Friday October 11, 2013, 31 miles (50 km) – Total so far: 464 miles (746 km)
Eight straight days of bike riding are over and while feeling the need for rest, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. It was another great trip and all of our careful planning worked out. Overall, beautiful roads, comfortable hotels, delicious meals, very courteous drivers and friendly people along the way made this third leg of our journey equally as memorable as the first two. Texas has been a pleasant surprise for me. I have never really spent much time in the Lone Star State but discovered that Texans are rightfully proud of their enormous state. Although there was not the spectacular view from the top of Emory pass, or the view of the Pacific Ocean, it possesses its own type of desolate beauty. I look forward to two more weeks in the future to complete the ride all the way across Texas and into Louisiana. We were dropped off by the Sag Wagon in Bracketville and rode west for this short segment. We needed to dis-assemble our bikes and check out of the Hampton Inn by noon and then drive to San Antonio for our flight home. We reckoned (localism) that it would be safer to ride west at sunrise because the angle of the sun is directly in east bound drivers eyes, making that direction a bit hazardous for bike riders on the shoulder. We packed the car and left Del Rio around 7 a.m. Sunrise was 7:38 this morning. Unfortunately we got lost in the dark and almost drove right into Mexico. It turned out to be an overcast day and we had our first rainy ride (just a short drizzle, thankfully). This section is on the ACA map # 4 so we did get a little closer to San Antonio. For something completely different, I didn’t get a flat tire…good way to finish!
The border fence in Del Rio. We didn’t want to go that way.
Rt. 90 west bound between Bracketville and Del Rio. A few minutes of drizzle and then it cleared up somewhat. The chip seal surface was especially rough until we crossed back into Val Verde County.
Trainer plane landing at Laughlin Air Force Base. The shoulder is smoother than the road here.
The view of a mall in Del Rio from the Hampton Inn.
Rudy’s Barbecue. We had dinner and lunch here. Great barbecue.
The Alamo in San Antonio.
We had dinner on our last night at The Salt Grass Steakhouse on the River Walk.
Our starting point for next year’s ride.