Distance: 70.6 mi
Average: 14.8 mph
Maximum Speed: 32 mph
Time in Motion: 4:45:20
Early this morning (3:30 a.m. ?) we heard a large group of girls laughing loudly somewhere in the motel. They sounded like hyenas! I mean, they really did sound like hyenas! They were very annoying, but neither of us had the energy to complain.
The weather in North Dakota is horrible right now. The Weather Channel focused on our home state this morning. The guy on t.v. was standing in Fargo, complaining that if he didn't blink fast enough his eye would start to freeze! I laughed out loud when I opened the motel door this morning in Fabens and saw a clear, beautiful sunrise. It looked like it would be a nice day for riding.
We started our ride without breakfast and pedaled to Tornillo, about six miles into the day. We stopped there hoping for some breakfast. Unfortunately, most of the places in Tornillo (like so many places out here) were boarded up or closed. We did find a butcher shop/bakery that was open. We bought a couple of greasy doughnuts, which I regretted immediately after eating. I stopped and got some healthier fare (muffin, orange juice, granola bars, etc.) at a gas station before we continued on our way.
After Tornillo, the road was smooth with no traffic and the weather was amazing! I cruised past some more pecan groves and cotton fields. It must be toward the end of harvesting season. I saw some workers harvesting pecans with some machine that vibrates the trunk of a tree, shaking the nuts loose. There were also trucks hauling massive bales of cotton down the highway.
Soon, the wind picked up and we had an amazing tailwind. The wind pushed us along, through Acala, Fort Hancock, McNary, and Esperanza. All of the towns, except Fort Hancock, were essentiallyghost towns. The road continued to be desolate. We passed through a few gully crossings. It certainly was dry today, thankfully.
Eventually we arrived at a truck stop on I-10, where we stopped for lunch. This truck stop is like a visit to the Twilight Zone. The place is called "Tigers Truck Stop," and is right on a busy Interstate in the middle of nowhere. It should be busy, but it's not. For quite some time we were the only customers in the restaurant. Eventually, one other guy showed up. There are quite a few gas pumps out front, and there's a car or truck parked at each one. But the gas station is empty. We assume those vehicles are just parked there to make the place look busy. Out here, we keep asking ourselves, "where is everyone!?" There are stores, gas stations, and other facilities, but no people!
To make things even more strange, they supposedly had live tigers behind the gas station. I saw the cages through the window, but didn't see the cats (I didn't look closely).
After the creepy truck stop, we hopped onto I-10 and began climbing. The mountains look pretty rugged. The rest of the ride today was slower as we climbed, but it wasn't bad.
Rolling into Sierra Blanca was depressing. Cafes, gas stations, and many other businesses lined the road, but every one was boarded up and crumbling. At first, both motels in town were closed. But through a gas station clerk, we got ahold of one of the motel owners. We finally checked into the El Camino Motel, for the low price of $30. And the place isn't that bad! It's not very nice or new, but it is clean and cheap.
Supper was at a tex-mex place in town. We then wandered over to the gas station and got some snacks before relaxing for the evening. During our walk, I noticed the "Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Jesus Christ" was having a service.
This is certainly a desolate part of the country. We have no cellular service and no wireless Internet here.
An interesting historical note: Sierra Blanca was the site of the completion of the 2nd continental railroad. The construction from the east and from the west met here.
