(January 8th)

Day 14 - Bastrop to Austin TX

Friends & Family

 

My son Zach and his girlfriend Whitney drove down from their home in Dallas today so that we could all go out to dinner. I loved seeing them!

 

My tribe is growing :) Today, just outside of a tiny place called Cedar Creek Texas, I met Chuck Albert who is in the middle of riding all around the "perimeter" of the US. He began in the Northeast, went to Washington state, went all down the Pacific Coast and is on his way to Florida along the same route I just came from.

 

 My first view of Austin. You'll be able to see the skyline if you REALLY zoom in.

 

Yesterday was a pretty lonely day in that I had minimal interaction with my fellow earth-dwellers, which explains all the gear talk :) But as one might expect from this trip so far, however, today I spent talking with other folks for hours!

My first meeting was with a fellow traveler by the name of Chuck Albert (you can follow his blog at crazyguyonabike.com/doc/BikeTourLX). He is riding the "perimeter" of the US and has been out on the road for many months. Interestingly, he is being supported by a buddy who is driving his van along the route. They stop together in the evening and, if needed, load Chuck's bike and gear in the van to shuttle to somewhere swiftly. So far, every one of the fellow travelers I've met is touring in a COMPLETELY different fashion than I am :) Meeting them is such a fun moment, and much like finding a loose $20 bill in your couch cushions. Totally surprising but entirely welcome.

I think part of why my conversation with Chuck was so pleasant was because the riding day was so perfect today. Upper 40's/Low 50's meant it was cool but not cold, the sky was clear, the wind was at my back and the roads were smooth. Bike touring nirvana! Well, not to mention that Chuck had successfully just scared off an aggressive dog moments before I rode up, sparing me having to break out my pepper spray. Well done Chuck!

I cover my excellent Warmshowers hosts in my next entry, but will share a bit more here about my son Zach's visit here. As you can see in the attached pic, he and his girlfriend Whitney very graciously drove down from Dallas just to see me Sunday night (in fact, they didn't even stay, but simply drove back after dinner, that's how nice they were!). They picked me up at my host's home and we decided to have Korean (Pho) for dinner. Excellent choice! We talked for about 3 hours about their time together, my trip, my other kids, etc.. It was a fabulous chat and I can't wait to see them again soon as I think I've convinced them to come see me in Ridgeland once I return home.