Distance: 36.41 mi (on bike)
Average: 13.6 mph
Maximum Speed: 33.7 mph
Time in motion: 2:39:52
I got up at four a.m. to the sound of my alarm clock in Saint Louis, MO. After a quick breakfast and a shower, we headed to the airport. My flight to Denver was uneventful. Once there I met up with Jesse, the friend who I will be riding with on this trip. He had just flown in from Bismarck, ND, to Denver. From there we both got on the same plane to El Paso, Texas. After a long layover in Denver, we boarded our plane to Texas. We were in the Lone Star State by about noon.
Exiting the El Paso airport was exciting. The warm weather, the sunshine ... I immediately exclaimed, "It's a good day to ride." We hopped in a cab and rode over to Crazy Cat Cyclery, where our bikes had been shipped and were waiting for us. Aside from a bent luggage rack, my bike arrived intact. No matter how the bike is packed, something always gets bent or broken! But thankfully, the bike itself was in perfect condition.
We headed down Mesa Street, though downtown, and then east on Delta Drive. The roads were very nice in the city, even with moderate traffic. A bit further out, until we got to a turnoff for Soccorro, there was heavier traffic on a two-lane road with no shoulders. But after that, things started to become rural. The last few miles of our ride were scenic and calm as we pedaled through pecan grove after pecan grove. The weather down here is great! Back home in North Dakota it is ZERO degrees and there is a blizzard.
Once were settled into the Fabens Motel in Fabens, we had trouble finding food. Our motel is near I-10, but town is a mile or two to the south. There is nothing near the motel except a few gas stations. This would not be a big deal if it were not getting dark around supper time. We decided to head a mile or so back toward town for supper at Church's Chicken The food wasn't great and one of the employees kept playing "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas," over and over at a high volume.
After supper we headed back, in the dark, to the motel. The road is narrow with heavy traffic, no shoulders, and no streetlights. It was pitch black! Riding the mile or two back was not a safe option on this road, so I decided to walk in the ditch, pushing my bike, on the left side of the road. This was not pleasant, but it seemed safe. Until, of course, a dump truck coming my way realized an ambulance was coming up behind it and decided to pull over into the ditch, right where I was standing. I flashed my reflectors at the guy, probably freaked him out. But at least he didn't hit me! [Note: thankfully, this was the only close call on the entire trip]
To make things more confusing, somehow Jesse and I got separated during the trip back to the motel. I was happy to see him standing outside the motel when I walked up. What a crazy night!
After that insanity, we walked over to the gas stations for some snacks and lounged in the motel.
