Today we rode in the Texas Hill Country from Camp Wood to a campground near Vanderpool, TX. But most importantly, we reached the halfway point of this “excellent” adventure. As you can see my total miles on my bike is now greater than the estimated miles to St Augustine. Unbelievable!!!
Riding in the Texas Hill Country is a lot of fun but also challenging. Today, we only rode 41.5 miles but there were four climbs along the way. The last two were especially challenging because we were riding 6-10% grades for about a mile each time. However, we were rewarded with great scenery and awesome views. These hills were challenging, but this was one of my favorite riding days.
Today is a Friday, and the motorcycles were out in full force. We saw more motorcycles today than other vehicles, which was great.
Today was also a cooking day for me. I was paired up with Mark and he took the lead on the entree. We started with cut-up fruit for our appetizers (pre-cut from the grocery store). Our main course was marinated flank steak and tuna steaks for the vegetarians, served with a lettuce salad, a hash that I made with potatoes, onions, and frozen vegetables, and sourdough bread. Finally, for desert we had frosted brownies (from grocery store) topped off with vanilla ice cream thanks to Dale who picked it up at the convenience store at the campground. Everybody enjoyed it and there were no leftovers!!!
We are hunkered down in our tents as a possible thunderstorm might hit us tonight.
This is the Nueces River looking Southeast. Our campground was along the river a few miles south. One of the first missions in the area was based along this river near our campground in the 1700’s. Nueces River looking northwest. We’re getting into Texas Hill Country!This view of the hill in front of me looked frightening. However, it was like a roller coaster with the ups and downs and that last hill wasn’t as bad as it looks. The picture doesn’t do this scene justice. It was gorgeous. I stopped to take a picture when I estimated I was about halfway to St Augustine. I like the ray of sunshine!I liked the white barn in this view. Looking at the long uphill on the last hill of the day. I made it!
Today we left Laughlin Air Force base and rode to a campground near Camp Wood, TX. We passed through one small city after about 30 miles, Brackettville, and after that it was pretty desolate. However, we are starting to enter the western edges of Texas Hill Country.
Many days on this tour I ride by myself. This isn’t what I originally expected, but riding alone at our own paces seems to work for the group.
Let me use today as an example. As I told you yesterday, Felix had to stay at a hotel, so Tammy picked him up in the van and brought him back to the entrance of the Air Force base.
Here’s how we left: our fastest riders, Dale, Togan, and Mark took off right away as they usually do. I rarely see them on the ride. Roy is limiting his rides to 50 miles due to a knee issue so he was taking the van to a drop off place ahead. Pat left while we were waiting for Felix since he had to cook tonight and wanted to get moving. The rest of us, Dana, Brent, Chris, and me waited for Felix. Once he arrived, we all took off together. But soon, our paces were all different and we spread out from each other. For the first 30 miles, even though we rode separately, we would leapfrog each other when someone stopped to read an historical marker, go to the bathroom, or take a picture. At one point I saw a mule deer near the road, but it bounded off when I stopped and I didn’t get a picture (although I saw 2 more deer later in the day and I got a picture of them in the distance). Every time we pass each other we always check that the other person’s okay before moving on. When we each arrived in Bracketville, we all stopped at the Dollar General for drinks and snacks. So we catch up at those breaks.
After the short break, Dana and Felix took off first and stayed ahead of me the entire route. Chris and Brent left after me and never caught up. So after Bracketville, I rode the entire 45 miles without seeing another rider in our group until I got to camp. These are long rides and everyone needs to do it at their comfortable pace.
I am okay with this and have no problem riding solo for long distances.
Kinney County Courthouse in Bracketville. Most of the Texas county seats have beautiful courthouses. I saw several of these today. I’m not sure where we would detour if these roads were flooded. I saw a ranch with a bunch of Texas Longhorns. This big guy was watching me. We are in Uvalde County but we did not pass through the city of Uvalde. It reminded me of the mass shooting in 2023 at the elementary school. So sad.Look closely and you’ll see 2 deer under the tree.
Today we rode from Seminole Canyon State Park through Comstock to Del Rio, TX and then to Laughlin Air Force Base. It was another casual ride with no major concerns but it took a while which I’ll get into shortly.
Yesterday and today we saw hundreds of Monarch Butterflies making their migration south to Mexico. Their migration path through Texas funnels down through Del Rio. It was a treat to see so many butterflies.
We also crossed the Amistad Reservoir which is part of the Amistad National Recreation Area. One interesting thing about the Reservoir is that some of its southern shore is in Mexico. That must be a challenge controlling that part of the border through water.
Tonight we are staying at a campsite inside Laughlin Air Force Base. Our tour leader, Tammy, is retired from the military and she sponsored us to get on base. The RV and tent camping area is similar but a little nicer than other campgrounds we’ve stayed at. I believe this is the first time I was ever on a military base.
We had to coordinate our ride and time to go onto the base. Most of us rode to Del Rio around noon. The Air Force base was another 10 miles but we agreed to meet at the visitor center at 3:00 to check in. I was riding with Brent and Chris when we arrived in Del Rio. We decided to stop at Starbucks (haven’t seen one of those in a while!), and relax on their outside patio with a coffee and a light lunch. After that, we rode to the bike shop where Dana, Felix, Mark and Brent were all trying to get some bike service. Unfortunately, the service was slow and they all had to wait a long time and weren’t all pleased with the result. They are hoping the fixes will get them to Austin where there should be some better bike shops.
By the way, if you’re keeping track, Felix was able to get his third rabies vaccine in Del Rio this morning.
While they were still waiting at the bike shop, I rode the last 10 miles to the base. We all had to show ID’s and the military performed a background check. Then we got photographed and fingerprinted. It all went very smooth. Since some riders were running late, I was able to get on base with the first wave of riders. I was able to pitch my tent and take a shower at the base fitness center. It was very nice!
Not all went perfect however. As you know, Felix lives in Scotland and is a Foreign National. Because of a mixup in communication, additional paperwork was needed for him to enter the base that we did not have. Felix was not allowed on base and they had to set him up in a hotel room. The good news is he had a hotel room, but we missed him around camp tonight. I know my blog readers have expressed concern for Felix with all his trial and tribulations, and I hope to report better news soon!!! I keep telling Felix he gets mentioned in my blog the most, and he always laughs and stays in good spirits.
Finally, my friend Carlene (married to retired military Jerry), warns me not to take pictures at the military base, but I snuck some in anyway. Just don’t tell them until I leave tomorrow.
It’s hard to get a picture of a butterfly, but I got some that had landed on the shoulder of the road.Close up!One more!There wasn’t a lot of scenery today so I took this picture of the clouds with sun streaking through. Crossing the Amistad Reservoir. The bridge was about a half mile long with little shoulder!Railroad bridge across the reservoir. And a train came while I was crossing the bridge. How cool!I stayed close to Tammy when we went into the base. He checked our visitor passes that we just received after the background check. The runway was right next to our campground. The green plane was parked there and other planes were constantly taking off. I was told they do introductory flight training with T-6’s and T-28’s (or something like that). Our campground just past sunset. My orange and grey tent on left.
Today’s ride was from Sanderson to Seminole Canyon State Park near Comstock, TX. Once again, we left about 30 minutes after sunrise to take the chill off the morning and so the sun wouldn’t be directly in our eyes.
Our travels today took us away from the mountains to some very vast and flat parts of Texas, but still some roller coaster type roads to keep us challenged. We also saw some canyons that were cool especially the Pecos River Canyon. We had mostly a cross wind today, but sometimes it moved partially on our backs.
Over the 80 mile ride, there were only two stops where we could get some water. The first was in a tiny spot called Dryden about 20 miles into our ride. The only thing open is Stuards processing and taxidermy. Stuards sells drinks, jerky, and snacks. I bought a bottle of water, but when I asked about jerky, she said they were sold out, because someone bought 20 packs the day before. She said she was going to slice some meat today and get it in the dehydrator. Meanwhile in the back room, they were processing a deer. Venison jerky ready tomorrow!
The second stop was about 40 miles later in the town of Langtry. That’s where Judge Roy Bean made a name for himself. They had a beautiful visitor center with water and restrooms. Also, they have the original “Jersey Lillie” saloon still standing which Judge Roy Bean owned and also used for his western courthouse. That was a great stop along our route today.
Getting ready to ride this morning. Mark, Dana, Roy, Tammy, Togan (with back to camera), Pat (also with back to camera), Felix, and Dale. The First Baptist Church is the white building and we stayed in the church hall in the yellow building. They even made us breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls this morning. I think Dale wanted to make the blog, and since he gave me a good smile, I used the picture!This is the second balloon blimp we’ve seen. I’ve been told these have tracking radar and are used to spot drug trafficking. Believe it or not, this airport is still open. At Stuards Processing and Taxidermy. Sold out of jerky!Lots of goats across the street from Stuards. I liked the ones standing on the trailer. We’ve left the mountains behind and are now in some flat parts of Texas. Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry, TX. The original Jersey Lillie saloon. Inside the saloon. Sign behind the bar says Judge Roy Beam dispensed hard liquor and harsh justice from this site, known as his Law West of the Pecos. Billiard hall. Canyon just outside Langtry. Pecos River canyon looking south. Pecos River canyon looking north. Made it 82 miles to the state park.
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.
Marathon is the city closest to Big Bend National Park. Buc-ee’s!!!!!I am seeing a lot of cattle in Texas. When I saw this guy close to the road, I stopped to take a picture. Then I realized he was on my side of the fence! I think he was making a break for his freedom. However, border patrol and ICE will soon find him and deport him over the fence. Many of the mountains have multiple layers based on their development over millions of years. I caught a picture of the train after the engineer blew his horn at me. Sanderson CanyonThis one’s for Tara. I finally found Sasquatch. I think he ate all the BBQ in Sanderson. My new friend Ruby at the First Baptist Church.
Our ride started in Fort Davis today and we rode through Alpine and then on to Marathon. Remember the room in Fort Davis only had screens in front. When I first woke up about 6:00, I was a little chilly, so I looked at my phone and the weather channel app said it was 42 degrees. I kept checking the temperature and when we started riding, it said 39 degrees! However, something wasn’t right and other apps said the low was 49 degrees, which I think was correct. But in any case, today was the coldest start of our ride days. It was chilly, but it warmed up fast once the sun came out.
The ride from Fort Davis to Alpine was very pretty. I was lucky to see a herd of about 8-10 Elk running in a field.
As I arrived in Alpine, I was looking for a donut shop where others were stopping. However, when I rode past McDonald’s I heard someone shouting “Tom”. It was Dana and Felix who were on the patio having a coffee. I stopped there for a break. Soon, Brent and Chris showed up and I found out the Donut shop ran out of donuts and the service was poor, so McDonald’s turned out to be a better stop.
About 8 miles after the break, I was riding ahead of Felix when I saw him stop behind me. He had a flat! Dana and I stopped to help and later Simona rode up and helped too. We tried to plug his leak and that didn’t work and then he put a tube in and that did the trick to get him to Marathon.
It took a while and then we had a pretty stiff headwind for the last 20 miles. But I made it back in time to listen to the Packers game on my phone using SiriusXM. Packers squeaked out a win over the Arizona Cardinals. Go Pack Go!
The campground tonight has some interesting stuff. I used the outside shower which was a first for me. I will say their outside showers were better than most of the other showers I used on this trip.
Also, this is a dark sky area, and they give star classes at night. We were not able to attend because it was sold out! Even so, looking at the sky tonight, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen so many stars with my naked eye.
I zoomed in as much as I could. You can see the Elk in the field just above the bush branches. The rock formations along the route were amazing. The sun was sneaking over this mountain and Pat is riding ahead. I see Casper the Friendly Ghost sleeping on his back, or is West Texas already driving me crazy?Outdoor showers at campground. The hot water wasn’t hot but otherwise a great shower!Roy took this picture when Felix, Tom and Dana were working on Felix’s tire. Felix called it “Men at Work”.
Today was a rest day in Fort Davis, TX. My morning was fairly mellow. I caught up on some sleep, joined some riders for breakfast at Lupita’s Place (I had the blueberry pancake special), and then did laundry and checked my bike.
Felix on the other hand, had a busier morning. He needed his next scheduled rabies vaccine today. Felix and Simona had been trying to find a place which had the vaccine and the closest was in Pecos, TX, an hour and 15 minute drive away. So off they went at 6:00 am. Unsure how long they would have to wait at the clinic, it turned out to go relatively quickly, and they made it back to Fort Davis before 11:00. But, they charged him $800 for one vaccine shot. In El Paso, they charged $150 for multiple vaccines. Remember, Felix is from Scotland, so he has to work out all the details with his insurance. What a mess. He has two more shots needed, and they’re hoping for easier access (and less cost) in Del Rio and Austin.
Now that they were back with the van, several of us took a ride to spend the afternoon in Marfa, TX about 25 miles away. Marfa is hard to describe, but it is a completely different vibe than the other west Texas cities we’ve visited. The city is vibrant and everything revolves around art with many art galleries and art shops.
One claim to fame is that the movie “Giant” was filmed in and around Marfa in the 1950’s. It starred Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean (the last movie he made).
The art movement was started by Donald Judd, a New York artist that moved to Marfa in the 1970’s. He started the Chinati Foundation which built galleries to display his work. At the main Chinati Foundation Center, we were only able to see his outdoor concrete art, since we were too late for guided tours.
We ate dinner in Marfa and headed back to Fort Davis to get ready for cycling tomorrow.
This one’s for Bergitta who was waiting for me to find the World’s Largest something. We stumbled across this on the way to breakfast in Fort Davis. Unfortunately, the exhibit had recently closed after a 25 year run. (FYI – we heard a rattlesnake later that day at the outdoor art exhibit but never saw it in the bushes). This door was very close to our cabins in Fort Davis. Be sure to read the note at the bottom too. I decided to keep mine. Marfa county courthouse The Hotel Paisano. Built in 1930’s, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean stayed here while filming Giant. Tom and James DeanLocated about 8 miles outside Marfa are historic Hollywood displays from the movie Giant. Note bicycle to gain size perspective. Also, music from the movie is playing alongside the road. (Photo courtesy of Felix)Tom eating Menudo for lunch in Marfa. Gotta experience the local culture. Random art in Marfa. It’s a water drop with a female figure. The artist said water and women are critical to life. A gallery in Marfa. The mural and the flag were created by different artists. At the Chinati Foundation concrete exhibit, Roy and Togan interacting with the art. Roy having fun. Tom’s arm.Roy and Tom This appeared to be one of the best rated restaurants in Marfa. Unfortunately, there was a private event there that night which appeared to be a wedding reception.
Today’s ride was scheduled to be 95 miles from Van Horn through Marfa and then to Fort Davis. However, we changed the route as we rode. More to come on that later. Since we had a long ride scheduled, we started riding just a little before sunrise.
The first 35 miles was through some “lonely” areas of Texas. We were on Highway 90 towards Marfa, which was about 65 miles from Van Horn, but first we would reach Valentine, TX about 35 miles from Van Horn. We planned a water break in Valentine (population 73) and the only thing open was the public library. Why is there a library in a town of 73 people? Who knows. But I stopped there and they welcomed me to fill my water and showed me the library. Their small boy, Matejo, was there watching me while I signed the guest book and I showed him my water back pack. When I was leaving, Matejo wished me safe travels and no car crashes. His mom helped interpret for me.
Around this time, I was receiving messages from our tour leader on WhatsApp. We communicate on WhatsApp because regular text messages weren’t working with Felix’s Scotland phone number. The messages said we could take a shortcut to Fort Davis and save about 16 miles. Everyone took the shortcut except Dana who missed the messages. The only concern about taking the shortcut was that I would miss Marfa. However, tomorrow is an off day and we’re hoping to visit Marfa by van at that time. I’ll hopefully report back tomorrow about Marfa.
So about 8 miles past Valentine, I took the shortcut and it went through some amazing rolling hills. It was a great choice.
I should also mention that the winds were mostly favorable at our back today.
Since we left before Sunrise, I tried to capture the morning sunrise over the mountains. It looked better in person. This was looking west during the early sunrise.Margaret, someday our Yucca plant in our backyard will look like this. Haha. Along the route to Valentine, I ran across this dilapidated building with a message for travelers like me. Here’s a random picture of a lonely place with no neighbors. Marfa is an eclectic artsy town, so there are art installations all around the area. Here is a “Prada store” in the middle of nowhere, with shoes and handbags on display. If you look closely, you will see a fence around the outside with love locks. I met a couple here traveling from Montreal to Mesa, AZ (she took the picture). They found their love lock they put on the fence 7 years ago. I made it to Valentine, TX. Population 73!This is the Valentine public library where I got a water refill. My new friend, Matejo, didn’t want his picture taken, but I snuck one when I walked around the corner. In Texas, some of the roads seem to go on forever I took this picture of the rolling hills because this one was covered in yellow flowers. A pretty stop along the way to eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The first thing I saw in Fort Davis!Our cabin motel rooms in Fort Davis with a massive rock wall behind. The room Felix and I will share the next two nights. Note there is only a screen door and screen wall in front!
Today we rode from Fort Hancock through Sierra Blanca to Van Horn, TX. The first 20 miles was mostly back roads near the Mexico border. It was amazingly quiet. I only saw 5 vehicles and one was our Adventure Cycling van. It was quiet and serene through desert and agriculture with some early morning views of the mountains. The rest of the ride was along I-10 mostly on frontage roads, but a couple times on I-10, because there was no frontage road.
The first time on I-10, we were able to exit on a gravel “road” to get to the frontage road that started there. It was weird, see picture. The second time we were on I-10, it was about 7 miles and downhill and the shoulders were pretty good. About the other 50 miles, we rode on the frontage roads, which had very little traffic. Today’s ride had the least amount of traffic concerns so far on this tour.
Roughly the halfway point of the ride today was Sierra Blanca where I took a short break and got more water. Sierra Blanca is noted for two things:
First, their billboards claim they have the World’s Best Climate (it’s only a local boast). Second, Sierra Blanca was the place where America’s second transcontinental railroad joined. Yep, that’s all they got!
As hoped for, the winds changed direction during the day, and we got a tailwind after Sierra Blanca. We’re supposed to have more tailwinds for our long ride tomorrow.
We ended in Van Horn, TX. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos space company, launches its rockets about 20 miles north of Van Horn, and the city likes the connection.
Finally, some of our riders met a solo bike rider along the way. They said he was “Tom from Wisconsin” and invited him to our camp. He is riding the same route we are but doing it in segments. This trip, he is going from El Paso to Austin. He is from Chippewa Falls, WI (home of Leinenkugel’s beer). I asked him if he is a Packers fan, and although he said yes, he grew up in Minnesota and still roots for the Vikings too. Well at least he didn’t say the Bears!
Early morning sun and shadows on the mountain range in Mexico. We rode on I-10 for a two-mile stretch and then exited here to get to the paved frontage road which started/ended at the point. I saw hundreds of these Texas-sized grasshoppers. Crossed over I-10 just before we would ride on it for a 7-mile stretch down the mountains. We are now in the Central Time Zone, same as my Mid-Western readers. Made it to Van Horn. Blue Origin mural in Van Horn.
On the way from El Paso to Fort Hancock, TX today, I surpassed the 1000 mile mark in miles traveled on this tour. Wow! Now for the good news, I have over 2000 miles to go!
We left downtown El Paso and traveled through some industrial sections of the city and then into typical residential and suburban areas. Once we were out of the city, it was back to agriculture areas along the Rio Grande River. Our trip today followed the Rio Grande along the Mexico border. I saw the border wall again, but not as close as we did in California.
I learned the Rio Grande is dry in New Mexico, because Texas has the water rights. In Texas, we saw more cotton fields and pecan groves.
The first big story of the day was the wind. We had 13-15 mph winds in our face for 35-40 miles of the ride. We’re hopeful that the winds appear to be changing in our favor. We’ll see. In the meantime, sing along with me:
“Against the wind, we’re still riding against the wind, we’re older now (66) and still riding against the wind”
The second big story is Felix got bit by a dog today. I was riding about 100 yards behind Chris and Felix, when this big fluffy white dog started chasing them. It looked like the dog was wagging his tail, so I was not overly concerned. The dog was leaping towards Felix and I saw him veer his bicycle away from the dog. At that point, the dog backed off and didn’t chase me when I rode by. We all stopped at a gas station about a mile up the road where Felix told me the dog bit him but he did not know the bite was bad until he went into the bathroom and saw blood. Felix got out his first aid kit and cleaned it as well as he could. Felix finished the ride to Fort Hancock and the saga continued.
There are no medical services in Fort Hancock but we are staying at the Community Church which was right next to the High School and the school nurse checked him out and gave him advice. The police and animal control were called and Felix and Tammy drove back to the trailer where he was bit. An elderly couple owned the dog and it had not been vaccinated. The dog has to go into quarantine for 10 days. In addition, Felix and Tammy drove back to El Paso to get Rabies shots. They arrived back at camp and Felix was accepting his plight in a good mood. We’re all hoping he gets a good night’s sleep and has little affects from the shots.
Finally, today was my day to cook with Dale. Our appetizer was chips and salsa, but not just any salsa. Dale and I bought both green (mild) and red (medium) salsa from Hatch, NM which we had just rode through. Dale was the main chef today and we made picante fish with cilantro lime rice and tortillas. Everyone loved it. For desert, we had Pecan Pie with ice cream, in recognition of the many Pecan groves we saw the last couple days.
We drove through some poor areas today, but this house was probably the nicest I saw. I wanted to get the US and Texas flags showing the headwind we were going into. More cotton fields, pecan groves, and mountains in the distance. These mountains are across the border in Mexico. There were few spots to stop along our route today. With about 8 miles to go, I found this spot with some big shade trees where I took a 10 minute break before finishing the ride. While there I saw a border patrol truck about a quarter mile up the road. More wind and more Texas. Note the mailbox too. There was a Fort Hancock in the 1800’s but it no longer stands. This bench was made with the original bricks from the fort. When I made my last turn towards camp, I was greeted by giant horse tracks for the Fort Hancock High School Mavericks (straight ahead). We stayed at the Community Church which is hidden by the big tree on the left.
Tom's Excellent Adventure 