After the map meeting, we all piled in the van and drove back into Kerrville to Billy Gene's Restaurant for a taste of the Hill Country. Chicken-fried steak was a popular choice. Linda and Flynn, who live or have lived in the South, pronounced it very good. Catfish and sweet potatoes were also on the menu. Julie said we are nearing Southern cooking. Pictured enjoying dinner are (left to right) Mitch, Julie, Bruce, Bob Plant, Jerry, Bob G, Linda, Bob Pedersen, Julianne, Terry, Andre, Flynn, Ken, Carol (hidden) and Rhodri.
Andre polled the group and calculated we collectively have 22 children and coincidentally 22 grandchildren. Grand-dogs were not counted.
More cicadas tonight when we returned to the campground. They chirped gently throughout the night. It was warm enough to sleep on top the sleeping bag.
A blog reader asked about the phrase "all the riders made it in" used in a recent post. This was misleading on my part. Most days all riders make it to camp by 6 pm. An exception may be the sweep rider, Mitch or Julianne alternately, who starts late due to packing the van after breakfast clean-up. Several times equipment issues such as a broken wheel rim prevented riding a bike and necessitated a phone call to the van driver. On one occasion a rider was too played out to finish the ride on a long day. It's a strong group.
A nearby resident of Kerrville is Kinky Friedman, the songwriter, musician, mystery writer and political gadfly.
Today we rode 59 miles in six hours, and ascended 2600 feet. Weather was low overcast with a misting rain off and on all day. Fortunately temps were moderate, so we only needed a rain jacket.
The ride was chip seal all the way. Sigh. The first 12 miles were on state route 173 to Center Point. The town has the off-white limestone buildings typical of the Texas Hill Country. Posing in front of the 1875 Wooll's Building are (left to right) Linda, Bob G, Carol, Jerry, Bob Plant and Andre.
Another 12 miles got us to the town of Comfort and the high point of today's ride, a great coffee shop and bakery. The photo of Andre and Bob G shows them blissfully rocking on the front porch.
We passed through Waring and its general store. We see lots of these on the ride. Some are touristy; others are the real deal.
After Waring, as we rode down a county road, we were surprised to see in a field a Navy F-8 jet airplane with its wings and engine removed. It was the same type of plane Bob Plant worked on while at Miramar Naval Air Station near San Diego. Andre knows of the planes since he was a Navy pilot. See the photo of the two excited ex-Navy guys by the plane.
Soon we reached Sisterdale and its winery. See photo of Rhodri with a happy find. Hill Country wines are carried in many local stores.
The ranches we passed today are upscale, with grand entrances and neat fences. Feel like gentleman's ranches. A photo shows an assortment of local animals above a ranch gate.
We are camped in Blanco State Park, beside a pasture. See the photo of the locals welcoming Andre to the neighborhood.
The local beer du jour is Alamo, brewed in Blanco. Pretty good!
Dinner tonight was outstanding. Jerry and Carol made chicken fajitas with all the trimmings, and a great salad. See photo of Bob G loading up his plate.
Several riders are real wine connoisseurs. I marvel at their ability to sniff out good wine in tiny towns in Arizona, New Mexico and now Texas. They also had to factor in dry counties. Pictured with recent Hill Country finds are Rhodri, Bob Pedersen and Andre.
As the miles add up, duct tape makes its appearance. See photos of Bob Plant's improvised map holder and my handlebar tape repair. Julie used duct tape on a bandaged finger last night.
Tomorrow we are on to Austin and a comfy bed. Looking forward to it!
Bruce
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