Month: February 2023

We woke up in our Big Agnes tent toasty warm, got out and were greeted by a 30 degree morning that felt like 24 degrees. 🥶 Grabbing our gear and phones, we dashed over to the heated men’s room for bandwidth and to warm up.

It was only five miles to the town of Camp Wood where we planned on getting coffee and breakfast. Oh man, that was a cold five miles on bikes.

When we went to pay for our breakfast we learned the couple sitting next to us already paid for ours. Wow! What a nice bit of trail magic to start our day. The couple was scouting motorcycle routes in the area. That’s his retired gig. How much fun is that? I don’t know if he felt sorry for us that we slept in a tent last night, or that we were peddling up and over some of the three twisted sisters or he was just amazingly kind, but we sure appreciated their thoughtfulness. We didn’t even get their names but will pay it forward.

Today we rode high, not long. It was probably one of the most scenic days with the climbs, overlooks and descents. I looked down at my Garmin and realized we were climbing two to three miles at 9-10% grades, a few times getting up to 11%! And we are each hauling over well over 50 pounds of food, water and gear rolling on mountain bike tires. Couldn’t do that a month ago! I think I’m getting stronger. Tom already was 💪🏻

BTW, Tom’s top speed was 36mph. I like to use my brakes. A lot. 😬

Without cell service or Internet it was a challenge to figure out where to stay and if we should tent or hotel it. Soooo we had to stop at Gypsy Sally’s for lunch in Leakey. Not only were their hamburgs 💯, their tomato basil soup was as 👌🏻. And they had wi-fi. Tom scored another cabin just outside of Vanderpool for the night.

The adventure continues with one last “sister” to climb tomorrow morning.

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#SD2KW, Day 28, Del Rio to Camp Wood, 76 miles | Saying Goodbyes

Today we said our goodbyes both to Highway 90 and Map #3 on the Southern Tier. As you may recall, Highway 90 started back in Van Horn some 340 miles or so ago. And we started the great state of Texas with Map #3 all the way back in El Paso some 475 miles and nine days ago.

Just outside Del Rio we passed Laughlin Air Force Base and stopped a few times to watch and listen to jets soar overhead.

We stopped in Bracketville to get a cup of coffee and met Frank. This man a had an unmistakable aura of joy about him. He explained he was heading to McAllen, Texas to do service work and wants to involve youth. The fact that he’s a double leg amputee wasn’t going to stop him. There’s no stopping Frank!

After our coffee stop we met westbound bike travelers from Cambridge, UK. Riders Luke and Emma are cycling Austin to San Diego and plan to take six weeks. We’ve seen just one other cyclist on tour and that was way back near Glamis and he was westbound also. We are definitely early birds on the Southern Tier as evidenced not only by lack of riders but the weather.

Finally back cycling in rural areas and away from semi trucks, we sailed up and down hills and even starting to see trees again!

Tom picked out a campground on the Nueces River. There isn’t anyone here but the caretaker, but Larry stopped by when he saw us roll in. He wondered if we knew what the overnight temps were going to be and asked us if we wanted to use his hot plate. 😂

Loved this campground! The property was so well kept and had so many offerings for families. It even had a driving range. 🏌️‍♂️

Tomorrow we venture onto new roads with a few steep hills thrown in for fun.

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#SD2KW, Day 27, Seminole Canyon State Park to Del Rio, 41 miles | We Found Our Warm

The flags were a flying under a clear blue sky as we rolled out of Seminole Canyon State Park early this morning.

And we found our warm today in Del Rio, Texas. In fact they set a record temp for this day by two degrees.

We can’t think of a better state in which to use wind turbines than the windy state of Texas. Texas friends, I sure hope your energy costs are low ‘cause y’all have BIG wind here. We were awed by all of the blades being transported as we cycled east.

As we stomped on peddles most of the day trying to get above 9 miles an hour, there was little to do but cuss, cry or start wondering about things we saw along the road… like discarded tractor tires in the Border Patrol lane. We’d been seeing them for hundreds of miles. And they had chains on them. And there aren’t farmers out here; it’s mostly ranch land.

And the increase in heat made us ultra aware of an increase in dead deer on the side of the road. Why were the carcasses spray painted orange? These are things you might not notice going 75 miles an hour with your windows up and the AC on, but again, at 9mph in 95 degrees ya notice a lot of dead animals and you begin to wonder. 😂

As the head wind increased, so did our speed as we peddled our hearts out to get over the bridge spanning the Amistad Resevoir. Tom said he just wanted to stick his foot out and trip the semi truck that didn’t move over.🌬️🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏼‍♀️😂

We know when to say when and we cut the ride short in Del Rio as the next possible place to camp or hotel it was almost 30 miles up the road. We had a lot of laughs over dinner about the day but it wasn’t much fun while riding.

But hey, we learned Border Patrol trucks hook those chained tires up to their pickup and drag the tires behind them to smooth the sandy road so footprints can be more easily detected.

And the spray painted deer carcasses? From what I learned, in an effort to improve public safety, statistics are kept on collisions involving wildlife. Marking the dead deer with paint ensures they aren’t double counted. Makes sense to me.

So we found our warm today with a side of headwind, and I’ll take 90 degree temps over 30 degrees any day! ☀️ Thank you, Texas! ❤️🤍💙

For the second graders:

We just read about sandstorms and Cole wants to know if you have seen any since you have been riding.

Hello from the beautiful state of Texas, Cole! 👋🏻 I think the closest thing we have seen to a sandstorm is when we crossed the Algodones Dunes near Glamis in the Sonoran Desert in California. It was a very windy day and sand was blowing across the street and dunes.

We covered our eyes, nose and mouth to keep the sand out.

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#SD2KW, Day 26, Sanderson to Seminole Canyon State Park, 82 miles | Easy 80

After a day off, you could say today was an easy 80 miler. Happy Valentine’s Day to us and to you!! ♥️ It started off with Tom bringing me coffee in bed. What a treat!

We knew the wind would be in our favor most of the day and although 80 miles is still sitting on a bike saddle for a good amount of time we had some righteous descents as well as favorable wind.

It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns however. That side wind was obnoxious. When the road veered southeast the side wind about blew us over. I looked ahead at Tom leaning his bike to the right into the strong winds as he peddled hard successfully staying upright. I wanted to get a pic because it looked so funny with his bike at a constant 20 degree angle but I didn’t dare take one hand off my own handlebars to grab my phone for I was riding at the same angle keeping my bike upright.

Friends, we live in an absolutely beautiful country. There’s not one of our photos that does the scenery justice. We rolled up and over so many rises in the road today only to be blown away (sometimes literally) 😂 at the view. And the topography is slowing changing giving way as we leave mountains behind and peddle toward the Texas Hill Country.

We crossed the Pecos River and again rode very close to the USA/Mexican border where we observed a big increase in Border Patrol activity.

We’ve got a sweet campsite on a rise overlooking a great expanse of land in Seminole Canyon State Park. Again, we’d like to come back. The area is know for petroglyphs and native history with lots of wildflowers in season.

When the wind finally died down we enjoyed a simple Valentine’s Day dinner at our campsite and later watched the sun set.

For the second graders:

Sophia wants to know how you know where the hotels are located. Sophia that is an important part of bike travel. Great question! Think about how your parents choose places to stay when you go on vacation. They probably do three things: 1) Google or Google Map places to stay. We find hotels and campsites using our phones because we are not carrying a computer.

2) Look at our maps. The Map Legend shows where hotels and campsites are located. See the picture below of one of our map panels for tomorrow. There are lots of campsites but not many hotels.

3) We talk to people we meet along the way who have been where we are going. Often they suggest good places to stay. I bet if your parents or friends are going to Florida for Spring Break, they have done the same thing.

Cole we will answer your question tomorrow. 😊

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#SD2KW, Day 25, Marathon to Sanderson, 54 miles | Super Sunday

By now you know we have three things on our mind when we bike tour (besides our family at home): food, weather and elevation.

If you’re still riding along with us, you’re either 1) waiting to see our state line dance for Texas, 2) wondering if we can EACH put a medium sized pizza away on our own or, 3), looking for a post when food, weather and/or elevation is NOT mentioned.

Today is not that day for any of the above as Tom scores one of the best tasting blueberry tarts on the Southern Tier.😉

The most memorable site of the day however, was a very large herd of big horn sheep trotting away. They are difficult to see because they blend in well with their surroundings so about the only way to spot them is if they are moving. If you look carefully you may be able to see some of the herd moving to the left in the video below.

Our Super Sunday, although ridden under cloudy skies included a super slide into the small town of Sanderson, TX.

Check out this nice descent. So long 4,000 feet!

Sanderson, TX offers camping in the area and it was above 40 degrees however we checked into the Desert Air Motel to watch the game on TV, and have other amenities within reach – like a flusher. 🚽

Whoops turns out Dish didn’t carry the game but… with the help of our son, we were able to see the game on my iPhone. It’s the little things… literally.

Taking a zero day tomorrow (a rest day), our first one in over three weeks! We don’t actually need one but headwinds are forecasted tomorrow and we have a longish ride. So nope! There’s a wind advisory on Tuesday but wind is blowing in the right direction – at our back. Yay!

For those of you wondering, the big balloon in the desert just before Marfa is a border patrol blimp. With so much activity in the skies these days, the confirmation is comforting, isn’t it?

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#SD2KW, Day 24, Marfa to Marathon, 56 miles | A Tale of Two Rides

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!

So grateful to be living our best lives!

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#SD2KW, Day 23, Van Horn to Marfa, 75 miles | Chilly Willy

The word for today is CHILLY! When we started riding the temp was 29 but wind chills were 19 degrees. Burrrr… I started riding with four layers on top and three on the bottom.

Within five miles my back tire felt spongy and I could tell there was more effort required to pedal the bike forward. We pulled over and discovered the tire was very low and tire sealant sprayed all over my seat bag. However it looked like the sealant did its job and sealed the puncture so all good! Tom just added air and we were on our way.

About 35 miles into our ride we came across the infamous Prada “store” – out in the middle of nowhere. Read more about it here. We stopped only briefly to snap pics and cycled on to Valentine.

Riding out of Valentine Tom saw what looked to be another spy balloon. I kid you not. It wasn’t until 10-12 miles later we found out what it was but we had a lot of fun guessing what it COULD be as we were riding along. Check out the vid for an up-close look.

We hoped to camp out in Marfa as there is a hip camping spot and Marfa is known as a Dark Sky area which is perfect for stargazing but again, with temps in the teens it was too cold for our equipment.

Life is seldom what we expect but IS what we make of it. As it turns out the hot shower felt pretty darn good after a long day of cycling in the cold. We walked a little under a mile to town and reminisced about the day over a tasty meal and bevvies in a warm restaurant.

We’ve been hovering around 4,000 feet of elevation for the past few weeks and will climb back up to 5,000 feet today when we ride up and over Paisano Pass.

And for about the next 250 miles, Highway 90 will be our new BFF as we cycle her all the way to Bracketville, TX. In its hey day US 90 (before I-10), went all the way from Van Horn, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida. Although grateful for interstates, the reroutes have taken their toll on small towns. It’s like peddling through history riding through them along US 90.

For the second graders:

Joey wants to know if you worry riding your bike when the trucks and cars go so fast? Thank you for your question Joey. Yes we do worry a little bit. Before our day of riding begins we hold hands, turn to the sun and pray that God keep the drivers around us alert, that he keeps our bikes working mechanically sound, we pray for mental and physical strength and very importantly, we pray for the well being of our family, friends and neighbors at home. So prayers are important to us! Also we have lots of practice riding in traffic and never assume the drivers see us. In other words we get out of their way when we can.

Abby wants to know what you do when you get a flat tire. We cry. No just kidding Abby. 😁 We don’t cry. In fact today we almost had a flat but the tire fixed itself with sealant and Mr. Gardner pumped the tire back up. He carries a miniature pump to fix flat tires. He also has extra inner tubes he can put in the tire if the sealant doesn’t work. Mr. Gardner is the best!

Off to Marathon, Texas today and dreaming of the day we reach the town of Marathon in the Florida Keys. ☀️💦🌴

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#SD2KW, Day 22, Esperanza to Van Horn, 53 miles | I-10 Oreo Cookie

It was an Oreo cookie type day with Interstate 10 for two miles at the beginning of the ride, 11 at the end and “good stuff” in the middle.

But first breakfast burritos and coffee were in order because adulting can be hard. And adulting in the cold and cycling even harder. We were the first customers at the truck stop when they opened at 6am and didn’t leave until 9am since we had a shorter mileage day and it was cold. I mean why leave warmth, wifi, food and free flowing coffee?

Once on our way we noticed something sketchy was going on with our Garmin devices; both of them were all jammed up and having difficulty acquiring satellites so we resorted to using our paper maps to get started. Oh the horror! 😱 Tom blamed accidental Border Patrol surveillance and I blamed it on an undetected Chinese spy balloon. 😅

However soon enough we were eastbound with a short stint on I-10 and then a glorious two lane frontage road with very little traffic and wait for it… a tail wind. The good stuff. Traffic was so sparse we even got to ride side by side most of the day.

We felt a little closer to home today because we’re on Central Time now and getting closer to Eastern Time.

Weather calls for 22 degrees overnight and sustained 20mph winds so no camping but Tom did snag this cute cabin for the night and it was right on route.

The other half of our breakfast burritos, a bagel, beef stick and cheese for dinner, a chocolate covered Payday for dessert with a bottle of red wine to share while playing Gin. Tom’s up 3 games to my 1. Darn it!

So grateful for our little cabin. The wind is howling, and I mean howling outside.

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#SD2KW, Day 21, El Paso to Esperanza, 82 miles | 1,000 and Some Change