A lovely ride in the wrong direction....
Today I left the Best Western in La Grange in good time at 8 a.m. to ride some 60 miles to Navasota TX along a highway route part of the way and then along a farm road. I rode up the traffic laden road first where huge trucks whizzed by the narrow shoulder, and one man sounded his horn in indignation. I came to the conclusion that we need a network of roads for bicycles ONLY with several lanes and pullouts and small pumping stations for tires and minor repairs and snacks. It should run across the country and up and down as well, so cyclists can get the full benefit of the roads which we support with our taxes.
Thinking such worthy thoughts, I came to the place where we had to change from Route 290 to route 390 by going left at a gas station. I thought the gas station would be on the right and then I'd go left. So I tootled on, happy that there was now a much wider shoulder to ride and wondering why I didn't see any others from my group. After about five miles of steady pedaling, way beyond the place I should have seen the gas station. I concluded I was on the wrong road. It was a major highway with trucks and cars speeding by at 80 mph, and no-one in the bike lane.
I whipped out my trusty Iphone and called the Sag Wagon. Pat said yes indeed, I had missed the turn and she was waiting for the other riders, so I'd just have to ride back and take the turning on to 390 when I saw the gas station. So I carefully rode across the four-lane highway to the other shoulder, and began pedaling back along the way from the other side of the street. I had passed a winery on the other side and thought that might be a good place to stop - but nothing on this side of any interest. Sure enough, I came upon the gas station and a sign saying "Route 390" so I took it and began pedaling along the road to try and make up for lost time. This was a beautiful country road near a tiny town called Burton and past farms where cows and calves lolled about on the green grass and where the trees were so fresh and green in springtime bloom and where whole fields were rustling in the wind covered with deep blue Texas Bluebonnets. It was really beautiful and peaceful and so different from the highways and traffic I'd just seen.
I was however now way behind the others and realized I'd never get to the second Sag stop until it was really late. Suddenly a man came bicycling along followed by his personal Sag Wagon driven by what turned out to be his wife. I stopped to ask him if the next left turn was correct to get to Gay Hill, where the Sag was waiting, and he said it was but it was a long ride. I sighed and he said; "Maybe my wife can take you there." She got out of the car and said; "I just stopped to talk to allyour group of women and I was there when you called.. They're parked by a church and you are all doing such a wonderful job bicycling and I met them all." She said: "It's a long ride there" and I realized I would be really late. She then drove the car to show her husband where to go for his ride that day - he is riding to raise money for children in Sri Lanka - and then came back, expertly loaded my bike on the back of her car, and drove me the 10 miles or so to Gay Hill where the Sag Wagon and the van were waiting to see where I was. We had a lovely talk about raising money by bicycling and exchanged cards -and said goodbye. She and her husband come from Virginia and are also doing a cross-country trip.
I was so late that it would have been difficult to start riding another 30 miles to get to Navasota since everyone else was way ahead of me, so I got in the van with a couple of others who'd found it too much for them to finish. We picked up one more person and then drove along beautiful country roads, past flowers, herds of cows, old farm houses, and rolling green fields until we reached Navasota and another Best Western.
Tomorrow is our day off again - much sooner than last time! So as everyone came in there was a sense of relief that we didn't have to get organized for an early start and a long biking day. Linda whipped up a delicious dinner of chicken stew, sweet potatoes, spinach salad, and cheesecake and chocolate cake, and we sat outside in the parking lot by the van in the warm spring air of a Texas April evening laughing and talking.
Jo from Colorado told me that there's a huge winter storm dropping April snow right now. I am happy to be missing it but it's nice to know that Colorado hasn't changed its unpredictable weather.
My plan tomorrow is to get a haircut, and I may even have a massage, and explore the town and try not to get lost on foot.
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