4/26 (WEDNESDAY) LLANO to FREDERICKSBURG  45.5 M , 9.1 MPH, 38 MPH max speed to 3.5 mph, 4.58 biking time

Breakfast-met 2 other bike groups-1 going our way, 1 going opposite way. WHAT ARE THE ODDS-2 Groups, 2 couples, staying at BW, doing Adventure Cycling Hill Country Ride in TX-all from other states, except us. Group (all originally from Illinois) try to take a trip every yr. We leave 1st-stop for drinks since nothing on route. Go across bridge to leave. Wind in face-not sure I can do this w/all the hills today. Flowers line our path-can it be? The wind has shifted-now at back & side. Stop for break-OR (Armand) looks at map-not on right rd. Not happy. Not sure where we are. Find little house out of sun. Suddenly see bikers-start yelling-tell OR to run & stop them. Turns out our directions had  been reversed on map-bike away much happier. Tough climb-have to walk-OR bikes up-have to walk again-group catches me. OR way ahead of me. Stop for break-get to talk to cows-group passes us. Now OR not feeling well-heat getting to him like before. Go a little farther-stops again in the shade. Ram truck stops-everything all right? OR nods head-I say-my husband not feeling well-any way he can have s lift? WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Someone comes along (have only seen a few cars all day) at exactly the right time in a big pick up w/A BIG BIKE RACK on the back of his truck. He picks up our bikes & puts them on rack. ADAM FLEURY rides bikes & was on cover of Adventure Cycling magazine in article about biking in Fredericksburg. Takes us to Peach Tree Inn-4 very long miles away. Take 2 hr nap. Walk to downtown-so many choices to eat. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? We choose restaurant where bikers are. Tell our story. They have lost a biker each day-one went back to Austin & got car. He’s going to sag. Going to spend another day, but now going to bike to Johnson City tomorrow. Bob said he would pick us up if needed. Tomorrow is another day-OR is sleeping.

Up at 6:16, bkft waffles & fruit. Out at 7:00-cool 62 degrees. Short ride on 29-now on scenic ride around Lake Buchanan pass Inks Lake National Park. Both sides of rd dotted w/sea of red, yellow, blue, white wild flowers-beautiful. Very little traffic. 10:30-stop to eat-have BBQ sandwich-ARMAND gets  MM’S & Reeses Pieces.  Still have hills, but now headwind-slow going for me. Get to Llano @ 12:30-more tired than yesterday. At Best Western, manager says other bikers staying here too.  Bath, rest-now ready for golf. Bike to Llano Golf Course-4 m. $76 for golf & club rental. It’s hot-88-only ones playing.  Now hungry-TX wants Mexican food. See 2 bikes outside-end up eating w/Judy & Chris from Amherst, NH.  They flew from NH to Austin & are doing our same ride but in reverse. Very similar to us-have done rides all over US & Europe. Found out our ride to Fredericksburg is 50 miles-NOT the 30 m ride my leader had promised. Also told us to take food-NO place to get anything until you get to town.  All bike back to BW. Oh, oh-have flat tire-walk 1/2 m back to hotel. Fix flat-take another bath. Write blog-other one eats candy.

APRIL 24 (MON) Austin to Burnet  46 miles  9:00-2:00  10.5 mph

Practiced for hill country ride by biking 7 m yesterday-have NOT been biking-NOT sure if I can-plus gears aren’t shifting right.  TX (Armand) gives me 9:00 am start time-ready at 8:57.  TX stops .2 m to fix panniers-may be long day.  18 m-Liberty Hill-cookies & ch mk. See animals-7 donkeys & goats come to fence for petting & pictutes-don’t want to leave. Slow going-but it’s ok-beautiful country-almost no traffic. Stop in Bertam & then Burnet (where TX had heat exhaustion last Oct when biking w/brother Whitney).  Arrive at 2:00 but take 45 min to find  BW-TX bikes right past big sign. Nice motel-take dip in pool-water is freezing.  Eat buffet-not very good. Walk to park-lots of ducks & geese. Meet Bob (Viet Nam Vet) & Judy (from WI) who walk 3 1/2 m everyday.  I need to buy new camera so I can post pictures.  Tomorrow is a short day to Llano.

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TIGER-has been on most of our trips     SPARKY-new adventure, loved the turtles     BIKER BEE-got to ride to DERIDDER, LA           SNICKERS-was on WEST COAST RIDE-Dominic chewed ear off so he just came along in the car-all loved Mary Pat’s big bike

Feel great about starting in DAYTONA, FL @ MARY PAT’S & ending in CROTON ON HUDSON @ JANE & JOHN’S. I added the 500 m we did last yr to 1,700 m & feel like we biked to Bar Harbor, ME. The most impressive thing about the ride is all the nice people we met & how clean every motel room was-no matter the cost. How I’ve changed from Cross Country in 2002-important to complete each day as fast as possible-no time for people or pictures. Now I’m always looking for Kodak moments for TIGER & SPARKY & interested in meeting people. Big TEXAS THANK YOU to all the courteous car & TRUCK drivers and special THANKS TO:

MARY PAT (DAYTONA BEACH, FL) gave us her room, garage for our car, food, golf, picked us up at AMTrak, let me stay up late & watch tv

ANDREWS, SC-best little town-$25 golf & wonderful Thai food

FRAN (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) drove to Williamsburg to take us to lunch

Cousin CINDY (ANNANDALE, VA) drove to Alexandria, VA for dinner & took us to her mom’s house to visit more relatives

DWAYNE (Washington DC) stops to help w/directions & prays for us

BOB & TALI + SUSAN (BETHESDA, MD) Susan took time to help us & called brother who agreed to take in 2 strangers for the night on Mother’s Day & feed them

BILLY (PIKESVILLE, MD) hurt & can’t bike to motel. Calls a cab & lets us leave bikes @ Budget Rent a Car for 2 nights

RANDY & TERRY (BOWMANSVILLE, PA) broke bike chain-have no idea what we would have done. TERRY takes UT to bike store & RANDY put chain back on bike

JANE & JOHN (CROTON ON HUDSON, NY) taking 4 days to show us what a wonderful place CROTON is-what a wonderful way to END!!!

PLAYED LAST ROUND OF GOLF W/PAT-7:30 AM. Going to miss Mary Pat &  our room😂 Lunch & leave at 12:00.  Stop in fantastic rest areas in FL-make it to Mobile, AL by 8:00. Next day stop in Lake Charles, LA-have lunch w/Pete & Mary Ellen. HOME BEFORE DARK. Yard looks great because of all the rain. Neighbor KAY looked after Charlie (cat), who was at back door, fish in pond & house. Thank you. Next day go to SA-Bailey, my niece,  has taken great care of Dominic-Thank you. My mother was glad to see me & hopes this is my LAST bike trip because I’m almost 70!!! Armand also hopes this is my LAST bike trip. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT & SEE. Today is June 13-haven’t even considered getting on the bike. Trouble finishing blog-between San Antonio-no internet at Mom’s & lightning hitting our house-lost phone, computer, tv for 7 days.  That’s my excuse & I’m sticking to it.

DAY 37 (5/22-SUN) NEW ADVENTURE. PAT let me ride her cruisor. Can’t believe it-AFRAID to push off  & get started. Just rode 1,700 m. It’s big & heavy-UT goes inside to read. Lower seat so I can put ft on ground. Exactly what I wouldn’t let my TRI students do! Now going 5 mph-sitting up right-love it. PAT-who was at base camp at Mt. Everest-biked across America-had knee replaced-introduced me to how relaxing a bike can be. Played 18 holes of golf. Left overs & salad for dinner. Decide to play golf in morning before we go. Stay up watching Bourne Idenity until 11:30. Pat & UT go to bed at 10:00-should have gone too.

Bird watching us play golf

TX on MY CRUISER-just a leisurely ride in the neighborhood

Getting ready-couldn’t believe had trouble taking off

Last round of golf on Mon before we leave

Loved the reflection in water

MARY PAT IN ACTION-MY NEW LEADER

OK-I GET TO BE IN ANOTHER PICTURE

DUCKS HAVING FUN AT GOLF COURSE

TIGER & SPARKY FEEL MUCH SAFER AT GOLF COURSE

MORE INTERESTED IN BIRDS THAN GOLF

MADE PAT GET CLOSER-said they will attack if you get to close

Mary Pat hits the ball much farther than me

Up early for last muffin w/peanut butter & jam. Take us to train station-Jane gets on train to say good bye & make sure we’re leaving. Doors close-Jane almost went to NY instead of playing tennis. Arrive at Grand Central Station-not much time to look around-walk our bikes 12 blocks down Madison Ave to Penn Station. By the time we find our track-time for person to show us where to load bikes. 1st on train also-no time to buy neck pillow. 23 hrs long time to spend on train-not going to complain-lot cheaper & easier than driving.

Sat morning-MARY PAT WAITING AT STATION with our Buick. Load up bikes-stop for breakfast. Play golf that afternoon. Go out to eat & watch James Bond movie until 11. What a nice way to end our trip. Plan for another day of golf tomorrow.