Today was a challenging yet fascinating day. We left camp around 7:30 in a cold and wet drizzle, and experienced consistent light rain, fog, and breezy winds for nearly all of the day. The spray from the tires saturated us from head to toe, and distributed grit, grime, and dirt from helmet to shoes to bike, and everything in between. That being said, today was undoubtedly one of the prettiest rides we have had, particularly along the Guadalupe River, through and around both enormous ranches and small, quaint towns. The ranches were marked by extremely ornate gates, and spread several hundred, if not thousands of acres. The lush, green foliage covered the hillsides and came right up to the road, giving us a lot to look at through glasses spotted and streaked by the raindrops. From Concan, we traveled through Hunt county on very small, two lane roads that wound left and right, up and down, giving us a mixture of extended uphill struggles and downhill bursts. Having lived in Texas nearly 34 years, I was extremely surprised by the sheer beauty of the countryside, which was, in my opinion, reminiscent of Gatlinburg and Franklin, North Carolina, and the Smokey Mountains, particularly in the valleys, where the Guadalupe flowed nearly up to the roadside. I’m sorry to belabor the point, but I would strongly recommend a drive through this area, particularly this time of year.
I’m told that the large ranches we passed through are owned by extremely wealthy people and corporations, who often use these places as retreats. In fact, some of the grounds contain exotic animals, relocated here by for either sport or novelty. Last year, a number of the riders reportedly saw large elk along the fence lines. I was hoping to see something like that, perhaps a gazelle, giraffe, or perhaps a water buffalo, but unfortunately, probably due to the weather, the really “cool” exotics were inside watching Wheel of Fortune, and making Rice Krispie Treats. I can’t say that I blame them, but hope on my next trip through, I’ll spot a leopard, a kangaroo, and perhaps a pterodactyl. One can only dream.
As we were cycling along the countryside, between the very nice houses and large ranches, we came to an area that had fence posts on either side of the road. On top of each post was cowboy boot, and there must have been several hundred boots that bordered our ride. We were told that this particular area marks the approximate midway point of our journey, from San Diego to St. Augustine. That means that a) we have already traveled around 1,500 miles, and that b) we have yet another 1,500 to go. I’m encouraged about our progress, but am trying to remain patient and not look too far ahead, or start thinking about the end of the journey. There is so much more to see, and so much more pedaling to do. While excited about our progress, I recognize that this is still a marathon, and not a sprint. Besides, I still have many more funny stories to write!
We emptied out into Kerrville, which feels like a relatively large town. They have an absolutely beautiful park and bike trail system, and the last 4 – 5 miles were spent winding through wooded areas, with streams bordering on one or both sides of the trail. At one point, we came upon a deer, virtually 2 – 3 feet from the side of the trail. The deer calmly turned her head to look at us with mild interest, and I’m convinced that if I had some food, I would have been able to feed this beautiful animal without too much coaxing.
This trip has given me an appreciation of state and city parks. As an example, we are staying in the Kerrville Schhreiner Park, one of the cities busiest parks in Kerrville, I’m told. I’ll give them credit, in that they have a recreation hall, a dining hall, a playground, sand volleyball courts, kayaking and canoe rentals, and over 10 miles of biking and hiking trails. What this park and many others might consider is adding a few more showers and bathrooms, particularly when groups of 30 or more descend for the night. Two small showers and one toilet for 30 people make for some interesting dynamics, particularly when the group is covered in mud from head to foot. I’d seriously considered throwing myself fully clothed into the Guadalupe in order to wash away the remnants of my ride, but instead, I opted to stand in line for my 5 minute, luke-warm shower. I do think I’ll probably need to burn everything I have with me, once I return to North Texas after the adventure is over.
Kerrville itself has a population of just over 25,000 people, and is known for it’s beautiful parks and the Guadalupe River, which flows through the city. It is also home of the Texas Official State Arts and Crafts Fair (hello, Jessica!), and home of the James Avery Jewelry company. Most importantly, it is the hometown of Johnny Manziel, “Johnny Football”, of Texas A & M fame, who won the Heisman Trophy back in 2012. “Gig ‘Em, Aggies! 🙂
We don’t have much time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Kerrville, as we depart early tomorrow morning for Blanco, which is approximately 61 miles away. We will be in tents for the next several days, so I’m thinking of asking them simply to leave everything in my tent and transport it intact, mattress and sleeping bag in all. Something tells me that I won’t have a lot of luck winning that argument, but a guy can only try! Thanks for reading!
The Walking Machine 