February 11, 2023 – Keep Calm and Pedal On

Today was a tale of two rides (not cities). The morning was idyllic with perfect weather, friendly winds and wide shoulders. After our lunch things changed but let’s not talk about that.😂

Let’s talk about this area and when we can come back with a car and bikes. Tom and I stopped by the Marfa Mystery Lights viewing area. It was daylight of course, but we still wanted to learn what all the hubbub was about.

Turns out the Marfa Mystery Lights are visible on many clear nights between Marfa and Paisano Pass as one looks toward the Chinati Mountains. The lights are reported to move about in various colors, split apart and then meld back together.

Robert Ellison first reported seeing the mysterious lights in 1883 as he was tending cattle and thought the lights a reflection of nearby Apache cook fires. Apache Indians believed the lights to be stars falling to the earth.

Theories on the cause of the Marfa Mystery Lights land on a continuum between science and science fiction. It’d be a lot of fun to come back, check them out and draw our own conclusions.

We took a pic as soon as we got to Marathon, TX and will take another when we get to Marathon, FL in the Florida Keys.

We rolled into Marathon on a sunny, Saturday afternoon and like a lot of travelers that roll through town, we were thirsty. Sooo…

After scouting the town for Bar B Q, we headed back a half mile to The Marathon Motel and RV Park. It was one of the coolest places we’ve camped due to the community feeling and space. I linked to the history of the property above. It’s interesting. A guy and his daughter drove through one spring break and he goes out for a run. On his way back he noticed a “For Sale” sign in the window and ends up buying the property. The rest is “history”.

The property’s proximity to the small town of Marathon is also a plus. At night, people get their telescopes out to view the stars. Wouldn’t you know it, last night was our first cloudy night. So again… we want to come back!