Day 31: Bluebonnets

After eighty-eight miles of “fun”, we were rewarded with not one but two nights at the Mexican Hill Ranch. Our rest days seem to come at the perfect time or maybe we prepare ourselves to handle the schedule.

We finished a quick breakfast and were on the road by 7 o’clock in an attempt to use all available time to get to camp by dinner. The sun didn’t rise until 7:15, but it didn’t make much of a difference because the skies were overcast and threatening rain all morning. As it turned out, the weather cooperated with cool temperatures and a favorable cross/tailwind.

Thank you Brad Cutright for hosting dinner and breakfast at your lovely home in LaGrange,TX, and making us all feel welcome.

The sun found a few holes in the clouds in the afternoon just in time for a DQ stop, which was still twenty miles from camp. We were treated on the way we were treated to the multi-colored beauty of east Texas wildflowers in bloom; just seas of blue bonnets were so impressive. Thanks Lady Bird Johnson for your foresight!

All went well until we turned for the final 10 miles. The wind became a headwind, the roads were oscillating up/down, temperatures increased, and our energy was depleted. We toughed it out and arrived at camp a little after 3pm. Home sweet home will be Mexican Hill Ranch in Richards until Wed; thank you Ernie and Doris Bazan!

There has not been an easy day yet Even a short 49-miles on Wed has thunderstorms predicted…as we said before, we will cross that bridge when we get to it!

Day 30: Short Fifty

It was a “short” 56 miles that we finished with ten miles of tailwind.

We started today as most and arrived at the 1st SAG stop about 20 miles into the ride. We were about to leave when I (Lisa) saw a goat that was tied up get her legs all caught in the rope and I started to walk toward it when she fixed it herself…it probably happens 20X a day. Mickey then was walking that way and said there was a dog back there too and a colt. I saw the yellow dog laying under an RV with a rope and at first it did not move as I approached. I said something and an eye popped open and it was then I worried a bit, not knowing (a) if the dog was friendly and (b0 how long that rope was! I soon was relieved to see as it came out, she was just a puppy and super friendly and, unfortunately, the rope was only about 4 ft long.



It bothered me a lot, but I assessed quickly that the pup and all the other animals nearby were healthy and obviously well fed and also were comfortable with people. The mare had a colt, the goat had a kid and all of them were perfectly happy letting people touch them and interact. Still, no one looking like an owner was anywhere around, and no water or food bowls were nearby. The puppy did have cover from the sun and elements under the RV it was roped to–obviously I had about 40 miles to think about this and I thought about it a lot!!

We saw lots of wild flowers, lots or green and really lovely countryside; albeit some Texan motorists who were not fans of cyclists–we are getting used to that though. Someday they will realize if they have an iota of patience, we all can share the road–especially the 2-lanes we are often on.

We live by this philosophy these days:


The good thing about a tandem is that you are never alone.
The bad thing about a tandem is that you are never alone.

Day 29: Lost Again

After almost two weeks of never missing a turn or getting lost we had two mishaps today. The first one was minor because we were on the route, but not sure that we were going in the right direction. We stopped and turned around, eventually running into others from our group. The second was more significant as we were completely off course and had to use our iPhone map application to locate the route. We were only about a half mile off course, so our 62 mile day was probably closer to 64.

We experienced a headwind again. Therefore, next time we are unsure about direction, we should just start biking into the wind. That will probably be the right direction

Other than those minor gaffes the ride was uneventful, just one of those days moving from place A to place B where the scenery resembled most anywhere with homes and farms dotting the landscape. The corn was about a foot high. It is also nice to see creeks and rivers that actually have water in them.

A big concern now is that there is a cold virus making it’s way through camp. Living in such close proximity it is imperative that we remain vigilant regarding hand sanitizer, avoiding germs, and getting enough sleep. We have another tough day on Monday. This is expected to be the hardest day of the trip: eighty-eight miles with plenty of hills. The weather is an unknown that could make it easier or truly unbearable.

Day 28: Longhorns

 It was a bitter cold ride out of camp this morning with the temperature only 38 degrees. We had on multiple layers and shoe covers and still ended up with numb fingers and toes.

The lush scenery of Texas hill country and the serenity of some quiet country roads helped make up for the frigid air temps. Leaving behind the high traffic and all the noise made it feel much more like a ride through Wisconsin, if it were not for the longhorn steers in the pastures.


We took our time today and enjoyed the rolling hills of the landscape. It seemed fitting we were in this mood as we stopped by our lunch stop.

It was a general store of sorts outside of Comfort, TX, owned by a young woman who said it was always her dream to own a store like this, but she had planned for it to be after she retired. Unfortunately, she suffered a cancer scare, and decided not to wait for retirement…time to savor things a bit and not take too much for granted.

A concept all of us need to remind ourselves of from time to time.





The bicycling was difficult with the rolling hills. Half way through our afternoon ride, which is always more difficult on a full stomach, we modified our strategy. Instead of working on the downhill (hammer) to accentuate gravity, getting us further up the next hill, and working to crest the hill, we applied our mountain strategy. We coasted down each hill and partially up the next before working (spinning) to reach the top. This worked better because we were only exerting effort 75% of the time. Hammer & Spin has been replaced with Coast & Spin.

Day 27: Mud Slides

We reached our official halfway point in mileage for the trip just before lunch today at a place called the boot fence, where apparently old cowboy boots go to die.

It started out like most days, freezing cold in the AM, and by noon we are shedding layers. It was a really pretty ride with more green than we have seen in awhile. We also peddled for parts of the trip along the Guadalupe River–Which actually had water in it and looked like a river! That was a nice change. It’s starting to look more like home; the river and rock bluffs reminded us of Wisconsin Dells.

To celebrate the halfway point, Bubba made his famous (infamous??) mudslide drinks for dinner. Wow! They were strong and though Jeff and I sipped ours, for some of our fellow riders, they went down too smooth–but the code goes “what happens on the bike tour, stays on the bike tour.”
It feels like a real accomplishment to be this far and be more than halfway done. It continues to be a challenge, but we are now calling any day below 60 miles a “short day.”

We are seeing amazing parts of this country and getting to know some really fantastic people. We can only hope for more warmer mornings and sunny skies ahead!




As we rode through the countryside past “hunting” ranches we spotted two onyx. However, we couldn’t get a photo because as soon as they saw us they ran back into the woods.

Day 26: Half Way Home

Well we have reached the halfway point of our adventure. Although not quite halfway across the country, our journey ends in 26 days.

Last night we were awakened by the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning. We were extremely thankful to have a roof over our heads. Our morning was cold with bouts of rain and we relished in the fact that we did not have to ride today. Perfect timing for a rest day. how does he do it?!

This break did provide a good opportunity to change the drive side chain and tighten the timing chain. We repacked our suitcases, which should remain organized for a day or two and we took morning showers. Usually we just put on our cycling clothes each morning before leaving the tent and shower after the ride.

Since we shared a cabin with the chefs, there was no need to venture away from our porch; all three meals and snacks were served on our porch. Even with absolutely no activity, we did partake in every opportunity to fuel our bodies. Sleeping in and relaxing have recharged our mind and we are prepared for the final four weeks.

It is a good day to remember why we are riding. Custom Canines Service Dog Academy raises and trains dogs to provide assistance to those in need. They are placed free of charge to clients, and therefore we rely on your contributions and dedicated volunteers. Please make a donation to:CustomCanines.org/pedal-4-paws-coast-2-coast

 Cooper and Chumley

Day 25: Out of Gas

Add seventy-three miles to our total. It began the same as our recent rides, with a strong headwind. The road remained BUMPY as Texas has a preference for chip ‘n seal. Fortunately the day was overcast with an occasional drizzle.

After 40 miles we changed direction and headed North which turned the headwind into a crosswind. However, this was not sufficient to propel us to a leisurely finish. I ran out of gas with about ten miles to go and Lisa was making me work hard as she continued to accelerate up the hills.

With four miles to go on the last hill of the day, she finally ran out too and we slowly made our way to the summit and reached camp before the rain started.

We are staying in cabins adjacent to a river for the next two nights. We have truly left the desert behind. The scenery is similar to a cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with ducks in the pond and frogs croaking as we turn in for the night.

Tomorrow will be a true REST day – physically and mentally exhausted. However, if we had ten more miles today or seventy more tomorrow, we would do it. That being said, we will be sleeping in tomorrow morning and have declined all optional excursions.