Day 20 Langtry, TX to Del Ri , TX

May 29

Langtry, TX to Del Rio, TX

61 Miles
1600 ft of climbing

Map:


http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=1707
(continuation)


The rooster living next door went off the first time around 4:30 AM. It's a sound I actually remember fondly from my childhood. I rolled over thinking I'd gotten a pretty good sleep.

It was hot in the tent when we went to sleep. It's a comfortable tent and good sized for two but bodies are heaters. Chris opted to sleep under the stars.

I woke up again at 6:30 or so and watched outside as a cackle of hens, led by their rooster ate from the lawn around us. Very insect rich environment.

We got up and struck camp. I came around the corner of the building, after washing up, and saw a flock (?) of turkeys in our camp. Then the neighbor dogs visited.

All friendly morning visitors.

W decided rather than cooking oatmeal and making coffee for breakfast we'd give the small store across from the visitor's center a shot. Most of the small stores we come across on the road have something to eat. The nice lady at the visitor's center told us, the day before, that the store opened at 8:00 AM.

At 8:05 we were out front but no one was home. We thought we would go back up to the gas station on the highway and probably end up eating some variation of Twinkies for breakfast. Fast energy but not lasting.

We rode up and heard the air conditioner running. That is always a good sign some one's home. We went in and met a super friendly fellow named Mike who had recently purchased the station and had just re-opened it a couple of weeks ago. He was eating an egg and sausage biscuit and got up offering to make us some.

It was an entirely unexpected treat to have a hot breakfast. Two biscuit sandwiches each, coffee, and various cold juices and water. We hadn't had anything cold since the morning before.

You get spoiled with common conveniences. Cold drinks are magic in the heat. Flavored drinks are good too. We each carry three bottles in cages on the bike frames. The first few days we started the ride with at least two bottles filled with sports drink and one water. As the riding has gotten warmer, nothing flavored tastes good hot. Now we carry three bottles of water.

When we stop at a store we usually drink between one and two liters of various cold, flavored drinks. I usually start with a V-8. Something my riding buddy Will used to do on hot, long days in the saddle. A V-8 is good for a big dose of sodium.

We talked with Mike awhile. He told us he lived in the house across the road from the community center. He said he's always happy to come up and open the station to make travelers a hot meal if they come knock on the door at his house. I told him he should mention that to the lady at the visitor's center. We thanked him, gave him the website address for adventure cycling (the group that publishes the maps), gave him our blog address, and hit the road.

Thirty miles to Comstock, the next town (which the map shows has a restaurant and service station.

We started in mild, 10-15 MPH winds blowing SSE (South Southeast). Not too bad. At about our 2:00 but keeping us cool.

On the way, we saw quite a heavy Border Patrol presence. We even watched a helicopter patrolling for about an hour. The route runs very close to the Mexican border where we were riding.

We got to Comstock and found the café out of business. We went into Halley's, the service station whose pumps were labeled broken. The woman inside was very friendly and showed us a refrigerator full of homemade sandwiches and another filled with ice cream. Yum, yum.

She offered us a seat at a table in back and we had a good lunch. It was the third time on our trip and the second time in one day we were sitting at a table in a service station having a meal.

We had a nice talk and she told us about other cyclists who had been through. She told us about two women travelling and camping alone. She asked them if they were afraid to be out there on the road by themselves and one of them said, "if we ever get any trouble from anyone we tell them Charlie and Ben will be along shortly", "are those supposed to be your husbands or something?", she asked. "That's Charlie Horse and Ben Gay", the woman answered.

On down the road to Del Rio we went.

Another ten miles or so we came to a construction zone where cars and trucks were being escorted by a pilot car. We waited in line with the cars and then followed.

We found ourselves on very fresh chipseal. Chipseal is a surface created by spraying hot, liquid tar on old asphalt and then spreading pulverized gravel chips on it. Then its rolled over. At best it's not a very pleasant riding surface. One hour old it's 130° and the chips aren't set in their tar glue.

First we rode up behind the rollers, then the gravel spreader (four guys shoveling) and finally the tar sprayer. After passing the rollers we were riding beside the freshest part of the new surface.

Without exception, every person working on the crew, at least fifty in all, stopped to give us a thumbs up or the peace sign. It felt great. I think they appreciated that we knew about hard work on hot asphalt.

Another few miles and we crossed the bridge over the Amistad Reservoir. My cousin, Tom, told us about how clean the water is, having been there with his wife Birdie, and was he ever right. Beautiful deep blue water.

Finally we arrived in Del Rio. It was a nice day. Hot and slow. Wind back up to 15-20 MPH in the afternoon but the distractions made it fun.

We checked in to the local La Quinta (our favorite chain so far), each took two showers, took a dip in the pool, showered again, and headed next door to Sirloin Stockade for dinner. It was a meat fiesta. A buffet of fried or grilled everything (except fish). I even had a piece of deep fried macaroni and cheese. We felt like we'd hit the food jackpot. Especially after two days of caloric deficit.

More to come.