We were pretty wiped after our long day yesterday, and Jake woke up to find yet another broken spoke on his wheel. Yes, the new wheels he just bought in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Jake also had some knee pain, so instead of riding all the way to Del Rio, we decided to stop in Bracketville.
Just a few miles into the riding, we passed by a tandem going the other way. We stopped and chatted for a while. This couple is riding the Southern Tier for their 30th Anniversary. They rode the Northern Tier (well, most of it) for their 20th Anniversary. Pretty cool.
Unfortunately, the ride from Camp Wood to Bracketville was entirely on chip seal. For those who have never ridden a bicycle on it, it's terrible. They put down tar and then simply lay down gravel on top of it. Eventually, the tires from cars wear smooth spots in the lanes, but our stretch of road was either too new, or too sparsely traveled. Probably a little of both. In several hours of riding, we only saw a few dozen vehicles.
This riding surface produces a constant vibration that can't be controlled. Eventually, my hands, elbows, shoulders, feet started aching for a smoother road.
All of this said, the scenery was still pretty awesome.
We pulled into the town of Brackettville and hoped to find a swimming hole so we could escape the heat. Nope.
We went into a small restaurant to eat, only to find they don't take cards and we were out of cash. Nope, no food for us.
We went across to the Historic Fort Clark campground, which also had a sign for a restaurant (the universal plate fork and knife), only to find they didn't have a restaurant. Nope, no restaurant here.
We went into the campground, after being told at the gate it would be $10 for the two of us. Nope, it's $10 per tent.
We went into the community room right next to the office to get out of the heat. Nope, that is for RV campers only.
So, today was slightly less than perfect. Almost every town in Texas has been awesome. This one, not so much.
We ended our day by riding our bicycles through a "Drive-thru" Liquor store and headed back to camp.
Day 48 - 50.84 Miles
Trip to Date - 2627.05 miles
Coast to Coast - 1624.60 miles
Dudes, I just got caught up on your journey and you are going to be soooooooo strong by quittin' time! Not that you are not already, proven by what you have accomplished thus far! Jake, I hope everything has worked out with your bike and whatever you decided upon proves to be a lightning quick endurance inducing steed with wings. . .and very strong spokes. Del, give the Felt a stroke and whisper sweet nothings into her derailleur to keep her happy. Hot lava!
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