Day 20: Wrong Turn!!

Total: 1426 miles

Cyclist's Observation: "Seat time" on the bike converts to miles traveled, but the butt knows when enough is enough.



We are closing in on west Texas. Today was a day that began with a rain delay, then it was easy riding, then flats, a missed turn, a cowboy encounter, and finally a respite at Eldorado, Texas. We began at Ballinger, Texas and ended 87 miles later at Shaw's Motel (see picture) with an average speed of 14.5 mph. Bill notice a Monet on the wall, but we decided it wasn't an original since we paid $37 for the room. Bill also had two flats in the San Angelo area and then we proceeded to miss a turn. About this time we decided we were just out for a nice weekend ride! We stopped at an intersection for a brief stretch and I spotted a cowboy leading a group ride. The horses seemed to know the way and weren't spooked when I rode up. The cowboy looked like the cowboy poet, Baxter Black. Our conversation went like this:

Mick: Howdy. Do you happen to know if there's a motel in Eldorado?
Cowboy: Yep. (pause) Ain't nothin to brag about.
Mick: That's okay, I'm not lookin for somethin to brag about. Have a great ride.
Cowboy: You too.

As Bill and I rode into the sunset toward Eldorado, I knew I had passed my first foreign language test in years.

We are the Old Cowboy Land Cruisers ridin high in the saddle.