HD Trek Across Texas - Daily Messages
May
19 - prelude to "HD Trek Across Texas"
May 20 - Texline - Hartley
May 21 - Dalhart - Vega
May 22 - Vega - Dimmitt
May 23 - Dimmitt - Littlefield
What are"Pivots"?
May 24 - Littlefield - Brownfield
What is a "Calcutta"?
May 25 - Brownfield - Lamesa
May 26 - Lamesa - Forsan
May 27 - Forsan - San Angelo
Rest Day
Keep on Trekking - San Angelo News Article Link
May 29 - San Angelo - Eden
May 30 - Eden - Mason
May 31 - Mason - Fredericksburg
June 1 - Fredericksburg - Austin
Rest
Day
June 3 - Austin - La Grange
HD
Trek Across Texas - Winner of "goat meat" contest
HD
Trek Across Texas - "Hit for the Circuit" contest winner
June 4 - La Grange - Katy
June 5 - Katy - Houston
Prelude
to "HD Trek Across Texas" - May 19
I stand in awe today, that once again Charlotte and I are "on the
road again" for yet another "Bike For The Cure" event!
Today's drive of 350 miles, from Grand Junction to Trinidad CO was about 2/3 familiar roads, and 1/3 unfamiliar. Close to 200 miles were along U.S. Hwy. 50 ("dubbed the loneliest road in America"). Hwy 50 goes from Sacramento CA to Ocean City MD, 3000 some miles. The segment that Charlotte and I traveled started on the fringe of the "Stinking Desert National Rec. Area" from Grand Junction through Delta CO. The Montrose through Gunnison section goes past the East Portal of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nat'l Park (our nation's newest) through Blue Mesa Reservoir, and the Currecanti National Recreation Area. Next town was Gunnison, CO, the home of Western State College.
As we continued the drive Charlotte recounted stories from her previous bicycle rides across Colorado. Those included tales of three climbs up Monarch Pass. We stopped at Monarch Crest for a "potty break" and browsing the gift shop. Charlotte found a great T-shirt, which said, "I bicycled up Monarch Pass." After wearing it a bit, she will re-cycle it into her next T-shirt quilt.
Down Hwy 50 into Salida. Stopped at Wal-Mart then at Burger King. I spotted a young man from Grand Junction named Michael Green. Mike and his wife moved to Buena Vista, and now have three sons. What a special but random encounter!
30 more miles driving parallel to the Arkansas River. Familiar territory ended appropriately at Texas Creek. We turned southeast for 90 miles. Beautiful scenery, about 7000 feet, with scrub juniper and various rock formations. Snow smattered peaks were visible on the West.
Stopped briefly in Westcliffe, a quaint "artsy" kind of town.
Hwy 69 ended in Walsenburg, on the I-25. Stopped for gasoline at the "hot spot." Gas was as inexpensive as we've seen it in 2003; $1.39 for 85 octane, $1.49 for 87 octane!
Just 40 minutes to Trinidad. Charlotte and I passed through Trinidad four years ago, during Bike for the Cure 99. I was able to find the home of our hosts from four years ago, Walter and Noreen Hazen. This couple has such big hearts. They took in four Kenyan young women who had been promised room and board at Trinidad Jr. College (they arrived in Trinidad, only to find there had been a misunderstanding and were "homeless.") Noreen is also involved in SHARE Colorado, Girl Scouts, and the youth group at her church. That's in addition to being a "retired" teacher who now is a substitute teacher.
Dinner was asparagus/cheese soup, fried cabbage (ground beef, cabbage, and onion) and individual cheesecakes from Sam's Club.
With
much anticipation,
Marie Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
The HD Trekkers
May
20 - Texline - Hartley
After breakfast and farewells, we drove up over Raton Pass (again, memories
of 1999), and into New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. At Raton, we veered
SE on Hwys 64/87 towards Clayton NM. We passed the turnoff for Capulin
National Monument, an extinct volcanic cinder cone. The scenery reminded
me of the high plains out East of Colorado Springs on Hwy 24, albeit without
Pikes Peak in the distance.
Outside of Clayton, we passed the huge Union County Feedlot. That ain't no bull!
Clayton bills itself as "Crossroads Country." Just 10 more miles driving to Texline!
Texline is the first town inside the Texas border. Population 511. At the NM-TX border is the imposed line where Mountain Time becomes Central time. Texline reminded me of the line from the "Watermelon Crawl" line dance ... "a two lane road to a one horse town..."
Weather was quite chilly, which surprised both of us. We donned our warmest bicycling gear and unloaded the bicycles. The Conoco convenience store where we stopped is run by a Mennonite family. Charlotte asked Cara, an older teen, to take our photo before we started to ride.
We left Texline about 11:00 am. I rode with Charlotte for a little over 5 miles, then turned around and rode back to Dalhart. Loaded up my bike into the van, then drove S. on Hwy 87 to catch up with Charlotte, who had continued to ride S. towards Dalhart.
Once we met up, we had lunch - the old "stand-by" peanut butter sandwiches!
Charlotte continued to ride S. while I drove into Dalhart to find the Grace Lutheran Church that is hosting us. I left the van in the church parking lot, and rode back up Hwy. 87 to rendezvous with Charlotte.
We rode together into Dalhart (named as a combination of Dallam and Hartley Counties - it sits right on the county line). Not 10 minutes after we arrived, the church secretary Bonnie drove up! She let us into the Church, and told us a congregation member had opened her home to us! We stayed at the church, chatting, and writing our journal and Pocketmail messages until the pizza was delivered!
Four more congregation members arrived; two "senior" ladies and a gentleman. Pastor Miller lives in Boise City OK and pastors the church there AND in Dalhart (about 50 miles apart). The discussion was on Genesis and its historicity. Very interesting!
After the study, we followed our hostess Shirley to her home outside Dalhart. We got to bed about 10:30 pm.
Miles
ridden - Charlotte - 40
Marie - 25
Road change - none
Cumulative miles - 40
Day
2 - HD Trek Across Texas - Dalhart to Vega
When the day dawned in Dalhart, I had no idea that this day would contain
a defining moment for this year's ride.
This is familiar territory for me, as in 2000 Scott Springer and I bicycled and SAGged the same route on Hwy 385, but from Vega to Dalhart. In Scott's honor, I stopped in the Cowgirl Cafe, and had a 2nd breakfast (called B2 amongst bicyclists). Scrambled eggs & sausage patties tasted great! It was in this cafe that two tired bicyclists (Scott and I) approached a truck driver who cheerfully SAGged us in his 18-wheeler! (Thanks again, Bud. Missed you on Hwy. 385.) I also found the cemetery where Colby Jay Goodwin is buried. Colby Jay was a young man we knew in Grand Jct., but he was killed in a tragic rodeo accident October 31, 1999.
Next stop would be Cal Farley's Boys' Ranch. We had lunch near a pen of deer, which needed their hooves clipped, just like goats. A male peacock roamed freely, looking for handouts. Took Charlotte up the hill back to Hwy 385, then drove back into this fabulous campus of over 10,000 acres, situated alongside the Canadian River on the site of the old Tascosa cow town. In 1939, Cal Farley opened this facility with 9 boys. In a nurturing, structured community, children from throughout the US live in-group homes with house parents. They enjoy a variety of academic, vocational, spiritual and extra-curricular activities in a supportive environment. Since the Ranch's founding, more than 5,000 children have played, worked, and prepared for their futures. Benefactors have contributed $$$ for a gymnasium, natatorium, tennis courts, schools, football and baseball/softball fields, fine arts bldg., etc.
As I came out of the Admin. Bldg. after signing the guest book, a woman approached me and asked if I was with Huntington’s Disease. I responded "yes." Nancy Alexander explained that there is HD in her husband's side of the family, and that two of his brothers were affected. One is being cared for by his 82-year-old mother! I told Nancy we were riding to Houston for the Convention, and she expressed a strong interest in attending, along with her husband Billy. I gave her some ride brochures, and pointed out how she could get in touch with HDSA to register! A chance meeting? Not hardly. The Lord God Himself arranged this meeting, in His perfect timing!
Beautiful sparse scenery, with mesquite bushes dotting this part of the "Llano Estacado." (more about that term in Day 3's message)
Oldham County is a very historical, 1500 sq mi. The County was formed from Young and Bexar Territories on Aug. 21, 1876 and organized January 12, 1881. It was named in honor of Williamson Simpson Oldham (1813-1868), an Arkansas lawyer & jurist and member of the Confederate Senate. The Fort Smith AR - Santa Fe NM trail was blazed in 1840, following along the banks of the Canadian River. The journey took 85 days. Route 66 and the I-40 somewhat follow this pioneer trail.
My memory again served me well in Vega, as we found the home of Judge Donnie & Melanie Allred, who hosted Scott & me 3 yrs. ago. Donnie is now co-pastoring a new church is Vega - Christ's Community Fellowship. That is in addition to his Judge responsibilities, and occasional "Calcutta." FREE RIDE T-SHIRT TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO E-MAILS ME WITH THE CORRECT DEFINITION of Calcutta in this context.
Great dinner! Steak, sliced potatoes cooked in foil on the grill, a spinach/strawberry/cucumber salad, and Dreamy Creamy Pie were on the menu. I got these recipes from Melanie, and plan to include them in the "Bike For The Cure Cookbook" which I am compiling. If anyone wants to include any favorite recipes, E-mail them to me with the subject "Bike For The Cure" cookbook.
Miles
today - Charlotte-63, Marie-17
Total Route miles - 106
Road change - $.25
The Trekkers
Day
3 - HD Trek Across Texas - Vega to Dimmitt
Soon after fond farewells, we crossed into Deaf Smith County (our 4th
of the 254 in TX). But, much to our amazement, we spotted the Oldham County
Country Club in Deaf Smith County! Go figure!
Today's riding was done "tag team" style. I would park the van, we'd unload Charlotte's bike, and she'd start riding. I would drive a few miles down the road, park the van, unload my bike, and start riding. When Charlotte got to the van, she'd load up her bike, and drive to where I was. Then the whole process repeated itself, but with my bronchitis and general health, I'm riding about 1/4 - 1/3 of the total mileage, and Charlotte's picking up my slack.
In 1999, Charlotte composed the BG's song (short for Bicycling Grandmas.) One of the verses goes, "Call the state police, call the state patrol." When I was riding back to the SAG van this morning, there was a County Sheriff checking it out! I explained the situation, and gave him a ride brochure. We appreciated his efforts to keep everyone safe.
Stopped on the outskirts of Hereford and asked permission to park the van in a church parking lot. During the conversation, the cleaning lady said, "You're lucky it's not windy today!" And here's Charlotte and me, struggling against the 17 mph headwind!
A sign in Hereford welcomed us to "The Home of the Hostile Herd & the Lady Whitefaces." Isn't that "mooving?"
Gasoline prices in Hereford $1.39-86 oct., $1.49-88 oct. Eat your heart out!
Stopped to read an historical sign. For 3 years during WWII, Camp Chapel Hereford Military Reservation & Reception Center, a POW camp, was located about 3 miles away. Over 7000 Italian soldiers farmed and painted religious murals. The only remaining building is a prisoner-constructed chapel.
Castro County - our 5th! It's at the far West of the lowest line of counties in the TX panhandle.
As I was riding, a herd of cattle began to track me visually, and then started running, keeping pace. They crowded into a corner of the fenced pasture, still staring & inquisitive. I got my camera out, started to approach the herd for more of a close-up shot. They all wheeled, and ran away! Udderly ridiculous!
Welcome to Dimmitt "Getting Better as we grow bigger." Oh my! Arrived on schedule, and drove to the lovely home of Mildred Bradford. Older lady in early 80's, so keen and interesting! And a lifelong resident! Lovely pasta casserole, salad, green beans, and strawberry shortcake. Yum!
Earlier bedtime tonight - 9 pm.
Good day despite Wind - oh, that's right, it's not windy.
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-38, Marie-16
Total Route miles - 158
Road Change - 2 cents
With
love from the road, in the Lone Star State,
Charlotte Reicks
Marie Nemec
The HD Trekkers
Day 4 - HD Trek Across Texas - Dimmitt to Littlefield
A serendipitous day, for sure!
Mildred fixed us a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and fruit. Fond farewells to this lovely lady!
Same morning like yesterday, overcast and a bit nippy. Charlotte started riding after we drove out to the Hwy. She had highway construction to deal with the first 3 1/2 miles. For 15 miles we assumed we were on Hwy 385 but the first town we came to wasn't what we expected (Sunnyside); it was Hart (pop. 1198)! Instead of heading due South on 385, we inadvertently headed SE on 194. Two ladies in the Diamond Shamrock C Store confirmed our situation. We decided to just continue on the Farm Road 184, because it paralleled 385 w/o the traffic.
This is farming country; main crops corn and cotton, some wheat. Pivots are seen everywhere. FREE TEE SHIRT TO FIRST ONE WHO E-MAILS ME WITH CONTEXT DEFINITION of a pivot.
15 miles of riding against the wind to Olton (pop 2288). It's in our 6th county. It, too, like others, was formed from Young & Bexar Territories, created August 21, 1876 (like Oldham) but organized June 20, 1908. It's named after George Lamb, a 22 yr old Army 2nd Lt. who was killed in the battle of San Jacinto. At one time it was part of the huge XIT ranch, which covered the better part of nine TX panhandle counties. In 1876, the people of TX voted to trade 3 million acres of TX land to anyone who would build a magnificent state capitol building in Austin. The XIT Ranch is gone, but the state capitol bldg remains!
I found a picnic area on the outskirts of town. We made our typical peanut butter/lettuce sandwiches. The wind almost blew the top slice off the sandwiches. Charlotte and I turned to each other and said in unison "We're lucky that it's not windy today!"
Picnic areas in TX don't usually have restrooms, so we found a C-store. We drew some attention with the magnetic signs and our riding gear & bikes. Two conversations with patrons yielded $15 in donations! That's what happens when we get more off the beaten track.
Olton had a propane store; reminded me of Hank on "King of the Hill." They also have a golf cart shop. At first I found this humorous, but down the road there is a Lamb County Country Club. At least it's in Lamb County! (reference Day 3 message)
All through the panhandle, and now in West Texas, I have been amazed at how many aluminum cans are scattered alongside the Hwys. But what is more amazing is that almost all of them aren't 12 oz. cans, they're 32 oz. cans! That shouldn't surprise me, since everything in Texas is BIG. (That's for you, Scott!)
Finally got 42 miles in then drove the rest of the way to Littlefield. (Had we stayed on 385, that would have been our distance.)
Littlefield (pop 6307) is the birthplace of Country singer Waylon Jennings. In fact, one of the streets bears his name. Littlefield is the denim capital of the West. It has a huge denim textile mill which employs 600 people. It was built in 1975 by the American Cotton Growers. 20 million yards of denim are produced annually; that's enough denim for 19 million pairs of blue jeans.
A correction to yesterday's message: Castro County is one county in from the NM border.
Also, "Llano Estacado" is Spanish for "staked plains." Rumor has it that when Coronado came through this area, exploring for Spain, he had stakes driven into the ground so his expedition could find their way back, since the land was so flat. There's a song about it on one of the truck ads on TV, but not sure which brand of truck.
Staying in a motel tonight courtesy of Emmanuel Lutheran Church. The Head Elder took us on a tour of Littlefield this evening.
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-32, Marie-10
Cumulative Route mileage - 202
Road Change - none
With
love from the road,
The HD Trekkers
Charlotte Reicks
Marie Nemec
Hear ye, hear ye, y'all! Announcing the winner of the T-shirt for first correct definition of "pivots."
Congratulations to Shana Martin! This is how she defined "pivots."
"Pivots
are a moving irrigation system that rotate around a fixed point with
a type of sprinkler system attached."
I am still mulling over the one entry I have received on defining a "Calcutta." I have to get a better definition of it myself. So ... stay tuned.... Still accepting entries.
With
love from West Texas,
Marie Nemec
HD Trek Across Texas
Day
5 - HD Trek Across Texas - Littlefield to Brownfield
A pleasant day ... felt a bit like Forrest Gump; why? I'm not sure. Guess
it's because the scenery hasn't varied much in the last three days.
Got started a bit earlier than usual - 6:35 am. Charlotte rode first, under the Hwy 84 overpass, and out of Littlefield.
Got into farm country right away, and the farms were dotted with oil wells. Soon we crossed into Hockley County, our 8th! This county was also formed out of the Young & Bexar territories as the same time as all the others we've been through (1876), but wasn't organized until Feb. 19, 1921. It's named after George W. Hockley, the commander of the Artillery at San Jacinto. He was the Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas. Hockley died in 1851.
As we approached Levelland (pop.12866) about 9:00 am, we noticed more greenery. The yards around the homes had larger grass yards. Levelland was called Hockley City until 1912. Levelland is the home to South Plains College.
The "hot spot" in Levelland at 9:15 am was _________ - McDonald's. Did you guess correctly? Too easy a question for a free T-shirt!
Passed a Wal-Mart on the way out of town, next to an ALCO which went out of business.
Guess where Charlotte and I ate lunch. On the porch of an abandoned house (with trees for shade) between Levelland and Brownsfield. The wind was negligible there, quite pleasant.
The "tag team" continued on down the road. I rode into Brownfield to get my 18 miles in today. Since we arrived earlier than expected, we spent an hour in Dairy Queen, working on our E-mails and journals. Charlotte reached the custodian's wife, and we met her at the Methodist Church. Rosa let us in. Got ourselves situated upstairs in the youth room. I went out to bring back dinner while Charlotte made phone calls. I also did a small load of wash at a laundromat. Severe thunderstorms were occurring in some of the Counties we have passed through. Glad we're inside and safe.
Relaxing evening just lying on couches and writing E-mails.
Miles
today - Charlotte-35;Marie-18
Cumulative route mileage - 255
Road change - one penny (in dryer at the laundromat)
With love from the road, in the "South Plains" of West Texas,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Announcing
winner of T-shirt for first correct definition of "Calcutta"
Howdy y'all,
I'm pleased to announce that Bud Smith of Coolidge, KS has won a ride T-shirt for the first correct definition of a "Calcutta."
A "Calcutta" is a form of wagering. A bunch of roping or team penning teams are auctioned to the highest bidder (possibly even themselves) as to whom might be thought the best in the contest. The accumulated pool of money is distributed among however many winners/buyers (first, second, third...) was agreed upon before the contest.
Those who have followed the various Bike For The Cure rides may remember the episode during "Bike For The Cure 2000" when Scott and I stopped for lunch at the Cowgirl Cafe in Channing, TX. We had ridden 30 miles or so uphill, through the area around Boys Ranch, and we were tuckered out. I approached a truck driver, a total stranger at the time, and asked if he was headed North towards Dalhart. He said he was, so I asked him if he could SAG Scott and me, our bicycles and gear to Dalhart. He agreed. We put our bikes and gear in the back of his empty 18-wheeler trailer, and Scott and I rode in the diesel cab with him.
Bud is no longer driving truck on Hwy 385, but we have stayed on touch. And now he won this "Calcutta" definition T-shirt. Love it!
As I come across other things that might make a good contest, I'll post it. So read carefully, and act immediately if you know the answer.
With love from the road, in Lamesa,
Marie
Nemec
HD Trek Across Texas
Day
6 - HD Trek Across Texas - Brownfield to Lamesa
"Y'all be careful!!!" That seems to be the concern as we meet
folks while riding across the great state of Texas.
As we left Brownfield, I noticed a sign for watermelons. Wondered if folks around here do the "Watermelon Crawl" line dance. That's the song with the line, "a two lane road to a one horse town."
Added Dawson County to our list. We're up to 9 now. Haven't any historical info on the origin of its name.
Came to a "wide spot" in the road called Punkin Center. It looked even smaller than its namesake in Colorado, a wide spot at the junction of state routes 94 and 71 in Lincoln County, East of Colorado Springs, on the Eastern Plains.
Passed a racehorse farm, with royal blue signs with white block printing names of their horses. Some names included Pillow Dream, Saratoga Lad, Really Who, Sassy Babu, San Simon, and Brief Valentine.
Arrived in Lamesa (pronounced locally Lameesa), pop. 9952. The high school mascot name is the Golden Tornadoes. Hope they don't meet up with the Hostile Herd or Lady Whitefaces from Hereford; that could be a BIG mess!
South of Lamesa, alongside State Hwy. 137, was a huge goat farm. Most of the goats were Boers or Boer crossbreeds, with white bodies and black or brown heads. They're raised for meat. A couple of the larger goats were still shedding their heavy winter extra coat, dragging it alongside. Weird! How about another free T-shirt contest. WHAT'S THE PROPER NAME FOR GOAT MEAT? (Kevin and Justin, you should remember this from 4-H).
After getting 12 miles S of town, we decided to do a 180 and head back to Lamesa. My bronchitis seems to be returning, so I quit riding at 17 miles. While we were transitioning, a black pick-up with two young men went out of their way to make sure we were OK. They, too, said, "Y'all be careful." Much more positive than last year's, "Ya better watch out, lady; you're gonna get run dover!"
Ate lunch in a nice city park, at a picnic bench under a big elm tree. A sign there said, "City Ordinance." Pay attention!
Found the Grace Lutheran church without a problem. Sat down on the porch, in the shade. Within 15 minutes, an older lady named Evelyn showed up to let us into the Parsonage. As we are finding very typically, small town churches don't have a resident Pastor. One comes in from Lubbock for Sunday worship.
Got situated, napped, worked on E-mails and journal, and showered. Refreshed, we walked next door to the church, where they were having a game night and dinner. Sat down with 6 ladies who were playing a domino game called "Chicken Foot." There was a template of masonite with six indentations from which "legs" were built out.
After dinner, Charlotte spoke about HD and our previous rides. Because of my sore throat/bronchitis, I didn't want to say much. We displayed the quilted wall hanging of the previous 4 rides. Created more awareness among this small congregation. Found out that one of the women is a nurse. Told her about my bronchitis, and asked for her help. She went to the dr. office where she worked, and brought back some Biaxin XL, an antibiotic. Hope it works!
Went back next door to the parsonage. Made a few calls on my calling card. My Verizon cell phone has not been used, since I've been in "Roaming" for a week now, where incoming and outgoing calls are $.99 a minute. E-mail me unless it's an emergency!
Took some Biaxin XL and went to bed about 9:45 pm.
On the edge of the "South Plains" in Texas, wishing I felt better, but confident that the Lord is in control,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-44, Marie 17
Cumulative Route Miles - 316
Road Change - none; hope some of you are bringing me some at the Convention,
or sending it to Pat Pillis, Ride Treasurer, 7 Maple Leaf Dr., Saranac
Lake NY 12983
Day
7 - HD Trek Across Texas - Lamesa to Forsan
A drizzly day of transition, from the "South Plains" to the
"Permian Basin,"
Left the parsonage at 6:30 am or so. Stopped at McDonald's (again, the "hot spot" of this little town) to get some ice for our water jug, and split a breakfast burrito. The burrito would be B2, as we both had cereal in the parsonage.
I had decided to sit this day out, because of the bronchitis. Despite the mist/rain, Charlotte wanted to ride. Mist turned into light rain the closer we got to Big Spring. Charlotte is one tough cookie. I left it up to her as to when to call it quits, but she didn't.
Earlier today, I had to move the van off the paved shoulder, since two huge tractors with wide disks had to get by. Had to be careful where I park the van, since I almost got it stuck in the wet sand once.
No towns along Hwy 87. Ackerly is just a mile off the Hwy. We enjoyed seeing an elk ranch.
Three counties today; Terry, Martin (just a couple miles), and now Howard. Again, sorry I don't have the origin of nomenclature.
We have reached the Southern-most part of the "South Plains" and are in transition to the Permian Basin, rich with oil fields. Lots of mesquite trees/bushes.
Charlotte did all the riding today. My bronchitis has returned with a vengeance, plus cold symptoms.
Ate lunch at the Wendy's in Big Spring (pop. 25,233). The I-20 runs through Big Spring. It has two colleges, a 2 yr. school (Howard) and the Southwest Institute for the Deaf. There's also a State Mental Hospital, and a V.A. Hospital.
87 oct. gas was $1.39 at Chevron. I needed to fill the van since we had gone over 300 miles from the last place we bought gas (Hereford).
I went to Wal-Mart in Big Spring to get some groceries and cold remedies, while Charlotte continued riding the last 10 miles to the turn-off for Forsan.
Driving up the 3 miles to Forsan, names of 2003 H.S. graduates were painted in block letters on the road. Forsan had a population of 10,000 in the 1920's (oil boom) but now it's maybe 500 at the most.
We are staying overnight at the First Baptist Church of Forsan. Tonight the older folks in the congregation are having a potluck, and we're invited! We have a great little room with couches in which to sleep.
Miles
ridden today - Charlotte-56, Marie-0
Cumulative route miles - 372
Road Change - none again!
Ride T-shirts are still available. $12 for Adult sizes S thru XL, $15 XXL & XXXL. Add $3 postage if the shirt is to be mailed.
Make check payable to "Marie Nemec" and send to:
Marie
Nemec
Hd Trek Across Texas Ride T-Shirt
3087 - A 1/2 Road
Grand Junction CO 81503-9678
I will also have T-shirts for sale at the HDSA Convention. Supply is limited, so order NOW!
With love from the "Permian Basin," one day's ride from San Angelo,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Day 8 - HD Trek Across Texas - Forsan to San Angelo
Out to Hwy. 87 again ... on the road by 6:45 am. Cloudy and overcast, perfect for Charlotte to ride, since I am still not well, due to bronchitis.
Passed a refinery, and a horse ranch. Road construction stretched for miles, with N & S bound traffic on the S bound side.
At 8:45 am my cell phone rang. It was our older son Kevin's girlfriend Erin, telling me that Kevin has shattered his ankle, and that he will be having surgery, including the implantation of pins. I just felt so helpless; the mother in me wanted to be at his side, but in reality, it isn't possible. I would covet any prayers for the results of the surgery. His employment relies on his mobility (he does construction and landscaping in the summer, and coaches snowboarding with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
About 10:00 am I noticed a tortoise in the middle of the Hwy. I stopped the van, got out, picked it up, crossed the median and the N bound lanes, to deliver it to relative safety, and hopefully keep it from becoming road kill. Passed from Howard County into Sterling County. It was created from Tom Green County March 4,1891, and named after Capt. W.S. Sterling, who had a dugout home on Sterling Creek in the 1870's.
Passed the Concho Classics Miniature Horse Farm. Charlotte blew by on the Hwy. while I was stopped, admiring the horses. One of the babies was quite friendly. Not much bigger than a medium sized dog at two months old. (Met the owner at the Post Office in Sterling City a bit later on; that's how I discovered her age.)
In this area of Texas, petroleum production has been important to the economy since the 1950's, yet the land essentially remains range country (prairie), grazed by cattle & sheep. It was hunting grounds for many tribes of Native Americans, and was crossed 6 times by Spanish expeditions between 1540 & 1654.
Just S of Sterling City, a Sheriff and a State Trooper passed me, lights flashing. My gut level feeling was confirmed, as I got to where the State Trooper had stopped Charlotte. To avoid riding on the very bumpy shoulder, she had been riding out in the right lane where it was smoother. A passing motorist called the State Trooper's office, and Officer Reed came out to check things out. He said she had the right to ride there, but not to obstruct traffic. Shades of Kentucky in 1999! We decided to load up Charlotte and her bike, and find a friendlier surface.
Passed through a corner of Coke County, and into odd shaped Tom Green County, which has like a panhandle protruding off the West side, maybe 5 miles wide and 40 miles long.
Charlotte began riding again, and I drove ahead to try to find a better surface. Discovered the Old Sterling Hwy, parallel to 87, with barely any traffic. Perfect! Charlotte rode off 87 for 20 miles, through Water Valley.
It was a long day for Charlotte, doing all the riding because of my illness.
Drove the rest of the way into San Angelo (pronounced "Sun Nangelo" by locals. Found the Best Western Motel, which Grace and Calvary Lutheran Churches were sponsoring. Quick showers, then dinner with Pastor Alan Williams, his wife Linda, and a congregation member named Frieda.
Charlotte turned in early, maybe 7:30 pm. I took a roll of film to 1 hr. processing, so I can send some photos to be displayed on our www.bikeforcure.org web site.
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-60
Cumulative route miles - 432
Road change - none
With love from the thriving metropolis of San Angelo (pop. 90,000), and anticipating sleeping in tomorrow,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Day
9 - HD Trek Across Texas - Rest Day
Sleeping in until 7:30 am was awesome! The Best Western Motel has a free
continental breakfast, of which we partook.
While Charlotte worked on her journaling and E-mail, I drove to the Laundromat to do or wash. I drove to the Walgreen’s to pick up the roll of film I dropped off last night. I selected some of the photos, and sent them to my husband to scan, and send on to our Webmaster. Hopefully by Sunday there should be more photos.
Back to finish laundry, and then back to the motel. Charlotte found the Bicycle Pro bike shop that was willing to check over our bikes for free. Mostly just needed more air in the tires, and cleaning chains a bit.
Lunch at Wendy's, then back to motel for photo shoot at with photographer from the San Angelo Standard Times. Nice, tall (6'7" man, Arthur Spragg). He had scouted out a few locations. Creative ideas.
Ran to Health Food store for flourless Ezechical 4:9 bread, then back to motel for short nap. Pastor Alan Williams called to firm up our evening meal at IHOP.
Met Pastor Williams and his wife, and Pastor Gary Elmquist and his wife. Everyone ordered items from the "Senior" menu.
Drove to Calvary Lutheran Church for Prayer service. Met a young man, Chris, on a riding by on a bike. He stopped to visit, and he ended up giving us a $20 donation! He asked us to join hands with him for a prayer.
Went inside the church sanctuary for the Prayer Service. We took turns praying for congregation members, also our son Kevin's ankle.
At 7:00 a cameraman from the CBS affiliate showed up to interview Charlotte and me for a TV spot. An intern reporter from the Standard Times, Joshua Parrott, interviewed us. At the conclusion of the interview, Joshua asked us to join him in a circle of prayer. That's a first, praying with the media.
Finally
we talked to the congregation members, telling them about HD, the ride,
and our involvement. Many generous donations - over $200!
Got back to the motel in time t
o catch up a little on phone calls, and E-mail. At 10:00 pm we watched
the CBS affiliate news, and sure enough, there was about a one minute
special on "HD Trek Across Texas."
Tired from our "Rest Day," and buoyed up by the awareness and funds generated, and eagerly awaiting the start of the second half of the ride.
With love from Sun Nangelo,
Charlotte
Reicks
Marie Nemec
HD Trekkers
Keep on trekking – San Angelo Standard Times http://www.gosanangelo.com/sast/news_local/article/0,1897,SAST_4956_1996820,00.html
Day
10 - HD Trek Across Texas - San Angelo to Eden
A clueless, keyless day ...
Up
at 5:00 am after a good night's sleep. I think my bronchitis has finally
turned the corner. No coughing attacks, but I'm far from 100%
Loaded
up the van, then ate our continental breakfast. Got copies of the
Standard Times. Our article and photo was on p. 3A. Except for some glaring
inaccuracies in the article, it was pretty nice! And the photo was the
most
creative one yet! Will try to get it scanned to the website.
Had
difficulty finding Farm Road 765; had to get directions from a C store
clerk. Finally Charlotte got started riding at 7:15 am. I drove the van
12
miles, then unloaded my bike, and started to ride to Eola, about 7 miles
away. It felt good (well, as good as it's going to) to be "back in
the
saddle again."
Then
"The rest of the story began." Although I had left the van for
Charlotte, she misinterpreted it, thinking I was taking a "potty
break" in
the bushes, left me a note, and continued to ride towards Eola. She didn't
notice that my bicycle wasn't in the van. In the re-paving zone, a worker
mentioned that another woman rider was out in front of her. That didn't
ring
a bell either. Finally the light dawned, but she didn't have her van key
with her. So ... she called me on the cell phone, told me what was
happening, so I rode west from Eola to meet Charlotte, to give her my
key.
Then she rode back 5 1/2 miles to the van, loaded up her bike, and drove
the
van back through the re-paving area.
We
continued on 765, through farming country. I drove ahead to scout out
Hwy
83; shoulder surface way too bumpy. Drove back to tell Charlotte. Decided
to
take another farm road, 2402, to Eden. Ate our peanut butter/lettuce
sandwiches alongside the van, before Charlotte started riding.
Typical
scenery, mesquite and cactus, goats grazing, some sheep, very
pastoral.
I
drove out ahead to find the Trinity Lutheran Church in Eden, pop. 2561.
No
problem. Went back, found Charlotte, and led her in.
Historical
church (with TX marker out front) Pastor Bob Boyce met us at the
church, and told us we would be staying in the unused parsonage. Great
place; just needed some padding for sleeping on the carpet in the living
room. A congregation member, Jackie, rounded up some sleeping bags and
pillows.
Took
clothes to Laundromat; guess what? They didn't even sell little boxes
of soap, so had to buy some at a C store.
While in the Laundromat, a woman spotted the van outside, and asked about
HD. She goes to the Luth. Church, with her 6 yr. old daughter Lauren.
Back
to the church. Heated up Healthy Choice dinners in the microwave. Went
to sleep about 9:30 pm, anticipating another early morning.
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-56; Marie-15
Cumulative route miles - 566
Road change - 1 penny
With love from the road, nearing "The Heart of Texas,"
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers Across Texas
Day
11 - HD Trek Across Texas - Eden to Mason
Tried another approach. Charlotte started riding, while I packed up the
van.
Passed the Eden Detention Center on the way out of town. Seems like every
small town has a correctional facility. Also passed a wool & mohair
processing bldg.
Charlotte
was already 4 miles into the ride when I caught up with her. Drove
up another 6 miles, left the van at a picnic area, and started riding.
After
a few miles, I heard a horn honk. Jackie (from yesterday) was on the way
to
work, and she handed me a $10 donation!
The
road surface changed for the better when we left Concho Co. and went
into McCulloch Co. With a tailwind, I was going 12 mph! We had discussed
taking Farm Road 2028 through Milton but Charlotte breezed right by it
while
driving the van. I figured she had probably missed the sign, so I kept
riding on Hwy 87 and found the van parked on down the road.
Great
ride to Brady, pop. 5523, billed as "the heart of Texas." Stopped
at
the "hot spot" of Brady (McDonald's). We had decided splitting
a breakfast
burrito (for B2) sounded good, plus we needed a potty break. As Charlotte
parked the van, a woman came over to her and said, "I saw you on
TV." We
gave her a ride brochure. I rode in, put my bike in the van, and we went
into McD. An older gentleman asked us where we were headed, and we said
"Houston." He replied, "I'd like to buy breakfast for you!"
Visited with
three residents of the tiny town of Milton, pop. 155, on Farm Road 2028
that
we didn't take! Noticed that towns above 5,000 seem to have McD; those
below
don't.
We
are definitely into the famed "Hill Country" of Texas. And it's
beautiful! Many ranches. Mason Co. has one of the largest deer populations
in the USA. I took one more turn riding, 5 miles (to reach 20 for the
day)
and it was all uphill. Charlotte rode the rest of the way into Mason.
Lucky
for her it was more downhill! Passed some cows all bedded down under a
huge
oak tree; they seemed to know it was close to 100 degrees.
Arrived
in Mason, pop. 2134, the County Seat of Mason Co. Beautiful old
courthouse in the middle of the square. It's called "The Gem of the
Hill
Country" because it's the home to the topaz, the official state stone.
Lots
of quaint shops around the square.
Found
the church easily. Beautiful campus, old stately bldgs., another Texas
state historical site.
We
are staying in the youth room, sleeping on couches, upstairs, in what
was
the old parsonage.
While
Charlotte busied herself, I went into town to check out the shops. Got
some post cards, a small Texas flag, and a gift for my great nephew Carson.
Although this town is comparable in size to Eden (yesterday's town), Eden
doesn't hold a candle to Mason. Possibly because Mason is a county seat,
and
Eden isn't.
Passed
out lots of ride brochures today, creating awareness and hopefully
generating donations.
Finally getting caught up on the Daily Messages and my journal.
Hope
to have some ride photos posted to the website this weekend. Check out
www.bikeforthecure.org
Miles
today - Charlotte-43; Marie-20
Cumulative route miles - 566
Road Change - 6 cents
Although Texas hasn't even yielded 40 cents of Road Change, I have collected
1 1/2 plastic bags of aluminum cans picked up while stopped alongside
the
Hwys. A lot of folks in Texas toss lots of beer cans into this beautiful
state!
With love from "the Hill Country,"
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Day
12 - HD Trek Across Texas - Eden to Fredericksburg
Earliest start yet - hit the road at 6:15 am, 69 degrees. Up into more
"Hill
Country" ...
The
scenery is beautiful! So green, with flowering cactus patches amongst
the trees. There was a slight headwind, which actually worked to our
advantage, as it helped to keep us cool.
We
have our "leap frog" system down pretty well, which speeds up
getting to
our destination in a timely fashion.
Crossed
into Gillespie County, our 19th. Road shoulder surface didn't change
significantly.
About
11 miles from Fredericksburg, we stopped at a "Picnic Area."
Noticed a
ladder straddling the barbed wire fence. We've been told that's how TX
provides bathrooms at "Picnic Areas."
Got
into Fredericksburg (pop. 8911) easily. I drove ahead to find Bethany
Lutheran Church. It's adjacent to the Town Square, situated very centrally.
Drove back out to lead Charlotte in.
After
meeting Plant Engineer Jonathan at the church at 11:00 am, we got
settled in the high school room. I also discovered that for the first
time
in TX, my cell phone is finally off "roaming."
Fredericksburg
was founded in 1846, named after Prince Friedrich of Prussia.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was born here in 1885. His father died 6 months
before he was born. At the age of 5, his uncle became his stepfather.
Hence
no name change. Nimitz graduated from high school in Kerrville (22 miles
away) and then was appointed to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. He
graduated in 1905. He rose through the ranks, with a stunning career.
He
commanded the Pacific Fleet during WWII, and in Tokyo Bay on the USS
Missouri, he signed the peace treaty with Japan, representing the United
States. During his military career, his strength was coaxing the best
from
others. He was the most accessible, considerate, and beloved of the fleet
commanders. 2,219,153 were under his command in WWII. After his military
career, he served as a roving Goodwill Ambassador. He died Feb. 20, 1966,
4
days before his 81st birthday. He is buried in the Golden Gate National
Cemetery in San Francisco.
I
learned all this information at a fabulous museum called the National
Museum of the Pacific War. It's a "must see" for WWII buffs.
Charlotte
walked back to the church, to do E-mails and work on her journal,
and make a few phone calls. I "window shopped" for two hours.
Went
back to the church, gathered my dirty clothes, and drove to the
Laundromat. Gassed up the van - $1.29/gal for 87 octane.
Back
to the church. Time flies when you're having fun. By that time it was
8:00 pm.
Unwound
for a while, trying to get caught up on communications. Lights out at
9:30 pm.
Today
almost seemed like a "Rest Day" because we arrived so early
and had
the day to do non-bicycle activities.
Miles
ridden today - Charlotte-30; Marie-14
Cumulative Route Miles - 610
Road Change - 1 penny
With
love from the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, with 4 riding days and
1
rest day to go,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
Day
13 - HD Trek Across Texas - Fredericksburg to Austin
Another early morning, necessitated by the afternoon heat ...
The
overcast skies were a welcome relief. Saw some skittish exotic deer
before we passed through Stonewall, where there's an annual Rodeo &
Peach
Jamboree. With our "leap frog" riding, we arrived at the entrance
to the
Lyndon Baines Johnson State Historical Park at 7:50 am. We parked the
van
just as the Visitor's Center was opening. It seemed to mostly be staffed
by
volunteers. One volunteer goes to the Bethany Lutheran Church where we
stayed last night in Fredericksburg, and is a first cousin to Jonathan
(Plant Engineer) and graduated from high school with Berta, the church
secretary! Small world!
We
were privileged to view a fabulous 1966 PBS film about the Hill Country
and LBJ. This area was the home of the Johnson family for more than a
century, since LBJ's ancestors settled on the banks of the Pedernales
River
in 1867.
LBJ
was the oldest of 5 children, graduated from high school at 15, spent
the next two years out west doing odd jobs in San Bernardino, then returned
to go on to college in 1927. LBJ grew up as a rural Texan but with a
political background, since his father served as a state Legislator. His
parents imparted to LBJ the tradition of agrarian liberalism. He rose
through political ranks to be the 36th President of the USA. He was the
last
President whose roots and early experience bridged the gap between the
old
America of local frontiers, crossroads, and close neighbors, and the new
America of world power, big cities, and unknown neighbors. LBJ died in
1973
(at age 64); "Lady Bird" is still living, and is in her 90's.
Occasionally
she visits the ranch, as do the two Johnson daughters, their children,
and
their grandchildren!
As
we were leaving the Visitors Center, we met a couple from Fredericksburg,
identically decked out in bike riding clothing, whose license place said,
"I'd rather be riding my tandem bike."
Pressing
on, we continued E on Hwy 290, towards Johnson City, and our
planned rendezvous with Gerleine Schoonover and her son Gilbert, who has
HD.
They drove up from San Antonio to spend time with us. Gerleine is a gracious
woman who's been active in the HD so long that she pre-dates HDSA! She
even
knew Marjorie Guthrie, Woody's 2nd wife, and founder of the Committee
to
Combat HD. (That's pretty impressive, because Gerleine is only in her
early
60's.) Gerleine brought us lunch, which we ate at one of those TX "picnic
areas" (without a ladder). Gerleine is our first guest rider, too!
The
heat of the day was well upon us by the time we said our fond farewells
and continued towards Austin. We had "stockpiled" 27 extra miles
between San
Angelo and Lamesa, so we cashed them in against the distance between
Fredericksbrug and Austin. It was becoming increasingly evident that we
were
leaving the Hill Country, gradually dropping in elevation, and vegetation
changing. Passed a Polo Club and proposed golf course; knew we were
approaching suburbia now!
We
SAGged the last part of today, to the home of Michael, Allie, and Jordan
Brown in Austin. After most welcome showers (last one was in Eden), we
went
out to dinner to a TexMex restaurant called Chuy's. Great decor (hubcaps
hanging from ceiling, the back end of a 50's Oldsmobile for serving chips
and salsa, photos of people's pet dogs, etc. Quite eclectic. Food was
excellent!
Quite
a full day. Passed through parts of three new counties: Blanco, Hays,
and Travis. No historical info. to pass on ... sorry!
Miles
ridden - Charlotte-36; Marie-22
Cumulative route miles - 668
Road Change - 2 cents
From the state capital of Texas,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Day
14 - HD Trek Across Texas - Rest Day in Austin
Slept in until 7:30 pm. Breakfast, then washed clothes. Finally got on
the road at 11:00 am, with four objectives.
First - find a fabric store with Texas material. Accomplished at a Hancock Fabrics about 2 1/2 miles from here.
Second - bicycle quick check over. Accomplished at Bicycle Sport Shop. We also found some accessories we wanted; Charlotte got a mirror for her bike helmet, and a cover for her bike saddle. I got a pair of Texas motif bike socks.
Third - see the state capitol. Found it with good directions from Jason from the bike shop. Imposing structure, made of red Texas granite. It was very busy, with media, etc. since it is the last day of the session.
The capitol dome is 302 ft high, the third tallest after Louisiana's and Illinois'. It's 14 ft. taller than the US Capitol. When the first capitol bldg burnt down, in 1875, Texas needed another. In 1882 Elijah Myers of Detroit was commissioned to design it. 3 million acres of public domain land was appropriated and set apart for the purpose to the investors who would erect a new State Capitol. Texas had land, but insufficient funds, in the days after the Civil War and reconstruction. Parts of 10 panhandle counties, the parcel ran N & S and it was about the size of Connecticut. That land would be given to an investor group who would pay for building the new capitol. The Farwell Brothers from Chicago submitted bids, and were awarded the contract. The XIT ranch was created. Over the course of 2 years, they completely fenced 6,000 miles around the ranch, using barbed wire and 100,000 posts. They needed to fence it to keep the cattle in. They sought overseas investors, and sold shares in cattle. The Farwells had to manage the ranching operation and the construction of the state capitol bldg. The capitol ended up costing twice the original estimate (1.5 vs. 3 million), which was about $1/acre for the land they received. The XIT ranch was sold in 1901, and was gone by 1915. An annual rodeo is held each year in Dalhart commemorating the ranch.
Texas has been under 6 flags; Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the US of A.
The capitol has oil paintings of each of the past Governors. Most recent ones on the first floor, second most recent on second floor, etc. Texas has had two women Governors, Miriam Furgeson (1924) and Anne Richards during the 90's.
Drove
back NW towards the Browns' home.
Fourth - Quick grocery shopping excursion, readying for tomorrow was accomplished
at Albertson's.
Worked on E-mails until Mike got home from work. Mike took us on a little sightseeing tour, on the Capital of TX Road, before we went to a Thai restaurant. First time having Thai food for the Trekkers. Quite tasty!
We've been "on the road" for two weeks now, with just three more riding days before arrival in Houston.
Miles
today - none
Road change - 7 cents
With love from the capital of Texas,
Charlotte
Reicks
Marie Nemec
Day
15 - HD Trek Across Texas - Austin to La Grange
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to ride we go ...
Got on the road at 6:00am. As usual, Charlotte rode first. We tried to follow the routing of the MS 150 ride from Houston to Austin (but in reverse). Never did find the roads, so when we ended up at Hwy 290, we just decided to go with it.
In Elgin, we turned S on Hwy 95, which is the "10th Mtn Division Memorial Hwy." I only associated the 10th Mtn Div with Colorado, but they did Infantry Training at Camp Swift, further down the Hwy. The 10th Mtn Div was active in the North Appinine & Po Valleys in Italy, from June 'til Dec. 1944. Some men from this Div went on to become ski industry pioneers in Colorado.
Camp Swift, between Elgin and Bastrop, was a major military training facility for 300,000 men & women during WWII. It operated from May 1942 through July 1946 on 56,000 acres. It was much like a contained city, and had the capability to house and train a capacity of 45,000 at one time. The 10th Mtn trained there, along with the 95th, 97th, and 102nd Infantry. 4800 German POW's were held there, too. It was transferred to the State of Texas in Dec. 1948. Today it functions as a base for the Texas Army National Guard.
Passed the federal Correctional Institution along the same Hwy.
Arrived in Bastrop, pop. 5340. There were huge pine trees and oak trees where we ate our lunch.
Decided to try the MS 150 routing again. On a Farm Road, we passed the Buescher State Park, and then the Rocky Hill Ranch, where Mtn Biking, racing, and camping take place. www.rockyhillranch.com That was on the outskirts of Smithsville.
As I was stopped in the van, waiting for Charlotte, a man drove into a driveway, then walked out to talk to me, just as Charlotte rode up. David Varner is a bicyclist, and gave us instructions to drink plenty of water in this 100-degree weather.
Decided to return to Hwy. 71 with wider shoulders. Charlotte rode for a while, reached her 50 miles, then I did my last stint.
Drove the rest of the way into LaGrange. Met up with Pastor Dennis Bragdon from Mt. Calvary Luth. Church. We followed him to The Oaks Motel, where the church is sponsoring us to stay. First motel we've come across run by East Indians.
Showered and put on clean clothes. Editor of the local Fayette County Record newspaper came to the motel to interview us and shoot a digital photo. Turns out she was in the first graduating class from Smoky Hill H.S. in Aurora CO.
Pastor Bragdon invited us back to the parsonage for spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. His wife Georgette's spaghetti sauce will be included in the "Bike For The Cure Cookbook." I also noticed she had a black on while metal mushroom motif bowl just like one I have! We also got to do a load of laundry during dinner.
Back to the motel to work on E-mails.
Today was the first day of decent Road Change. I even hit for the circuit. I WILL GIVE A FREE T-SHIRT TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO CAN TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS IN THIS CONTEXT. Send entries to:Bike4Cure@bogfoot.com
Miles
today - Charlotte-50; Marie 19
Cumulative Route miles - 737
Road Change - 63 cents
With
love from the road,
Marie Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD
Trek Across Texas - Winner of "goat meat" contest
I apologize for the lateness of this message. It is with pleasure that
I announce the winner of the third contest I've had while "Trekking
Across Texas."
Ruth Hargrave (our precious Ru-fer) submitted the first correct (and only) entry. The proper name for goat meat is Chevon or Gabrito. Gabrito is the Hispanic term. It's closer to the root word of Capricorn, taxicab, cabriolet, capricious, etc.
Congratulations to Ruth!
With love from the road (today, 1 1/2 days ride from Houston, it's raining! Charlotte is out riding, in her raingear, while I'm in the comfort and dryness of the van.)
Marie Nemec
HD
Trek Across Texas - "Hit for the Circuit" contest winner
I'm pleased to announce that Michael Brown, our "host with the most"
in Austin, submitted the first correct answer to what "hit for the
circuit" meant in the Road Change context.
It meant that I found a penny (single), a nickel (double), a dime (triple), and a quarter (home run) all in the same day. It's a baseball analogy.
Very generously, Michael is donating the shirt he won to the National Youth Alliance Silent Auction at the Convention.
Another correct response was submitted by John and Marie Elsner, our Ramble' riding partners from last year. Inadvertently, they mis-sent the E-mail to "bogfoot" instead of "bigfoot" the first time. Sorry ...
Hope
these little contests puts more interest in the ride reports.
Congratulations again to Bud Smith, Shana Martin, Ruth Hargrave, and Michael
Brown!
With
love,
Marie
Day
16 - HD Trek Across Texas - LaGrange to Katy
Rain, rain, go away ...
Charlotte and I woke to light rain, mixed with lighting and thunder. It cooled things off, but we didn't know what it would do for our bicycling plans.
We started driving towards Fayettesville. Within a few miles, the rain lightened considerably, and Charlotte, bless her heart, was ready to start pedaling.
Fayettesville (pop 261) was a stage station on the Old San Felipe Trail, by members of Steven Austin's First Colony.
Soon we crossed the county line into Austin Co. Arrived in the happenin' town of Industry (pop 304). Smallest town I've ever seen that had a bona fide full service Chevrolet dealership! Most new vehicles were trucks, with a nice selection.
This
is definitely still farm country. A TX historical marker in Nelsonville
indicated that the first Czech Immigrants came to America in 1633. The
first known Czech in Texas was Jiri Rybar (George Fisher), a customs officer
in Galveston. Josef Lidumil Lesikar (1806-1877) was instrumental in forming
the first two large immigrations. Letters sent home by the Rev. Josef
Arnost Bergman, an 1849 settler at Cat Spring, inspired immigrations in
large numbers. With Rev. Bergman's counsel, many Czech's began to farm
in Austin TX in the 1860's to 1870's. Czechs eventually spread throughout
TX. They
were recognized for industry, thrift, and cultural attainment. To preserve
their heritage, they succeeded in having a chair of Slavic Languages established
in 1915 at the U of T, and later at other schools.
Saw
many signs for Santa Gertrudis cattle. Passed over the Brazos River, which
divides Austin from Waller Co. Another interesting thumbnail sketch. Passed
a historical marker for one of the most prominent blacks in TX history,
Norris Wright Cuney (1846-1898). He
was born in the slave quarters of the Sunnyside Plantation nearby. He
showed great intelligence and was sent to PA to study. He became a wharf
contractor in Galveston. By 1872 he had become a leader in the Republican
Party, Chairman of the delegation, but his power was broken by the refusal
to seat his delegation. This deprived blacks of a voice in TX politics
until the 1960's.
History lesson's over.
We stopped for lunch outside "Big Bertha's," a huge metal bldg. with restaurant, dance floor, etc. The owner, a Hispanic lady, was wearing a T-shirt from the MS 150 bicycle ride. She let her facilities be used by ride participants.
The day was becoming humid and muggy, pretty typical, since a main crop in this area is hybrid rice.
This part of the ride passed quickly. Soon we were along Hwy 90, which parallels the I-10.
Arrived in Katy, which is situated in parts of 3 counties; Waller, Fort Bend, and Harris counties. While I was stopped alongside the Hwy. a Katy policeman pulled up behind me to make sure everything was OK. Gave him a ride brochure about HD.
Found the Memorial Lutheran Church quite easily. We will overnight in the youth room. SHOWERS downstairs! I took my film to be processed, bought groceries, washed & vacuumed the van while Charlotte remained at the church, working on her journaling and E-mail.
We're within 30 miles of our destination. Anticipation building.
Miles
ridden today - Charlotte-44; Marie 26
Cumulative route miles - 807
Road change - 12 cents
With love, on the penultimate day of the HD Trek Across Texas,
Marie
Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
HD Trekkers
Day
17 - HD Trek Across Texas - Katy to Houston
With less than 30 miles to ride, we were able to sleep in and then ready
ourselves for the last day of the Trek.
Wanda and Bob Parsons arrived about 9:00 am. They are friends of other friends of ours, Larry and Judy Luebke from near Grand Junction CO. Bob will drive the SAG van to the Intercontinental Hotel (the HDSA Convention site) so that Charlotte and I can ride the whole last day together.
Got on the road by 9:30 am. Not too much traffic, and the temp wasn't too bad. We had to work our way East and slightly S. We had good directions, some from the Youth Pastor at the church, and some from Charlotte's son Brian.
By the time we had cycled for an hour, I had "hit for the circuit" again! We stopped for a "potty break" near the Alkek Velodrome. It was completely fenced, so we couldn't get too close. There are bicycle races every Friday evening, around this banked oval. I am aware of two other velodromes in the US (Blaine, Minnesota and Colorado Springs, CO); does anyone know of others?
Continued
riding until about 19 miles into the ride. Rain began to fall just after
we turned East onto Briar Forest. Sensing the impending cloudburst, we
sought shelter under some balconies/stairwells at a nearby apartment complex.
The rainfall steadily increased, then became torrential, with waves of
wind and rain! I called Gerleine Schoonover to assure her of our safety,
and pending later arrival. We took this opportunity to have lunch - an
orange and some pumpkin seeds. Charlotte discovered that she had a thin
plastic poncho in the rear bag on her bike, but alas, I didn't. When the
rain finally subsided, she walked across the street to a Walgreen's Drug
Store and found a rain poncho for me.
Called Gerleine again, to tell her we were going to brave the weather and make a dash for the Hotel (about 8 - 9 miles away). We were quite a sight, riding in ponchos over our riding apparel. Each of us had a safety flag taped to the rear racks on our bikes. I taped a small TX flag on as well.
It was pretty intense keeping our bikes upright, not riding through giant puddle residues, and avoiding getting soaked by the wakes of water created by vehicles driving parallel to us.
We started to see street names that were familiar from our maps. Called Gerleine once more, when we were about 1/2 mile away. She was able to gather a welcoming committee that greeted us as we rode into the circular driveway of the Hotel. Many friends were there; Jean Miller, Sue Leck, Dave Hodgson, Annette Williams, Michael Brown, Susan Hayes, Gerleine, and others, and of course Barbara Boyle, the CEO of HDSA.
After photos, our bicycles were taken to safety by Michael Brown, to be locked in the bell captain's storage. They needed to dry off a bit before loading them into the van for the drive back to Colorado.
Showers were welcome given the weather in which we rode and arrived. Now it's time to go to the Hunt-Dis party. Hunt-Dis is an online support group for folks connected with HD.
Walked to the Food Court of the Galleria for dinner, with about 20 others. There was an ice rink on the lower level, where children and adults were honing their skills.
Walked back to the Hotel, quite ready for a good night's sleep.
Can't believe this year's ride is over. It was our flattest (never had to walk my bike up a hill). For a ride that almost didn't happen, it turned out just fine! Praise God for the blessings He bestowed on us, for following His will for our lives.
More totals will follow.
Miles
today - 28
Cumulative route miles - 835
Road change - 95 cents
With
love from Houston,
Marie Nemec
Charlotte Reicks
Home
: What is Hungtington's : Bios
: Itinerary : Daily
Message
Photos : Sponsors &
Links : Order T-Shirt
Send website feedback to: Jennifer Hickok
© 2003 Bike For the Cure, all rights reserved.
Site created and maintained by Levina Design Levina Design