Day 58......0 miles, the end

As I sit on the airplane from Jacksonville to Philadelphia, I can’t help but review the last 58 days.

I can’t believe it’s over. I’ve left the biking bubble and am on my way home again (albeit via Philadelphia) and the real world. I’m not sure life will ever be the same…..

It was with a tinge of sadness that I watch my Jamis Coda being lifted to the top of the van today for transport to the shop for packing and shipping…..as I walked the streets of Old Town St. Augustine, I missed my bike, I really did. Now I’m wondering how I’ll make it until it arrives in Phoenix

I owe a debt of gratitude to many people for making this journey possible. First and foremost my wonderful husband Paul, who is the one who encouraged my final decision to commit and embark on this awesome task……..

To family, my sisters, the one who rode with me every day, and the one who supported from afar, logging many hours travelling back and forth from AZ to PA to support dad in the care of my mother while we were on the road, to brothers who supported with prayers and encouraging emails and phone calls…….

To LaVerne and the “Ladies” and the Saturday rides that started the process of getting me in shape and teaching me the rules of the road. To Charlie and the Sunday riders, that helped me further hone my riding skills ……….

To all those who believed in my cause for Connecting to Serve and spoke loudly through their generous donations…..

And finally to the incredible 24 women that were there every day on the ride, each one made a difference in my life and made this journey possible. The laughter, the tears, the riding encouragement, the support, the drinks, and the cheesecake…..

Since the arrival at the Atlantic Ocean many people have asked if this was a life changing experience or how my life will be different. I’ve finally come up with an answer……. Ask me next year, after I’ve been out of the biking bubble a bit longer and maybe I’ll have an answer

So here we are at the end of the blogging experience, thanks for reading my daily posts, and perhaps I’ll see you out of the bubble…..

Day 57........ Palatka, FL to St. Augustine, FL 47 miles

Here I sit in a hotel room in St. Augustine, FL and I did not ride in a car to get here!  I'm still a bit dazed, I can't believe I rode my bicycle across the United States.  One year ago, I could barely ride more that 10 miles at a time....and yet, here I am!

It was amazing, as we left the hotel this morning we were all eager to get to our appointed destination, the St. John's Fire House by 10:30 am, a 40 mile ride.....around mile 34 we realized that just about all of us were riding together, in one long beautiful ride...there was singing and laughing and I'm sure hidden somewhere some tears.......

We arrived at the firehouse in plenty of time, and there were our escorts, a police car, a police motorcycle and a police SUV.......we began our last ride together to the beach at St. Augustine with much fan fare.....lights flashing and occasional sirens.  We did not need to stop for one red light, they stopped traffic for us...(we did have to stop while the draw bridge was up) people stopped and waved along the route, and then, there it was the Atlantic Ocean, friends and family, holding signs and calling out....even my dad was there holding a sign along with niece Sara and her children Jasmine and LJ...what a treat to be welcomed like royalty....I also had the fabulous treat to ride the day with my sister....the one that inspired me....off to the farewell dinner....more tomorrow...

Day 56 ......High Springs, FL to Palatka, FL

Wow what a day.....73 miles....the rain cooled things off last evening, so glad it waited until we were finished with dinner....this morning, it was cool, and bright, and yes, that big ol' blue sky was there and that bright yellow sun...all ready for our last major ride before hitting the beach at St. Augustine tomorrow.

In so many ways it seems like we just started yesterday, then in other ways it seems like we've been at this forever.  It will feel pretty strange to get back to regular life out of the biking bubble....plastic chairs in parking lots, dinner on our laps (scrumptious food I might add) and always having someone around to laugh with.

We got teary-eyed at dinner tonight, our last one in true tour fashion in the parking lot.....as we each shared our favorite part of the tour...mine of course was happy hour.....and the increase in my personal biking skills.  I have each member of the tour to thank for that.  Each in their own way has helped me increase my skills...for that I am grateful.

I've also grown as a person, and have learned that I can accomplish what I've set out to do.  I look forward to going home.....

Eagerly looking forward to tomorrow and the Atlantic Ocean!

Day 55 ..... Perry, FL to High Springs, FL 76 miles

What can I say?  Just another great day of riding the Florida countryside.  I was struck by how rural and agricultural it the views are....ranches (in Lancaster County, PA where I am from, one would call them farms)

My riding is strong, but the "end days" gloom has set upon me....I'm feeling the pinch, three more days then back to reality.

High Springs was a cute little town, upon arrival we managed to find a small cafe with ice cream and sandwiches...just the thing after 76 miles.  Then some shopping to pick up last minute end of tour items...there was no reason to hang out at our no star hotel, no internet...so that's the reason for the late post of day 55.

Tomorrow, our last full day of riding, before we  head to the beach at St. Augustine...

more later...

Day 54......Wakulla Springs, FL to Perry, FL 51 miles

That bear that I ate the otherday, got eaten again today........another personal best!  We left the park after 8:00am this morning, turned right, and never looked back.  The conditions were perfect.  Bright sun, but still cool, the road was smooth, and a nice shoulder and FLAT.

The scenery was a bit boring, pine trees and scrub pines....miles and miles....when we pulled into the town of Perry, looking for a place to eat lunch, my average mph was over 17!  It's amaing what a day of rest will do....and yes, perfect conditions.

I do wonder if I will ride when I get home....will I be motivated?  Will I ever want to get back on the bike?  Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  I dont' have long to wait...three days of riding left....

Day 53 ........ Wakulla Springs, FL 0 miles

Our rest day at Wakulla Springs State Park was just that REST!  We had a feroucious thunderstorm early morning on Sunday, and it poured until early afternoon.  We were all glad that we were not on the bikes.....

We spend some time in the lodge lobby watching a DVD about the park, it's history, and the wildlife.  The neat connection for me was that the builder/developer of the park, Edward Ball was married to the sister of A.I. Dupont and apparently DuPont money financed the building of the lodge and the personal private retreat that later became Wakulla Springs State Park.  As some of the readers may know I was born in Wilmington, DE and early years were spent on a farm owned by A.I. DuPont, directly across the street from the DuPont estate....so on my day off, I learned a little history and thought about Wilmington, DE, the house on Rockland Road and many happy times.

While Wakulla Spings was beautiful, probably not my favorite choice for a day off location.  It was hot, humid, buggy, lousy cell service, no internet (thus no blog) and no TV in the rooms...but if this trip has taught me anything, it is flexibility.  So we made our own entertainment and read books and rested, getting ready for the last four days of riding.....

Day 52.....Quincy, FL to Wakulla Springs, FL

Some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you.....or so they say.  Well today, I ate the bear...I had one of my personal best riding days ever....ok, so we only rode 40 miles...but when I pulled into the Wakulla Springs State Park, where we would enjoy our day of rest on Sunday, my average speed was 15.4 mph.  I have never done that before. 

The bummer part about being early was that we arrived around 11:00am and our rooms were not ready until 2:30....so....time for a hot dog and an ice cream cone from the park snack shoppe and a snooze on a picnic table bench rounded off the day.  It also gave me a chance to catch up with some friends and family by phone......

Day 51 Marianna, FL to Quincy, FL 54 Miles.....HOT

When we woke this morning our hotel was enveloped in fog....dangerous for biking...so we had to wait until after 8:00am to leave, till the fog lifted....and after that as usual the sun came out, the sky was blue....but then it got hot.

The ride was 54 miles, after a 94 mile day that might not seem like much, but the hills, the heat, and 94 miles the day before it was a stuggle.

I"m also struggling with knowing that the end of the tour is coming, it's like a cloud has decended....real world is next, and I'm not sure I"m ready for it.  The mornings are tough, it's like I don't think I can do another mile.  After I get on the bike and ride for the next few days...it will all be over, 2 months of riding, a different hotel every night, eating dinner sitting on white resin chairs in parking lots....all across America......

As always, snug in bed, looking forward to tomorrw, 39 miles to Wakullah Springs and our last day off....

Day 50 ....... Crestview, FL to Marianna, FL 94 miles

Today's ride from Crestview to Marianna was 94 miles, and other than that pretty unremarkable.  So, it was long, rolling hills, pine trees, swamps, turtles and even alligators.  And again, blue sky, big sun, light breeze, some clouds...warm...

We started followed Route 90, which parallels Interstate 10.  So our saying for the day was 90 on the 90 in the 90's....

We did discuss riding circles in the parking lot to get to 100 miles so we could have another "century" ride, but after climbing the last hills into town, being hot and tired, we gave that up.

Hard to imagine that one week from today we'll be rolling into St. Augustine......

So, like our ride today, this blog post is unremarkable...

Snug in bed...looking forward to tomorrow

Day 49 ......... Pensacola, FL to Crestview, FL 69 Miles

The 69 miles to Crestview were filled with fabulous road surfaces and beautiful rolling hills....so I guess we are now in the Florida hill country.....the same broken record....big blue sky, bright sun, breezes.....

I had a great ride....stonger on the hills than I would have ever dreamed 2 months ago....even with climbing my average speed was over 14....I continue to be amazed....

I got in to the hotel around a quarter to two.....don't think I've ever gotten in that early on a 69 mile day.  I had time to do laundry, sit by the pool, call my dad, call my fabulous sister in AZ and catch up on some email......

My thoughts today were in two categories......one, tomorrow is a 94 mile day, and I really want to complete...I've done 111 so, I should be able to do 94 right? 

The second focus of my thoughts were about the fact that the trip is coming to a close.  We have dubbed our situation as being in the "riding bubble".  We're all not sure how we will react to life outside the "bubble".  Our co-rider, Patti Hall, who had to leave the tour for a couple of days for her mother's funeral, joined us again yesterday...she confirmed our fears....life is different outside the bubble. 

As usual, snug in bed...excited about tomorrow......

Day 48 ......... Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL

Welcome to Florida!  That was the sign that greeted us, 40 miles in to our 60 mile ride today.

We've crossed our last state line....we left Dauphin Island via ferry this mornig to Fort Morgan.  The day was cloudy, which we have learned to appreciate now taht we are in a warmer climate.....the clouds give us great cover.  At times it looked as though it could rain, but we were lucky and it didn't.

After leaving the ferry this morming our ride was along the gulf shore and beautiful....flat.....and sparkling white sand and beaches.....a day to be savored.  So, we took our time....we took at little detour off route to visit the famed LuLu's of Gulf Shores, AL.  You may not all know LuLu, but your may know her brother, Jimmy, Jimmy Buffet...the side trip was well worth it....green fried tomato sandwich while sitting by the inter-coastal waterway....and of course a really cool tshirt......

We then continued along the beaches to the "Welcome to Florida" sign...where I then hopped the SAG to the Pensacola bike shop to get some new tires....so I'm ready for the rest of the trip.....the last 5 miles from the bike shop to the hotel took us through a revitalized downtown Pensacola.....

It's so hard to believe that we are in Florida already....the trip is winding down.......

Day 47.........Day off! 0 miles.

This is the day we have been waiting for.....beach front condos with a pool between the condo and the beach.  Full kitchens, washer and dryer in each unit, all the comforts of home.  A 7:00am walk on the beach in my pajamas....started the day off with a bang!

Many cups of coffee later, (starbucks at that!) and breakfast at Flamingo Faye's the day just got better.....swimming in the pool, reading a book, tooling around the island on a bike.....the first day off I've actually gotten on a bike.....

The best part was limited cell service and very spotty internet, so the phone and the computer were locked away....didn't even get them out until late....just to get the blog updated......

Tomorrow we start with a ferry ride, off the island...then we're in the panhandle of Florida, our last state!!!

It is just so hard to believe....it's almost over......

Day 46 ....... Pascagoula, MS to Dauphin Island, AL 42 Miles

Here comes the broken record again.....blue sky, big sun, FLAT, beautiful ride.... 42 miles, and we were assured, there were no tricks to a 42 mile day, other than just getting to our beach front condos for the day off.  It turned out to be true!  Since it was such a short day, we got to sleep in a bit, 8:00am breakfast, which is really late for us.....several of us decided the mission for the day was to find a coffee shop where we could sit and sip...knowing we'd have a short easy distance.

Well, after 15 miles, no coffee shop, we decided to ask at Walgreens if there was a coffee shop in the area, the clerk said "yes ma'am, McDonalds is just down the road.  Well it really wasn't what we had in mind but after 20+ miles it was the only thing we saw......so, McDonald's it was.

There were 3 of us that ordered coffee, we were pleased to see that the pot was empty, we knew that we'd get fresh coffe then....so we watched as the manager placed the coffee in the filter and hit the switch on the Bunn machine....but to our dismay, she walked away and didn't put the pot under the flow of coffee...we conferred for a few minutes, then decided to tell her....so ultimately we did get our coffe....

Then took a great ride over a 3+ mile bridge over an inlet, to Dauphin Island.....the shoulder was wide, and we had plenty of room to ride and a beautiful veiw of the Gulf....the shoulder was filled with debris, mostly glass...pop!  There it was.....a flat on the bridge.....

Thanks to my riding buddies for the day, we got it changed.....all was well, a stop at Barnacle Bill's for a fried grouper sandwich...then on to beautiful beach front condo's with a pool for a fabulous day off......

Day 45......Wiggins, MS to Pascagula, MS 67 miles

Now I know I am starting to sound like a broken record.....a beautiful ride today, blue sky, bright sun, light breeze.....more of Mississippi....green fields, great road sufaces, not to much trash in the ditches.  Cows, horses, pigs, donkeys.......lots of rural animals.  And of course the dogs.....we had one follow us about a half of  a mile before we could get it to turn around and head home.  We also rode through the Desoto National Forest, tall pines and gentle rolling hills.

The ride today was fast as well, a personal best for me....an average speed of 14.48, I am continuing to get stronger......

We crossed the causeway, then the Singing River, and here we are in Pascagula, on the beautiful gulf coast.

It is so hard to image that our time of travel through this great country is almost over....two weeks from tomorrow I'll be home in AZ.

I think it will be strange to wake up in the morning and not have to pack a suitcase, and carry it out.....to not have a cue sheet that tells you excactly where to turn and when...and then there's that cooking thing....we have wonderful meals prepared by our own chef....while I love my friends and family, there will be a down side to going home....

Looking forward to crossing another border tomorrow...Alabama here we come!  We've heard rumor that we may not have internet service on Dauphin Island, so perhpas no post tomorrow night, but don't worry, I'll catch up!

Day 44 ...... Bogalusa, LA to Wiggins, MS 60 Miles

Welcome to Mississippi.....we left the hotel this morning and 5 miles later we crossed the Pearl River and into Mississippi...another great day of riding.  Blue sky, big sun, light breeze....I feel like a broken record.  We have been so blessed by the weather....just perfect.  It's a bit more humid than I would like but.....I'll live, (I hope).

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye today to one of our members, Patti Hall, her mother passed away last night, so she's on a plane back home....hoping to join us again in Pensacola, FL to finish the ride.  I must say it hit a bit close to home for me, knowing that it could have possibly been me on a plane.  I continue to hope and pray that I will see my mother again on May 1st....heading there from Jacksonville, FL before heading home to Arizona.

The ride today was one of those perfect days...the weather cooperated, the terrain was rolling hills, so I guess we're in the hill country of MS...but they were perfect rollers, just enough down to get you up the other side.

Again, green fields, azaleas, cows, horses, and yes, the dogs.  We were told that Louisana was the home of the yard dog.....well, in my experience, it's Mississippi, we were chased today by at least 8 dogs, some big, some small, but in the end they all went home....

Day 43......Hammond to Bogalusa, LA 55 Miles

Another fabulous day in Louisiana hill country, again, who knew - hills in Lousiana ! But really again, it was just bumps....more of the same, green fields, horses, azaleas, a new family of Canada geese ...... and lots of road kill (mostly possums).

We started with a cool morning, just enough for a sleeveless jersey and arm warmers...blue sky, bright sun, and thankfully a little wind.  I was thankful for the wind today, it kept us from getting to hot!!

Two weeks from today we will be dipping our wheels in the Atlantic.  These two months have just flown by......CA and AZ seem like distant memories.

We are beginning to assess, what have we learned, how has this trip changed our lives......how will life be different after the ride....

Answers to those questions later....tomorrow another state line...on to Mississippi.....

Day 42 ........ St. Francisville to Hammond, LA 87 Miles

This morning we left our place of rest and relaxation and continued our journey East to Hammond, LA.  For the first 15 miles or so we were in Louisana hill country, who knew that Lousiana had hills.  Well, truth be told, there would be no comparison to the Texas hill country, it was really more like bumps.  It did add interest to the road.....more green forests, azaleas.....just beautiful....

I really don't know what happened after 15 miles, because I jumped in the van....it just wasn'd my day.  I rode strong for the last three 80+ mile days before the rest day, but today, I just couldn't pull it out.  So, I took the chance and hitched a ride.

A quiet afternoon in the hotel room, was just what I needed.  Looking forward to tomorrow, our last riding day in Louisiana, then it's off to Mississippi......

Here's the photo of us leaving the St. Francisville Inn this morning....

Day 41 ........... A fabulous day off, 0 miles

What a great day off......a quaint B&B, as many cups of coffee as I wanted in the morning, a beautiful town to stoll through...it was just a great day.

I did the usual day off bike cleaning, and thanks to my friend Coop' changed three tires...yes three...I rotated the front one to the back, then put a spare on the front, then realized that my tires were directional and had put the rear one on the wrong way......uhg!  So yes, three tire changes....but after that the day got better.

The B&B had great big porch repleat with rocking chairs ......so a good part of the day was spent on the porch in a rocking chair, with a computer on my lap....... then a stroll in the village, lunch at a cafe, t-shirt purchase.....then back to the B&B were the porch sitting changed to courtyard sitting.....

0 miles, great day!

Day 40 ............. Bridge, Ferry, and a Flat Tire

Another just gorgeous day in Louisiana!  Blue sky, gentle breeze, big sun.......and lots of water!  We had several highlights yesterday the first was crossing a 3.2 mile causeway bridge with no shoulder.  Fortunately the van and trailer were there to escort us across....it was an awsome site - 11 of us riding, in pairs ...... a van and trailers with flashing lights following us to escort us safely to the other side.

After the bridge more beautiful country side, huge cypress trees in water, lots of turtle's sunning themselves, azaleas galore.  The colors couldn't have been more abundant.

The road surface could have been a bit better, lots of debris.  I've seen more toilets and TV's in the ditches in LA than the rest of the trip combined.  Our riding day was 84 miles.  The 3.2 mile bridge came after 50 miles, a lovely lunch at "Not Your Mother's Cafe" at mile 67.5 and the flat tire right after chowing down on a catfish po' boy.  I figure I'm done with flats, this was my second one on the road, so that's an average of one every 1,000 miles. Then at mile 82 the mightly Mississippi River!  We crossed by ferry to St. Francisville, where the lovely St. Francisville Inn awaited.  It was a long day, but a great day.  This was the third day in a row of 80+ miles.  I'm tired.  Tomorrow thankfully is a rest day, and what a great town to have a rest day in...quaint historic properties, plantations, azaleas, live oak trees with hanging moss.....just a great place.

I've included a couple of photos.....one crossing the mighty mississip and the St. Francisville Inn......

Day 39 ........... Rice....Sugar Cane......Dogs......

We're definitely in Louisiana.....our route today was from Lake Charles to Lafayett, LA......the given route was 83 miles.....my meter registered a bit more after a wrong turn and a bit of being lost, but I eventually found my way and arrived to the Ramada Inn with the rest of the group.......

The morning was beautiful, blue skies, sun shinning, cool breezes and FLAT, my favorite terrain.  We passed fields and fields of rice, I also saw some sugar cane fields and lots of water.  Thankfully while the day was warm, the humidity was not to bad.  This was the second day in a row of over 80 miles, and we have yet another one tomorrow.  I got through these two, but tired and hurting a bit, I hope I can get through tomorrow!!

Lousiana is the land of "yard dogs" as our guides call them.  There is really a dog in every yard.  Many are behind fences or tied, or very well behaved and stay in their yards even as we bike by...but today, one stubborn little terrier (with 3 legs I might add) decided he was going to follow me, barking (yipping really) he just kept at it for about 1/4 of a mile, I paid him no attention and he finally gave up.

Tomorrow we head for St. Francisville, again 80+ miles and a day of rest!

Day 38 ....... Welcome to Louisiana!

Here we are!  Out of Texas at last......and into Louisana...... 80 miles.....Silsbee, TX to Lake Charles, LA ......more of the same in TX, tall pines lots of green and FLAT terrain.  Then, we crossed a river and wow....just like that, marshy swamps, gnats flying everywhere and water, water, water! 

We were again treated to breezy cloudy weather.....it makes biking so much more comfortable, the rain drops were just starting to spinkle when we turned into our hotel parking lot for the evening, so glad we made it in before the rain...

I am loving our flat terrain, the roads just go straight for as far as the eye can see....this seems to be my strength.  I am riding strong.

Again, snug in bed, looking forward to tomorrow.....

Day 37 ......... Last day in Texas

Cleveland, TX to Silsbee, TX, 64 Miles.  The scenery in TX now is ever changing, more and more green, pine trees, farm fields, and cows.  I've never really thought about safety until today.  We are in logging territory.  Local two lane roads, no shoulders,  with 18 wheelers flying by loaded with logs....usually not a problem until two logging trucks meet going opposite directions, exactly at the same location where you and your bike are; that's a problem, who's gonna give.  Well, since I'm typing my blog, you know I was the one that moved....off onto a grassy area, remained upright and continued pedaling....

We were agrain treated to a breezy, cloudy day.....we like that, the breeze keeps us cool and the clouds keep the sun from beating down on us to hard......

This is our last day of riding in TX and our last night in TX....I will be so glad to get on to Louisiana

Day 36 ........... Wow! (SIT)

Today was my day!  I turned right out of the hotel parking lot this morning and never looked back.  I'm not sure where the strenght came from, but from somewhere deep in side I pulled it out and rode faster and harder than ever before.  I doubt the engergy came from the pizza last night for dinner, or the hamburger and fries for lunch yesterday....but it was there!

I don't really have any stats but I arrived at the hotel at 1:00pm, that's not really meaningful since I don't know when I left Navasota (perhaps around 7:30am?) If thats the case, I rode 75 miles in 5.5 hours, definitly a record for me.

My burst of energy did have a down side.  I broke the cardinal rule of group riding, I left my sis and our riding buddy Coop' in the dust.  I do feel bad about that, and I promise I won't do it again.  There is comfort in riding together.  So, I did spend most of the day by myselft.  It was a welcome reprieve.  I spent some of the time reminiscing about my parents and my youth.  My mother is failing in health, I was thinking about all the good times at home, and how blessed I have been to have such wonderful parents.  I'm hoping that I get to see her again at the end of my adventure.

My burst of energy did help make the ride go fast, but a beautiful spring day, blue skies, bright sunshine and a tailwind also helped.  The rolling green hills and pine forests were a welcome site,  accentuated by random patches of wild flowers. 

This day will be remembered, Navasota to Clevland, TX 75 miles.

*Still in Texas

Day 35 ........... A Day of Rest!!!

We are thankful that every once in a while a day of rest rolls around ...... so here we are in the town of Novasota, TX (population 6,000 or so).  It is good to been a town with services.  We have two conenvience stores, a pizza hut, a steakhouse, Subway, a salon and spa, the library, and a wal-mart all within walking distance.  That's good becasue on our days off, we sure don't feel like getting on the bike to ride anywhere, and then there is also the issue of how to cary back on your bike all of your purchases. 

And, of course, as on our day of in Kerrville, it rained.  However, we donn't mind the rain on our day off.  At least we don't have to bike through it!  This was a perfectly relaxing day off, my bike got a sparking clean up, the chain oiled, the sprokets cleaned and it just some goood ol'e TLC.  Laundry was done, catching up with friends by telephone and pretty much just hanging out....it was a good day.

Tomorrow we continue East, we start a new section of our Adventure Cycling maps, and there is no elevation section on this map, could this possibly mean no climbing!  I hope.  While I do love the rolling hills, I'm ready for a change.

I'll let you know how it goes........

Day 34 ............ Still in Texas

Who new that Texas is such a big state!  One of the striking things to me is how the landscape has changed over the last two weeks that we've been in Texas.  West Texas with it's mountains, and arid desert like landscape, tumbleweed, cactus, and yucca trees.  The the landscape so gently changed to ranches, cattle, sheep, alpaca's and goats roaming and grazing.  Then the beauty of green rolling hills, lush fields, longhorns, bramas and wild flowers galore.

The ride today 70 miles from LaGrange to Navasota was one of my favorites.  Gently rolling hills, just enough down to help you with the next "up" and wild flowers were just unbelievable.  Blue bonnets, indian paint brush, wild mustard, butter cups, and more.....I'm sorry that I'm not a photographer and that I can't share more with you.......

We're here in Novosota for two nights, tomorrow is a rest day, looking forward to cleaning the bike, sleeping in, drinking coffee.....and just relaxing.  The legs are tired.....

Snug in bed, looking forward to tomorrow.....

Day 33 ......... Wildflowers Galore (SIT)*

How we could have been duped at this point in the ride is beyond me.....we looked at the schedule and thought, 41 miles.....we're out of the mountains, at the edge of the hill country, we'll have an easy day.....well....as you may have guessed it wasn't easy. Bastrop to LaGrange......

Our first 18 miles was through Bastrop State Park, a beautiful ride through pine forest, however, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I didn't think it was that cool. The road was narrow, winding, and steep. As you can image, the roads were not graded for heavy traffic, so the hills were really steep, 17% grade at some points. After the park, it got a bit better, winding rollers, and fabulous wild flowers....I've posted some pictures....one of Texas wildflowers and one of our riding pack in Bastrop State park.

Tomorrow we're heading to Navaroso, TX and to a day off....looking forward to that

*Still in Texas

Day 32 ....... 93 miles to Bastrop (SIT)*

When we woke this morning, there was rain.....wow! We have been incredibly lucky, we have not seen rain since day 4 on the way from Jacumba to Brawley, CA, that's 28 days without rain (on a riding day, we did have rain in Kerrvill on the day off). So we put on our rain gear and headed out for a 93 mile ride.

Luckily, the rain was really more like heavy mist or spitting, not sure that if we had been in a car we would have needed the windshied wipers full time. After 10 miles, the rain gear had to come off, because it was to warm, we decided that we would deal with the wet, to be cooler.

The rain soon stopped, but the day remained overcast and cloudy, but for that I was thankfull, with full sun and humidity, I would have been dragging. The terain was gentle rollers, now this is what I would define as "Hill Country" these were really hills, not mountains....the only problem was that the "down" just didn't quite carry you up the next "up". But all in all very enjoyable. I was concerned this morning, knowing that 65 miles did me in yesterday, but as so often happens, the strength comes from somewhere, and I just keep pedaling.....

So here I am, snug in bed...looking forward to 41 miles tomorrow....

*Still in Texas

Day 31 .......... to Blanco and beyond

I said good-bye to Paul this morning, got back on that tiny seat, and continued to pedal. Our task for the day was Kerrville to Blanco (yes, still in Texas) 65 miles. That seemed inocuous enough....the first 30 miles flew by, good road surface, nice and smooth, some climbing, but managable. Well, did I mention that it was 65 miles, so, after 30 there was another 35 to come....they were of a different ilk. We had rough road and climbing and did I mention heat, that's not so bad, I can handle heat, but the humidity.....yuk. It was bad.

There was one highlight of the day and that was a town named Sisterdale. Riding on this journey with my sister is great, but it would be better and more complete if the third sister were here with us. Sisters in Sisterdale, what could be better!

When we rolled into Blanco at 4:00pm I was spent, just spent. I could barely stay awake for dinner and our map meeting, were we learned that the next day's ride was 90+ miles....I was snug in bed by 8:30 and therefor no blogging...sorry not to keep you all updated, but I was tired....after 85 miles, what will 93 for tommorrow bring.....

Day 29 and 30 Days of Rest (SIT)*

Our stay at Foxfire Cabins in Vanderpool was a lovely respite and refreshing. On Thursday we were headed from Vanderpool to Kerrville to the YO Ranch Resort for our formal day off. I decided to hop the van today and be driven to the next stop rather than pedal. I decided that I needed 2 days of rest......we're now at the half way point in the ride....so I thought two days of rest would be better than one. When I arrived in Kerrville, I was treated to the surprise of a lifetime, there in the parking lot was my fabulous husband of 27 years, Paul. Needless to say I was shocked and still can't believe that he drove all the way from Phoenix to Kerrville, TX (13 hours) to surprise me and to spend the day off with me. What a treat.

So, on Friday, day 30 of our tour, we did the "day off" tasks.....shopping at Walgreens for toothpaste, and lotion and all that exciting stuff...shopping for some warm weather clothes, picking up my bike from the bike shop (new tires and rear brakes) just those usual Good Friday shopping tasks.....

A few days I will never forget.....

No blogging.....just R&R

*Still in Texas

Day 28 ....... Texas Hill County (SIT)*

I’m not sure why they call it the Texas Hill Country. When you are on a bike and climbing it for sure seems like mountains. Slopes of 10 -12% also don’t seem to qualify as hills. The rumor is that Lance Armstrong trains for the Tour here, so I’m sure it must be mountains not hills.

We rode from Camp Wood to Vanderpool TX, 39 Miles of climbing and the corresponding down hills. The views were ok, hills green and almost lush with spring foliage. But for me, I’d rather see the desert and red rocks of AZ, but then I guess that’s why I live there!

I did finally see some live wildlife…..2 wild turkeys. Most of what I have seen has been dead (road kill), deer galore, we stopped counting we saw so many, a Javelina, rattlesnake, turkey vultures, and I think I also saw a dead antelope, at least that’s what it looked like to me. But surprisingly enough I have not seen an armadillo alive or dead. I recall that when we lived in East Texas they were plentiful by the side of the road.

Tonight we are lodging at the Foxfire Cabins on the Sabinal River. I’m sharing a beautiful cabin with a huge deck right on the river, with a view of the Texas Hills, it’s quite relaxing, the sun is shining the sky is blue, it’s in the 80’s and there is a gentle breeze. It almost washes away the pain of the climbs earlier in the day….looking forward to dinner.