Hello, louisiana

Forget the Alamo.

day 41, mile 1933.8, Mauriceville, TX

Today we started seeing what looks like hurricane damage - lots of fallen trees and busted up houses. It's also getting harder to find places to camp because most of the areas around the road are boggy. We got lucky though and found this cozy spot in a pine forest. And these cozy mashed potatoes.

No bicycles allowed

day 40, mile 1877.1, Ames, TX

MGD. Across the street from a slaughter house. Scary noises. Little sleep.

day 39, mile 1824.6, Days Inn Greenspoint, Houston, TX

WE RODE RIGHT INTO THE GEORGE BUSH HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT
ON OUR BICYCLES, CAUGHT THE FREE SHUTTLE TO DAYS INN AND USED OUR $35
COUPON. IT COULD NOT BE SIMPLER.

day 38, mile 1769.6, Hempstead, TX

Well, we let a missed turn make our decision for us. We're now on a shorter, more southernly route to Baton Rouge, where my mom is coming to visit up. We'll probably get there a day early, in fact.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

day 37, mile 1712.9, Oldenburg, TX

another late start and lots of indecision today. We're trying to decide whether to stay on the bike route or attempt a more direct route paralleling I-10. This could save us lots of distance and/or get us into trouble if we end up somewhere that's not bicycle accessible. Possible hurricane damage is a whole other unknown variable. Also, look how creepy is this place we're camping!

our first rain?

They're saying rain today and tomorrow, but so far it's just really humid.

day 36, mile 1669.3, Bastrop Motel, Bastrop, TX

Austin was great. Almost too great - we didn't get out of there
until 1pm, and then slugged along slowly like slow slow slugs. Now,
in celebration of the holiday, we're watching playboy reality tv and
eating the traditional foods.

day 34, mile 1632.5, Austin, TX

Why does my beauty seem so effortless? Why am I always the picture of calm and elegence? Why do men adore me, women envy me, and leaders of th e world

day 33, mile 1632.5, Austin, TX

this is our festive room, in Greta and Lyska's house, where we will
be staying for TWO FULL DAYS OFF! OMG! WTFOTFL!!

spider house cafe, austin, tx

where katie's wallet went missing/lost/stolen. it sucks, but all
that was really lost was about $10 - all the cards were immediately
canceled.

the Wimberley visit was short and sweet - like the life of this piece of fudge. They will both be missed.

day 32, mile 1590.3, Wimberley, TX

Duncan (Jenny's boyfriend), Cousin Jenny, Uncle Don, Penny, Aunt Monica, Uncle Bob

hey, where'd my stuff go?

Thanks, Uncle Bob!

48 hard miles to wimberley

Okay, they're turning... Looks like they're gonna go north... Alright, ready? CUE THE NORTH WIND! Haha! Perfect! That out to slow 'em down some.

day 31, mile 1539, hwy 281, san antonio, tx

48 easy (?) miles to wimberley tomorrow!

day 30, mile 1481.6, Hondo Motel, Hondo, TX

hey Wind! You're going the WRONG WAY!

day 29, mile 1430, Uvalde, TX

Today we really overslept. We sat around for a while drinking
coffee, feeling kind of depressed and burned out. So we did what
always makes us feel better - started looking for shortcuts. We
found that we could shave about 30 miles and possibly some hills off
the ride to Wimberley by going through San Antonio, rather than the
meandering back road route Adventure Cycling was taking us on. By
the time we decided on what to do it was late and we didn't start
riding until 1p.m. When we got into Uvalde, 40 miles later, it was
getting dark and we weren't sure where we were going to sleep. We
met these people, Anne and Jack, at the grocery store. They asked us
about our trip, we talked for a minute, and they left. Nearly an
hour later they found us at Burger King and asked if we wanted to
stay at their house! They are sweethearts! It is very cold tonight
and we would be freezing under a bridge right now if it weren't for
them!
Also: In three days we will be in Wimberley, visiting my relatives!
The next day we will be in Austin, where we will have TWO DAYS off,
visiting Greta and Lyska and Chelsie and Everyone and Everything.

welcome to uvalde,

Where there is a beautiful sunset and nowhere to camp.

day 28, mile 1388.7, Fort Clark Springs Motel, Brackettville, TX

the wind was a lot tamer today, but it is getting COLD.

kath's reading material

nose faucets

day 27, mile 1322.8, Comstock Motel, Comstock, TX

What a miserable day.

jesus fucking christ.

I wish the wind had a face, so i could punch it.

day 26, mile 1249.2, near Langtry, TX

Sanderson flat, Sanderson, TX

day 25, mile, Hwy 90, 15 miles east of Marathon, TX

I can't beleive we've only just now started sleeping in drainage tunnels under roads. But, now that we have, I feel so smart that i'm afraid my bulging cranium will no longer be able to support it's own weight and that, in the morning, i'll wake up and find that it's caved in and begun to mildew.

day 24, mile 1148.3, Bien Venido Motel, Alpine, TX

broccoli with macaroni and cheese is the best! but you have to be
careful to not set off a smoke detector or poison yourself with
carbon monoxide when you make it!

day 23, mile 1085.4, Under A Bridge, Hwy 118, TX

Never has bicycle touring felt so domestic - a home, a two bike garage, coyote feces everywhere.

day 22, mile 1024.1, 9 miles west of Van Horn, TX

The place we're camping, about 20ft from the interstate, between an embankment and a fence, appears to the ruins of someone's guerrilla squash crop.

oh, we've done over 1,000 miles now

coyote trouble

day 20, mile 963.7, Fort Hancock, TX

The border patrol guy told us this would be an okay place to camp, but to "watch out for the barbed wire"

Good morning!

day 20, mile 905.3, Mesa Inn, El Paso, TX

so, at the $25 motel where we're staying, they've thoughtfully and
sensibly placed a rose garden in the courtyard next to the pool and
hot tub - this way, while you're lounging in the water, instead of
being forced to endure the offensive neutrality of plain air, you are
engulfed in the luxurious aroma of sweet flower essence... like a
civilized human.

welcome to texas

day 19, mile 830.2, Hatch, NM

trailer flats are gettin me down.

we're in chile country, but not the country chile

Black Range Lodge: Strawbale Coop

Black Range Lodge: Wood Burning Hot Tub

Black Range Lodge: Strawbale Fitness Hut

Black Range Lodge: Tierra Dactyl

day 18, mile 776.2, Black Range Lodge, Kingston, NM

we passed the highest pass we will pass - Emory Pass, 8,228 ft. it
was fucking hard.
we're staying at a place that i find hard to describe, so i won't.
just look at the picture. and imagine heated stone floors and wood
burning hot tubs and hot garlic vegetarian spaghetti.

day 17, mile 724.5, Palace Hotel, Silver City, NM

we froze last night, so we've cut a short day today and are staying
in a hotel, since we're at an even higher elevation than last night.
tomorrow we'll reach over 8,000ft. and after that descent, we'll be
in lowland for a while. The Palace is a little too plush for my
taste or budget, but i do like this tiny mural on our wall. I don't
know when i'll have reception again, so posts could be sparse.
goodnight.

day 16, mile 693.1, Bill Evans Lake Rd., NM

CLUE 1: i witness a black kitten fall from a tree and immediately
die.
CLUE 2: i rescue a black kitten from a tree.
CLUE 3: there are kittens everywhere. we are in kitten land, and,
for some reason, it is very creepy.
CLUE 4: we flee. the rescued kitten follows, but eventually turns
around.
CLUE 5: as we are falling asleep, we hear a faint but persistent
meow that seems to neither get closer or farther.

This is:
(a) the meowing of the rescued kitten
(b) the meowing of the ghost of the fallen kitten
(c) a and b

(this was posted a day late, due to lack of wireless coverage)

rescued kitten

(this was posted a day late, due to lack of wireless coverage)

The Land of Enchantment

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and tons - literally TONS - of Sacred Cliff Dwellings!!!