (small) bottles of various Bourbons: Maker’s Mark, Woodford, and Pendleton. This morning packing to leave Austin I committed the ultimate sin, I combined them all into a single 16 oz flask. I will be reporting on the result in a future post. Please forgive me.

This will be the first day of solo riding. I’m carrying a bit more weight. A stove, two bottles of fuel, some cookware, misc food items (I’ll have to carry more food now day-in and day-out). To handle all the extra gear I had to buy a 40L duffel bag to strap onto the back of the bike. The additional weight is significant, but the good news is the mountains are now behind me. Of course I could turn around and head back to San Diego to see if I was up to the challenge of hauling all this over mountain terrain, but I think I will press on instead. I would like to weigh all of this to see exactly how much weight I am carrying.

I bought a cargo net so I could carry my palm leaf hat without it flopping around and acting like a drag chute. I resisted the temptation to buy a jersey at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop. They have very cool clothing there, but I don’t need more clothes and I’m already at capacity when it comes to carrying things. They did an excellent job tuning up the Davidson. I had them replace the Brooks B17 with a Selle Royal M1. When I arrive at my campsite later today we’ll see if I am happy with the change. The Selle Royal is supposed to be the best “anatomical” saddle available. Everyone has their opinion. I know that a lot of long distance cyclists prefer it over the Brooks. This will be a good test for me, I have always ridden a Brooks. I don’t plan to change the name of the Blog from “Life on a B17” to “Life on a Selle M1” so you can keep on reading right here.

End of the day. Today was only 38 miles but I’m still tired. I need to get used to the extra weight as well as the bike’s handling. Every pound that you add changes the handling just a bit. Right now the bike feels very different than it did before I arrived in Austin.

Not much of interest to take pictures of today. Today was “get out of town day” which means navigating a lot of big city sprawl for the most part. When I did finally get into the country side it was not very picturesque. I’m staying in a KOA Campground and the lady that checked me in gave me a great discount. My main objective tonight is to fire up the new stove, cook dinner on it, and also cook breakfast on it in the morning. Liquid fuel stoves can be a little bit fussy. I’m planning to make tortilla spaghetti for dinner and French toast for breakfast. I already see that I am missing a skillet so I may have to alter my breakfast plan slightly.

The Selle will take some getting used to.

Miles: 38

Day 41

Bastrop to Carmine

Morning

A front moved in last night. The temperature has dropped dramatically and things are going to get interesting for me today. I’ll definitely be cycling with warmer clothes today. Today’s goal is 65 miles and there is some climbing involved today. I’m going to just have to see how it goes. I’m not committed to 65 miles, if I need to stop short, I will.

The Camp Host told me a storm was blowing in so I didn’t bother to set up my tent. I slept in the pavilion last night. It was a large building enclosed on three sides so I was well protected - for the most part. It was a bit drafty. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. I slept comfortably and was very happy to have that option last night.

I got a message from Trail Boss last night that two more people have left the tour. That’s unfortunate. I had a feeling in San Diego that it was going to be difficult for me. It never occurred to me that others might feel the same way (probably should not be surprised). I’m glad I lasted as long as I did. I hope everyone is ok. Those that have left and those that are remaining. The group left San Diego 9 strong. As of today, there are 5 remaining of the original group. One individual abandoned altogether shortly after reaching Arizona. Three have abandoned in the last few days. So now there are three solo cyclists out there wandering around. I wonder what the odds are that the three wild cards will band together. Not saying that should happen, just curious about the odds is all.

I cooked last night for the first time on my new camp stove. I made a mock Southwest spaghetti and put the meat sauce into tortillas. It was pretty good. The camp host walked through the pavilion while I was cooking, and told me later when I ran into him that it had smelled pretty good.

The end of the day

It turns out I stopped in Round Top, that is about 10 miles shy of Carmine. That’s ok, because it was a heck of a day. The wind blew all day out of the West. Strong and steady. That was great when I was going East, but all afternoon was spent going North, so the wind was not my friend. In fact, the wind spent most of it’s effort trying to blow me off the shoulder of the road again. I survived without incident. It appears that when the wind comes out of the West in this part of Texas, the temperature can dip unseasonably low. It did today. By 5pm I was chilled to the bone. I had planned to stay in an RV Park tonight, but opted for a motel instead. Turns out to be a very nice place. The end result of the day was a real beating by the wind, happy to have a roof over my head.

The route took me through two state parks, connected to each other. It was a 15 mile bypass of a state highway. About halfway through I discovered the road was flooded from the storm last night. There was no way to cross, that’s how people get into serious trouble in this part of the country. (You see signs everywhere that say “Turn around or drown.” I turned around and it was retrace the 7 miles to the park entrance or take a side road back to the highway. Of course I chose the side road. Five hundred yards down the side road there was a tree blocking the entire road. A windfall from the night before. The road was impassable for cars, but I was able to sneak under the tree and continue on. An exciting morning for sure. (Pictures on Instagram, be sure and check them out.) That put me on a State highway for another 15 miles. About that time I decided that 65 miles for today might be a bit of a reach.

This is day two on the new saddle. I’m sure I will get used to it, but it’s a bit like sitting on a fence rail with a small dry kitchen sponge for padding. Good thing I have a small ass or consequently more of it would hurt.

As I was coming in to Round Top, about 5 miles out, I saw a sign that said “Blue Mule Winery.” It was only one mile off route, so I decided to go do a wine tasting. I pulled in to the barn tasting room and met Ashley and her husband Cooper. They were running the tasting room. They bottle 12 varietals. Six white and six red. Some estate grapes, some North Texas grapes, and some grapes from California. All of their wines were good, and all very distinctive. Ashley’s dad came in to the tasting room and we had a nice conversation. It turns out he is a cycling enthusiast, but doesn’t have time to ride much any more. He was very interested in my bike. When he found out it was Titanium, he went out to take a look. He came back in and told me how much I paid for it. He was exactly right. He knows his bicycles. I sampled 10 of their 12 wines then ordered a glass of my favorite red. It was quite good. Ashley and I talked about the tour and when I told her my destination was St. Augustine, she told me that was her favorite town outside Texas. I got some really good tips from her about where to eat and what to do when I arrive there. We talked about wine, Texas, and travel. She told me she had done the “Blazing 100” in Houston in August (quite some time ago). That’s a Century ride in Houston in mid-August. I asked her how anyone rides in Houston in August. She laughed and told me her Grandfather had a saying that summed that up. He used to say “If the Devil owned Texas, he would rent it out in the summer and stay in Hell.” That is the reason I am here in October.

Every Friday in Round Top the locals get together for a BBQ at the local Black Smith shop (really). There is live music and Texas BBQ. My motel is a mile from the Black Smith, but only 3 blocks from a real Texas Road House, the Stone Cellar. I opted for the shorter destination and it was a good choice. I had a beer and some queso dip and chips, then I had more beer, a ham and cheese sandwich, then more beer, all while watching the Astros/Nationals game. It was a true Texas Road House. The actual population of Round Top is 90, but I counted 100 people in the road house. It was stick framed with a metal roof and the walls were 2 x 12 rough sawn boards. Some boards had been replaced, but most were original. The room was about 30 x 80, no heat and no insulation, but plenty warm. The game was on four monitors and they had live music, it was amazing. The music was great. An acoustic guitar and singer and he was very good. There is nothing quite like watching the Astros in the World Series inside of a Texas Road House! I noticed a sign on the wall that read: “Our town is so small we don’t have a town drunk - we all take turns.” I thought that was pretty funny. As I sat and watched the game, I noticed that I could actually look through the cracks between some of the vertical siding boards and see what was going on outside. I wasn’t the least bit surprised, it just added to the charm of the place. I wish you could have been here with me. There were people there for the music and people there for the food. There was an eighth grade graduation being celebrated. Little kids were running around the bar having a good time and of course, there were people there watching the game. It was a wonderful place. The musician played my favorite song “Give Me Three Steps” by Skynyrd. It was a perfect evening.

Miles: 55

Windy and cold but the hills are becoming more civilized.

Day 42

Round Top to Navasota

Morning

The front that moved in 24 hours ago still seems to be presenting itself. I poked my head out of the door a few minutes ago and I will need to dress warm and also dress for wind today. I haven’t been paying particular attention to the weather. When you are cycling, you learn to take what you get. It seems kind of pointless to look it up on your cell phone because you’re going to be in it anyway.

After two days of cycling solo, I’ve realized it is different than cycling in a group. Of course you have to be more self-reliant. But there are some subtle differences as well. When I’m out there on the road, I’m not thinking about who is in front of me or who is behind me. Should I catch up? Am I going to slow? I simply don’t have those thoughts any more. Likewise, at the end of the day I don’t worry about arriving at the days destination too early or too late, when I get there now, it tends to be the perfect time and the perfect place. It may not be where I thought it was going to be when I started the day. What do I think about all day long while I’m riding? That’s a good question. Some people can’t be alone. Those people probably aren’t going to go cycling in the first place. Some people can handle being alone, but they need a distraction, so they listen to music. Listening to music while cycling has never been my thing. I guess you would say that I am simply alone with my thoughts. That’s ok, every once in awhile I actually have one. Sometimes I don’t have any thoughts at all because the shoulder is so narrow and the traffic so heavy that just holding a safe line pretty much takes all the concentration and effort that I can give it. Add wind to that situation and you are pushing the limits of my mental capacity. As my friend Terry says, “I’m just a hard working 81 IQ.” You probably shouldn’t be on the road on days like yesterday unless you are an 82 or above. Somehow I survived. When people ask me about the hazards of road travel by bicycle, particularly whether or not that scares me, I tell them the amount of fear you feel on the road is proportional to your IQ. An 81 is perfectly suited for road cycling.

End of the day

My goal today was the town of Navasota. Even though I am now riding solo, I’m still following the original itinerary laid out by the Trail Boss back in San Diego. That had us in St. Augustine in 66 days. If I keep on the itinerary, I will be there in 68 days because of my two extra rest days in Austin. I’m not sure I will keep to that. If I’m inspired to take an extra day here or there, I’ll do that. Reaching Navasota today meant covering an extra 10 miles since I cut yesterday’s destination short by that much. I reached Navasota easily. Good weather makes a huge difference when it comes to riding results. I’m stopping to take more pictures now. I’m going to really appreciate that when I look back on this experience.

Update on the new saddle. Today it felt great. I’m not really sure why one day it feels terrible and the next day it feels great. I hope to figure this out before I get to St. Augustine…

I rode ten miles this morning before I found a nice breakfast spot. It was an absolutely charming small town cafe. You can’t count on cafes in small towns being open every day, but since today is Saturday, I figured I’d have good luck, and I did. The cafe was called the “Blue Willow.” There is a theme going on here, at least the last two days. I seem to be attracted to things with the word “blue” in the name. I looked over the menu and decided to give biscuits and gravy a shot. That is not a typical breakfast choice for me, but I had an urge to try it in this place. So I ordered it and dedicated the experience I was about to have to my sister and my brother-in-law. The breakfast came and it was delicious. Not at all what I expected either! The gravy was meatless but very tasty, with just a hint of sage. A very tiny hint. The biscuit was somewhere between fluffy and scone like. I was taken aback at first, then started to appreciate what was going on. The sweetness of the biscuit and the savory but meatless gravy were perfectly paired. Yes there was meat on the side, and I ate all of it. But this particular version of biscuits and gravy was presented without meat as a component of the gravy. To say that the gravy was better than my brother-in-law’s, or the biscuit was better than my sister’s would put me in grave danger of being disowned. Suffice it to say it was very different from their version, and very good.

Lunch was at an old, I would say almost historic, gas station/grocery store. I purchased a chicken salad sandwich and a can of Bud. I ate them outside. A fellow on a Triumph pulled in and we had a nice chat. I asked him how far he was coming from and he said “ten miles away.” He told me I needed to have the hamburger there, but by then it was too late. He is also a cyclist, so we had a good conversation about equipment. He has been considering tubeless tires, so I got him all spun-up on that. I also introduced him to the Schwalbe G-One tires that I’m running. These are brilliant tires, fast and comfortable, I think that is a difficult combination to pull off.

I’m traveling at my own pace now. I feel much more relaxed than before. Henceforth my travels by bicycle will be solo or in the company of close personal friends rather than a group of strangers.

By mid-day, the previous front had cleared completely. I was able to shed layers and enjoy an almost perfect afternoon. The sky was blue. The sun was out. There was still a slight breeze and the temperature was brisk, but that made for good cycling. When I got to Navasota I couldn’t find the RV Park I intended to stay in, so I checked into the Navasota Inn instead. This place is a great value. I got cleaned up and took a late afternoon nap. That is the first one of those I have had in… about… 43 days.

I got some great photos today for Instagram. I should be in Louisiana by Wednesday.

Miles: 54

I’m now in East Texas farm country, the hills have become manageable.

Day 43

Navasota to New Waverly

I’m enjoying some Jim Beam in my tent and writing this post. Not the real Jim Beam, the one I made myself by combining expensive bourbons into a travel flask to make a so-so bourbon. I will drink it just the same.

Much of my writing is dictated by the words that I know how to spell. I start out with a nice word, spell check tells me it’s spelled wrong, so instead of looking it up I choose a simpler word, i.e., one that is easier to spell. This could mean I’m lazy, or it could be the bourbon making me lazy.

Not every day needs to be, or can be, exciting. Today was one of those days that was not particularly exciting. It was still good. Riding through the Sam Houston National Forest was nirvana. At one point I pulled off the road to chat with the Assistant Director of Tours for the ACA. (While I was on the phone, a park ranger drove past me and gave me a wave and a thumbs-up for pulling off the road to talk on the phone.) The conversation with the Assistant Tours Directory went very nicely. He wanted to know all about why I’m no long on tour with the group. I explained clearly that they failed the group with their too-lenient food policy, and also they had failed me by not releasing me from the ride back in San Diego when I made that request. He was sympathetic. He confessed at the end of our call that they have had this issue with their longer tours for almost five years now. He said they were working on revising their “accommodations” policy. I hope so. I also hope I gave him some good feedback that will move them along in that direction. This issue has now been put to rest as far as I’m concerned.

Tomorrow I plan to skip ahead and do two itinerary stops in one day. It will be about 70 miles, perhaps a bit more. My rationale is that it will give me an extra day in Chicot State Park in Louisiana. I’ve heard this is a beautiful place, with deluxe cabins for rent. I went on line to reserve one and there is a three night minimum stay - thus my jumping ahead one day tomorrow.

When the weather is nice, like it has been for the last two days, there really is nothing like tent camping, it can be very enjoyable with the right equipment. One thing about tent camping that I don’t enjoy, is camping in a pine forest and having pine cones drop out of the tree onto your tent. That is happening right now, coincidentally. Tonight for dinner I made mac-and-cheese with bacon, chicken and a spicy buffalo sauce. Pretty good stuff at the end of a long day of cycling. Ya, no salad, but maybe I’ll have one with my lunch tomorrow, or maybe not. I’m not going to die if I don’t get salad every day. My new camp stove is a blow-torch. The MSR gas stoves have one temperature setting, full-on blast furnace. You have to be on top of whatever it is you are cooking every second. The stove will boil four cups of water in less than two minutes.

All of a sudden, I can’t get pictures off my Nikon camera any more. I really hate to be negative, but I’ll just say this: If you want to buy Nikon, don’t go entry level. Get a more expensive model that has built-in WiFi so you don’t have to rely on a crappy vendor provided IOS app to get pictures from the camera to you iPhone or iPad. It looks like I am back to square one when it comes to taking photos. (Recall that the camera in my phone is broken.) I do not want to buy a new phone, but it is beginning to look like that is my best option. I’m probably a thousand miles away from a camera store that would allow me to trade my brand new D3500 for a better camera with WiFi.

Miles: 54

Passed through the Sam Houston National Forest.

Day 44

New Waverly to Shepard

Today was a pleasant surprise. I intended to double-down and do two days of riding but my legs wouldn’t allow it. Turns out to be a good thing, because tonight I’m staying in the weirdest place since the El Cosmico in Marfa. Very eclectic and completely off the normalcy chart. Small cabins, an open area for tents and a pavilion that is impossible to describe. Everything here is decorated for Halloween, in a big way. Just take a look at the photos on Instagram and you’ll get the idea.

The morning was cool and foggy. The fog didn’t start to lift until noon. I didn’t see any sunshine until 1:30pm. Very Seattle like. Today would not have been a good day to double-down on the mileage. Also, I thought doubling-down would mean 74 miles. When I looked more closely later in the morning, I realized it would have been a 94 mile day. It’s a good thing I didn’t attempt it. I would have made it, late in the day, but it would not have been fun.

It looks like I will be in Louisiana on Wednesday. When I got to Chilcot State Park I was planning to rent a cabin and stay an extra day or two. When I checked availability today, they were all rented. I’m planning to tent camp there, but just stay one night. At this point I don’t know when my next rest day will be. When I get to a place that is cool, I’ll make that my rest day location. It will be a surprise.

I’m excited to get to Louisiana. I’m very curious to see what the terrain will be like. East Texas is gradually becoming more forested and flatter. I expect that to continue. Based on the maps that I’m using, it looks like I will also be passing through areas of swampy lowland in Louisiana (not a surprise). I am quite eager to see what that will look like.

Miles: 43

The “Shepard Sanctuary” is a weird but very cool place.

Day 45

Shepard to Silsbee

I was chased by a Texas storm all day. When I left Shepard, I looked over my shoulder and the sky to the West was dark. As I headed East, I noticed the storm front was keeping up with me. It must have been moving about 10mph, which is about what I do when you average in my stopping time. I pulled into a gas station and got two breakfast tacos. A truck driver there told me I had better get some shelter tonight because a storm was headed towards Silsbee (my destination). I was inclined to agree with him, after watching the storm front follow me all morning.

About 1pm I pulled into a country store in Honey Island. I was about 20 miles from Silsbee at that point. I had a hamburger, even though I wasn’t terribly hungry, and watched the storm creep closer. By the time I got back on the bike, I was getting just a few drops of rain, the leading edge of the storm. No more stops for me until I reach Silsbee.

I was hoping for a nice hotel in Silsbee. No luck. Even though there is a bed, I’ll be sleeping in my sleeping bag tonight. I got checked into the room just as a burst of thunder seemed to shake the ground. It was perhaps the loudest burst of thunder I’ve ever heard. I looked West and the sky was dark. It was only 4pm. I opened the door to the room, moved a chair into the doorway, and waited. Within two minutes the storm hit. Thunder and lightening that you could feel. The rain came down in sheets that made the visibility a thousand yards or so. I watched the show for a good ten minutes. The foremost thought in my mind, how glad I was to be under a roof and not out in the open. I was fortunate to run ahead of the storm front all day.

This isn’t Seattle. Within an hour the front had passed over Silsbee, depositing (according to my weather app) an inch of rain. Currently, several hours later, the temperature is 70 degrees and the humidity is 96 percent. I’m almost in Louisiana, in fact, I’ll be there tomorrow. Seems like it has taken me a long time to get through Texas, and indeed it has.

For the record, my two favorite campgrounds in Texas were El Cosmico in Marfa, and The Shepard Sanctuary in Shepard.

My flask of Jim Beam is all gone.

Miles: 62

Chased by a Texas storm front all day.

Day 46

Silsbee Texas to DeRidder Louisiana

Morning

Brace for weather. I don’t usually look at my weather app. To tell you the truth, there really hasn’t been a lot of reason to look at it. Due to the storm that blew in behind me yesterday, I figured I’d better have a look. According to the app, I’m dry until noon then things will likely get wet, possibly very wet. The forecast at noon is 40% chance of rain, increasing throughout the afternoon to 90% by 5pm. I was planning to do another 60 miles or so today and camp tonight. I’m revising that plan as I write this. I think I’d be smart to try and make it 73 miles (to DeRider Louisiana) and get a hotel room again tonight. That’s the plan. One thing I have learned about cross-country travel by bicycle, plans are just that. Often the best laid plans somehow manage to get changed.

End of the day

Louisiana greeted me with a downpour about 10 miles in. I consider myself lucky. It only rained for about 5 miles. It stopped with 15 miles to go before reaching DeRidder. By the time I got to DeRidder, I was mostly dry. In Arizona they say “but it’s a dry heat.” I don’t know what they say about rain in Louisiana, but based on my experience today it wouldn’t surprise me if they say “but it’s a warm rain.” It was not nearly as uncomfortable as a Seattle downpour would be. Things will start cooling off as we get into November, so I’m told.

DeRidder doesn’t have a bookstore, or a bike shop, so I won’t dally here. They do have a liquor store (of course every town has one of those). This one was well stocked. Tomorrow my flask will be carrying Barrel Finish Select Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon. What doesn’t fit in the flask is my reward tonight for surviving the second rainstorm of the trip. That is something worth toasting; the surviving, and the fact that there have only been two. (Note the use of a semi-colon, the first one on this blog - I’ll have to toast that as well.)

This is day seven out of Austin. My body is beginning to need a rest day. I’m hoping that when I arrive at Chicot State Park on Friday, the weather will permit camping for a couple of nights. I’m just playing this day-by-day at this point. I won’t see a large town (10,000 population) until I get to Alabama. I won’t see a big town (50,000 population) until I get to Pensacola, Florida. The Southern Tier bicycle route is a pretty rural affair.

Now that I am out of Texas, things have change. The humidity is way up, the terrain is flat, and there is a lot more water in the form of creeks and streams. I’m guessing the water will become even more prevalent. Today I saw my first road-side crawfish shack. I didn’t stop. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even tempted. I also passed a Cajun Snack Shack, but I didn’t stop there either. Before this is over I will have grits and hush puppies for sure, if I can get them without catfish. Kolaches are big here. That’s a fancy name for a hot dog in a pastry bun.

Miles: 73

Louisiana, where the roads are narrow and the shoulders non-existent.

Day 47

DeRidder to Mamou

Morning

Brace for weather, only this morning it’s cold. Currently overcast and 41 degrees, which is cold for Louisiana. The forecast is for sun by noon, but temperature will probably only climb to about 50 degrees today. It should be a good cycling day. It appears the cold has driven out the rain. The news is calling this “Winter Storm Bessie,” but it is mostly impacting East of me. Not sure yet where I will end up at the end of the day. I’m planning to ride either 37 miles to Oberlin or 63 miles to Mamou.

End of the day

I don’t think the temperature ever reached 50. There was a strong North wind blowing all day. After seven hours of riding, the wind will finally start to penetrate you, no matter what you are wearing. You can’t wear a down parka when you are cycling, so it becomes a balancing act between ventilating and not being too cold. For me, that means by the end of a day like today, I’m chilled.

When I got to Oberlin I was ready to call it a day. I pulled in to the only motel in town and discovered that it was not open for business. I had actually taken my time to get there, it was 2:30 already. I had enjoyed the ride very much to that point, i.e., I was not yet chilled. Now it was push on to Mamou or find a campground. There weren’t a lot of camping options, and it was cold after all, so I pushed on.

I’m glad I did, when I got to Mamou about 5:30, I found a hotel right downtown that was also an historical landmark. Built in 1911 by one Mr. Cazan. The story goes he built the Cazan Hotel and the town as a place to help the Governor of Louisiana launder his money. The important part of the story, from an historical perspective, is that the Governor at the time told voters he was going to make more money once elected than he would every make in salary. The people elected him anyway. I think this story has important relevance today. I’ll leave that as an exercise for the reader.

The hotel Manager gave me a tour of the place. There is an old bar and restaurant, complete with original furnishings but no longer used. It was one spooky place to stay on Halloween. She also showed me the secret door behind the bar to the back room where they kept the safe. The safe is still there. She told me the ghost of Mr. Cazan is said to roam the halls at night sometimes. I was delighted. This seemed like the perfect time to be staying there. The decorating style reminded me a bit of the Shepard Sanctuary.

After I got settled in I walked across the street to what looked like the most promising bar on the block. There were four within 100 yards of the hotel. At first glance, it appeared I did not choose wisely. Inside the bar was the bartender and one paying customer. I assume he was a paying customer, he was definitely the bar tender’s best friend. They seemed like best fiends anyway. I ordered a Bud and struck up a conversation. They were great company. We talked about a lot of stuff, from the fires in California to the election in Louisiana. I got my first taste of what I will call “Louisiana accent.” I only understood about half of what the bartender was saying to me. They also filled me in a bit on the Cazan. There is no ghost they said. The Manager just likes to tell people that. When the bartender was telling me this, he was twirling his finger along side his head. The gesture indicating clearly that the Manager might be a bit batty. He made the same gesture when he told me about the hotel’s owner, a woman who lives down in New Orleans. After two Buds, I decided I was hungry. I asked the bartender where to go for a meal. He seemed to think a little too hard, then said “David and Lori’s.” He took my order and called it in for me. I got up to leave and he asked me if I was going to cycle there, I said no I’m going to walk. He shrugged his shoulders and we all shook hands. I realized 20 minutes later why he asked me if I was going to cycle there, the place was a good mile from the bar. I made it, and the food was waiting for me, mostly hot.

When I arrived at David and Lori’s, It was at the only drive-in restaurant in town. I picked up my order at the window and started looking around for a place to sit down and eat. There was none. I did see several milk crates lying nearby, so I stacked one on top of the other and sat down. Someone came up to the window to pickup their order and looked at me and said, “you know, there’s a dining room right there.” Sure enough less than ten feet from where I was sitting was a door that clearly said “Dining Room.” It was warm inside, so I finished my meal in relative comfort while anticipating the 20 minute walk back to the hotel.

Tomorrow I’m heading to the town of Bunkie. I’m not going to stop at Chicot State Park because there are no cabins for rent there and we are still in the midsts of a significant cold snap. I could tent in the park, but I’m thinking right now I’d rather not. Reaching Bunkie would amount to a 37 mile day. That sounds like a nice number to me right now.

Miles: 63

The wind chill factor was, well, a factor.

Day 48

Mamou to Bunkie

Since today is November 1, I could start counting the days to completion of my journey, rather than days since the start. To completion, I now have 20 days remaining. I plan to be in St. Augustine on November 21st. We shall see.

I had high hopes for Ville Platte. Since the population is 8,000 I was hoping for a bookstore, or at the very least a coffee shop. There were none to be found and I haven’t seen either one of those since I left Texas. A man stopped to chat about what I was doing in Ville Platte. We met as I was coming out of the lunch place where I stopped. He was very nice, we chatted for ten minutes about the bike, cycling, my journey, he was genuinely curious about it all. I forgot to mention that when I was in DeRidder, a stranger gave me his phone number when I was having morning coffee. That was the first really cold windy day. He told me if I had any trouble at all, to give him a call. What a nice guy. The people here really are more than friendly and very kind. There are no shoulders on the roads in Louisiana, and almost everyone is giving me three feet of room or more when they pass. It’s rare actually that someone doesn’t. To the nice man I chatted with at the ranger’s office in Chicot State Park: the answer is Fairbault.

The morning started off cold and windy, but less windy than yesterday. I made it maybe fifty feet down the street, and then ducked into the Krazy Cajun Cafe for some breakfast. I had a great time. I saw a news clipping on the wall with a picture of Anthony Bourdain, he had visited the cafe. My server told me all about it and even mentioned that she had waited on him. I sat down at the same table where he sat. After ordering and eating my first bowl of grits since entering Louisiana, we chatted some more about Anthony. She told me that he had only tipped her $2. She said she should have asked him to sign the bills. As I ate my breakfast it occurred to me that this situation presented a great opportunity. When I was done eating I paid, and put a $3 tip on the table. I got my server’s attention (I didn’t get her name, my bad) and showed her the tip and told her “now I can tell everyone that I’m a better tipper than Anthony Bourdain.” We got a good laugh out of that, but she didn’t ask me to sign the bills.

One of my friends mentioned that I seem to be having a good time. I am. Traveling in an insular group with your time tightly scheduled is just not my cup of tea. I know there are people in my former group that look down on the kind of travel I’m doing now. But a lot of “how best to travel” depends on your age, your background, and what you want to get out of the experience. To those that think I’m decadent because I’m not camping every night and cooking my own meal every night, all I ask is that you look back 30 years from now and ask yourself if you still feel the same way. I suspect by then things may have changed a bit for you.

The day was cold until about Noon, after that it was chilly but quite pleasant otherwise. I entered Chilcot State Park early afternoon. The route took me six miles though the park. It was one of the most beautiful six mile segments I’ve ridden so far. It was truly a beautiful day, and the park was every bit as stunning. I almost lost track of time as I was riding. I was out of the park way too soon. In listening to the locals talk, as near as I can place it, the park is pronounced “She-ko.” I think the people down here talk strange simply so the can easily detect outsiders.

Another example of the speech differences came up this morning. My host at the Hotel Cazan was telling me about “Fred’s Boar.” I could not figure out what she was talking about. Finally I stopped her and asked her to explain. She said, “you know, a bo-ar.” She said it real slow so I could keep up. Even at that it took me a second, then I realized she was talking about “Fred’s Bar.” A common programming error is to be “off by one.” I found myself “off by one” once again. It’s Friday, and “Fred’s Boar” is only open on Saturday. I was particularly saddened when she told me that “Fred’s Boar” serves the best Margaritas in the State of Louisiana. I’ll have to take her at her word, since I won’t be there myself to verify that claim.

I love the way women call me “darling,” and “sweetie.”

Miles: 37

My first Bayou. My first above ground cemetery.

Day 49

Bunkie to New Roads Louisiana

All things considered, a very good day. Still cold, but it is now almost to the point where I can start camping again. I plan to camp tomorrow night at Perry’s Bike Hostel in Jackson, LA. I arrived in New Roads at 4:30pm, after leaving Bunkie at 7:30am. I covered a distance of 82 miles in 9 hours. A bit disappointing. That is just under 9 miles per hour, but that does include stops; and I did spend a good bit of time at the “Daiquiris Express” in Batchelor. I might be able to make 100 miles in a day if I eat my lunch while riding and don’t stop for a daiquiris. I had a goal to see a Friday night High School football game in Texas. I missed that goal. I also have a goal to do a 100 mile day. Since the days are getting shorter now, I may have to forego that one as well, we’ll see.

Some random observations on the day. I don’t always understand what people in Louisiana are trying to tell me. They have “Daiquiris Bars” at gas stations. Cajun Chicken is sold everywhere. I don’t know what a Crawfish is and I won’t be having any. I’m allergic to all fish, but more importantly, I’m opposed to the idea of sucking the guts out of anything. A lot of people are shocked when they learn where I’m coming from and where I’m going. It’s a good feeling to see people smile and wish me well when I answer that question. There are no shoulders on the back roads in Louisiana. Double Oaked Woodford is better with Coke than it is straight. My Davidson is the best damn bike on the planet.

My friend from Florida called me this afternoon. It was great to hear from him. We cycled the Finger Lakes in New York together this last spring on an ACA self-supported tour. We had a great time. It was a very diverse group that became tightly knit in a very short period of time. The leader was a super cool guy and an awesome cyclist. (I don’t use names on the blog, but you know who you are.) My friend offered to open his home up to me for a couple of days so we could hang out. I’m very excited to spend time with him and his family.

Maybe a 100 miles day carrying 60 pounds is not such a good idea, I’m thinking about sleeping in tomorrow morning.

Miles: 82

You can get a fill-up and a daiquiris at a lot of gas stations in Louisiana. God bless Louisiana.

Yes, I need an editor, but I could not afford to pay one to come with me, so you’ll have to tolerate the spelling and grammatical errors. The next time I do an epic tour, I will consider taking an accomplished editor with me.

Day 50

New Roads Louisiana to Jackson Louisiana

Morning

Last night at the restaurant where I was eating, I met a very nice couple. We talked throughout our dinner. We chatted about the trip and the local area. A bit of history and a good bit of information about the Mississippi River. When I showed them the map of my route for today they explained that I was going to miss a really beautiful town and some very old plantation mansions. They gave me directions so that I could take in those sights. It will get me to Jackson without adding more than 10 miles, probably less. The people here are wonderful. I’m having an amazing time.

End of the day

I took a leisurely approach today. I added a side-trip to St. Francisville and had cheesecake and coffee at the Magnolia Cafe. The weather was all most perfect. By mid-afternoon it felt like 60 degrees. The sun was out and the sky was a perfect blue. The road was smooth, still no shoulder, but I’m becoming used to that. I stopped at the Oakley Plantation for a visit. That is where John James Audubon lived for four months and painted 32 of the birds in his “American Birds” series. The plantation itself was the seat of money and power in Eastern Louisiana for 50 years. The museum at the plantation holds all 32 lithographs created from Audubon’s original drawings. His originals were all done with pencil and crayon.

I’m spending the night at Perry’s Bike Hostel about 5 miles outside of the town of Jackson. I can’t say enough nice things about this place. If you are a cyclist passing through this area, you really should make it a point to overnight here.

Miles: 34

Today was an almost perfect cycling day.

Day 51

Jackson Louisiana to Franklinton Louisiana

I’m now in what I am referring to as the “Hill Country” of Louisiana. I don’t think that’s how people here refer to it, but it seems an apt description. Once you cross the Mississippi River heading East the landscape changes dramatically. On the West side it is flat flood plain, with levees to hold back the river. On the East side the terrain slopes higher and forms a natural flood barrier. The West side has rolling hills, not like Texas, but enough to have you shifting gears again. Of course, I’m describing the landscape where I am right now, I don’t know if that holds true in general up and down the Mississippi.

Today started late. I forgot that I was facing a shorter day due to the end of Daylight Saving Time. I should have gotten on the road around 6:30, instead I dallied for almost two hours. Most of it was time well spent. I ended up talking to my host at Perry’s Bike Hostel for about an hour. She is a very entertaining person, avid cyclist, and cycle techie. She has been hosting at her Hostel for 20 years and she has seen a lot of cyclists come and go. If I remember correctly, she said she sees about 500 cyclists there every year. She shared some amazing stories with me and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and chat with her.

As a result of my late start, I didn’t get to my destination until after dark. I don’t like cycling after dark. I wouldn’t call it scary, but the term “white knuckle” probably is a good descriptor. I did finally find my motel for the night, after riding past it. You have to treat Google Maps with caution. It can lead you astray in subtle ways that can catch you off-guard. This place is a great value, the best price on a motel so far and the best hot shower so far. I was particularly happy about the shower, since it is the first truly hot shower I have had in three days.

Miles: 74

My kingdom for a hot shower at the end of 74 miles. Early start tomorrow.

Day 52

Franklinton Louisiana to Poplarville Mississippi

I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as a free lunch, but I found the free breakfast. I got moving early this morning, I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday. My motel was on the outskirts of town, so I headed back into town looking for a breakfast spot. I came to place that looked promising. The sign said “Breakfast, Donuts, Coffee.” I thought breakfast was donuts and coffee, but I figured I’d see what else they had in mind. Sure enough, it was a real breakfast spot plus donuts and coffee. The lady behind the counter was busy and a big guy stepped in to help me. I ordered grits, bacon, eggs, two glazed donuts, orange juice and coffee. He had a very deep voice so he was a bit hard to understand, but I did hear him tell me that he feeds all the cyclists that come through. I looked at him and said something like, “I came to the right place.” As I stood there waiting for someone to take my money (and the big guy staring at me) the busy lady said to me “your all taken care of honey.” That’s when I realized he literally feeds all the cyclists that come through. I shook his hand, sat down, and had the best breakfast I’ve had yet on this tour.

Six pieces of bacon, what looked like 4 eggs scrambled, and a big ladle of grits swimming in something that was probably real butter. When your burning calories you can eat this way. This is my fourth encounter with grits on the tour, and this serving was the best. Butter makes the grits, don’t turn it down. The donuts were excellent as well. The coffee was what you see almost everywhere down here. The brand is Community Coffee. You see so much of it, it has to be the Starbucks of the South. It’s not bad either.

The day I left Austin the weather changed. It started with a storm that night from the North and a huge temperature drop. That was 14 days ago. Today was the first day of warmth I’ve had since then. It felt wonderful. I spent the second have of the route today in cycling shorts and shirt. I’ve been wearing long pants puffy vest and a wind jacket even in the afternoon.

I downloaded “On Writing” by Stephen King and “The Elements of Style” to my Kindle. I’m actually going to have some time today to read. Don’t expect things here to improve dramatically right away. You never know, perhaps some day…

I’m staying in a sweet B&B cottage tonight. I got in at 1:30pm. Early starts are magnificent. I have time to walk around town, find a coffee shop, and relax. That’s where I am now. I’ll be heading back to the cottage soon to spend the afternoon on the front porch. It’s been awhile since I have had a lazy afternoon. I plan to have a few of those when I get to St. Augustine.

Miles: 51

Tomorrow I’m heading to Biloxi to put my feet in the Gulf.

Day 53

Poplarville Mississippi to Biloxi Mississippi

“Climbing is akin to love. It’s hard to explain; we endure pain for the joy that comes with discovering ourselves and the planet.” -Cory Richards

Substitute the word “cycling” for the word “climbing” and this describes how I feel better than I can. I’m not comparing an average joe cyclist with a world class mountain climber. I’m just saying these two groups share a very similar view of their experience, even though those experiences are very different. He also uses semi-colons very well.

If you asked me to give you a pithy quote to describe the joy and meaning of cycling, I would give you the following:

“Ride eat sleep wash rinse repeat.”

My editor (my support team back home that reads these posts daily) has been working very hard to get me to stop over using commas. Perhaps I took that advice too literally when I wrote the quote above. You can’t tell from the way it is written if I ride, eat, and sleep day-in day-out; or if I ride, eat, sleep, and do laundry day-in and day-out. I will leave the insertion of commas in this case up to the reader. Have fun. Hint: I rarely do laundry in the morning.

My host here at the cottage left an assortment of small boxed breakfast cereals on the kitchen counter, as well as a good selection of other items. This morning for breakfast I had two bowls of Fruit Loops with milk, coffee, orange juice, a muffin, and some apple pie. The kind of apple pie that comes in a small box, individual serving size. The best part was probably the Fruit Loops. It reminded me of my Grandmother. She had two miniature poodles and she used to feed them Sugar Smacks as doggie treats. I don’t know what shape their teeth were in, but it was great fun as a small kid to feed that cereal to her little dogs. I remember one day grocery shopping with my Mom and asking her to buy us some Sugar Smacks. She explained to me that there was no way she was going to serve her family dog food. My Mom was ahead of her time. She wouldn’t buy any kind of soft drinks for us and all her dinners were cooked using real food, nothing canned or boxed. I realize now we ate well compared to other kids I knew. At the time I just thought it was strange. For the record, I did have a bowl of Sugar Smacks along with my Fruit Loops this morning. It’s great to be able to eat crap on tour, you can burn it off before lunch.

Dogs can be a real problem when cycling. For some reason they love to chase bicycles. Unlike cars I suppose, they can actually catch them. It must seem like good sport to them. I solved the riddle today about how to handle dogs on the road. When a dog runs out, stop immediately and get off the bike. Present yourself full on to the dog and say “go home,” and phrases like that. I like the phrase “you don’t want to mess with this.” Say it with authority. Usually the dogs will bark a few times then back away sheepishly, trying to preserve some dignity while remaining tough. You’ve won. Walk the bike past there “domain.” That’s would be their driveway or fence line. After that you are home free. I have not had to deal with a truly vicious dog. Hopefully I never will.

So what about shifting? With all the miles I have accumulated over the years commuting to work and pleasure riding, I’m still a shifting novice. By that I mean I look back to see what ring on the rear cassette I’m on. I sometimes even look down to see what ring I’m on in the front. (I know that doesn’t say a lot for my I.Q., but you all know I’m a just a hard working 81.) One thing about riding across the country, you have a lot of time to think about things like this. After much thought and analysis, I have arrived at a solution. I will always start out with the rear cassette on the 5th ring (middle ring). I call this the “zero” position. When I shift “up” on the cassette, I will say to myself “plus 1.” When I shift up again I will say to myself “plus 2.” When I get to plus 3, I know it’s time to shift down to the smaller chain ring in the front. I only have two chain rings in the front, fortunately. If there were three, I would have no idea where I was at any given time. The same applies in reverse when I’m shifting “down.” Down one I say to myself “minus 1.” Down again I say to myself “minus 2.” When I get to minus 3 I better be on the big chain ring in front. The bottom line is this seems to work pretty well. It is really handy at night when even if you look, you can’t see where the chain is in the front or in the back. It works most of the time for me. I do have lapses. If I get distracted I will forget my “count.” When that happens I have to look down to get reoriented. Not surprisingly this happens a lot. I’m probably the sort of guy that needs to have only one chain ring in front, and something like 14 rings on the real. Keep It Simple Stupid. I believe they call that a “Roloff Hub.”

Quick observation. The number of columns you have holding up your front porch roof is a sign of wealth in this part of the country. Four seems to be the norm for middle class abodes. If a house has nine columns supporting the front porch roof, the owner probably has a large and well diversified investment portfolio.

Miles: 68

This is my last night in Mississippi. Tomorrow the great state of Alabama.

Day 54

Biloxi Mississippi to Dauphin Island Alabama

I’m sitting on the second floor deck of a B&B on Dauphin Island. I’m just 2,000 yards from Fort Gaines. Fort Gaines was one of the sites where the Battle of Mobile Bay was fought during the Civil War. Admiral James Farragut was reported to have said “damn the torpedos.” In those days a “torpedo” was a mine placed in a harbor or waterway. You might recall this, I had to look that up. The reason I’m sitting on the deck is because there is a storm brewing to the Northwest. There is a magnificent light show and even a bit of thunder. The temperature is dropping and I have a strong suspicion this little island is in for some rain. The bigger question for me is, what will it be doing in the morning?

So this morning in Ocean Springs I got an early start. I arrived at Buzzy’s Breakfast Joint at 6:30am. By 7am it was raining. The weather app said it would stop at 8. That turned out to be true. While I was hanging around waiting for the weather to break, a woman showed up with her service dog in training. He was a pure bred Italian Mastiff. He was just a puppy, but already larger than most full grown dogs. He is a beautiful dog. His owner keeps his drool wiped up regularly so he doesn’t drench you when he says hello. He likes to say hello a lot. We chatted and she gave me some good recommendations on how to get out of town. She also told me about a famous donut shop in Ocean Springs that makes all their donuts using potato flour instead of wheat flower. My itinerary for the morning is now set. I leave at 8am. I breeze through a couple of downtown streets, then head for the “Tato Nut” shop. The Tato Nuts are very good. A bit heavier then donuts made with flour. My three Tato Nuts are roughly equivalent in weight to 2 wheat donuts.

It’s 8:30am now and my early start has turned into another slow start. The flat terrain is my friend though. I make the destination, Dauphin Island, at 3:30pm. That’s not bad for 64 miles. That includes a flat tire and a stop for lunch and a stop to buy water.

I’ve already written about how cool tubeless tires are. Today’s experience reinforces that again. About mile 15 into today’s ride, I looked down and saw that the rear tire was almost flat. You actually feel it first, that’s what causes you to look down. I was right in front of the Gautier Police Station. I pulled into their lot to have a look. I thought I had run out of luck and I was going to have to take the tire off and put a tube in it. When I got off the bike I could hear the hiss of escaping air. The culprit was a staple. I pulled the staple out but I could tell air was still escaping. I pumped the tire up a bit and rode around the parking lot to get sealant into the puncture. I stopped and added more air twice before the leak was staunched. How amazing is that? I rode the rest of the day with no issue. I should add more sealant to the tire since I did loose some when I removed the staple.

I caught up to my old group today about 15 miles outside Dauphin Island. I pulled up to one and we had a nice chat. When she gets to St. Augustine she plans to keep going down the Florida coast all the way to Key West. I told her I thought that was very cool.

You have to take a ferry to get off the island. I suspect the group will be on the 8am ferry. Breakfast here at the B&B is not until 8, so I’ll be on the 9:30 ferry. I may not see any of them again until I get to St. Augustine.

Miles: 64

This little island is now getting rain.