Day Thirty-three - Cleveland to Silsbee

YEEHAW! This is our last night in Texas. We have been here for 20 days. I can't believe it. We have gone from dry desert, depressed little towns, WINDS, cattle ranches, mountains, freezing temperatures, horrible roads, and dead skunks, to beautiful farms, lucious green meadows filled with wildflowers, green forest, nice homes, good roads, light winds, decent temperatures and dead armadillos. It has been quite an experience, but I think we are ready to move on. Today was another great day. We started off by going to a local donut shop. The young girl that waited on us was so impressed with what we were doing, she gave each of us an extra donut. So, once again, we get a taste of southern hospitality. The roads are pretty flat and in good condition. I didn't shift gears once all day! I just plugged into my ipod and rolled along. We only had to ride 63.5 miles so we were in no hurry. We stopped at Mama Jacks for lunch. That's where I took the picture of the "oats" sign. We met Mama Jack and talked to some of the locals then hit the road for the last stretch of the ride. We got to our motel and were greeted by Miss Kitty. I kid you not. That's her name. She has a very thick southern accent and bleached blonde hair and is kind of an air head. She says she has worked here since the sixties. I believe her. Well, we have three 80 plus mile days ahead of us. A lot of the woman are having quite a bit of trouble with saddle sores. I, for one, am grateful that my child bearing years are behind me. I don't think I will ever be quite the same. Well, tomorrow is Louisianna and margaritas, so I am off to bed.

Total elevation gain 482 feet.

29 days down and 21 days to go.

Day Thirty-two - Navasota to Cleveland

Well, the temperatures have dropped again, but not drastically. I'd say it was about 47 degrees when we left this morning. It warmed up pretty quick and we shed some clothes at the first sag stop (at mile 20). We rolled right along and had made it through what I think is probably the last of the rolling hills by about 11:00am. We stopped and had lunch at the Waverly House Restaurant and for desert, we had germain chocolate pie. The landscape is changing again. We are gradually getting into the pine forests. We were in the Sam Houston Wilderness the second part of the day. We also crossed Lake Conroe which is huge. If you looked on the map, we just crossed the tip of it. I was watching the elevation and it continued to drop all day. We are now at 150 feet above sea level! The road surfaces are definitely improving, there was hardly any wind, and the temperature was perfect. It was a very smooth ride. We are told it will get even better once we enter Louisianna, which will be the day after tomorrow. I can't believe we are almost through Texas. My wound is healing nicely. I took the bandages off this afternoon to let it get some air and people still sat next to me. That's a good sign. We reached our hotel at about 2:30. We showered then sat in the parking lot and had snacks and a drink. There is a Wal-Mart right next to us and as we were sitting there, a chicken comes waltzing through from their parking lot into ours? Then, a woman pulls up in her car and wants to sell us tomales from her back seat. It has been a very entertaining afternoon. We had a great dinner and are ready to call it a day.

My roommate tonight is another one of our sags drivers. Her name is Joann Bary. She is 69 years old. She lives in Pittsburg, PA. She has been riding for about 20 years and has partricipated in other womantours events. She is a very sweet lady.

Total elevation gain for today was 2411.

28 days down and 22 days to go.

Navasota rest day

Today was our rest day and that is exactly what I did. I have been reflecting on the trip so far, and there are a few things that I find interesting. We have determined that there are two groups of riders. The Big Girls, or, to be exact, the girls that ride in the big ring, and the other girls, the ones that ride in the middle ring. The great thing about it, is that no matter how you choose to ride, there is a place for you here. Some of us feel that we need to ride every mile, and others simply ride the portions that challenge them, but don't feel the need to push beyond their personal limits. A lot of the woman are reaching goals and riding in conditions, like snow, that they never thought they were capable of. Some of them actually stop and smell the flowers and take the time to enjoy the points of interest along the way. We call them our sweepers. Then there are the women that have had to deal with physical and mechanical problems beyond their control that have prevented them from participating in some of the rides. I can see the frustration in their faces. I know how I would feel. All in all, we are all reaching our own personal goals (like riding your first century) and each night we get together at happy hour and celebrate that days achievements. I feel very fortunate to be a part of is experience. These woman are amazing and I have no doubt that we will all see it through to the very end.

My roommate today is Sue Hersman, she is 54 and a real estate investor. Her boyfriend Bob visited us in Kerrville and rode with us a couple of days. Her picture is the first one for today.

Some of these pictures were taken by the other ladies. They are just random shots along the way.

Day Thirty-one - La Grange to Navasota

I woke up this morning and dreaded the ride ahead. It has been a long trip and I just wasn't feeling warm and fuzzy, if you know what I mean. We had 70 miles to ride and there were more rollers ahead of us, although, they do seem to be flattening out a little more each day. There was also going to be wind and no one really knew in which direction we would be hit. I started ahead of the group and didn't plan on making any stops besides the necessary water and bathroom stops. Those of you that know me well, know that I do need my alone time. I call them my mental health days. Well, it turned out to be a good plan. As I rode pass the gorgeous fields of flowers, the lush green pastures, the horses, and on the fairly nice roads, I felt rejuvenated. I stopped about halfway on the route in the town of Independence and had an ice cream cone at the general store. The people there were very nice. They keep a guestbook for cyclist that come through and they had me sign it. The name I saw that lived the closet to Auburn, was from Pleasanton. As I talk to people, I am hearing a definite Texas accent. I'm getting excited again. This part of the trip is the reason I chose the southern tier. I forgot to mention that Amy, one of our sag drivers, met a local woman that rides a tandem with her husband. Her name is Arza and she was so excited about our trip, that she met us at the end of her driveway this morning with fresh coffee and kolaches for everyone. A little southern hospitality to send us on our way.

Total elevation gain for today was 2673.

p.s. not too many pictures today. My camera has really given it up. I will be getting a new one tomorrow.

27 days down and 23 days to go.