Today was a milestone day as we completed riding across the entire state of Texas, which we entered on March 23rd in El Paso. I photographed my Cateye odometer at both ends to determine our route across Texas was 1065 miles to cross the Sabine River on the border to Louisiana, which will exceed 1/3 the total tour distance.
On today’s ride, with the exception of a duration of about 3 miles on a gravel section of a swampy road, the three of us maintained a strict pace line with strict 2 mile pulls the entire route. This is such an efficient way to ride as a group and enables us to finish long distances with less fatigue. For the wet swampy gravel three mile stretch of road, we were rewarded with a close up of a large group of long horn cattle.
I believe I have conveyed I like the roads and the small towns of Texas, where most of the motorists and people we met were friendly and courtesy, but there are always those exceptions. Some of the 18 wheel truckers we encountered are jerks honking aggressively and not giving us lane space that they are legally and morally obligated to provide to us as cyclists. There is also an element of men who drive their expensive ‘MAN’ trucks who exhibit hostile and even dangerous behavior toward us as cyclist because we take up space in their universe and the road that they perceive they own. By my observations and suspicions, I believe they think of themselves as Texas Cowboys.
Well if you have never participated in rodeo competition, nor have worked professionally driving herds of cattle long distances, you are not a cowboy. Possibly you are just a jerk with an expensive, loud truck. In fact Steve, Doug and I better exemplify the characteristics of the American Cowboy then you ever did, having powered ourselves across all of Texas, even without a beast of burden, not to mention a combustion engine. In other words, compared to you, WE ARE THE COWBOYS!
I do want to explain my habit of posting photographs of my meals and ice cream deserts on this and many of my posts. With all this hours riding, I am pretty much hungry all the time, not just for the three meals a day. I an eating large meals and snacking on large ice cream deserts to sustain my calorie demands. We have enjoyed some great meals in smalltown local venues, including food trucks, and I am sharing pictures with you, as this is an aspect of the tour essential and much enjoyed.
One interesting delight is Chicken-Fried meats. It turns out you can Chicken-Fry beef steak or likely any meat or food. It sounds like a contradiction, or the theme for a Gary Larsen Far Side carton (picture a chicken frying beef stake). However, there is great talent in Texas, and likely other southern states, applying the perfect breading and oil at the precise temperature to lock in the moisture of meat in a coating of wonderfully favored crusty hot breading. I am a 95 % pescatarian, but I am making exception on this tour to enjoy chicken, and it is now always Chicken-Fried chicken.
To tired to post today’s photos so please visit this post later to see my photos.
