Today was a tough day for cycling. We started just after 8:00am due to the time change and a later sunrise, and I finished around 3:15pm. We stayed on highway 90 for nearly most of the day, with a somewhat rough road surface, very long and prolonged elevation climbs, and a head and cross wind that gusted at times up to 20MPH. I promise not to prolong my weather reports any more, but suffice it to say, this factor makes the difference between a good and bad day, at least for those of us on 2 wheels. I shouldn’t complain too much, since we’ve only had a smattering of rain since we started. The cold starts, however, have been ever present, but again, I digress!
We stopped in Valentine, as the students there had burritos and drinks prepared for us as a part of a fundraiser. I learned that, due to the remote nature of where they are, this particular school district spans 100 square miles. Yes, you read that correctly, 100 square miles, making the school bus rides for some of the kids tremendously long. Our stop where the kids served us was just behind the public library, which essentially is a very small house along the main road. It is completely funded by Karen Johnson, who is Karl Rove’s wife. (Karl Rove is a republican political contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush). The kids were absolutely great; very talkative and polite, and we really enjoyed talking with them.
After moving out of Valentine, we saw a very unusual sight about halfway between Valentine and Marfa. Here was docked a “Spy Blimp”, which is part of the border patrol. Apparently, the National Border Patrol service uses this blimp to detect people attempting to migrate across the border into the U.S. I never really realized just how much energy and attention is focused on this particular issue.
After cycling uphill for what seemed to be most of the day, we finally were greeted by a gradual descent into Marfa. I learned that Marfa has quickly become an arts hub. The Chianti foundation, founded by artist Donald Judd, (supposedly a personal friend of Mick Jagger), displays huge indoor and outdoor installations on an old army base. The arts center hosts exhibitions, concerts, and the Marfa Myths cultural festival. Outside of town, there is a viewing platform from which the mysterious orbs known as the Marfa Lights can sometimes be seen. Additionally, Marfa is known as the location for the movie “Giant” (released in 1956), which was filmed on the Ryan Ranch, just outside of town. The movie features James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Tomorrow, we cycle from Marfa to Marathon, TX. It is a relatively shorter day, (approximately 56 miles), and is the gateway to Big Bend National Park. The plan is to stay both Thursday night and have a layover day on Friday, before heading out to Sanderson on Saturday.
The Walking Machine 