2017 10-31 St Francisville to Franklinton (82.4 miles)

Some short days have many highlights to write about.  It seems that it should be OK then to have a long day that has few, it just feels strange to be wordless.   Today was such a long day with no memorable highlights.  That is not to say it wasn’t a good day, because it was a very good day for cycling.  The sky was clear, there was no humidity, and a perfect temperature all day.  The roads where in good shape, with nice wide shoulders, and the traffic light, all making it pleasant for cycling.  The ride was for the most part along country roads, with an occasional small town now and then, perfect for a short stop to recovery and rejuvenate.   

Again, it was a perfect day; just that it was a long day, especially after coming off a layover day.  Interestingly, there was a lot of climbing today.  The climbs weren’t long, just one after another.  We climbed up a hundred to two hundred feet then down the other side, over and over and over again.

The last few days has seen the group go in all different directions.  Eileen, Erwin, Eric and Tom C went to New Orleans to spend the layover days.  Chris and Neil didn’t like the idea of a 91 mile day today, so they actually didn’t take a layover day and broke the ride into two days, one around 60 miles and the other around 30 miles. Joe, Tom R, Ed and Ken all stayed in St Francisville and enjoyed the sights it had to offer.  The New Orleans travelers woke early today and drove back to St Francisville and then did the long ride to Franklinton.  It makes one tired just thinking about doing that.

The official route for today was to be 91 miles.  Most in the group found ways to shorten today’s ride to between 80 and 85 miles, and there where several different routes selected by small groups of riders.  Once again, we all did are own thing today.  All this helter-skelter must be the end of trip fever setting in.  After all, we have only 14 more days until this trip is finished and we reach St Augustine.

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Trip to Date

2017 10-30 St Francisville – layover day

Today turned out to be a fantastic day all around.  The afternoon was comfortably warm and pleasant, a relief from the last two days of colder temperatures.  It looks like the next few days will be just as nice. 

Tom, Ed and Joe rode their bikes less than 2 miles to the Rosedown Plantation.  We signed up for the guided tour and soon found we had a wonderful guide named Paul, a fountain of knowledge who described the family and plantation life and history and made it very interesting.  Here is a description of the plantation from the guide pamphlet:

“Rosedown Plantation was built in 1835 by Daniel and Martha Turnbull, over the span of six months and a cost of $13,109.20.  This was a cotton plantation and consisted of 3,500 acres and at its height, 450 slaves worked at Rosedown and three other Turnbull plantations.

The couple raised three children on the plantation, two sons and a daughter.  Their youngest son, James died of yellow fever at the age of 7 and the oldest son William drowned in a boating accident at age 27, this left their daughter Sarah as their only heir.  After the Civil War, former slaves became sharecroppers at Rosedown.

In the 1850’s Sarah married James Bowman from the neighboring Oakley Plantation, and together they raised ten children – eight girls and two boys.  Four of their daughters inherited the property, living at Rosedown until the last, Nina Bowman died in 1955.”

Rosedown is now owned and operated by the state of Louisiana.

After the guided tour, the three rode into the historic section of town and then had lunch at a very nice restaurant, Magbolia Cafe.

Pictures from the plantation, lunch and the hotel

2017 10-29 Simmesport to St Francisville (59.5 miles)

Warm and comfy inside the sleeping bag, cold and damp outside.  Where would you want to be?  Right!  Stay in today.  If only we could.  Breaking up camp and packing away the tent this morning was a real cold ordeal with a temperature of 34 degrees at 6:30 AM.  Quickly do what needs to be done and get to the truck stop store and restaurant for breakfast and, more importantly, to get warm.  Take your time, no hurry to get on the road today.  The speed of the bike just adds to the wind chill – burr.  After a very leisurely breakfast, it was a good morning to dawdle, it’s on the road and off to our destination, St Francisville.  Tom, Ed and Joe started together and stayed together the entire day.  It started as a very pleasant ride on the levee road, away from the traffic and accompanying noise of cars.  Shortly after leaving town, we turned and stopped at the beginning of the levee road.  A man walks from the parking lot of a small church across the street from the start of the levee road, where we had stopped to decide how to proceed.  It turns out he is the pastor of the small church, where services will start in a short time.  He wanted to greet us and let us know we are taking the long way.  We chatted and indicated the long way was preferred as it was more scenic and peaceful.  He agreed but just wanted to make sure we knew.  He indicated he lived on the levee road and that in a few miles we would come to White Hall, a famous old plantation house whose original owner founded Simmesport.  He wished us safe travels as we parted.

We continued on the levee road for about 20 miles, and indeed it was peaceful.  For the first time on this trip, we passed numerous fields of sugar cane.  We also passed several small old cemeteries.  Due to the high water table and threat of floods, the graves are shallow and capped with large heavy cement or stone slabs.   The levee road turned to a very rough surface in the final few miles, and the pleasant ride turned into a kidney cruncher.   Reaching SR 1 was a relief and the smooth wide shoulders allowed us to sail along at what seemed like an effortless high rate of speed.  We soon reached the small town of Morganza and a possible lunch stop.  Dismounting and parking our bikes in front of a small convenience store adjoined to a small restaurant, we were greeted by a very nice lady who had just finished doing some shopping at the store.  She asked us many questions about our trip, like where we started, how long we had been traveling so far, where we would end, and so on.  She started to leave then turned and asked if she could pray for us.  Why sure.  So she said a small prayer out loud for our safe travel and successful journey.  What a kind gesture from this perfect stranger.  We meet the nicest people along the way.

It was a long day in spite of the relatively short miles.  A sign that we had a very relaxed and laid back ride today.

Tomorrow is another layover day.  Many of us will spend it visiting some of the many old plantations in this area.  For example, the Myrtles Plantation dates back to the late 1700s and is considered one of the most haunted homes in America.  Another is the Rosedown Plantation, dating from the early 1800s.  Both are located less than 2 miles from our hotel.

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2017 10-28 Ville Platte to Simmesport (51.2 miles; 30 miles for those who stayed in Bunkie)

Waking this morning to clear skies and cold air, we faced a 50+ mile ride to get to Simmesport with the rest of the group, who had a 30 mile day.  The air temperature was 41 at 7 AM but the wind chill brought that temp down to 35.  Needles to say, Tom and Joe dressed in their warmest cycling clothing.  Normally as the sun rises the temperature warms up and we start to shed layers of clothing.  Today that did not happen, and all cold weather gear stayed on the entire day.  To make things more challenging, we faced a direct head wind of 12 miles an hour for the first 24 miles.  Later, as our route changed direction slightly, the wind changed to a quartering head wind, which made it slightly easier to peddle, but only slightly.  It felt good to roll into the camp today, and take a nice hot shower.  We are staying at a truck stop and camping behind the facility.  The temperature is expected to be even colder tonight, but dry!  It is reported to be 20 degrees below the seasonal norm for this time of year.   Oh lucky us.

Taking every opportunity to get indoors during today’s ride, we had two good stops.  The first was for coffee and donuts at a very nice little shop with freshly made donuts, Pappa J's Donuts.  Joe ordered two jelly donuts, but they only had one left.  The lady called back to her help in the back room and the worker quickly made up a fresh jelly donuts to fill his order.  All was now good in donuts-ville.  The second stop was at Bernards Cajun Sea-Fry for lunch, a place suggested to us by a nice lady in town, a place where locals eat – always look for where the locals eat.  The food was excellent, the service good and a welcome relief from the wind.

We are eating dinner at the truck stop tonight.  This is the only option available to us.  Not all of us are camping at the truck stop.  Three have chosen to stay at a near by hotel.  It is not all that appealing.  One staying there actually opted to take their shower at the truck stop rather than in their room – it is that bad.  Why stay there?  The thought of a cold tent seems more inviting.  Neil pushed on to a town down the rode, New Roads.  Neither the hotel nor a cold tent seemed appealing.

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2017 10-27 Oberlin to Ville Platte (39.3 miles)

Sometimes it is better not to know what is coming.  For example, knowing yesterday that today would have cold rain mid afternoon into the evening made one not want to ride too far.  And particularly it doesn’t make one want to camp in a state park, where there will be minimal shelter from the elements.  So being cautious, Joe, Tom and possibly Ed decided after dinner last night to cut today’s ride short and stay in the town of Ville Platte.  It is short of reaching  Chicot State park, where the rest of the group is to camp, by about 8 miles.  But we will be warm, dry and safe in a Best Western!  Oh yes, getting older and wiser makes one less daring.

During breakfast this morning, our leader, Ken, who made all who wanted to stay inside instead of camp just because of some little rain feel wimpy at map meeting last night, is now thinking of changing the plans for the group.  He is trying to arrange to have the group ride 20 miles further and stay indoors at a hotel in the town of Bunkie.  Later during the morning it was confirmed that the plans have been changed, the group will stay in Bunkie, but it is too late for Joe and Tom who have non-cancelable reservations in Ville Platte.   All will be back together again tomorrow night in Simmersport.

The morning started off warmer than it has been lately, the sky was clear and the weather pleasant.   This makes one wonder if the weather man will be wrong about today’s weather.  The ride was very enjoyable along mostly country farm roads.  The miles flew by and before you knew it, we where in Ville Platte.  It is now later in the afternoon and the sky is changing.  It is darkening, threatening clouds are rolling in and the sun is hiding.  Tomorrow mornings temperature is forecast to be in the low 30’s.  Anyone want to get out of a tent tomorrow?

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2017 10-26 Merryville/DeRidder to Oberlin (59/38 miles)

Joe, while preparing to leave the Best Western Hotel this morning, was approached by a very nice 73 year old local man named Gelton.  Gelton was very interested in our bike travels and asked a lot of questions.  He also wanted to know how old we all were.  He wished Joe a great and safe trip.  What nice people we meet on our bike travels!  Shortly after leaving the hotel, Joe was stopped by a young lady wanting to know if we were just passing through or staying in town.  She runs a ‘warm showers’ program and wanted to know if a girl she was expecting tonight was traveling with us.  She parted by wishing us a safe journey.

The ride to Oberlin was very pleasant, and for Chris and Joe, it was also short.  Chris stayed one night in Merryville and one night in DeRidder.  The rest of the group will be coming from Merryville,

The scenery was not spectacular today but the low traffic country roads made for an enjoyable ride.   Tonight we are saying at the Oberlin Inn, a small establishment in the heart of town and right across the street from an active train line.  It should be an interesting night for sleeping.      

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Trip Total to 10-26

2017 10-24 Silsbee to Merryville or (55.2 miles)

Today was a milestone day!  We finally leave the big state of Texas, after entering it on October 2^nd, and ride into Louisiana.  It took 23 days to peddle across this immense state.  It felt real good to enter a new state!

Breakfast was at 7, our usual time, except it was served in the kitchen of our gracious hostess instead of around some outdoor picnic table.  Ken’s sister-in-law has been very kind to allow us to stay at her house, serve us dinner, allow us to set up tents in all corners of her yard, use her laundry facilities, and in general have the run of her house. 

The morning started off damp and chilly, but warmer than the past few mornings.  Once again, the air heated quickly as the sun rose in the sky, and a clear blue cloudless sky prevailed all day.  Most of the day’s ride was spent in Texas as we did not cross the state line into Louisiana until about 5 miles outside of Merryville, the destination for most of the group today.  They will be camping at the Merryville historic Society for the next two evenings.  Tomorrow is a rest or layover day – no riding!

Joe, decided that layover day should be spent indoors, so he went on an extra 20 miles to the town of DeRidder, where he will stay in a Best Western Hotel for the next two evenings, and rejoin the group in Oberlin on Thursday.

When we entered Texas oh so many days ago, we were not treated to the usual signs welcoming us into the state.  We did see such signs as we left the state, if we turned around and looked back.  I guess in Texas, you have to prove you are worthy before you can be welcomed, and we have surly earned our place after this long and testing stay in the Lone Star State.

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2017 10-23 Shepherd to Silsbee (58.6 miles)

This morning started out damp and cold.  In fact, it felt colder than yesterday when we encountered torrential rains.  After the sun rose it did its job and warmed things up nicely.  The rest of the ride today was a very pleasant experience.  It was not picturesque but it was relaxing riding trough evergreen forest on either side of the road for mile after mile.

We are camping in the front yard of Ken’s sister-in-law.  She is also generously cooking dinner for the 10 of us.   

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2017 10-22 Richards to Shepherd (62.8 miles)

Once again, rain was in the forecast for today.  A light rain started around 2 AM and lasted a very short time.  Rain hitting the top of ones tent is hard to ignore or sleep through.   Once it stopped many of us thought we indeed missed another threat of rain.  Upon waking around 6 AM to calm air and no rain we found our tents only slightly wet.  Half way through breaking up camp, the winds started from nothing to blowing furiously.  Within 10 minutes the rains started to come down in buckets.  Then wind, thunder and lightening and rain continued until around 10 AM.  We were very lucky to have a covered outdoor area for our bikes and gear and a warm indoor area for us to wait out the storm.

Some of us left around 9:30, after the rain had let up significantly but before it had stopped completely.  Since we are prepared for all kinds of weather, we road off in full rain gear which protected us from getting wet or cold.  The rain had stopped completely within a short time, but the sky stayed dark with threatening clouds until early afternoon.  By 3 PM the sun came out and by 5 PM one would never guess how the day had begun.

Tonight we are staying indoors in very nice bunk houses at a place called Shepherd Sanctuary.  Of course, as timing would have it, there is no forecast of rain for either tonight or tomorrow.  This place is interesting to say the least. One of the showers is open air.  Three walls, a double swinging door and a shower head.  No roof, just you and the sky.  The walkway that leads to the outdoor hot tube passes right by the doors of this shower, so it is not a place for the modest.  The buildings are laid out such that no two are in the same line, thus the paths between buildings meanders around the grounds.  There are pieces of “art” everywhere that are not likable by themselves, but some how are interesting when taken as a whole.  Preparing for Halloween, there are decorations through out the grounds, adding to the interest and character of this camp ground.

And last, a few words about the ride.  Having noted so much about the rain earlier, you can imagine that a good deal of the early part of the ride was dealing with weather.  The roads were good and perhaps the best was saved for last.  The last 10 miles of road was smooth, there was a tail wind and it was slightly downhill.  Flying along at 20 plus miles an hour was easy and required little to no effort.  Sweat!

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2017 10-21 Carmine to Richards (66.4 miles)

Once again the weather report indicated we might have rain today.  At 5:30 AM, the skies were clear, but it was completely clouded over by the time we left the camp ground at 8 AM.  The fog lasted for most of the morning, making any attempt to take a reasonable picture impossible.  By afternoon, the skies cleared and the air began to heat up.  It was a hot sticky afternoon.  We have traded the dry hot air of the early part of the trip for hot humid days.

Today, many of the group expected an easy day of cycling.  After all, we have passed Austin with all the preceding hills and climbing behind and it should be down hill all the way to Florida, right?  Well, not exactly.  Even though the elevation at the start of today’s ride is almost identical to that at the end of the ride, we climbed almost 2600 feet.  That is what happens when you climb a few hundred feet then descend the same amount, over and over again all day long.  Will the Texas hills ever stop?

The camp ground we are staying in tonight is also a ranch.  The owner’s wife raises cows for a hobby, and the barn is only a few hundred feet from our camp sites.  It is a perfect spot, relaxing, the grass is the best we have had for setting our tent on, and the owner’s provided us the use of a washer and dryer for free.  The shower rooms are very clean.  The men’s and woman’s room are two small buildings that looks from the outside to be an old-fashioned outhouse, complete with a wooden door sporting a half moon carved opening.  It does have modern plumbing on the inside, but maintains the feel of “old”. This is a five star ideal stopping place after a hard day of riding.

Our leader, Ken, knows a few ladies from a previous tour he lead who live not far (by car) from our camp.  They brought us a very good supper of lasagna, salad and desert.  Tom knows a friend from one of his previous tours who lives in Huston.  He showed up today to ride with Tom, and brought a cooler full of beer to the camp for all to enjoy.  A cold bottle tastes so good after a long hot day in the afternoon sun.  A good way to replenish the carbohydrates consumed during the day. J

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2017 10-20 Bastrop to Carmine (55.9 miles)

Today we leave the wonderful state park in Bastrop.  Unfortunately, we can not ride the peaceful, park roads as they are ending a controlled burn which has necessitated the shut down of a section of the park road.  It would have been a 20 plus mile ride through gorgeous peaceful forested areas with no traffic.  Instead we had to ride on the shoulder of route 71, a 4 lane divided high way with lots of high speed traffic.  This day was absent any real highlights, except the stop in Round Top.  Round Top has many old buildings that have been saved from various locations in Texas and brought here for preservation.  Most have now been placed in service as a shop or other business.  Being an interesting town is not the real reason we stopped.  We stopped for Pie.  Royers Café is noted for their pie, with a selection of more than 15 different types to choose from, and all very delicious.  Joe, Chris and Tom ordered the 4 slice sampler to share, complete with four scoops of very good vanilla ice cream.  It was all heavenly good!  Shortly, the rest of the group joined in the pie feast and all enjoyed a piece of scrumptious pie.  A well worth while stop, and yes, the highlight of the day!

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Pictures from 10-19 that were taken after posting

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Another sunset, this one taken from the hostel in Austin, reflecting in the Colorado River.

2017 10-19 Austin to Bastrop (38.9 miles)

You have probably been wondering what has been happening for the past three days.  The answer is absolutely nothing, at least to do with progressing along our journey.  These were layover days, a time to just do anything your little heart desired. The layover days are now over and it is time to leave the peace and beauty of the city of Austin behind and once again hit the roads of Texas for points east.

The ride was not eventful, there were no spectacular things to see or do, but it was none the less peaceful and enjoyable, in a simple sort of way.  The traffic was at times heavy, especially along highway 21, but the wide smooth shoulders offered safety and easy cycling.    At other times it was country roads at their best, with little to no traffic, open fields, tree lined and smooth, easy rolling.  This was a short day, but, all in all, a good way to end our long layover.

Bastrop is a very nice park.  The facilities are clean and the park is interestingly laid out - it has a nice relaxing feel.  This is one of many parks built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corp, established by President Roosevelt to give employment to American men while beautifying the country.  Its beauty has been preserved through the years and is a restful place to spend the remainder of the day and the evening.

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2017 10-15 Fredericksburg to Austin (Johnson City) (30.7 miles)

Austin marks the end of the serious hill climbing for our trip, it is a city with much to do for those who want to explore, and is a point that gives hope to those that would like to end their stay here in Texas, as there is only a few days of Texas left after Austin.  Texas is a full 1/3 of the entire trip in mileage.  The significance of this city has split the group up more than any other thing along the trip.  Rich arrived in Austin yesterday, Chris, Eric and Joe arrived today, although each is staying at a different place, and the rest of the group will roll in tomorrow.  Austin is also the one layover stop where we will get to rest a full two days, instead of the usual one day.  Those arriveing early wanted to extend their time off even further by pushing to get into town as soon as possible.

The official overnight stop for the group tonight is not Austin but Johnson City.  Joe, the oldest rider on the trip at 70, and Eric, the youngest at 22, decided yesterday to push on through to Austin.  Looming over this plan was the weather forecast - windy and a high probability of rain in the morning.  Both reserved the option to stop in Johnson City if things didn’t work out.  Waking early in the morning, we found the skies clear and the stars shinning brightly.  Never could trust the weather forecast.  But then the sky changed in an instant.  The dark clouds moved across the starry sky as if they where a blanket being pulled across a bed.  Things did not look good.  The two decided they would try anyway, stopping in town for a quick bite to eat at McDonalds before heading out.  They skies remained overcast all morning and into the early afternoon, but the rains never came.

Reaching Johnson City by 11:30 AM, a 42 mile ride behind them in a little over three hours, they stopped at Fat Boy Burgers for a bite of lunch – a great big juicy burger to help fuel them on the rest of their ride having decided to push on to Austin.  It was one of the best burgers ever! 

The section from Johnson City to Austin was far more difficult than the first half of the ride.  The climbing intensified and the winds increased.  Along the ride, about 15 miles outside Johnson City, one encountered the dreaded slimy road hazard that we have been warned about.  This one section of road is almost constantly under an inch or more of water and tends to get very slipper.  Apparently riders have gotten hurt in the past trying to ride there bikes through this running water and therefore it is recommended that you walk them. To make matters worse, the hazard is at the bottom of a fast decent, followed immediately by a steep climb. Having to stop early on a great decent and having to start a climb from a stop is doubly painful.  Ouch. 

Joe noted that trying to keep up with a 22 young rider is like trying to thread a rope through a sawing needle – in the dark.  The one is impossible.  But the other, threading the rope through the needle may prove to be easier.  Joe would occasionally catch up with Eric, usually when Eric stopped to eat a sandwich or a snack.  About 10 miles outside of Austin, at the first convenient store since leaving Johnson City, the two travelers had a snack and then parted as each is headed for a different evening stopping point.  Eric is staying with Rich, and Joe at a LaQuinta less than two miles from the hostel where the entire group will reunite on Monday.

The ride through the city was not relaxing.  The main roads are busy and do not feel safe as the traffic zooms by at a high speed and close.  Whenever they could, Adventure Cycling routed us onto less busy side roads and streets, but when working your way through a large city, encounters with high traffic areas is going to be hard to avoid.

It was time to leave the official route in order to reach the hotel, so Joe decided to rely on his GPS to find him a route.  Has anyone ever had those fun times when the GPS picked the route?  First the GPS took him down a ‘street’ that was nothing more than a dirt walking path.  Many young people where using it as a short cut away from traffic.  Being away from traffic felt great, but what wasn’t great was when the GPS indicated to turn right onto a street that ran over the dirt path and one that required walking the bike up a steep embankment.  If that wasn’t enough, the end of the embankment was separated from the street by a guard rail that required removing most of the bags in order to be able to lift the heavy bike over it.  It all worked out.

The route picked by the GPS was right through the ACL Music Festival, a yearly event in Austin, the “live musical capital of the world”, and the very reason why our group delayed entry by a day since the hostel was fully booked.  A rather interesting event to ride through, hear and witness, but at the end of a 93 mile day, one only wanted to get to the hotel.  Check out https://www.aclfestival.com/experience/ to see what it was like.

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Trip to date

2017 10-14 Clare’s House to Fredericksburg (47 miles)

How can you leave such a comfortable and relaxing place, owned by a lovely warm generous lady?  But all good things must come to an end.  We got a bit of a late start since we all wanted to be sure and thank our hostess for her most welcoming treatment of total strangers (except Neil).  

Our destination today is Fredericksburg, and we will be passing Ingram, our intended stop for yesterday – nothing missed here.  The 47 miles we will ride today is again on the short side, and not expected to be difficult.  Not long into the ride we transitioned onto very relaxing country roads.  A pleasure to ride as there was no traffic or noise to distract from the beauty all around.  Time went by quickly cycling through this ranch country, with plenty of opportunity to see the wild life, as well as the domesticated stock.  All in all, a very, very nice ride again today.  Many times in this secluded section of Texas road, one wondered if one was on a road or some rancher’s property.  The line seemed blurred but added to the sense of calm and serenity.

Entering Fredericksburg, we cycled passed the local airport to arrive at our evenings resting place, the Ladybird Johnson RV Park.  Being adjacent to the airport, we saw frequent small plane activity during the course of our afternoon rest in the park.  In particular, we saw a bi-plane, which offered rides of about 20 minutes in length, take off and land many times – a very good day for the owner.  Eric, the youngest rider in the group at 22 never misses an opportunity to experience something new.  Oh to be young again.  Needles to say, he took a ride in the plane, adding one more thing to his memories of our cross country trip.

For dinner we cycled about a mile to Gatti’s Pizza, an all you can eat buffet place that seemed very popular as it was packed with people.  The food was good and the price reasonable.  Not sure they made out with the seven very hungry cyclists that showed up tonight.  Satisfied, stuffed and tired we headed back to our camp to retire for the evening.

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2017 10-13 Lost Maples State Park to Clare’s House (30.7 miles)

Leaving Lost Maples State Park we had our first climb within a mile or so leaving the park.  It was steeper than any we had yesterday.  Our legs were cold making the climb even harder.  The rest of the day was filled with rolling hills, some easier than others. But another perfect day of cycling! 

We were scheduled to cycle to Ingram, about a 42 mile ride, and stay in a private camp ground.  But being Friday the 13^th, things did not work out as expected.  That is not to say they turned out badly, only different than expected.  Neil has a friend, Clare, who lives on our route at about the 31 mile mark.  She wanted to host us all for lunch so we were to stop at her place, eat lunch and cycle on.  Not to be.  She is the sweetest, kindness, most generous host one could ever imagine!  Upon arriving she brought out all kinds of cold drinks and snacks.  While we were relaxing on her front porch, she excused herself to finish the homemade chocolate cake she had already started – desert for after lunch.  The lunch spread was elegantly set out, a large variety of items, and everything was absolutely delicious!  She insisted that we spend the night so she could cook us all dinner.  No one could resist.  Our plans changed, we are staying, and as this is being written, the smell of her meal is making all mouths water.  This is the best we have been trated on the entire trip!!  She is the greatest!

The last 5 or so miles before Clare’s house where definitely different than other sections of today’s ride.  A pleasant relaxing ride along the Guadalupe River for much of this section as we passed by well manicured properties, grass like a golf course, and fancy gated entrances, houses to match..

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2017 10-12 Camp Wood to Lost Maples State Park (41.4 miles)

The ride was not long at only 41 miles but had a ton of climbing!  Not long climbs, but steep!  And you know what?  We hardly noticed as the scenery totally removed any pain of pushing hard up the hills.  The climbs came in three distinct sections of up a wall and down the other side.  Getting dizzy?  In between the steep climbs there were a series of rolling ups and down. The sky was overcast most of the time we were riding, making the temperature very bearable.  If the sun were as bright as it has been on many other days this ride would not have been so pleasant.  This is one of the best days of cycling!

Stopping at Leakey, the first of two stops on route today, we bought some groceries for tonight’s dinner.  The stop was short.  Within 5 minutes of leaving Leakey we came to an abrupt stop.  A perfect picture spot!  A grove of Cyprus trees reflecting in a stream.  The stream ran under the road and presented another view on the other side just as spectacular.  What a delightful sight!

The second stop was at a small convenience store to purchase the remainder of this night’s dinner.  All riders had to stop in order to help carry the groceries to camp.  Chris and Rich, the two fastest riders, had to wait over two hours for the shoppers to arrive.  Chris got hungry so he took out his camp stove and heated up two cans of chili for a small ‘snack’.

The Lost Maples State Park, our camp ground for tonight, was a very nice, clean and pleasant place to stay.  There was plenty of space for our tents and the grass was well maintained.  This was a fitting end to a perfect day.

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2017 10-11 Brackettville to Camp Wood (51 miles)

We left Fort Clark at first light.  As we cycled through the property, we saw several groups of deer.  Now we see why this place is a hunting haven.  These are beautiful animals.

Today would have been rated fantastic if not for the rough Texas roads.  The road surface changed whenever we crossed a county line.  The best county was the one we ended our ride in, but that was only the last 4 miles.  Maybe tomorrow we will be treated to more of those smooth low rolling resistance roads.  It makes a tremendous difference as to how much energy is needed to move the bike forward.  Car tires on the rougher roads make it sound like a jet plane is passing by.

The scenery started to change yesterday, and today the new look lasted the entire day.  Trees and green grass made things a lot more pleasant.  The rolling terrain made the day go by quickly, as variety is good for the mind.  We did gain in elevation today, but it did not seem difficult.  Again, because of the pleasant scenery  There were a lot of Texas ranches along this stretch of the route.  They were enclosed in 7 foot high fences, and it was noted that these ranches raise deer for stocking local hunts.  Early in the ride, we spotted a coyote that was trapped on the rode, either side enclosed in these high fences.  The pour animal kept running before us, from one side of the road to the other trying to find a way through the fence.  Eventually he escaped the road through a ranch’s entry gate.  He must have been exhausted.

The place we are staying, Three Sisters Campground, is very nice.  Plush grassy areas for our tents, nice showers, and a covered open sided recreation area, complete with kitchen, electricity and WiFi.  But No cell service for any one with Version.  ATT seems to rule this deserted part of Texas.

A personal note to my wife:  Wish I could call you but will as soon as I can.  Miss you! J

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2017 10-10 Comstock to Brackettville (65 miles)

We woke up this morning warm and dry in our cozy hotel rooms, but outside was a different story.  It was still dark and there was a heavy pouring of cold rain.  First thought, thank goodness we are not in the park in our tents!  Tacos Rosy, the café across the street is finally open for breakfast.  It is a nice little Mexican place with very reasonable prices, $2 for a bacon and egg burrito.  A bottle of Mango juice was from Mexico, so all the ingredients were in Spanish. This was a nice start to our day and a good place to be out of the rain. 

By the time we finished breakfast, the rain had stopped.  The sky was still overcast, and would remain so for the entire day.  On the plus side, it was a much more enjoyable riding temperature as compared to the mid day heat of yesterday.  At the half way point of our ride, around 30 miles, we entered the town of Del Rio.  One of the largest towns we have traveled through in several days with a population of 48,000.  This is not only the first place to stop today, but also the last until we reach Brackettville.  We all found a place of our choice to stop for refreshments, not as a group of 11 but in smaller groups – we never all ride together.  Tom, Chris, Ed and Joe found the local IHOP for a second breakfast.  To be more precise, Chris arrived well ahead of the other three, and was just finishing his second breakfast by the time the others had arrived.  Still hungry, he stayed and joined the three for their second, his third breakfast. 

Totally satisfied, all rode on to Brackettville.  Not much of a picture day, besides the overcast skies, the scenery was much the same as the last several days in Texas.  But things are changing.  As we approached the town we noticed that we are getting into country where there are real trees!  And the trees grouped into wooded areas.

We are staying at the Fort Clark Springs RV Park.  This is part of a 2700 acre gated recreational and leisure community that started as a US Army Post in 1852, built to defend settlers and travelers against Indian attacks near or on the Pecos trail.  The buildings are now owned privately and form a very nice community within Brackettville.  Hunting is a very large part of this community.

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2017 10-09 Sanderson to Comstock (89.1 miles)

We left Sanderson for our destination of Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, where we were to camp for the night.  There are no groceries available at the park or near the park so the group was to meet at Langtry, a small town (population 14) about 20 miles before the park.  It would have been an 81 mile day if this plan had worked out.  The first group of riders arrived at the “grocery store” in Langtry only to find it was closed and out of business.  Some options were considered but the final verdict would be for our leader, Ken, to make.  He arrived and after some discussion, we finalized alternate plans and would now be staying in Comstock, 8 miles further along route at a small hotel.  The hotel had the 6 rooms we needed available, and at a very reasonable price of $66 per room.  The rooms were surprisingly nice for this price, and a lot more comfortable than a camp ground.  Dinner was across the street at a diner and breakfast will be across the street at a café.  All in all, things worked out nicely.

While waiting for the group to arrive at the designated meeting place in Langtry, some went into town to visit the museum of Judge Roy Bean.  He was a colorful character who was appointed judge of the territory west of the Pecos and who presided over his court in an unusual manner.  He owned one law book, which he hardly referenced, and instead applied justice according to his own standards and ideas of justice.  No jail was built in Langtry, so instead of being locked up, a guilty person would be charged a fine, and that fine went straight to Judge Bean.

The ride started out with clear skies but soon turned into a ride in the clouds, a fog that is.  Visibility was so bad that you could not see more than 50 to 60 feet.  Trucks and cars would appear and then quickly disappear in the thick fog.  Although it wasn’t raining, we would get wet from the water droplets in the air condensing on our skin.  Later, this cleared and the sun was extremely strong and the temperatures soared.  It was a long day with extremes of riding conditions.  On the plus side, tomorrows ride will be shorter since we road some 9 miles of it today!

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2017 10-08 Marathon to Sanderson (55.4 Miles)

We only rode ½ mile after leaving the campground before stopping for the first picture taking opportunity, one of the few for the day.  The Gage Hotel was constructed in 1927 for Vermont native, Alfred S. Gage.  He had founded the largest ranching operation in the Trans-pecos (the western part of Texas).  The area we have been cycling through for several days is a semi-arid region in the Chihuahuan Desert.  That is for sure!

The ride after leaving this initial stop was, well, fantastic.  The wind was finally in our favor.  The initial section included some gentle climbing, but nothing that stressed the mind or body.  Then, after abut 15 miles, the down hill began and lasted all the way into Sanderson.  At times the speed would be a bit slow, 18 miles an hour.  Any of us would love that “slow” speed on a regular basis.

For dinner we walked across the street to the Ranch House, a little restaurant with some good food.  It is interesting to note that the waitress was packing a gun on her hip.  Open carry is allowed in Texas.  Latter on a real live cowboy walks in packing one of the biggest side arms ever seen!  Texas is indeed an interesting place.

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2017 10-07 Marfa to Marathon (57 miles)

Some feared that we would be riding into a horrendous head wind all day.  Although the wind did exist, it was not as fierce as imagined.  The road meandered, thus the direction of the wind relative to our travel would change.  This difference made it easier at times and harder at other times.  A welcome relief from the constant head wind we faced a few days earlier.  The mind and the body need relief from constant stress.

In spite of the wind, we had a great day of cycling.  The temperature was comfortable, the skies blue without clouds, and the road in good shape with wide shoulders.  The last 12 miles were almost all downhill, requiring little to no pedaling.  The tent sites at the camp ground where a breading ground for goats heads.  Remember those nasty little plants with thorns that like to puncture tires?  Well, they like to puncture everything, including tents.

The city of Alpine, about half way into the trip, was a welcome stop.  It is a very interesting and artsy little town, very much like Marfa.  Some delayed a bit to just cycle the downtown area soaking in the various murals painted on the sides of many of the buildings and see the interesting architecture.  

There was nothing between Alpine and Marathon, except one little road side rest area, consisting of two shelters with one picnic table each.  Joe and Tom stopped, laid down on the picnic tables and took a 45 minute mid day siesta.  It was very relaxing in the shade, out of the mid day sun.  The rest of the trip was easier.  Ken stopped to make sure everything was alright as it is not usual to see these two last into camp.

The sky at sunset is once again great.  This seems to be the norm.   While waiting for the laundry machine to finish, we stared at the star filled sky.  Being such cloudless skies, the stars come out by the thousands in this part of the country.  On the way back to our tent sites from the laundry, we were reminded that the owner and a few of his friends have set up telescopes that we could use to peer at the heavens.  One of the telescopes, given to the local school by the McDonald Observatory and kept in a special building at the camp ground, was aimed at Saturn.  It was fascinating to see Saturn and its rings.   A second was aimed at a dead star.  And the last was aimed at the moon.  The large deep craters on the surface of the moon were easily visible.  This was a very nice way to end the evening.

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2017 10-06 Marfa – layover day

Sitting on a cushioned chair instead of a small bike seat, and relaxing in the camp lounge – how good can it get?  Time was spent catching up on personal email and blogs, and just wasting time and enjoying doing so.  Hardly went to the tent all today, and can’t say it was missed.   Many of us went to town, a mile or two away, and had a breakfast or lunch or both.  Now, several of the group are relaxing and waiting for dinner time to roll around.

We met a man in the camp lounge that came to Marfa from Chicago just to attend the Chinati celebration, a three day event celebrating Chinati, who brought art to this area and put it on the map.  We arrived just in time for the first day of the event.  Apparently many of the art galleries along the main strip are offering free food from 5 to 8.  Sounds like a plan for dinner.  Riding around the art district did not turn up any significant amount of food – sorry, we are powered by food not art.  One of the galleries did have free margaritas, and after two, we asked the server for a place she would recommend for dinner.  Mando’s was her answer.  It turned out to be a very nice place, with great food, and a place that the locals eat at, not the tourists.  It is now late enough to go to our tent and sleep.

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2017 10-5 Van Horn to Marfa (74 miles)

This morning we were not only treated to the usual spectacular sunrise, but it was preceded by a fantastic moon set.   Breakfast at the café in the campground was at 7 AM, which was opened a half hour early for us so that we could get out on the road.  Today will be a longer ride than yesterday, and although there will be no climbs, there will be a steady 1 to 2 percent elevation gain for the entire ride as well as heading directly into a strong headwind for most of the day.  This ride is all about getting from point A to point B; no smelling the roses today.  There are no refreshment stops today, only a lone public library that may offer some relief.

The wind battered us all day.  No one felt good at the end of the ride.  Chris managed to arrive in camp a few hours before the rest of us. Go Chris!

Half way along the trip, in the middle of nowhere, was a Prada store.  It is never opened and is world famous! 

There were several different groups of riders today.  The riders in each group working together to spread the pain, each rider taking a turn at breaking the head wind for the other riders, allowing them to get some recovery time.  Joe rode solo.  Nine and half miles from the end and  with what seemed like an impossible ride to complete, Joe pulled off onto to the shoulder for one of many breaks to this point.  He must have been a sorry site:  Straddling his bike, legs out and braced for support, slumped over the bike’s top tube, elbows leaning on the handle bars, and head looking down toward the ground.  He was wondering if he had enough left to finish, when suddenly a beat up, old green car pulls really close and stops.  Startled, Joe looks toward the car and sees the out stretched hand of the driver passing him a cold can of Pepsi through the passenger window.  In his mid twenties, with a Hispanic accent, the driver apologies for not having any more cold water to offer.  He then tried to offer a juice drink in addition to the cold soda.  This was a true act of kindness.  Speeding off as quickly as he stopped, Joe could see the drivers young daughter sleeping in the back seat of the car, and a refrigerator strapped down in the open trunk. The man did no look to be well off, so his generosity was all the more touching.  By the way, he was out of cold water because he had stopped earlier to give it to some of the other cyclists.  Joe now had the strength to finish the ride, inspired and refreshed by this truly remarkable unknown individual.

Two miles outside of Marfa was a sign for DQ.  Yes!  Dinner followed by a milk shake hit the spot.  We all seemed to stop at this DQ, 10 hours after starting our ride. 

The El Cosmico, our camp ground, is a unique place.  The showers consisted of some kind of privacy screening, opened at the top to the sky.  Showering tonight, since it was after dusk, was rather interesting.  Just not used to taking a shower by star light.

We sure did sleep well tonight!

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Map for today

Map for trip to date; 1175 miles traveled; more than 65,00 feet of climbing

2017 10-4 Fort Hancock to Van Horn (68.5 miles)

We left the church early to avoid the heat and wind that develops later in the morning.   As usual, we were treated to our early morning sunrise – we are getting spoiled.  The climbing and head wind tends to tighten the grouping of the riders, and many will often find the same spot for a break. 

Cycling along, one can imagine what this area was once like but is no more.  All that remains in many places are the abandoned and deteriorating buildings of a past way of life.  We are parallening the Southern Pacific rail line.  Rail lines are never built on much of a grade, so the slow progress is totally attributed to the headwinds.  Stopping occasionally makes it possible to more thoroughly enjoy the beauty of this wide open country, the blue skies accented with clouds and the distant mountains.   Riding the interstate is not uncommon in the western states, something not allowed in the east.  Today we entered the central time zone.  One more time zone to go before our trip ends.

We will spend the evening at the Van Horn RV Park.

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2017 10-03 El Paso to Fort Hancock (xx miles)

This morning we had a leisurely hot breakfast in the Quality Inn.  It was good to not be huddled around a picnic table selecting food from a pile of items. At 7 AM, the group met to discuss the ending point of today’s ride.  We will be staying at a church in Fort Hancock and we may either sleep in the community center, the church itself, or pitch our tent outside – our choice. The ride is short and the weather and wind conditions appear to be favorable for biking.  Given this, many have chosen to linger a little longer at the hotel rather than riding on to our destination, a destination which will have little to offer in the way of things to do.  Internet access is almost a given to be non-existent.

This entry is being posted in El Paso, and will be completed some time in the future.  Stay tuned to see how the day went and to see pictures and a map.  This will most likely not be completed until tomorrow.

The first 35 miles of today’s ride were about as good as it gets!  No wind, no climbs, nice roads.  The first 10 miles were spent getting out of El Paso.  Unlike yesterday, this turned out to be a joy.  Light traffic, good shoulders, and what seemed like a steady downhill.  Whether or not it's actually is immaterial, it is how it felt that counts.  The transition from riding through the city to riding through farm land was abrupt.  Ride up to a traffic light, city; ride through the light, country farm land.  Today we saw more of what we have been seeing the last few days.  We had the cotton fields, the pecan groves, and fields of chili peppers.  Cotton wins as the most plentiful crop today, followed by pecan trees and then chili peppers plants.

The time went by quickly as the miles clicked by, making for a very enjoyable ride.  The last 10 or so miles, well, trying to be positive let’s just say we were anxious to get to the church.  A slight head wind developed, making the smooth sailing a little more of an effort and at the county line, the road surface changed from smooth asphalt to a gravel asphalt mix, greatly increasing rolling resistance.  And then there is the heat factor.  Stopped to take pictures of the county line lake and to apply more sun screen, Joe glanced down at the small mercury thermometer Tom has strapped to his rear rack.  It registered 110 degrees.  At a subsequent short stop, this time in the shade, his thermometer showed a temperature of just 90 degrees, which matched what was forecast.  Riding in the sun makes a tremendous difference.

Dinner was at Angie’s, a very nice local restaurant about 2 miles from the church.  A bike caravan started at the church and proceeded to dinner. We all had a meal fit to power us through tomorrow’s ride, one which will be more miles than today and have a few thousand feet of climbing.  Some wish to get out early so as to avoid as much mid-day heat as possible.

Many have chosen to sleep in the church proper.  The pews are cushioned and just as comfortable as our camping mattresses.  Others are sleeping in the meeting room connected to the church.

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2017 10-02 Las Cruces to El Paso (64 miles)

Today we entered the great state of Texas.  There was no fan fare and no sign to great us, just a 1 mile marker on the road that signaled we had arrived one mile back.  The ride up to this point was much the same as yesterday, the scenery perhaps a bit better.  We passed many pecan groves, fields of green and red chili plants, and an occasional field of cotton.

Chris, Joe and Tom had been riding together all morning.  Soon after entering Texas we left the roads to ride on a rather long, paved bike path that ran parallel to the Rio Grande, and was located between the river and the levee road.  It started off as a rather enjoyable experience, the path meandering through a grassy flat area along the river.  At times the river seemed higher than our bike path.   This changed gradually to something other than pleasant.  At first, there were many puddles that spanned the width of the bike path and ran for 20 to 30 feet.  The water was only a few inches deep and there was still a cement bike path underneath the water. Then this changed and the puddles contained sandy wash that made travel a little more difficult, and dangerous.  Later still the sand was replaced by mud.  When the front wheel of a moving bike hits this deep mud, things can get bad.  The mud will stop the front wheel and send the rider flying to the ground.  This is precisely what happened to Chris.   In a blink he and his bike were down in the mud.  Chris was up in a flash and thankfully unhurt.  Chris is one of the happiest people I know on the trip and he took this tumble with a smile.  I’m sure it was no fun, but it did not have any lingering effect on his disposition.

El Paso is a large city.  After leaving the bike path, we still had 20 or so miles of city biking ahead before we would reach the Quality Inn airport hotel, our resting place for the evening.  El Paso is not a biker friendly city!  The main road we took to reach the hotel had heavy rush hour like traffic that made the ride tense and dangerous, or at least it felt dangerous.  The occasional reprieve of riding on a side street was good, except for the trolley tracks that made moving to the edge of the street difficult.  A bike can not cross these tracks without swinging out and taking the tracks at or near a 90 degree angle.  Trying to cross less than this would result in the tracks tipping the bike.  The ride to the hotel was not pleasant.  The trip through the city was a necessary evil and everyone made it safely to the hotel to spend a night in a comfortable bed.

Ken was out visiting friends for dinner tonight, so the group was given an allowance and sent out on their own for dinner.  Some opted to pay for dinner on their own dime and enjoy a place of their choosing.  All in all, a pleasant evening to a day of cycling.

  

Texas accounts for 1/3 of the total miles of our trip so we will have many stories from the long horn state.

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2017 09-30 and 10-01

2017 10-01 Caballo to Las Cruces (65 miles)

If the description of the events of yesterday was long, todays will be short.  The ride was basically flat, and except for the slight headwind during the last 10 miles, easy.  But it was also relatively boring, especially when contrasted with yesterday’s ride.  The highlight was seeing all the pecan orchards.  Another fact, not so much a highlight, was the number of dead skunks on the road today.  One must be bored to take count of such a thing.  And one other thing, at 2 AM we where treated to another thunderstorm, lasting a little longer than an hour and not nearly as intense of last nights.

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 2017 09-30 Mimbres to Caballo (54 miles)

Today we face the climb to Emory pass, the highest point we will achieve on our trip at an altitude of 8228 feet.  But this will not be the first challenge of the day.

We went to our tents last night knowing that there was a very high possibility of rain during the night.  Throughout the night we could see the flash of distant lightening as it illuminated the dome of our tent, followed by the loud clap of thunder.  The storm continued to get closer and closer, until 2 AM when it struck our camp area.  The rain was torrential and lasted for almost 4 hours.  Many of us had tent failures that let significant amounts of rain into the tent.  Eric and Ed actually got out of their tents and slept in the ladies room.  Joe put on his gortex jacket and leg covers but remained in his tent which had taken on a large amount of water.  He was only saved from lying in a large puddle by the 2.5 inch Thermorest mattress.  Some, those with good tents fared much better.  In the morning, we all broke camp by packing wet and soggy cycling gear.

Breakfast was at a local bakery that also serves meals.  The buffet breakfast was a welcome treat for eleven tired bikers and was so delicious.

Cycling off together, Joe, Chris and Tom came across a surprise only about four miles from our camp site.  At first we thought we saw snow along the shoulder of the road, but then we realized it was hail that had accumulated like a blanket of snow along the one side of the road.  A little further along our ride we came across the first of several sections of road that had rocks of all sizes washed from one side of the road to the other by a heavy flow of rain. We now knew just how sever the storm was that passed over us last night.

Now for the challenge we expected to face today.  The climb to the pass lasted for 15 miles and we gained in excess of 3500 feet in altitude.  The effort required was exhausting but the views made it seem less significant and painful.  In one section of the climb, we would reach around 7000 feet, only to go downhill for 300 to 400 feet.  Normally bikers like down hills, but this series of three or four only meant we would have to climb those feet again.

Once we reached the summit, many took a short side road to the lookout.  Yes, it was a climb to the lookout, but boy was it worth it.  The entire valley below was visible for at least 40 or 50 miles.  We could see some of the towns we would later cycle through as well as the destination for our rides end.

The decent into tonight’s camp ground lasted for almost 35 miles.  The first part of the decent was the most dramatic, with no pedaling needed at all.  It was a series of switch backs that eventually got us to the valley floor. The next section, although not as steep a decent, required very little effort pedaling.  The scenery was magnificent the entire way.

In the small town of Kingston, we stopped at the Kingston Clay Co and had a coffee.  The owner, Eric, was very friendly and a real cool person.  One could describe him as a sixties hippie type.  He talked to us for a long time and told us all about his clay business.  He obtains the clay across the street from his little shop.  To get to the clay he has to climb a rather large hill and carry it back by hand.  Sounds like an awful lot of hard work.

As today was a long day, Joe and Tom where running a little behind in preparing dinner.  Chris, being the ever helpful person he is, chipped right in and saved the day by helping in every aspect of this evenings meal preparation.  He is as fast in the kitchen as he is on his bike.  Thanks Chris for all your help! And because of it, dinner was served on time.

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