Day 51 - Del Rio to Langtry

Thursday. May 6.

Jake didn't arrive back at the Elks Lodge until 2AM. However, he had a brand new Long Haul Trucker and was ready to complete the trip to California.

I had spent some time in the Elks Lodge the night before, so I was also extra tired in the morning.

We had originally talked about starting to ride before the sun came up to beat the heat. Since we were short on sleep, we decided to start later and play the heat by ear.

After a big breakfast at the HEB in Del Rio, we finally began riding towards the west. This began the Texas stretch of nothingness. During the next 200+ miles, the towns will be spaced 30 to 40 to even 55 miles apart. Carrying extra water and food is vital for these stretches. Especially because the forecast calls for highs in the upper 90's.

The only thing out there is wide open space and US Border Patrol.


The heat was scorching but we were fortunate to have a tailwind and we ended up riding 60 miles before 2:30pm, stopping in a town called Langtry. It's a tiny little town, made famous by Judge Roy Bean. Don't worry, I hadn't heard of him either.



We also met two riders headed eastbound, and they were just taking a pit stop in Langtry. They had yet another 30 miles of nothing until they hit another town. Nice guys, and they are making blazing good time across the country.

In the evening, we walked around to take in the scenery.

The town of Langtry has seen better days.



Luckily, the people that do live in Langtry are pretty awesome. They permit bicyclers to camp in behind the community center for a recommended donation of $2.


It also happened to be their monthly meeting night, so we were invited in for a potluck dinner and some of the best iced tea I've ever had.

Shortly after a beautiful sunset, we went to sleep. Our plan for tomorrow is to wake up early and start riding before the sun rises. It is probably our only hope to beat the heat through the desert.


Day 51 - xx Miles
Trip to Date - xx miles
Coast to Coast - xx miles