We slept at the A-OK Motel in Waurika and wondered if we would wake up alive. Well, it wasn't that bad but Ted did set up a booby trap on the door in case someone tried to come in. Given that the door only hand a handset with a weak chain, it was certainly possible. I slept with my can of Halt and air horn next to the bed.
We awoke at 5:20 to get an early start on what we knew would be along day. Rain was in the forecast and the wind was going to be in our faces a good bit of the time. After breakfast and and all the other preps, we were on our way by 7:15. A very wet, misty morning.
The morning stayed very wet and eventually it did rain on us, albeit in the form of a light drizzle. But we were all in good spirits and the first 20 miles went by very quickly.
A good part of the region where we have been riding has been under a severe drought, having received no rain since October. On our ride yesterday, I mentioned to Cliff that I was surprised to see the grass along the shoulder and in the pastures green if there hasn't been any rain. Cliff thought the dew was probably enough to do the trick. And, this morning, I saw just how much water a heavy mist could produce.
Some of the grooves of the rumble strip on the shoulder had maybe as much as a half an inch of water. This was all due to condensation as it had not rained yet.
We turned off US Hwy 81 and on to US Hwy 82 which would be a straight shot to Gainsville, our destination. 81 was rather quite but 82 was a different story. Not incredibly busy but enough to keep us on our toes. The shoulder was rather rough so Ted and I ended up riding in the lane a good bit. Even though it was a divided four lane, this did not make some people happy if they had to slow down before being able to move over. One pick up truck pulled up behind Ted and Cliff on the shoulder and drove behind them for a short distance while he cursed them out. Oh, well. We did have several folks give us friendly honks.
We knew Texas had large ranches as was evidenced by the following ranch.
We kept seeing the sign for the Three Bars Ranch on property alongside the road for over 7 miles.
We stopped for lunch in Nacona, TX, but were disappointed by the BBQ place we ate at. Cliff thought Nacona was the home of Nacona boots, which he wore as a kid. The main factory had moved to San Antonio but he was happy to see the old factory still there though, it was for sale.
After more miles of rough pavement, dampness and wind in our face, we made a pit stop in St Jo, TX which had a nice open square. Many of the buildings still had the old facade and brick dating back to at least the 1930s and one building dated back to the 1880s.
Ted and Cliff had an ice cream while I had my leftover strawberries and a banana. Outside the ice cream shop was this old trike which reminded me of the one that I had when I was a little kid. That this was parked outside the ice cream shop was perfect since the memory I have of mine is not riding it but turning it upside down, turning the front wheel with the pedals and saying that I was an ice cream truck. I don't know the connection but that is the memory.
Only one picture left from today's ride and it is of the house below we passed as we went down a side street of St Jo. Being a very small town with a population of only 1,598, we were very surprised to see such a large house. The trees prevented getting a fuller view of the building.
Ten hours later, we arrived in Gainsville. Fortunately, the hotel we are staying at is in walking distance of the downtown square and where we had dinner. We went to a local establishment that seemed very promising but, unfortunately, we were all disappointed in our meals.
Tomorrow's ride will be relatively short (about 35-40 miles) but since Ted and I are driving back up to northwest Arkansas once we get back to Denton, Texas, it may be very late before I have a chance to update.
It's been a great journey and it's been wonderful how well we have all gotten along.
Today's Ride: 7hrs 44mins in the saddle. 10 hours from start to finish. 75.03 miles. 55-65 degrees. Very misty, light rain at times. 15mph wind. Miles YTD:2,298.37
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