Leaving Marathon, we were on the road by 9 am, which was about the usual for this trip, making for relaxing mornings. This hotel is in Sanderson.
It was a great morning for riding, as we had become accustomed to. The normal temperature was from high 50s to high 70s with a constant threat of rain, just like this day. I was reveling in the deserted West Texas highway, cruising in the cool temperatures, listening to Bob Dylan introduce drinking songs. XM definitely indulges my eclectic music taste. My music listening had been dormant for years due to boredom with my CD collection and FM radio being out of the question. MP3 doesn't appeal to me, so I'm very pleased with XM radio.
Here's Deb fully geared up for rain again. I had long ago decided that brief and/or light showers weren't worth gearing up for because I would rather be wet than hot. Plus, I have a lot more fairing/windshield to duck behind.
Hwy 90 High Bridge across the Pecos is special to me because I've paddled out of that canyon five times after completing the canoe trip from Pandale. The wind blowing against you, the perception of not making headway toward the bridge, and the shallow, silted channel (in past years) add up to make the finish very challenging.
We got a free room, a great meal, and spent a wonderful evening with Gilagringo's parents in Uvalde. Raymond, pictured below, is an accomplished motorcyclist whose stable inculeds a GoldWing, a KLR, and an R-RT.
He is known for being the handiest mechanic in Copper Canyon and for this device: The Stick.
Got it figured out? Yep, that's a joystick steering control that Raymond has been using for years to chew up mileage in a more relaxed posture. He will no doubt use it to his advantage on our upcoming attempt at the Saddle Sore 1500.
Here we are ready for departure Thursday morning prior to the obligatory huevos rancheros.
We made it to Luling Thursday and picked up some beef and sausage at City Market. Good stuff. I would have to compare the beef side-by-side with Smitty's, but I like the sausage in Lockhart better. We took a detour from our planned route to Gonzalez to miss a rainshower (mostly miss, that is). We went a little further down 10 then went south to Shiner on 95. Strictly by chance, we got to the brewery right at the beginning of one of two daily tours.
Debbie and I have toured numerous breweries and distilleries on our trips, but this one actually tops the big operations. They wouldn't allow pictures but you can see the entire process from one viewing spot. The empty bottles coming in one side, the filling, capping, pasteurizing, labeling....all right in front of you. Bottles moving in every direction. It was great. Almost as the good as the Hefewiezen and the Kolsch that I sampled in the hospitality room. Nothing like beer that hasn't been on the highway!
I'm sorry, Wayne, but I have to show this limited-editon, 98th anniversary Bavarian that isn't available anywhere but Shiner, yet. It's gooood.
We got to Sugarland after a 300-mile day. I got somewhat perturbed when the Crabb River exit off 59 was closed and we had to doubleback with rush hour traffic for our second attempt. It wasn't too bad, but Saturday's escape on the Beltway wasn't much fun with rain and a toll booth that ask me for an extra $.50 when I had my quarters counted and separated in my tank bag. Also, the honking motorists while I put my gloves back on did nothing for my enjoyment level.
Here is a shot of my terrific niece, Alex, with my wonderful parents, Neal and Jean.
In the future, I might be able to paste a track from the GPS, but for now, here's what our journey looked like on the map.
The next reply will wrap this thread up.