Day 25 – Easiest ride

Miles Completed: 54.8

Cumulative miles: 1281.8

Miles to St Augustine: 1768

Today we rode from Marathon to Sanderson, TX. Not counting Day 17 when we only rode 23 miles, today was an easy comfortable ride because there was very little traffic, it was a gradual downhill most of the way, and the wind was at our back. Everyone agreed it was an easy day of riding.

Even though we knew it was going to be an easy day, we still got up early and were ready to start riding at sunrise. That was a mistake. First, it was another chilly morning and starting later would have allowed the temperature to start rising. But more importantly, we were riding due east directly into the sunrise and it was blinding and unsafe. So all but two of us rode less than a half mile and stopped at a coffee shop in Marathon. We stayed there almost an hour, and when we left, the temperature was warmer and the sun was no longer directly in our eyes. That was a smart delay, and the Mexican Hot Chocolate was yummy!

There is very little (nothing) between Marathon and Sanderson, except for Buc-ee’s. This one is a lot smaller than the one being built in my home city of Goodyear, AZ. See picture.

I saw a pronghorn (looks like an antelope) about 50 yards off the road, but as soon as I stopped and got my phone to take a picture, he walked into a small ravine and I could not get a picture. I saw a few more pronghorns but none were in a spot where I could get a picture.

I waived to a train engineer as he was rolling by me. He blew his train horn at me to signal high. It’s the little things that matter!

When I rolled into Sanderson around 1:00, I biked a few extra blocks to a BBQ place that was supposed to be open from 11:00-2:00, but they had already closed. I guess they sold out! So I made my way back to a cafe in an old Ford dealership building called Ferguson Motors and met Dana and Felix for a few Shiner Bock’s. Tammy and Simona showed up too.

Tonight we’re sleeping in the First Baptist Church. The pastor and his wife like to host cyclists and other travelers. They made chicken spaghetti, green beans, bread and salad for us. Pastor Mike told stories about the town and their ministry. Since they are close to the border, they said they try to help victims of human trafficking. It was an eye-opener of what they’ve seen.