Date(s): Oct. 19, 1999
Day: Tuesday
From: Comstock, TX
To: Del Rio, TX
Lodging: RV Barn
Segment Mileage: 48.3
Cumulative Mileage: 1637.8
Actual Riding Time: 3:07
Average Speed: 16.1
Weather: Cool, sunny
Temp: 50's
It was another cold day in Texas, a great riding day in that we had a good tailwind most of the day, as evidenced by the fast average speed of 16.1 mph. Today felt like the first crisp fall day, warm in the sun and cool otherwise. Breakfast was late, at 8:00, and camp was slow to come to life. Since we couldn't shop for breakfast, we agreed to meet in Comstock at a restaurant and use group funds for a meal. We still needed something to get us going, and Lynne and Jimmy boiled some water for oatmeal and tea, and others snacked on food they have been packing. It's always a good idea to have some food in reserve for just such occasions. I need to load up on food, as I have already eaten my extra Cliff and Power bars.
I wasn't quite ready for the breakfast burritos at the Mexican cafe in town, and many of us ordered the pancakes. It took a while to get served; the waitress said they don't often get so many orders for pancakes. As we entered the place Spike was leaving, having had his breakfast enchiladas. It was a treat to hear music from the jukebox. After breakfast I stopped in town to send yesterday's report and some other email, and to receive a message from Kerie that I returned, which took all of 10 minutes. With the headwind, and riding hard, I was able to catch nearly everyone but Jim and Jimmy (and Spike of course, who is always the first out of camp and often the first in that afternoon), who arrived in camp just before me. The scenery was uneventful, mostly desert scrub. We passed the Amistad reservoir and recreation area, but most dammed lakes are unappealing to me. They often look artificial and don't have much appeal other than to speed-boaters and fishermen. The drivers seemed a bit less friendly today, with several honking loudly as they passed. We were very close to the Mexican border, and Oliver and Todd made a side trip to cross it. Oliver said he took a picture with BOB, his trailer on one side, and his bike on the other.
Jim and I had cooking duty, so once our tents were pitched we headed into town. The market on our maps, 3 miles away, was closed so we went another mile to a well-stocked grocery store that carried fresh fruits and vegetables, several kinds of feta cheese, and other not so common items on our list for food for the next day. Dinner was well received; broccoli, tomatoes, and feta on rice and a salad. At this point, after access to so few good stores, we all crave fresh vegetables, and the salad went fast. As you can tell from this posting, food is a big part of our day, as we need lots of it to keep going.
Tomorrow I probably won't be able to keep up with Oliver, as he had Todd shave his head and he will be that much faster. It's not really shaved, but cut very close. The 70 plus mile ride tomorrow is supposed to be very scenic, but we may have to haul our groceries 30 or so miles to avoid riding several miles into town after the long day.
A note on the daily mileage: I track all the miles that I ride during the day, not just those on the route, so the miles I report are usually more than the direct route. Today Jim and I rode about 8 miles to get food, and I added them to the day's total.
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