Date: 2008-04-04
From: Update from Austin, Texas

To: Austin,Texas
Miles today: 0.0

Seems it's been a while since I did an update.....so I checked and it's been 1250 miles since my last entry from Glendale, AZ.We are in Austin, TX now......I guess that about covers this update. Ha! ;-)I don't know what to say.....other than we have been having a great ride and taking our time and seeing lots of stuff along the way.I think I'll go back in my daily record book of the trip and write in the towns we stayed at since Glendale, AZ. Here goes; Apache Junction, AZ., Globe, AZ., Thatcher, AZ., Lordsburg, NM., Silver City, NM., (we rented a car in Silver City and spent a couple days touring the Gila Cliff Dwellings) Kingston, NM., Las Cruces, NM., El Paso, TX., Sierra Blanco, TX., Van Horn, TX., Marfa, TX., Alpine,TX., (we rented a car and toured Big Bend National Park for a couple days) Sanderson,TX., Del Rio, TX., Bracketville, TX., Camp Wood, TX., Vanderpool, TX., Kerrville, TX., (we rented a car and toured Riverwalk and the Alamo), Blanco,TX., and we are now in Austin, TX. I was surprised at how easy it was to ride the 70 to 90 miles through Phoenix, AZ.La Zorra rode part of the way with us. We stopped at a coffee shop and she headed home after that.We crossed into NM after a few days.We met Rita and Harry...a couple from Belgium that are touring on bikes and we all toured the Gila Cliff Dwellings together.We rode through a revitalized copper mining area and then stayed in a strawbale B&B in Kingston, NM.We rode along the Rio Grande and entered El Paso, TX. We could see Mexico just a couple hundred feet away at times.We spent a couple days touring Big Bend National Park and even cowboy camped about 4 miles off the road. I don't think I've ever seen so many stars before in my life.The moon rose about 10:30pm and most of the stars faded away, but it was almost like daylight from the bright moon.Mrs Gorp decided the javalinas were going to get us from the dry wash area, so that's where she had me set up my sleeping bag. :-)We had a lot of headwinds and mid 90 degree weather on our longest one day ride of 120 miles from Sanderson, TX to Del Rio, TX.We stayed at Ft Clark....an old calvary fort. That was a cool place to explore and very reasonbly priced.Mrs Gorp was happy when we got to Camp Wood, TX and there was a quilt store there. She's always happy when there's either a quilt store or a laundry in any town. :o)We rented a car in Kerrville, TX and toured San Antonio, TX. The Riverwalk was great and we spent the next morning touring The Alamo.We are in Austin, TX now. We are 1671 miles into a 3100 mile bicycle trip....so we are over half way done. Looks like we will probably ride into St Augustine, FL about the 25th of this month....if I can get Mrs Gorp moving. ;-)Emory Pass was well over 8000 ft high and that was the tallest point on this ride. We are now through the beautiful TX Hill Country and the rest of our ride should be rolling to flat.Sixty mile days are now really easy to do....and 100+ days are doable, but we really haven't been in a hurry on this whole trip, so I doubt that will change. :-)Mrs Gorp says she will never eat at another Mexican restaurant. We are both looking forward to seafood in LA. TX barbecue is really good.I'm eating well and have actually lost an inch or two off my belt size.....what a great diet!.....eat all you want, just pedal a bicycle through the Sierras and over the Continental Divide, then through the TX Hill Country.....and do it everyday. :-)Oh yeah, I sent Hammock Hanger about 25 more pictures to post too. Thanks Hammock Hanger! :-)