There and Back Again

After a rest day, we were ready to hit the road again with refreshed legs!

Ryan spent all day on the 29th finessing his new wheel onto his bike and 60 plus miles have testified to his hard work!

We have officially entered the desert landscape and are seeing new spikey plants today and flowing desert cactus. What a fantastic time to travel this area! We are loving the exposed rock, LONG flat vistas, canyons, and beautiful sunsets painting the landscape.

Some Ansel Adam inspired photography for you all today 😉

Our campsite was 60 miles from any gas station on top of a hill right next to the highway. We fell asleep to the sound of semi trucks which reminded me a little bit of ocean waves. Not bad!

Just left Del Rio on the 90 West

Technical difficulties!

Our VERY windy 30 mile ride into Del Rio took over four hours to complete and left us with a serious mechanic issue to sort out on Ryan’s bike. What an interesting history for the road we were traveling on though!

Unfortunately the only bike shop in town, or for miles and miles for that matter, was closed and with no employee in sight. Ryan is one of the most resilient people I know though, and after lots of searching he managed to find a suitable part to replace his damaged rear wheel in a pawn shop!

We met a very friendly local, Bob, who helped us try and open up Ryan’s new wheel hub to no avail, but we left with good feelings and gratitude for kind strangers. Tomorrow will be spent figuring out a way to get into his new wheel and gathering supplies for our upcoming 90 mile dry stretch with no water.

Our day ended with some DELICIOUS enchiladas (to-go of course with the restaurant ban).

What a day. I was out as soon as we had the tent set up in a wide open grassy field near the outskirts of town.

Route info for interested readers:

We left Bracketville on highway 55 towards Del Rio and it was a straight shot all the way into town!

Okay. We are back on the grind. But before we ground today, we took it very easy!

Our camp takedown took about 2.5 hours as we enjoyed a slow wake up and breakfast.

A short 5 mile ride took us into Camp Wood where we met Helen, the support van driver from Washington state who was doing the souther tier route with her husband and his friend. What a great way to travel! She drives all of their heavy supplies and camping gear ahead while they do the biking. Any volunteers out there to drive a support van for Ryan and I? 😉

We had a great time leaving the tiny town, stopping to see the mohair jacket and coat shop run by the legendary mohair designer, Dolores. We also split a pint of ice cream, a huge dried sausage, and each had our own packet of ramen before busting out the rest of the day riding in the hot sun.

53 miles was a lot on legs so sore from the hills yesterday, and the poorly paved country roads left my behind more than a little sore. Our destination, Bracketville, made it all worth it though. We met a SUPER nice and interesting Catholic priest, Father James, who is letting us camp in their Sunday school room for the night. We also split three Subway foot longs, you’re very welcome, sore legs! Enjoy the extra fuel and please please use it for muscles to make this journey easier! 😂

We rode into Camp Wood and took a left on Highway 55. That took us 20 miles to County Road (or farm road?) 334 all the way into Bracketville.

Today was a beast. We CLIMBED some insane hills! The elevation change from Vanderpool to Camp Wood Texas was 2,000 ft up and 2,000 feet down. Unfortunately this was not the rolling hill kind of up and down but a steep incline for a few miles at a time followed by a thrilling downhill shortly after, then a lot of fairly flat terrain.

We are certainly in Texas Hill country and my knees are feeling it!

Once again we’ve gotten lucky with a friendly Texan allowing us to pitch our tent on their spacious property. Tonight we stayed on Milo and Marianne’s 1,600 acres, complete with a gorgeous swimming spot where we scrubbed ourselves clean under the stars. Milo was a lot of fun to talk to and offered us so many interesting facts about the plants and wildlife in the area.

The swimming was in the top five experiences I’ve had on this trip for sure.

Route info for interested readers:

From 39, left on 187 then right on 337

Do you ever wake up and just feel thankful to be alive? This morning that was easy with such a beautiful campsite and a night of stargazing in Stonehenge behind us.

We took the morning slow and stopped by McDonalds after setting up camp for THREE breakfast sandwiches each. Amazing how you can eat when your job is to exercise.

After that and another stop for supplies at Walmart (thank you Walmart!) we went to a laundromat, leaving with clean clothes and freshly patched shorts for Ryan. No more hole in the rear. So much embarrassment spared.

If you ever want to go camping in Texas, so far I recommend visiting Hunt. It felt unpretentious and resorty and lead straight into several retreat and camp sites on gorgeous winding forest roads.

Camp tonight was set with the neighbor’s permission on a tiny grassy ridge just off the road deep in the country. Four for four of amazing campsites with VERY little planning ahead. Thank you West Texas!!!

Route info for interested readers:

27 to 39. That’s all folks!

We rose early at 7am to leave with Steven on his way out to work and did some stretching before the journey began.

We found one of our favorite biking spots yet on a very secluded country road that meandered through the hills. The land opened up a bit so fewer fences meant more wildlife. We saw a wild turkey, and cow, and a couple of dung beetles going cross the road! I only got a picture of the later haha!

After a hard day’s work and a couple stops at the H.E.B. and Walmart to prepare for the more secluded stretches ahead, we visited Stonehenge II in Ingram, TX.

We had the pleasure of meeting Tom Hardin here who is in the middle of a motorcycle tour around Southwest Texas… Maybe someday we will try his method of travel 😉 Hope you find a fun place to stay tonight, Tom!

The Stonehenge II put us right on Lake Old Ingram around sunset and right by Texas’s oldest outdoor theatre built in 1959. This place is, once again, breathtaking.

Lucky for us the box office manager Jeffrey lives on site and said we can camp out RIGHT on the river. What a beautiful night to be in Texas.

Route info for interested readers:

We left Steve’s place about 10 miles out from Fredericksburg. A right onto Tividale Rd from the 16 south took us to a fairly quiet country road that was flatter than the last two days. After around 10 miles on this stretch we turned left onto White Oak Road for our favorite part of the day. This road took us about 20 miles to Harper Road and into Kerrville. We took a right on the 27 and stopped at Ingram.

A late start to the day with lots of silly shenanigans at camp got us on the road around 10:30. Within the first few pedal strokes my legs reminded me they were no longer fresh… but after a warm up I was ready to bust some country hills!

Today was the first day we met a fellow bicycle tourist! Hello Joe!! You are so brave to be traveling alone and were one of the most laid back people we’ve met on this trip. No surprise 😉 It was so fun to see another tourist. Good luck on your travels!

This was one of the most beautiful days yet on the trip. I was constantly in awe of the misty scenery which looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale! There were also TONS of butterflies… sadly the only ones I was able to capture were dead. There were a lot of dead ones. So sad. And beautiful. Argh.

The entire day was riding through fenced off ranch land and we saw lots of beautiful gates, my favorite metal work though was this Corona drinking Armadillo. How appropriate March, 2020 😉

As the day went on we started to become a bit concerned about finding land that wasn’t protected by a barbed wire fence where we could pitch our tent. Thankfully we met a VERY kind Texan, Steven who let us sleep on his property and fed us delicious homemade Axis Deer chili and tamales after a warm shower. SCORE!! Thank you so much Steven! We loved getting to meet you and hear about your life.

Route info for interested readers:

We continued along Fitzhugh into the little Johnson City and took a hop North on 281 to Farm Road 1323. We turned onto 1320 and then 2721 where we met Steven on our way to Fredericksburg.

First day back on the road. Fresh legs, and ahhhhh warmer weather. That means more sweat… but less shivering uncontrollably and dreading the exit of my warm sleeping bag on freezing mornings!

Ryan and I left Austin after a quick update to his bottom bracket (where the pedals attach to the bike). He now has sealed bearings which should be a lot less maintenance 👍🏼

Speaking of bike updates, THANK you to TREK for gifting us both with more durable tires. What a cool company. Thank you also to the very thoughtful and sweet Susan Wagner for instigating the interaction! You’re the best ❤️ we love you!

Some more wild flowers that are covering the green grassy country roads. This place is gorgeous.

Route info for interested readers:

We left Austin and hopped right onto the well traveled Southern Tier route. I can see why this route is worth sticking to because we had fantastic quiet country roads all day once out of the city. We took the 1 over to Bee Caves Road then dropped from Thomas Springs Road onto Fitzhugh Rd. All were fantastic.

Luckily, we found a small patch of unfenced wooded land and set up camp for the night amongst many little spiders, and possibly some slime mold!

We have hit the road again!! Here is a far too brief summary of our time in Austin:

THANK YOU THANK YOU to Oso and Craig for letting us crash with you and for fitting us into your lives. You made us feel so welcome and made me realize even more why Ryan loves you both so much. So many delicious meals, engaging music, and long conversations. We are looking forward to many more memories with you both!

Ryan got into the pedicab family in Austin and was even hired to do mechanical work on the bikes! He’s really getting good at it and I am SO thankful. I love having a bonafide bike mechanic as my boyfriend and travel companion 😊

Austin, thank you for so many bike rides, walks, and runs by Lady Bird Lake. If you ever visit Austin, they have an AMAZING trail built right along both sides of the water running through the middle of town. It’s one of the most beautiful city trails I’ve ever been on and I made sure to take full advantage while we were there.

I had the pleasure of developing a friendship with Anna Araya ❤️ thank you Anna for your witty remarks, INCREDIBLE listening ability, and your sweet love for cats that bonds us 😊

While Ryan was earning some extra money pedicabbing, my dad flew me to meet him in Las Vegas where he was for a few days on a work trip. After exploring the strip, eating gourmet dinners, and getting some quality father daughter time, we flew to Anaheim and met my mom and sister for Disneyland, delicious food adventures (including an authentic Filipino meal), and top down mustang convertible California driving. We all went home to Washington after and soaked in the atmosphere of being with family. Thank you Mommy, Daddy, and Michaela for such a fun and restorative time ❤️ I love you guys! I attribute so many of the good things in my life to you three.

Getting around with no car. Wow. Cars are nice when you live somewhere for a while. Biking is great, and the busses work well… but I have a new appreciation for the comfort and ease of owning a vehicle.

Helping Ryan’s cousin, Staryn, regrout his natural stone tile floor. What a job! And with such great company! We earned a delicious home cooked dinner by his gorgeous girlfriend Missy after and had fun talking with them and her son Tristan who is building his own motorized long board from scratch.

I painted 20 full page watercolor illustration children’s book and got to try out being a full time illustrator. Thank you Ryan Hanlon for trusting me with your beautiful story!

My time in Austin was one of the most challenging stages of my life, mostly due to grappling with so much uncertainty of the future and a loss of a sense of direction. I wish I could say I handled it with courage and grace… Not always the case. I am left feeling so thankful for the great memories and a developed a little bit more compassion for people who are displaced, uncertain, or lonely.

What an appropriate time for reflecting on uncertainty as we all deal with the coronavirus and its unprecedented effect on our lives. My heart goes out to anyone who feels the existential pressure of not knowing what is coming. I pray that even in difficult times and mindsets, we will find our way home to loving ourselves and the people in our lives, and to seeing the blessings all around us that can get taken for granted if we aren’t careful to look closely ❤️ Also for creativity to handle the new challenges that get thrown our way! A lotus can’t bloom without mud.

We are curious to see what traveling will look like as fear is generally high right now, but we are hopeful and ready to ride!

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It’s been real Austin.

Thank you especially to Ryan Wagner for sticking beside me through all of this adventure. Your loyalty and resilience have carried me further than I ever saw myself going! Thank you for being my partner.

Okay quick update! We are officially extending our stay in Austin!!!

Thank you to the Anna and the boys, Jonah, Oso, and Craig for keeping us comfortable, well entertained, and for being so enthusiastic about good food! 😉

While we are here, I will be illustrating a children’s book for Ryan Hanlon, a connection made years ago in San Diego! Ryan Wagner will be making many tamales to sell and is all permitted up in Austin to pedicab. He even had to take a written test for that permit! Of course he passed.

Teaser for the children’s book! My favorite illustration so far out of 6.

Along with those things I will be working hard to learn how to be MORE CHILL!!! Let worries about the future go (while still maintaining healthy habits) and enjoying having VERY few responsibilities and very loyal friends.

I will also be working on playing the harmonica, thank you Ryan for the Christmas present 🎁 💝

The last two week in pictures:

Turns out Austin is a good place to see old friends and meet their friends. I was SO lucky to be here while one of my oldest dearest friends was taking a vacation in the same spot! We met up and danced our hearts out, just like old times. I love you Kaelyn Baker!

I’ve also cooked my heart out. Here are some of my favorite dishes!

I am also trying to feel myself into the haircut I’ve got. Do I like it? Yes. Am I scared of it? Yes. Did I cut it myself with a knife and scissors? Yes.

Stay tuned! Our plan is to leave in about 6 weeks (my guess for the time it will take to finish the children’s book). Until then, I love you all and always enjoy hearing from you!!