Connecting the Dots in West Texas

When planning this bike trip, we were most excited to venture off the main roads and see the small towns of America.  We were sure that the large dots and stars on the United States map would entertain us, but we were most intrigued by the small dots or those not even marked.  Moving west of Austin we have managed to connect these small dots, while meeting many memorable people.   Texas Hill Country eventually became the "Texas Alps"  as we were told by the "Bike Doctor" who zipped up to us by motorcycle at the top of a tough summit.  Unbeknownst to us, the "Texas Alps" would be the most physically demanding leg of our journey; however, the views and downhill rides were incredible.  At times it was hard to believe that were were still in Texas while passing through Vanderpool, Leakey, and Camp Wood on Ranch Road 337. Moreover, we were fortunate to find generous hospitality in these high hills - Jerralynn at Lost Maple Lodges let us stay in one of her cabins, in the heart of the "Alps", free of charge!  (entryway pictured above)

Coasting out of the Hill Country, we arrived in the U.S.-Mexico border town of Del Rio.  When looking at a map, you might not see much between Del Rio and El Paso on HWY 90; resources are sparse making it necessary to plan accordingly.  Such plans involved a new mileage record for ACK4ALL.  With a helping wind, we traveled 120 miles to Sanderson, TX in one day (!) passing through the tiny (ghost)towns of Comstock, Langtry and Dryden.  A highlight would include lunch with an eccentric ranch owner named Clay, who had plenty to say about all the passers by, including us ("you boys look like Lynyrd Skynyrd").  From Sanderson we gradually climbed to altitudes of 4000 ft and above.  In Marathon, TX we happened upon an unplanned eco-village/hostel named La Loma Del Chivo where cyclists stay for free.  La Loma Del Chivo is truly a unique place with many kind spirits (Gil, Ingrid and crew).  It was very tough to leave after a morning around a fire with coffee and conversation abound.  If you ever have an opportunity, you must stop here!  The next small dot on the map is Alpine, TX where we were fortunate to meet John and Jim at the Bikeman bike shop.  Not only did they keep the shop open after hours to work on our bikes, but they also brought us to their favorite happy hour just around the corner at Railroad Blues.  John, the shop owner, had completed the cross country bike trip a few years earlier and provided us with some road wisdom over a couple pale ales.  Leaving town the next morning, we stopped to say goodbye to the guys at the bike shop.  Before leaving the shop, John donated a bicycle pump (ours has seen some damage) refusing to except payment by saying "pay it forward"; a great philosophy for the road ahead.

We are currently staying in a tee pee at El Cosmico in Marfa TX, a town where the altitude (4,685) more than doubles the population (2,000).  In each of these small dots on the map we have found a generosity and solidarity that is harder to find in the larger urban areas.  The kind of towns where are you are treated more as a friend than a stranger by people who you have just met and, like in Marfa, you will continue to see if you stick around.  Small towns like Marathon, Alpine and now Marfa reminded us that just because you can't see them on a map, it doesn't mean that nothing is there... quite the opposite actually.                 

Texas Hill Country (1,380 miles)

Every now and then a break from cycling is much needed.   We spent eleven straight days on the back roads pushing the pedals over hills, against the wind, and in freezing weather.  On our coldest day, "Icicle Cycle" was the headline of the Beaumont Enterprise.  The following story could have easily been about us because our feet and toes certainly felt like icicles that day.  Fortunately the weather has improved immensely (sunscreen daily); however, the hills seem to be growing.  There was lots of talk about the Texas Hill Country, but no exact determination of where it begins and ends.  Outside of Elaine's Restaurant in Coldspring, a local told us that we were "fixin' to get into Hill Country".  With this level of precision we moved forward and within two days we were fixin' to find the least hilly route.  We soon discovered that the Texas Hill Country could not be avoided.  However we learned from John Hall, a local legend in the Austin cycling community, that riding the hills can be enjoyable.  In the parking lot of a Subway 50 miles east of Austin, he showed us the scenic route to Austin in his weathered maps.  John has been cycling the area for years and now runs the warehouse at Bicycle Sport Shop (Austin's largest bike shop).  John's route took us through Buesher and Bastrop State Parks in hilly yet very scenic surroundings.

We climbed into Austin this past Tuesday and a break was in order.  The "weird" city of Texas and home of the University of Texas was an ideal setting for a mid-week weekend.  Luckily our hosts Jaimis, Tarin, and Wallace were happy to show us around the city and it's attractions.  We owe them much thanks for maximizing our time in Austin.  We also owe a big thank you to Gordon at Castle Hill Cycles.  On short notice Gordon tuned and trued our bicycles, while teaching us a good deal about bike maintenance.  He laughed when we asked about the hills to come, but eventually provided us with the best route going west.  We wish Gordon the best of luck in his pursuit to become an Austin city fireman, yet hope he still has time to help confused cyclists.

Yesterday we left Austin after an extended breakfast at the original Whole Foods.  Austin is a very biker friendly city (home of Lance Armstrong) and many people wanted to talk to us having seen our loaded bikes.  A kind girl even gave us a box of Kind Bars, a staple in the road diet.  Eventually we rode the opposite way (away from the nightlife action) on 6th street and over the pedestrian bridge to Barton Springs.  In short time the urban areas of Austin faded and the Texas countryside opened to us. The two days in Austin provided optimal time to recharge and to prepare for the next stage of our trip.  Today we leave Johnson City in the direction of Del Rio.  Back in that Subway parking lot before Austin, John Hall reminded us that every uphill has a downhill.  As we get deeper into the never ending Texas Hill Country we will surely remember to enjoy those downhills!     

1,000!

Big things are happening here at ACK4ALL.  Today we pedaled across the 1,000 mile marker!  We also crossed state lines into The Lone Star Sate.  Despite riding through the cold rain all day, we feel great to be in Texas and our spirits are even higher having hit the 1,000th mile.  None of us have ever been to Texas (aside from airport layovers) and tonight we will be posting up in the small town of Kirbyville.  Although daunting, we are very excited to travel across our country's second largest state.

Crossing state lines is always an exciting moment on our trip; however, by crossing into a new state we have to leave another behind.  The kindness that we found in New Orleans, Louisiana followed us all the way to the Texas border.  In Baton Rouge, a school teacher of 39 years, Ms. Charlene, accommodated and fed us for the night.  We enjoyed a large meal of shrimp po' boys, crab stuffed mushrooms, and sweet potato fries.  Another classic Louisiana meal that was much appreciated after a long day on the road.  While cycling through Livonia, Louisiana the following day, we were lucky enough to have lunch with a nice local who goes by the name "Deadeye" (because he "only has but one good eye!").  Deadeye shared many funny stories and some important local knowledge -mainly that the road ahead was very unsafe for bicycles.  Not to worry because Deadeye's friend owns a private road that travels parallel to the 4 dangerous miles of highway.  After one phone call we were casually cruising in the swampy woods, no cars to be seen (pictured above).  We were definitely lucky to meet ol' Deadeye.

One of the most common questions we are asked in our travels is "how many miles do you (y'all) ride each day?".  There is no precise answer to this question.  In the right conditions we can do 90 miles or more, but when conditions are not cooperative mileage is much less.  For instance, two days ago we struggled in 25-30mph headwinds with harder gusts.  At times the wind nearly brought our bikes to a complete stop.  This is the kind of day when 30 miles certainly feels sufficient.  Many of our friends know that our bicycle training did not truly begin until we left St. Augustine, FL.  We never claimed to be cyclists and after 1,000 miles we are still not sure of our classification.  Yet each morning we wake up ready to ride, whether it's 30 miles or 90.  Tonight we prepare for Texas and it's LARGE landscapes.  We know we will not have that "new state feeling for awhile", but for now riding a bike for however many miles a day just feels good.               

WHO DAT!

Rained out in New Orleans!  Like most of the country, we too are riding out a winter storm.  Rain, sleet, ice, and snow are in the forecast.  However, it was hardly a tough decision for us to stay an extra day and monitor the forecasts - New Orleans has been an amazing stop for ACK4ALL.  We rode in before the weekend on Hwy 90 (which treated us to 3 flats), eventually connecting with Franklin St. and Royal St. (parallel and a bit more toned down than Bourbon St.).  While pedaling through the 9th, 8th and 7th Wards, we observed areas of Hurricane Katrina's impact; schools, public buildings, households, and roadways left in ruin. Yet as we pedaled up Royal St., we were introduced to a city much alive; street performances, live music, bright lights, tourism, and even a parade.  We knew this would be unlike any of our stops during this trip.  

Over the weekend and past few days we have immersed ourselves in the New Orleans culture. Streetcars leisurely carried us through its neighborhoods and we walked its historic roads and parks.  We have had many unique/great experiences, so many that it would be nearly impossible to list them all.  But if there has been one theme to our time here, it has been kindness and compassion.  We never imagined the positive response we have received for our Haitian cause.  The people of New Orleans have generously fed us, shared the local brew with us (Abita!), entertained us (The Hornets, Rebirth Brass Band, Walter "Wolfman" Washington's Roadmasters  Soul Rebel), and shared their stories with us.  We have been truly overwhelmed with these non monetary donations in a city that has faced calamity of its own.  There remains a positive spirit and energy in the people of New Orleans despite their hardships.  This energy certainly showed in their empathy for our cause and sparked our hopes for Haiti's future.  

There is a long list of people that we would like to thank for their kindness and interest in our cause; Philip's Restaurant for a delicious dinner of red beans and rice donated by Chip and Jewelynn Nice, The Columns restaurant, Cafe Roma and Theo's (Mike Murphy) for those tasty pizzas, Surreys (Costa Rican breakfast), Hey Cafe, Miss Mae's for always being open, Le Bon Temps, Igors for a kitchen that never closes, Roger and everyone at The Eiffel Society for an induction pin and VIP treatment, Malachi at F&Ms for the same, Casey at St. James for great food and Beemster cheese/cow, Lara of Confederacy Cruisers and R Bar (generous bike tour offer!), Max and Brandy at the Bridge Lounge, Jermaine Quiz for the music and shout out, Guthrie and staff at Refuel for a dynamite breakfast (Drew Brees ate there just before us!), Mikethebikeguy for a tune up and bike advice, Vincent Broussard and the rest or Rebirth Brass Band for incredible music at The Maple Leaf, Travis and Tracey at The Maple Leaf, Catherine McNally (who we hope to see on Nantucket this summer), Laurie and Greg for one more delicious dinner of red beans and rice, Emma and Sam for the Hornets game, Adam Tataovich for the Hornets game, and Megan for showing us around the town.  Over the past few days it has been hard to keep track of all the kindness that we have received; so if we have forgotten you, we are truly sorry.

We know there are two people who are reading this right now and wondering where their names are.  Wait for it... all of this would not have been possible without the hospitality and generosity of the sisters Katz.  Molly and Johnice have graciously hosted us amidst their already busy schedules and made everything listed above possible.  Their spirit for New Orleans has been contagious and made our stay that more enjoyable.  We are truly fortunate to have met many of their friends and stayed in their Uptown apartment.  There will be sad goodbyes tomorrow, but we hope to find them here when we return!  

Tomorrow we hit the road (actually a bike path atop the levee), sights set for the West.  We had a feeling that New Orleans would be amazing and all of our expectations have been surpassed.  Tonight we will enjoy our last meal around the large Katz dining room table while we eye tomorrow's forecast.  Right now things are not looking very favorable, but if there is one thing we have learned while in New Orleans, it is that even the worst weather cannot take the spirit out of a person.

Oh, and if you're unfamiliar with "WHO DAT", it is the rally cheer for the Saints football team as well as a unifier for the city.  WHO DAT!