5 nervous break-downs (kidding)
4 flat tires...
3 broken spokes...
2 hitch-hiking rides...
1 tip-over on my bike!!!
After departing only semi-prepared for this adventure, I've definitely had many ups and a few downs along the way. I pedaled 865 miles from Houston to El Paso in January, and I still have about 25 more miles of riding before I finally cross state lines for the first time on my bike, whom I have lovingly named Buttons. Some days are of course very physical, most of the places I've visited are as remote as they are remarkable, and all of the people have been exceptional. Continue reading to learn more about my first few weeks as a homeless, cycling nomad.
As I stated already, and as most of my Houston friends know, I did very little riding before embarking on this trip. I figured I would have plenty of time to get 'comfortable' on the saddle. All or nothing, it began rain or shine on New Year's Eve, and it was RAIN, RAIN, RAIN for days! I had doubts about my physical abilities and preparations after day two. I guess reading blogs about other touring experiences was not really proper substitution for actual miles and days out on the road, but I don't regret my 'preparations.' After surviving my first week of riding mostly in the rain, I finally started feeling comfortable and confident enough that this year won't kill me physically. I spent some quality time in Austin visiting my cousin and then continued west for more. Anyone who has been to Southeast Texas knows that there are no mountains, so after I left Austin I was in for some real treats. By treats, I really mean torture. Torture in the form of steep climbs that were definitely a humbling experience. I actually considered quitting halfway up one climb and just establishing my new life as a mountain man, hunting birds and other wildlife, but I took a minute to regather myself, and I made it over that mountain and ultimately across The Lone Star State. Everyday is different physically because of the terrain, weather, and my own level of energy, but I can honestly say that I now know that I can and will pedal my ass as far and as long as I continue to enjoy myself. Quick side note: My longest riding day was 76 miles and I'm averaging 48 miles per day; not bad, but hoping to increase both of those figures very soon.
Also, now that I'm a little more comfortable riding several hours a day, day after day, I can hopefully start enjoying more of the towns I get to ride through. Riding through rural Texas was definitely an experience, and the places I stayed are worth the trip, even if you don't ride your bike to them. A few of the standouts are Austin, Montell, Brackettville (Fort Clark Springs to be specific), and Marfa. I think everyone is somewhat familiar with Austin, so I won't spend much time on it, but needless to say, Austin is great for cycling and an overall big city experience. In Montell, there is an abundance of natural beauty to experience, but if you're looking for high volume tourist attractions, you won't find it here. However, the people of Montell were absolutely remarkable; I can say that with all confidence having met about a seventh of the population. The population of Montell is reported at 20, and after meeting Alice, Linda, and Kathleen, I can imagine the other seventeen people of this community are just as nice and remarkable. I was lucky enough to have been hosted by Alice for the night, and she prepared a feast for dinner and I had a great evening learning about life in "The Best Town in the World" (Byrd Baylor). I will have to visit again, but next time for more than a night. After leaving Montell, I rode to Brackettville and stayed at Fort Clark Springs for a couple nights. This is home to the third largest swimming pool in Texas, spring fed and 68 degrees year round; it was quite refreshing to jump in and swim around for a while. Within and around the Fort, there are historical markers and artifacts to gain knowledge about the area, one marker which still stands out in my mind was for the Post Theatre which the Army built, "...in a vain attempt to prevent the soldiers from patronizing the seedier establishments in Brackettville." Then there was Marfa...marvelous, marvelous Marfa. I stayed here for two nights, and spent the majority of a full day at The Chinati Foundation; copy/paste from their web-site: "The Chinati Foundation/La Fundación Chinati is a contemporary art museum based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald Judd. The specific intention of Chinati is to preserve and present to the public permanent large-scale installations by a limited number of artists. The emphasis is on works in which art and the surrounding landscape are inextricably linked." While I am no artist and have no real art/art history background, I found this tour really exceptional and interesting. Along with Judd's works, there are several installations by Dan Flavin who has an installation at The Menil in Houston, and to be honest, the installations at The Chinati really surprised me in a good way, having already seen the installation in Houston (not to take anything away from The Menil's Flavin installation, but I was wowed by The Chinati's Flavin installations). I don't want to say much more about The Chinati, other than it is well worth the visit no matter where you live, as shown by the fact that we had people in our tour group from Marfa, Albuquerque, San Francisco, New York City, and even Germany. If you have an appetite for art, or an appreciation of viewing beautiful, large unique pieces of creativity, I recommend you experience it for yourself someday and make your own memories.
Across the state in all the places I've been, I've met some interesting people, both local to the region and visitors alike. All I can say is that everyone has been friendly and curious about what I'm doing. Just as I am curious about what they have done, are doing, or plan on doing. From Alice in Montell to the old man outside the supermarket in Brackettville, just talking to new people is probably a daily highlight. A couple other travelers I'd like to let you all know about are Randy, also touring on his bike, but he's planning on heading down to South America, have fun down there Randy, cheers! -- check out his web-site to learn more about him and his travels: www.nothing-better-to-do.com -- And then there's Grisha from Minneapolis, MN. He's also traveling the country, but he's doing it the smarter way, in a car. We were the only two tent campers in Marfa--it hasn't been uncommon to be the only tent in the campground, so when there's someone else, it's only natural to strike up conversation--and we talked for a while about everything we each have experienced and what else we hope to accomplish. Grisha doesn't have a blog, just a paper journal and an old typewriter, yes a typewriter, not even a laptop or tablet. Since he had a car, we drove out to see the Marfa Lights, noone's really sure what this phenomenon actually is, but it's neat to say I've seen them. He's trying to stay off the main interstates, so in a way, we're following similar paths, but he can go much farther each day. Again, thank for the ride out to the Marfa Lights Grisha, safe travels! While there have been many amazing encounters, I will leave it at that for now.
A bike trip across Texas has been on my mind for several years, and to now be able to say I've actually done it and that I'll have the opportunity to ride through several more if not all of the states I couldn't be more excited to see where this journey takes me. From big cities to rural towns, the first few weeks of my ride have without a doubt been the most physical undertaking of my life, and I'm afraid (in a good way) that the riding days are bound to get more daunting and I'm looking forward to every second of it! Cheers!
Photo: PRADA MARFA; not in Marfa, but just north of Valentine, TX. January 25, 2013.
