10/15/01 Denton, TX

94 / 9720 miles

It didn't surprise me that I was welcomed by only two people, Dr Claire Sahlin (head of the Women's Studies dept) and Brok (a Women's Studies graduate student). Institutional Development thought it would detract from the celebration and bike rally to be held in a few weeks if people knew I had already finished. Dr Sahlin chanced Institutional Development's displeasure and had an impromptu celebration in the Women's Studies department offices. I was welcomed by a group of department students and staff, complete with flowers, cookies and punch. It was nice to be done and 'really' finished. The Women's Studies department has, first and foremost, been my most ardent supporters, especially Dr Brenda Phillips and Dr Sahlin. I will always be indebted to both Brenda and Claire. My cousin, Nancy Johnson-Coyle, is blessed because of women like these to keep her memory alive in the Women's Studies Department at Texas Woman's University.

'Chair' tree as I entered Denton

It was wonderful to be around people who not only knew me, but also believed in this whole crazy bike trip. Patricia, the 2001 Nancy Johnson-Coyle Endowment recipient, even attempted to ride my bike pulling the trailer in the parking lot. As it got dark, I finally had to say my goodbyes and ride across town to Allan & Dale's home, my cousins and Nancy's brother. What would I do without my family.

I MADE IT! 9720 MILES!

Over the next couple of days I did as little as possible, watching a lot of TV and surfing the net. Dale is a wonderful cook and she made a good attempt on putting a few more pounds back on these bones. I felt at home, really home. I visited with the rest of my extended family here in Denton, including my Aunt Virgini, Nancy's mom. Finally, it was time to head back home, getting a ride to Dallas with Doug, Nancy's husband. In a few short hours, back to where I had started oh so long ago, Kansas City.

Besides catching up on my correspondence, I was planning a return trip to Denton on 11/3/01 to participate in the Show Me America! Bike Rally, being put on by Institutional Developement at TWU and the Denton Parks & Rec Department. Hopefully, mom will be able to come with me to help me celebrate my finish.

10/14/01 Greenville, TX

75.5 / 9626 miles

A restless sleep last night, either because of no air conditioning (and the window wouldn't open) or because of my impending finish.

It's a weird phenomenon when you get so close to the end of a journey. It's as if your final destination grabs you into it's gravitational pull and you keep moving farther and faster the closer you get. My senses still take in all I see, hear, smell (and taste but that's a different story) but the mind is totally focused on moving forward.

Because I thought traffic would be lighter on Sunday, I decided to take Hwy-69 towards Emory, then Greenville instead of the backroads. At least I was assured a nice, wide shoulder the whole way. The sun was beaming as I dropped off my key at the front desk. Breakfast consisted of several complimentary honey buns with an apple to go.

Pedal, pedal, steady spinning. Look up every once in a while. Pedal, pedal, continuous circles. A beautiful day! Not too hot, dry and don't forget that sunlight. Things noticed today were grasshoppers. Hundreds of them! Like any Buddhist, I avoid running over bugs of any sort while I'm riding. But here today, there were just too many of them. For every grasshopper I missed, I could still here several crunches, including those jumping into the spokes of my wheels. Reminds me of all the caterpillars in Virginia.

10/13/01 Tyler, TX

94.9 / 9550 miles

Man, oh man, good call staying here last night! About 2AM, I woke to the sound of a hellish storm outside. This morning found the area with a lot of wind damage, people without power and some flooding. Packed up but waited awhile to see if it would stop raining. I thought the storm was supposed to blow through? Finally said "What the hell!" and left anyway. It's just water.

Any happy thoughts of a sunny day of riding were quickly drowned. Rode through heavily overcast skies, cold rain or mist being the norm. I can deal with weather, but too soon, the road shoulder disappeared. That initial training on the white-line in Virginia and Kentucky came in handy now. Lucky for me traffic was pretty spread out with trucks.

Lunch in Palestine was getting me down. While trying to choke down some food, I kept one eye on the continued downpour outside. But I wasn't going to get closer to Denton sitting here, no matter thoughts of making it a short day.

The hard rain subsided but my glasses were constantly beading up. And I wondered if it was my imagination or was it getting darker. One piece of luck - the very long bridges across Lake Palestine had a full shoulder. The sign for the Tyler city limits was a very welcome sight.

The problem is that average Joe-citizen really hasn't a clue where the motels are. Try it yourself. Where is the closest "clean and cheap" motel nearest you? Don't know, do ya! Started biking around the business loop. Lots and lots of new, national chain restaurants and shops but only a couple of pricey hotels. When it was clear I'd never find a motel like this, went it to talk to Glen at the La Quinta Inn and he directed me to a good, cheaper motel. Only it was another five-miles.

I'm so glad it's Saturday because I'm sure this highway would normally be bumper-to-bumper. It's dark now, very dark and I don't have any lights except my bright yellow jacket. Almost gave up but resisted the urge to go back to the more expensive hotel.

More exhausted than tired, but still sore just the same. Looked over my routes and might make a major push tomorrow. I think I can get to Denton on Monday, a day ahead of schedule. God, I'm so close.

10/12/01 Crocket, TX

89.5 / 9453 miles

Stayed up way too late watching TV. Oh, did I tell you I'm a TV addict. Poor self-discipline, I think.

Today definitely wasn't a day to sleep late. Had over eighty-miles to do. Eventually I did make it out to the road. Had a quick cinnamon roll at the Donut House but didn't finish it. Now, that's not normal for me.

The weather was to change late in the day, so my plan was to get to Crocket as fast as possible. Yeah, right! Under overcast skies, I prayed to Nancy to help me concentrate. I focused on a few feet ahead of my front tire. And I hammered!

The predicted severe weather was because of a clash of warm, moist air from the Gulf and the icy, cold fingers of a Northern front. Had a slight tailwind that felt good on my back. The sun came out once and I saw my shadow, something I thought I'd lost in the last few days. As I got closer town, you could definitely feel the cold breath on my face.

If I ever thought I was going to get killed on this trip, this morning was going to be it. I can't even count all the close calls I had on this shoulderless road. The headlines would read "Cross-Country Cyclist Killed by Passing Bass Boat!" Thankfully, a shoulder, a brand new wide shoulder appeared. Man was it fast. I had covered seventy miles by 2PM. And that despite stopping for lunch in Madisonville.

Saw my shadow at mile 9431

I wish I could tell you more about the countryside I rode through but it was hard to remember to look up. The road was pretty straight with only gentle rolling hills. When I did notice my surroundings, cattle seemed to occupy every pasture. Some types of cows sure are ugly.

Crocket has a business highway loop around the town. As I rode to the center square, the effect of that city decision was extremely evident. I don't think I've see any town this size with so many boarded up shops. Even though Crocket is only 5,000 people, I felt very uncomfortable with so many people. Like they were closing in. I didn't stop, but headed back to the outskirts of town.

Ended up circling town on that loop anyway, looking for a motel. Seems the area is mostly booked up because of the Peanut Festival in a nearby town. Had a great burger at the locally-owned Texas Burger. "The local high school football game is away tonight," the owner said when I asked where all the other customers were.

Ended up here at the motel tonight because of severe weather headed this way, possibly tornadoes. I'm hoping by morning to have clear sailing for my last few days to Denton.

10/11/01 Navasota, TX

61.2 / 9363 miles

After getting settled in, I rode to the edge of town to get some dinner at "The Coop", as in chicken coop. Eggs are the cities biggest business right now. Good food while talking to the owner's sister who helps at times.

Besides writing in my journal, spent the rest of the evening reading magazines in the clubhouse. Sure wish they had a couch because my butt is sure sore. One thing that all the humidity is perfect for are my old friends, the mosquitoes. Too humid to use the sleeping bag, so I just lay there.

Woke early to a major thunderstorm. The lightning seemed non-stop, flashes everywhere. Ron, the manager, later told me it rained over half an inch in about thirty minutes. When looking for a tent site, I chose one void of ant mounts. After all that rain, I now know why. Got up to find the tent in about 2" of water. Just great!

Got everything packed up as dry as I could. Said goodbye to Ron who said the rain should be over. And as I left, sunshine appeared on the western horizon.

But my route was more north, taking me back into the path of more storms. I'm sure the farmers and ranchers I passed thought I was crazy. Lots of rolling hills like back home in Missouri. It would rain, clear up, and the sun would break through for a minute or two before starting all over again.

Got lucky when I rode through Independence, TX, because the Texaco Station was a store with burgers fresh off the grill. If it wasn't for the rain, it would have been a pretty nice day.

At Washington, I learned a bit of Texas history. Did you know that Texas was an independent nation before it later became part of the U.S. They even had five presidents. This small community on the Brazo's River was even the capital before it later became Austin. Guess we all could use better lessons in our own nations history.

A few sprinkles as I rode into Navasota. This is where I leave the Southern Tier route and head north on my own to Denton. Decided to splurge and get a room. Spent a few minutes talking with Amish at the motel. "I've picked up all sorts of phrases working behind this desk," he said. Besides some Spanish, he also knew a little Japanese.

10/10/01 Carmine, TX

65.2 / 9299 miles

You would think that after camping almost every night for the last six months, I would know better than to wait till dark to pitch my tent. Painfully , I found I had placed my tent over an anthill. And while these weren't dreaded fire ants, these little buggers could still bite.

I hope it wasn't an ominous start of the day but it was beginning to rain as I packed up. Nelson said they were predicting thunderstorms this afternoon. So while I took down the tent, he told me that they had lived outside of Dallas, "a great place to raise kids." But by the time they were ready to retire, Dallas had swallowed them up. They looked all over and decided to build a new home out here. So while that's going on, they volunteered to be campground hosts. They've been here since June and at the end of the month, head down the road to Buescher State Park for two more months. After that, they should be ready to move into their new home. Before I left, Nelson took a picture of me in front of the "Bastrop" sign.

Even under cloudy skies, the ride through the park was fantastic. It reminded me a lot of the forests along the Appalachian Trail. But then so did the steep downs and vertical ups. Had to push the bike more than a couple of times but I didn't mind. Even the overlooks reminded me of other mist covered farms down in the valley.

The humidity was oppressive but I guess that was better than rain. Several times I got splattered with drops but it only lasted a minute or two. The terrain after leaving the parks was all farmland. So, I just put my head down, into the wind naturally, and tried to get more miles in before it decided to really rain.

Grabbed a bite to eat in La Grange but didn't linger. The hardest part about riding in this humidity is that your sweat-soaked clothes don't get a chance to dry. My butt is pretty raw from riding all day in wet shorts. Lucky for me, the road out of La Grange had a shoulder the whole way.

As I got near Warrenton and Round Top, I could see the remains of their huge fall antique show, big top tents everywhere for miles. I later learned they had over 100,000 people attend the event last weekend. That would have been a nightmare to ride through.

Round Top, population 77, looked interesting, what with its several German-style beer gardens. But again, found the only RV park had become 'members only'. They suggested another campground about five miles down the road in Carmine. I'm glad the day was still early.

Found the Dixieland RV Park Campground easily, just past the high school. "We're still trying to recover from the antique show last weekend!" Dixie Severns told me. I'm the only onne here but that's OK. When Dixie heard about my trip and fundraiser, she said enjoy my stay 'no charge'. For my part, I'll try and get their campground added to the Adventure Cycling maps.

10/9/01 Bastrap State Park

72.7 / 9234 miles

Decided to sleep in the ceramic floor out on the screen porch. Didn't want to deal with any brown recluse spiders that might have taken up residence in the bed or couch. So you can imagine my surprise this morning when I found a scorpion in the bathroom sink.

M.F. rode down in the golf cart to invite me to breakfast. Both her and Bill had a full day ahead. She was going to talk at the local senior center and Bill was moving a few cattle to their winter pasture. The Wimberley View editor want to stop by before I left, so M.F. and I talked. So many people have been interested in my story. I'm kind of jealous because I wish I had more time to hear 'their' story, such as M.F. and her family.

It was almost 10AM before I finally got on the road. At first, I thought that would mean lighter traffic. But that myth soon disappeared. It amazes me that this was where Lance Armstrong became one of the best U.S. cyclists ever. Guess if the hills and humidity didn't kill you, the traffic sure would. Maybe he's the only cyclist to survive the gauntlet around here. I stopped even looking in the mirror. Just didn't want to see my death approaching.

Now that's the Texas that I know

The weather was still threatening rain and the high humidity reminded me of Kansas City. The waitress at the Paradise Restaurant gave me such a funny look when I ordered crispy tacos for lunch. Is that not Mexican food? I wish someone would tell this gringo.

Once I went east of I-35 in Kyle, TX, traffic finally dropped off a bit. Seems Austin is expanding everywhere west of the interstate. Crossed about twenty miles of farmland. Reminded me a lot of Kansas. But after Lockhart, the rolling hills were more like agricultural land in the Ozarks of Missouri.

Cool courthouse in Lockhart

Although the highway into Bastrop isn't an interstate, it sure seemed like it. And everyone appeared to be commuting from Austin. Thank God I had a descent shoulder.

Breathing pickup truck exhaust all the way into Bastrop

Most of the day had been against the wind, but the last stretch into Bastrop was made easier by a slight tailwind with a strong crosswind. So, even though I had a very late start, I made it to the park just after 5PM. Decided to stop off at the campground host's RV. Melbea and Nelson Haertling were great. Melbea had just finished reading Lance Armstrong's autobiography. Seem's his greatest fear training on the roads around Austin (including through Wimberley) was getting killed by some redneck pickup truck. We talked until dark, then I asked if I could camp behind their RV.

So that's where I'm at , sweltering in what seems to me 100% humidity. I have to be careful not to let the sweat drip off my nose onto these pages. Another good day and feeling good as I get ready for bed listening to some good Austin radio station.

10/8/01 Wimberley, TX

73 / 9161 miles

Woke up in as foul a mood as the skies were cloudy. Last night, I had called D.G. to see if she had any other alumni friends I could meet as I made my way to Denton. She told me of calling Alumni Relations at TWU and they claimed not to have known about my fundraiser. Funny, I sat in their very office six months ago telling them all about my desire to meet alumni along the way.

It really is impossible to separate the bike trip and the fundraiser at this point. Oh, how I wish I could. I'm afraid it will taint the whole effort. Why did I even try to do this as a fundraiser! It seems that other than a few individuals like D.G. and Claire, hardly anyone associated with the university has paid me anything but lip service. Hell, besides my relatives in Denton, almost all the money raised came from outside of Texas.

Vegetation was the big change today. No more cactus. And I saw a few ponds too. The ranches around here are full of sheep and goats, plus one or two places with quarter horses. The other thing I noticed was the abundance of all sorts of wild flowers along the road edge. Definitely brightened up my day a little.

The sun never did make an appearance. And even though it was humid enough to rain, it didn't. Took quite a few turns in the morning getting to Blanco, so the winds didn't hurt or help me much. And unlike this afternoon, traffic was very light.

I think everyone I talked to in Blanco thought I was nuts. Guess they don't see many cyclists even though this is the Southern Tier route from Florida to California. Had a bite to eat along with some ice cream. Ended up taking a wild detour to get back on my route because of a bridge being out.

I think in Texas, the speed limit sign is the minimum speed, not the maximum. Especially on these Farm-to-Market roads. The thirty miles between Blanco and Wimberley seemed to be non-stop, high-speed traffic, including a few semi's. But as I got closer to town, it got worse.

The sheep sure did think I was going to feed them

With no shoulder and traffic not slowing down in either direction, I found myself jumping off the road repeatedly for safety. A guy could get killed out here. Reminded me a lot like rush-hour traffic in Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. Even when I got into Wimberley, traffic was fast, bumper-to-bumper, and this for a town a little over 2,000. Crazy!

More bad news. The visitor center thought the Blue Hole Campground was closed for the season. I am definitely having problems with the facilities marked on these maps. Not much else I could do but go check it out. Getting back into traffic was like jumping on a fast merry-go-round.

Found the campground easy enough but it did have a sign up saying it was closed. But just then a van drove up, and the smiling lady in front said, "Jim, wouldn't you rather camp somewhere for free?" D.G. had come through again. This wonderful angel was M.F. Johnson, a very dear frond of hers.

Had a little trouble following her because of traffic but it was all worth while. Turns out their place is across the creek from the campground. We wound our way through several pastures to end up by an old log cabin down by the water's edge. What a great place! There's a big water tank, a kitchen sink, a bathroom, with a bedroom/dining room. But the best part is the huge attached screen porch. All very rustic with a tin roof. It wouldn't take much for me to fall in love with this place.

Home Sweet Home

After getting cleaned up, I met M.F. and her husband, Bill, up at the main house for dinner. They have a house on either side, one a bed and breakfast, and the other is where their daughter, Lynn, lives with her teenage son. One of the other houses we passed earlier belongs to the Johnson's son. Beautiful places, each one.

Everything a guy could want

Because M.F. had to go to a city-zoning meeting, I went with Lynn to her church's choral choir practice. A huge turnout and they were working on their Christmas program. M.F. said because the town is only 45-minutes away from Austin, they've had a lot of growing pains as the city gets bigger. They've lived here over fifty years. And by the energy I saw in both of them, probably another fifty.

The whole family said I could stay as long as I wanted but the pull to finish is too great. But I do like it here. I'm sitting at the table, writing this by candlelight. Now, this is the life!

10/7/01 Comfort, TX

70.7 / 9088 miles

This morning, I saw more vultures and backyard tennis courts than I'd ever seen. Coincidence?

Woke up with the tent drenched in dew. No choice but to pack it up wet. Thought about thanking the ranger again but didn't want to get him in trouble, so I silently left the park. No sooner had I got back on the road when I met yesterdays 47MPH downhill's twin brother, only up this time. That hill seemed to go up forever.

Instead of up on a ridgeline, I was more on a plateau. Funny, but the landscape reminds me of an African savanna. I saw more deer than cattle. By the looks of the high fencing, I'm sure they harvest a lot of both.

Trees, trees, trees!

At one point, the sky overhead was covered with vultures. It was like the moving 'Birds'. There were so many, I couldn't count. Kind of spooky.

Once I started following the Guadalupe River, I thought it would be all downhill. Nooooooo! I must have crossed that stream a dozen times, all with a sharp uphill out of the ravine. I definitely had a good workout as I neared Hunt, TX.

I wish I could describe the river as it flowed down the valley, but most of it was fronted by large mansions. Every mile or so, another dam would create someone's own personal crystal-clear swimming hole. "No Public River Access!" Lots of iron gates and backyard tennis courts too.

Kerrville was kind of a disappointment. I guess I was expecting something 'down home' at this site of the famous Folk Festival. Most businesses were closed I assumed because it was Sunday. On a high note, I knew I was in the south when I stopped for lunch and they served 'sweet tea'. My favorite!

Started passing more farms and agriculture but won't be out of Hill Country for another day or two. In downtown Comfort, I met Paul and Jerry Baker, who own a B&B in nearby Boerne. To bad it's not on the way or I would have loved to stop there. RV Park-USA is a little ways off-route, towards the interstate. Nice people.

10/6/01 Lost Maples

46.6 / 9017 miles

Kept looking out the tent all evening, checking on the river level. When I was convinced I wouldn't be flooded out, I relaxed enough to know I needed to pee. Go outside and get drenched or... Well, neither choice was great. Lucky for me, the rain finally quit enough sometime after midnight.

Morning on the banks of the Nueces River

It's downright chilly this morning. And because it takes so long for the sun to finally rise, it's hard to get motivated and out of bed. But I had a relatively short day ahead so I wasn't pressed for time. Rode into town and had breakfast at Café Falcone with the good folks from the campground. Had 'breakfast tacos'. Very, very good!

Up, down, up, down, up, down (you get the idea)

The ride to Leakey was a series of straight-line segments, but with quite a few ups and downs. Since this is the foothills, you can imagine more ups than downs. In fact, the last section seemed to follow the ridgeline. That doesn't mean flat, just that everything seemed below you.

Looks like a fast downhill into the river valley. Yee Hah!!

Since it's Saturday, I've seen a ton of motorcycle groups out, sometimes as many as a dozen. And I saw four cyclists out for the day but since they were zooming downhill, I didn't get any idea where they were from or going. One restaurant in Leakey literally was over-run with motorcycles. So I went down the street to Mama Choles. What great place, excellent Mexican food and cheap too. It was almost empty when I sat down but was completely full when I left.

The terrain changed dramatically as I began climbing again outside of town. In the next twenty miles, I don't think I rode on a single foot of straight or level pavement. Now I know why the motorcycles like this area. I know I definitely got my workout. At one of the high point rest areas, I talked a bit with a couple from Corpus Christi out here visiting a friend. Alene Burch even gave me a donation for the endowment fund.

Broke my high speed record with a relatively straight and very downhill section of road as it pub me down into the valley. 47MPH! Almost scared me, I was going so fast. As I got closer to the park entrance, I started getting nervous because of all the cars taking the same exit.

"All campsites either occupied or reserved" was the sign that greeted me as I rode to the headquarters building. "It is a three-day weekend." one ranger told me. Columbus Day, how was I to know? I'm surprised I even knew it was Saturday. The head guy took me out of ear-shot of everyone else and said not only could I camp in the day-use area, but not charge since I was doing this for charity. Cool guy!

Bigtooth Maples only grow in small protected pockets. This area, besides moderate temperatures, has abundant spring water and the limestone cliffs shield the trees from the harsh sunlight. In fact, this park gets it's heaviest use during the fall when the foliage starts changing. I'm just a bit early for that I think.

Since the park has an extensive trail system, I took a hike along the Sabinal River. After just a short while, I became nostalgic for my time hiking the Appalachian Trail. This trip has been so different than the hike. But I'm nearing the end, only ten more days.

10/5/01 Wes Cooksey Park

90.3 / 8970 miles

Had a few sprinkles last night and it's still cloudy as I rode through Del Rio. One thing I noticed trying to sleep was how humid it was. Haven't had to worry about that since I don't know when.

Stayed on Hwy-90 again today. Just a lot of long, straight road. Passed the Laughlin Air Force Base. That must be why I've seen so many military jets above the desolate areas I'm moving through.

Got some lunch in Brackettville. One guy had a lot of questions about my trailer. He said they used mountain bikes to cover more ground while hunting but haven't found a good way to bring the shot deer out. "That trailer just might work!" he commented.

Finally got off the busy highways and had a long stretch on 'ranch road'. In 30-miles, I don't think a handful of vehicles passed me. And a few of those were Border Patrol. Since entering New Mexico, I haven't seen any Highway Patrol, so I guess the Border Patrol does both.

Moved from desolate rangeland to the 'foothills' of Texas. Kind of reminds me of the Flint Hills of Kansas, and the geology looked similar. There's still a lot of desert fauna here like cactus, but I'm beginning to see some trees and there's a lot of thick grass. Things just seem greener.

I've passed so many dry rivers that I was surprised to actually see water gushing over a spillway. The campground is situated on the banks of the Nueces River. Checked in but headed into Camp Wood some four miles away for some dinner. By the time I got back, you could already see the thunderclouds moving in.

On the map as a river, but where's the water

Sat in the office visiting with the campground hosts. But when the rain finally started, I made a mad dash to my tent. You might have to go all the way back to my nights in Kansas to find the last time I was confined to this small tent because of rain. I just hope the river doesn't flood tonight. That would be a bummer!

10/4/01 Del Rio, TX

48.2 / 8877 miles

I knew at one point last night that the wind was absolutely still. But not this morning! Even taking down the tent was made difficult because of the gales.

That's Mexico not far in the distance

Said goodbye to Bob and got a big hug from Lois. The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon were a blur. I just put my head down and pedaled as hard as I could. Today was just a continuation of yesterday, just flat terrain with rolling pavement. But the winds! I hate the wind.

Took almost six hours to go 40-miles to the outskirts of Del Rio. Passed the only campgrounds because I needed to check my email. At the library, Daniel wanted to shake my hand. "Before I did a stint in the Army, I took a bus trip all over the East Coast," he said. "My hat's off to ya' for crossing the US on a bike."

Headed back across town to the Lonesome Dove RV Park. Boy, do I hate going backwardss. Phyllis checked me in, even opening the rec-room just for me. "The busy season is coming up next month," she informed me, "but we were busier than expected this summer." Went to get something to eat and ran into several motorcyclists that saw me back in Marathon several days ago.

Did laundry, had a beer and watched some big-screen TV. One of the other residents stopped by to say hello. Janey was a TWU graduate back in '74 and is almost at her 20-year retirement from the Army. "I can't wait to go back to Europe and do some biking myself," she smiled.

I knew I should be tired but the closeness of my finish is hyping me up. Can't wait! Will try and call D.G. when I get to Camp Wood tomorrow.

10/3/01 Seminole Canyon

61.3 / 8828 miles

I left before Paul came back to open the store this morning. Still a chill in the air, so I wore my jacket for a few miles.

If it's possible, I think today is even more desolate than yesterday. Miles and miles in all directions, nothing but barren scrub land. Even the vultures seem to avoid this area. Made good time but the headwinds began to build early.

Forty miles of nothing later, I reached Langtry, made famous by Judge Roy Bean. The saloon where he dispensed justice is still standing in almost perfect condition. He named his home out back, the "Opera House" in hopes that he might convince English actress, Lillie Langtry, to visit the town. She did eventually come through but a few months after the judges death in 1904. He presided over the "law west of the Pecos" for 20 years.

Had lunch at the Wagon Wheel. My maps didn't indicate any place to eat so it was a very welcome surprise. The Mr and Mrs cooked up a good burger that hit the spot. But by the time I was ready to get back on the road, the headwinds seemed to be at gale force.

I know the wind and I have a love-hate relationship, but today seemed as if all the demons in the world were trying to stop me from getting to Denton. Plus, because I was near the Rio Grand again, the terrain began to resemble a long series of ripples in the sand. I hate, just hate to pedal downhill. But I did, a lot!

I think the next 20-miles were harder than all 40-miles I did this morning. Crossed the Pecos River and came to the Seminole Canyon State Historical Park. Some of North America's oldest rock paintings are here but can only be viewed with a ranger. The first tour isn't until 10AM, so I guess I miss this too.

Besides the campground host, there is only one other RV here. John says that by next month, this park will be full. He recommended the site with the best view, "but don't forget your payment." I guess $10 isn't too bad because they do have free showers too.

As I finished pitching my tent on the rock-hard platform, my RV neighbor came by to offer me dinner. Turns out I had met Bob and Lois Green in Langtry. I didn't realize it because they had been traveling on a motorcycle. They'd been full-time RVer's for a year but before that had traveled for years on motorcycles. "I got jealous of the people we saw in the motor homes in short sleeves and smiling while we were riding in a cold driving rain." Bob says. By taking the motorcycle on the back, they get to choose when to ride.

With the wind still howling outside, I had wondered how I was going to cook. Lois whipped me up something in no time flat, plus cookies for dessert. They were from Chester, NY, on the Appalachian Trail, so we talked about that among other things. I must have spent several hours talking to my new-found-friends. Lois even encouraged me to get my story published.

On to Del Rio tomorrow with hopefully little headwind.

10/2/01 Dryden, TX

74.7 / 8769 miles

For the last few days, I thought I was just being lazy, getting up so late. But now I realize that the days are getting a lot shorter. I have over 50-miles to go today before I even come across any town, so I better stock up.

Bought snacks for lunch plus two bottles of Coke. Add that to the five liters of water I'm carrying and I should be OK hydration-wise. But before I left town, I had to stop at "Shirley's Burnt Biscuit Bakery." It was a very small shop but Shirley Rooney herself was hard at work in the kitchen out back. Now, I kind of consider myself a donut connoisseur-of-sorts, and I have to tell you, these were the best glazed donuts I've had in a long while. Looks like Lamar's Donuts [www.lamars.com] in Kansas City has some competition.

Today's ride was through the cowboy-Texas of my imagination. Here were the buttes, mesas, canyons and gullies of every western seen on TV. A few trucks passed me by, but most of the day my constant companions were vultures. Hundreds of them! One of their shadows seemed to cross over me very thirty minutes. I think I disturbed them a lot as the roadside was littered with dead deer, fowl and even a wild pig.

With the light headwind, I still made good time as I lost a least another thousand feet in elevation. I'm into a rhythm, stopping every ten miles to walk around a bit, drink a sip or two of Coke, then back on the bike. Felt pretty good as I rode into Sanderson.

Sometimes people say the strangest things. I figure the temperature is in the mid-80's but the high school girl behind the gas station counter asked if it was too cold to bike. "Too cold?" I said. "It's perfect!" Got a sandwich and headed back out.

The town is situated where a lot of canyons draw together, which just seemed to intensify the wind. I think I need to call this trip "Headwinds Across America Tour." But with the end coming closer, I'm actually enjoying the challenge of battling with The Winds.

A few miles out of town, the scenery took another change. Gone were the mountains, replaced by mile-after-mile of barren range-land. No trees, a few stunted bushes and cactus, but not much grass either. I just couldn't imagine what it was like to cross this on horseback or even a horse-and-buggy.

My stopover for the night is hopefully Dryden, TX. I was more afraid everything would be closed and water unavailable for the next forty miles tomorrow. The map said camping was behind the Dryden General Store but it was boarded up, long gone by the looks of it. The only other business in town was across the street.

Paul had bought the Dryden Mechantile about 14-years ago to keep himself busy after he retired. "I could still do a bit of cowboying but this place does OK." he said from his corner chair. "Mostly nickel and dime." While we sat in the cool air out of the wind, a few kids got off the school bus for a quick snack and a drink. Another family popped in to use the restrooms and asked about my bike trip.

Camped out back behind the store

When I mentioned TWU, Leilani Mojarro's eyes lit up. "My grandmother, Lillie Abbey (b 1890), ran a girls dormitory there back in the 30's." she said. The state had wanted to take her ten kids away from her because she was a single parent. But she refused and started a girls boarding house for the university students in Denton, TX. Leilani's husband was the first person to ask me "What's it like out there on the road?" It would have been nice to talk more with them, but they were headed to Belen, NM, for a funeral. They said they might see me again on their return trip back home.

Paul decided to close up early and head back home in Sanderson. "We practice roping calves a few nights a week," he said with excitement. I wonder what his wife thinks of all that at his age.

So, I'm camped out back behind the store. The water faucets work and Paul left the outhouse unlocked. Thanks Paul! It's so windy, I might have a little trouble cooking tonight. I can't believe I'm only two weeks away from Denton. Yippie!

10/1/01 Marathon, TX

86.8 / 8692 miles

Slept pretty well considering. But kind of surprised how cold it is here in West Texas. As I got back on the road, it soon became apparent I wouldn't have made Fort Davis yesterday. I'm following the Texas Mountain Trail and the terrain reminds me of the Appalachians. Had to get off the bike once just to push it uphill.

The white domes of the McDonald Observatory [vc.as.utexas.edu] soon came into view. I've always been interested in astronomy, especially the building of telescopes. So, I'm really looking forward to seeing an 82-inch telescope. The only problem again is my timing. The first tour wasn't for another two hours. And that tour bus looked very good considering the steep climb up to the telescopes.

McDonald Observatory

The 82-inch Otto Struve Telescope was closed to the public but the 107-inch Harlan Smith Telescope was right next door. Just huge! Almost twice as wide as I am tall. After climbing (and pushing some), I wanted to really let the bike go fast but the road was too rough. Had to come down a bit, then push up another peak to see the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). The HET is a 433-inch telescope using a combination of 91 one-meter mirrors all fit together. I can remember reading about this design. Very cool! But unfortunately, all the lights were turned out so I couldn't even see it. Bummer, and I climbed all the way up here.

It was downhill to Fort Davis. The fort touts itself as one of the best examples of frontier forts but after walking through it, Fort Larned (Kansas) is by far the best I've seen. This fort did have a 'buffalo' soldier detachment. The Indians called them buffalo soldiers because of their kinky hair.

Fort Davis

While it town, had lunch at Pop's Grill. At first I was a little outraged at the cost of a burger, but it turned out because the thing was huge. I mean really huge! From another cyclist travelogue, I'd been expecting a whole different sort of town. "Well-heeled tourist types" he said. But instead, I wouldn't have been surprised to see a cowboy ride up and tie his horse outside the courthouse. The library was even housed in the old jail, complete with bars and inside cells.

By the time I'd checked my email it was already 1:30PM and I hadn't even gone thirty miles yet. So I decided to push on to Alpine or Marathon. While it was pretty sunny up to now, I had to put on a jacket as the clouds moved in and the temperatures dropped.

The 25-miles to Alpine were kind of a blur. The winds were picking up and I couldn't tell if the clouds above had any precipitation in them. Looking around me I didn't think the area got much rain at all, but how was I to know? So I just pushed.

Alpine is a good-size small town, a little over 5,000 with a pretty large state college, Sul Ross University [www.sulross.edu]. Lots of motels and a few RV parks, but I was trying to decide should I push even farther? Someone once told me that a person needed to "get out of your comfort zone." Usually I like to be at camp by early afternoon. But my original itinerary for this last push to Denton had me in Marathon tonight. It would be a long day, plus near to dark if I kept going. "Out of your comfort zone!" I thought. So, we went for it.

The roads were fairly busy, usually level with a few rolling hills. And thank Gog, a little downhill. Now, I really thought of little else but keeping a steady pace so I'd get to Marathon, some thirty miles away, before I lost the light. I think I had more people wave at me during that stretch than the whole way from El Paso. That was a good feeling.

And finally it was there. And I had gotten there with time to spare. I found the RV park listed on the maps, or at least their sign, on the far end of town. But it looked abandoned. So I went back into town to check out the Gage Hotel, [www.gagehotel.com] a Texas landmark. Twin bed and no bathroom was $65. Ouch! I asked about restaurants and the town had two. The Oasis Café looked like a working man's place but it was closed today, Monday. The other was the Gage Hotel. I looked at the menu but the entrée's were all over $20. Still needed a place to stay, so I headed to the only other motel that I passed coming into town.

The motel (& RV park) did have tent sites for $10. What a relief. I signed in and was told where to camp next to the bathrooms and showers. But when I wheeled around the building, I was presented with a packed gravel parking lot without a blade of grass or even dirt. The night manager couldn't understand why I couldn't camp there. We walked the property, but the only grass I could find was roped off-limits by the owner. It was dark now so I just got a motel room. At least for $49 I got my own bathroom. Looks like Texas is going to be expensive.

I didn't even unpack. I took a shower, then laid in bed watching cable TV. I keep trying to let this be a positive experience, but Texas is being difficult. Ended up not even cooking (not allowed in the room), just bought some snacks and went to bed.