Tag: camping

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Well Louisiana has been a surprise. We’ve been hearing a lot about this state, about the aggressive dogs, rough roads and poverty. This got me thinking about what we’ve experienced so far.

As far as the roads, yea there are a few rough spots but nothing like the road coming into our own neighborhood at home up Olney Street. Hello, Marion County. We be lookin’ at you. 👀 Don’t let the rough spots in the road keep you from the path you are meant to take lest opportunities pass “bayou”.

Yes there is financial poverty in Louisiana (from the limited areas we’ve ridden through) but friends, we are in the midst of a people who are rich in kindness, culture and camaraderie. Don’t let what looks like poverty in a person obscure your vision lest the wealth inherent in them and their culture pass “bayou”.

Sometimes we want to be the “helpers” instead of the “helpees”. Don’t let the opportunity to accept someone’s help pass “bayou”. It benefits both the helper AND the helpee. Thank you, Mr. Maddie.

And so far the dog sitch has been solved. Yes there are some chargers and chasers but I finally got up the courage to do what Tom’s been telling me to do. Get. Off. The. Bike. So I do that and then give them the biggest growl and meanest “NO” I can muster. Most of them do a 180 and quickly scurry away. Some come up for a scratch behind the ears. Don’t let your fears keep you from enjoying the life God so dearly wants you to live lest your life be limited and pass “bayou”.

We’re grateful for opportunities to meet new friends and rendez with ones we’ve met in the past. Don’t let those moments pass “bayou” as relationships are the gold standard in life.

Allow me to run something else “bayou”. Signs often spur a memory for us and this one sure did for me. I’ve done 2-3 short section hikes on the Appalachian Trail. My trail name is Ghost Bunkie (Bunkie for short). I couldn’t pass up this photo op and thinking about my trail buds.🤙🏻

Finally, we scored another truck stop tent site. We mighta threw our tent up right next to a semi who kept his engine running all night but we pretended it was an soothing air conditioner and slept like babies.

Click on the image below to view more pics and vids. This is one of my faves so check it out. 😉

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Yep! We made it to Louisiana. Finally. 😂 When we started this ride we teased ourselves wondering if we could possibly make NewOrleans in time for Mardi Gras.🎉 LOL Nope!

The first 30 miles went quickly on this Sunday morning. As we entered Kirbyville we passed a Catholic Church and as luck would have it, we were only a few minutes late for Mass so ducked in. Lots to be grateful for these days!

Not long after we met Tanner from Portland, Oregon. This ambitious 27 year old is riding the Southern Tier eastbound like us (the first eastbounder we’ve seen). Out of Orlando he, his bike and gear are flying to Paris to begin an extended European bike tour. Time and money permitting he hopes to make it to Australia and Japan as well. We had so many questions for him, however each of us wanted to get on our way. We did, however, share dog wrangling tips. 😉

Tom found a nice little RV park just outside of DeRidder and just like last night… we had our own little shelter. So cozy. When we checked in the gentleman informed there are flushers, however, BYOTP (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper). We don’t provide because people run off with it. Lucky for us we packed well. (avec TP).

The owner of the righteous looking pickup truck behind the gazebo is Chris. He’s a traveling nurse and was heading out for his shift in an emergency room in a local hospital. We could have chatted with him all night for if you are a bartender, a hairdresser or an emergency room nurse, you have the BEST stories. Chris actually offered his place up for us to stay while he was working but we’d already pitched our tent. That struck me as uber kind.

As we were packing up the next morning, Chris rolled in after his shift. We asked him how many lives he saved and he chuckled. He mentioned he’d seen a man who was driving a pickup truck who’d had a medical emergency while driving. Sure enough when we stopped for coffee on the way out DeRidder we saw the truck on the wrecker. This was the guy Chris saw in the ER. The sheriff told us the driver may have had a stroke, was going 65 miles an hour and hit the gas pump dead on. Dang! Wonder what that sounded like.

Back to Chris though… when he found out we’d never eaten crawfish he got out his phone and started looking up the best places on our route to get some. And the guy grew over 150 pepper plants last year and varieties I’d never heard of! If only we had more time… we could chat so long.

Time to saddle up. Happy Monday everybody! 🤙🏻

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Finally our last day in Texas, where we have spent the last 17 days, ridden 1,034 miles at an average of 60 miles a day. Nine of those nights we camped and eight we slept inside. That deserves ice cream!

And today we passed the 2,000 mile mark!

As we leave the Lone Star State what’s most on our mind, well before getting our first glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico, are dogs. We’ve heard the stories, read the blogs and even experienced them as we leave Texas. They charge cyclists and chase us down until they tire or lose interest.

Tom’s been stopping and yelling at them but as most people know I’m terrified, especially of the big dogs. I think I need to confront my fears, stop, shout and growl as well. A united front is always best. 👍🏻

When we checked into the RV place, Rita, the manager, was interested in our trip and said she has a lot of cyclists ride through. A couple years ago a group set off and had to come back after one of the riders had an encounter with a loose dog that resulted in a crash and had to go to the hospital. So… yea, not a fan of charging dogs. Of all things… she had to mention the dogs. 😢

On a positive note we are feeling strong, happy and grateful! Our bike setups are dialed in. We have a place for everything on our bikes and can quickly find it. Our bikes are holding up well, including the tires and as a bonus I did laundry last night so we smell good as we roll past these pines that smell even better.

And finally today we want to wish our Charlie a happy, happy eighth birthday! We love you Char and can’t wait to see you soon!

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Two days of riding, one right after the other – it’s that juxtaposition of a great day next to a not-so-great day that makes them appear grandly different although we are seeing subtle changes.

The rolling hills aren’t as meaty; they are softening. Instead of the 3-8% climbs, today’s were seldom more than 5%. Things are greening up and budding out as we ride east. We are seeing homes built on blocks and even changes in roadkill with very few deer and feral hogs and now more turtles. 😟 We even passed our first bayou today and experiencing our first mosquitoes tonight.

The route took us through the Sam Houston National Forest most of the day through towns with services (food, etc) spaced about every 20 miles which makes for well timed opportunities to take breaks.

We got to the campsite in Sam Houston National Forest fairly early and had time for a game Gin. The score is now tied at four games each.

Texas, it’s been a beautiful time and we are going to miss you but we are slowly leaving you behind.

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After saying our goodbyes in Bastrop we set our sites on the Texas town of La Grange. It was just a short 50 miles and we were looking forward to cycling through two state parks today: Bastrop State Park and Burscher State Park. They did not disappoint.

And they threw in some “short and steep” (not short and sweet) righteous hills to keep things spicy.

We started peddling in shorts and short sleeves today. Now when we take drink breaks we choose cold drinks instead of warm ones in stores and we seek shade instead of sun when we take rests. I think we have finally escaped the cold! Only took 34 days! 😂

And I even saw a new wildflower blooming!

Tonight we threw up our new tent in an RV park on the outskirts of La Grange. It’s a super nice place with an awesome shower. Ok not like Haley and Christian’s home or the Marriott Element in Austin but nice. After showers we walked two blocks into town and found Mexican for dinner. Yum! By the way here’s the size of my towel. Have to keep items to a minimum size while bike touring.

New tent, old poles. It works and we like it! And a campsite for $15 with all the essentials, wifi, shower, flusher and electricity. 👊🏻

Click on the image below to view more pics and vids. There was only one song to use for today’s video. ❤️🤍💙

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Made it to 7:45 Mass on time with room to spare for some coffee! We packed up in the dark and jumped on The Riverside Trail cycling it four miles into Kerrville. There must have been 15-20 deer grazing along the trail. What an asset to the city of Kerrville, the trail… not the deer necessarily. 😉

The route took us quickly out for a morning spin on a one lane, winding ranch road. It was scenic, quiet and the perfect way to kick off a Sunday morning ride while thinking about the homily, the liturgical music and how grateful we are for faith, family, friends and of course each other.

Hill Country is aptly named as there are well… wait for it… HILLS. It’s a lot of fun to see if we can peddle down fast enough to get up the next hill without much effort. It usually doesn’t work but it’s fun trying. These aren’t just little bumps; they have some meat to them and they are a lot of fun!

Shout out to our daughter Anne who scored a night at a Marriott property in Austin tomorrow night (at a friends and family discount). We love our tent, our cabin stays and little motel rooms but we really love it when we can indulge ourselves in luxury. Thank you Anne!

Chicken and tuna wraps for din din, a large bag of Lay’s chips, and a beef and cheese stick. Tomorrow we feast!

Every night includes a route rap for the following day. Tonight’s no different.

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As we left the town of Hunt, Texas we officially entered Texas Hill Country!

We had one of our last steep climbs out of Vanderpool within the first three miles today. Tom thinks it’s the longest hill at such a steep climb we’ve ever completed. However, it’s not nearly as tough as you may think because although we have traffic to contend with we are on pavement, and our tires always get traction. The rear tires don’t spin out as they do when trying to climb on dirt and gravel. On to the rolley polley Hill Country.

We share most every day what a remarkable ride this has been. Today’s no different. Although we only cycled a little under 60 miles, it was like 3-4 rides in one day with the early climb, trolling up and over the hills at the top, passing the cycling club riders, meeting Rory from Palm Beach riding ST westbound and following the Guadeloupe River through Hunt and then into Kerrville.

One day runs into another and if we didn’t spend the time to take and make the pics, vids and track data we’d forget so much.

I’m writing this in the middle of the night as 1) we finally got cell service. It was only AT & T for days out in ranch land and us Verizon users were out of luck, 2) After our ride, a stop at the bike store for a proper air fill, big burgers and bevvies at Brew Dawgs and setting up the tent, we went right to sleep and 3) It’s only getting down to 40 tonight and my texting fingers aren’t numb. Yay for warmth!

We’re camping four miles off route in a Kerrville City Park near some Boy Scouts (go Scouts!).

Really hoping to be able to get to 7:45am Mass tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Then we peddle east towards Fredericksburg with a stretch goal of Johnson City (which is just outside of Austin!) Lovin’ these days and this guy so much!

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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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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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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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