Pedaling for Patriots

Not much to say about today’s ride except – we were fast!!!  Our average speed was 15.5 mph!  At one point we were going 18-20mph with little effort.  The wind was at our back, the shoulders were wide and smooth, and there was no traffic (of course there were no houses, or people, or anything else, either!).  There were no towns, or gas stations, or stores between Hobbs and Carlsbad, which means, for the first time, we had to make our own bathroom.  I was also reminded how unfair the anatomical difference is between males and females!

When we left this morning, it was 49° and we were dressed in 2 shirts, jackets and I had on knee warmers and full gloves.  It never got much above 70° and then the wind shifted during the last 15 miles of our ride and we had rain the last 10 miles, so we were glad we had the extra layers!

Because we finished so quickly today, we had time to go see Carlsbad Caverns.  (Rob decided he needed a little “alone” time, without women, so he stayed at the hotel.)  Such a beautiful place!  We spent about 3 hours there, exploring the caverns and looking around the gift shop, before heading back.  All in all – a great day!

Live Animals:  Turtle, Hawk, Dogs, Geese, Ducks, Chickens, Horses, Cows

Dead Animals:  Coyote, Snake, Frog

WOO-HOO!!!  Thanks for all the prayers, and comments, and emails, and phone calls.  I was able to ride today with a little readjustment in my position.  We were also very grateful that the shoulders were wide, the road surface smooth (as you can see by one of the photos – they were also newly tarred!) and the climbs gradual.  The weather was gorgeous!  We started out in an extra shirt and a jacket but were able to shed those after about 40 miles.  We passed lots and lots of cotton fields and pecan trees.  We stopped in Seminole, but couldn’t find anything more exciting than a McDonald’s for our stop.  We passed into New Mexico (although we’re not yet finished with Texas!) right before stopping for the night.

We’re a little disappointed that we still haven’t received any of our photos from the meeting with President Bush.  We were assured that they would be on his Facebook page, but still nothing.

We drove around Hobbs for awhile this evening, but like most of the towns we have passed through, there is little to see or do.  It was IHOP for dinner.  Not very exciting, but breakfast for dinner is always a good choice!

The time has changed to an hour earlier, so we’re back to getting up at 5am!

Stats:

Live Animals:  Hawk, Cows, Horses, Goats, Llama, Dogs (2 that LOVED to chase bikes)

Dead Animals:  Mouse, Snake

So, I don’t like to think of it as losing.  He was just more persuasive.  Yes, I had to sit out today and Rob rode alone.  I know he was much faster without me, as he covered 92 miles in about 6 hours – and that’s with a lot of hills!  He left Anson this morning a little after 7am and said he froze for the first couple of hours.  He saw a couple of dead wild boars on the side of the road, but it was mainly just mile after mile of uphill climbs.  He saw a two Blackhawk helicopters flying in formation and four C130’s flying in formation at low level.  He found that quite motivating.  There were also lots of wind turbines as he passed through another wind farm.  A state police officer stopped to ask him if he was OK a few miles outside of Snyder.  When he said he was, the police officer commented, “We don’t get many bicyclists in these parts.”  The last 20 miles he put on his headphones because the ride was just so boring!

I, on the other hand, got to enjoy the “White Buffalo Days” in Snyder and shopped in a number of cute stores.  I got very excited when I read that they were having a “Bikefest”, but quickly learned that they meant MOTORcycle, not bicycle.  We all ate lunch together at the Big Apple Deli, housed in part of the historic Manhattan hotel (thus the name “Big Apple”), where the food is good but the restrooms are great!  (That’s what the menu says.)

For dinner we went to the Sky-Vue drive-in theater in Lamesa.  It was established in 1948 and is one of only 14 remaining drive-in theaters in Texas.  “The survival of this cultural landmark is largely due to the excellent food available in the snack bar. The “Chihuahua” sandwich (stacked fried corn tortillas filled with homemade chili, onions, shredded cabbage and pimento cheese with a jalapeño pepper on the side) is a specialty of the snackbar and many local residents order takeout even when they don’t watch the movie. Before he became famous, musician Buddy Holly once performed on top of the concession stand building.”

Stats:

Time:  6 hours

Distance:  92 miles

Live Animals:  Horses, Miniature Horses, Cows, Goats, Dogs

Dead Animals:  Boar, Hawk, Snake, Porcupine, Frog

We left Mineral Wells this morning on our tuned-up, cleaned-up bikes and headed west.  We kept going and going and going and going and 50 miles later we hit the first town!  We really didn’t see much of anything, but the shoulders were very wide and the drivers gave us plenty of room.  It was a beautiful day and we actually had to wear jackets for the first part of the ride.  We stopped for a grilled cheese sandwich at Beemer’s Buckaroo Bakery in Breckenridge (say that 3 times fast!) and while we were there John Thomas heard why we are riding and gave us a VERY generous donation!  That made it much easier to head back out.  The road was VERY bumpy and we never got over 10 mph all day.  Some of the hills we climbed had us going only 5 mph!  We went on a 1/2 mile bridge over the Hubbard Creek Lake, which was very pretty.  We also went through the Trent Wind Farm which has about 150 wind turbines.  We had a great dinner at Lytle Land & Cattle Company, complete with a “swirl” (Raspberry Margarita swirled with Sangria).

Right now Rob and I are having a “discussion” about tomorrow’s ride.  Since my tailbone is not completely healed, I had a hard time riding today and kept shifting around trying to find a comfortable spot.  This caused me to ride differently, which has made my knees hurt.  But, I think I can make tomorrow’s ride, as it will be only a little over 60 miles.  So, watch this space tomorrow to see the outcome!

Stats:

Live Animals: Lizard, Cows, Horses, Sheep, Goats, Too many dogs to count, Heron

Dead Animals:  Turtle

We left Austin this morning, headed for Dallas  and our meeting with George W. Bush.  The trip was uneventful and we got there in time to stop for something to drink and to stretch our legs.  Our meeting lasted about an hour and we talked about a number of different topics.  He was surprised to learn that children of military members killed in the line of duty receive tuition and a stipend for schooling (based on Congressional legislation passed in 2009) , but the children of CIA officers killed in the line of duty do not receive the same benefit.  He spoke very highly of the officers in the CIA and fondly remembered his briefings by them each morning when he was President.  He mentioned many officers by name and said he was always impressed by their knowledge, saying that they were some of the most comprehensive briefings he ever received.  We took a few photos and hopefully we will have a copy of those very soon!  The President’s Chief of Staff has promised to post them on their Facebook wall as well.

We then drove by the Texas School Book Depository building, where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the rifle that killed President John F. Kennedy.  We continued on to Mineral Wells, Texas, where we will start our ride tomorrow morning!

Today was “Explore Austin” Day!  But first, a wonderful breakfast, overlooking the canyon, and then my manicure and pedicure (do they give discounts when you only have 9 toenails?).  We spent the day exploring downtown Austin and were surprised by how “bike-friendly” the city is!  Bike lanes are everywhere and the motorists are very courteous.

We picked up our bikes from Bicycle Sport Shop and were very happy we got them here when we did!  Both bikes needed to have their chains and gear cassettes replaced and my bike had two large gashes in both the front and back tire (from the pothole probably).  Rob’s bike had a broken spoke.  Both bikes were cleaned and lubed and ready for the next 1,700 miles!

Now for the BIG news:  We have been given the opportunity to meet with President Bush (43) in Dallas tomorrow!  Thus, we will drive up to Dallas and continue our ride west from Dallas instead of Austin.  While this will add a few miles to our ride, the opportunity to meet with President Bush and discuss the ride obviously outweighs a few more hours on the bike saddle.

What a great day today!  We biked from Sunset Valley into the Barton Creek Resort and were met by many people clapping hands, waving pom-poms and cheering us on.  To top it all off, they offered to let us stay here for free for 2 nights, along with offering me a massage, manicure and pedicure!  A grand gesture for sure, and certainly very appreciated.  Along the way, we met up with a gorilla named Sam!

We then took our bikes in for their own “spa” treatment – to Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin.  They were very friendly and offered to do the work quickly so that we could pick them up the next day.  We then came back to the Resort to relax and unwind before my massage at 6pm.  (Which was heavenly – thank you for asking.)

We decided to go to dinner at Threadgill’s – the original one on N. Lamar.  “It was here that Janis Joplin developed her country and blues hybrid-styled voice that would blur the lines between country and rock n’ roll.”  The food was very good and the pictures on the walls kept us all entertained!

When we got back to the hotel the Bears – Packers game was on, so we watched the last quarter (GO BEARS!!) and then fell into a deep sleep, knowing we didn’t have to get up in the morning!

Stats:

Live Animals:  Deer, 2 Hawks, Big Beetles, Sam the Gorilla

Dead Animals:  Armadillo, Snake

As we were getting our bikes ready this morning, a man came by and asked how far we were going.  After chatting for awhile, he offered us money for food or supplies.  We told him about the Fund and why we were riding and he said, “That’s even better!” and gave us a cash donation for us to send back to the Memorial Fund.  What a great way to start the day!

We decided to go off the route again.  Since the farm roads are 70mph with no shoulders, we decided to take a more direct route, on a busier road but with wide shoulders.  The first 10 miles were very bumpy, but after that we had a smooth ride.  We passed the “Cowboy Church” which had people riding up on their horses!  We also passed over the Colorado river.  It was probably the most beautiful day we’ve had for riding; overcast, temperatures in the 80’s.

About 20 miles from our stopping point we caught up to a young man who was biking in the same direction.  Evan Moore is 18 years old and has bicycled from Vancouver to Newfoundland, down the east coast of the US to Miami and is now heading west.  To date he has bicycled over 10,000 miles!  (You can read his blog here.)  Please remember to include him in your prayers as he makes his way to California and eventually back home.

For dinner, we went to Bess Bistro on Pecan, the restaurant owned by Sandra Bullock.  The food was really good and it was nice to be in a big city again!

Stats:

Live Animals:  Red-Tailed Hawk, Deer, Horses, Cows, Chickens, Dogs, Raccoon (in the hotel garbage can)

Dead Animals:  Deer, Fox, Frogs, Snakes, Opossum, Skunk

Today was the first time Rob had to ride by himself.  He said he was lonely – but he made much better time without me!  I think that’s because I hold my breath and stop pedaling every time a truck passes by!  It was very hilly today, but without the GPS on his bike, we’re not sure how much he climbed.  He also took a wrong turn and went 10 miles out of the way. (Guess he really DOES need me!)  He also had to pedal through about 15 miles of craziness, as it was the annual “Round Top Texas Antique Festival“.  Both sides of the road were filled with tents and tables, people were crossing the street without looking and traffic was at a standstill.

A few weeks ago we received a note from Wade Jackson (who saw our story on CNN), letting us know his friend was biking from CA to FL and that we may pass him somewhere along the way.  Because of the magic of Facebook and AT&T, Joey Paul and I were able to connect and today, in La Grange, TX, we met him!  He is riding, totally unsupported, sleeping where he can and riding at all times of the day and night.  What an adventurer!!!

We had dinner at a great place called “Paddy’s Texas Kitchen” which had all kinds of barbecue, seafood, homemade potato chips, buns and apple pie.  Yum!

Stats:

• Time:  6:30
• Distance:  84 miles

Live Animals:  Horses, Cows, Donkeys, Hawk, Dogs (chased by 4)

Dead Animals:  Armadillo, Opossum, Snake, Frogs, Deer

Our day started out very eerie, surrounded by fog.   Unfortunately, it didn’t make it any cooler.  It was almost 80°!  We thought that going on farm roads would help with the traffic, but it was still very busy and the speed limit was 70mph.  Luckily, everyone was very considerate and gave us plenty of room.

We stopped for lunch about 65 miles into the ride at Richards Grocery, in Richards, TX and had a great sandwich.  It was already 100°, so we needed the break!  There was an antique store next door, but it wasn’t open.  We finished up our day in Navasota.  It was a fairly boring ride day, as we were mostly in the Sam Houston National Forest and there was little to see.

As we were leaving Coldspring (about 20 miles into our ride), I hit a hole and as I bounced out and tried to keep the bike upright, I hit my tailbone on the seat.   I was in quite a bit of pain for the rest of the ride, so Rob has grounded me from the bike for tomorrow.  It’s probably best that I let it heal, but I’m worried about Rob riding by himself.

Today was also our 27th anniversary and we shared a great Italian dinner this evening!

One business note – if you have mailed a check to the Memorial Fund and do not see your name on the sponsor list, please let me know.  We do not get regular updates from those who manage the fund and the only information we receive immediately is from PayPal.  We want to recognize everyone who has donated, so please send a note to info@pedalingforpatriots.com and tell us you have sent a check and we will put your name on our list!

Stats:

Live Animals:  Horses, Cows, Longhorn Cattle, Hawks, Giant Grasshoppers, Dogs (including 4 mean ones that chased us!)

Dead Animals:  Turtle, Armadillo