Day 5 – Camera Crazy
Crockett, TX to Tyler, TX
Friday, June 12th
After a sound night’s sleep on a soft, soft bed and about 45 minutes of hitting Snooze on my alarm, I finally talked myself out of bed and convinced Dad it was time to get up. To go with our oatmeal, Doug had fixed us some tasty fruit plates of fresh cherries, pears, peaches, strawberries and blueberries, many of which (I think) were locally grown. We packed up our boxes and loaded the bikes, took some pictures of the house and said our thank yous to Doug (who was working in the garden) then headed off.
We headed out of Crockett on E Houston Ave/Hwy 21, watching the huge historic homes give way to beautiful pastures and ranch lands. We even passed a longhorn! Dad handed over the camera so I could get some pictures:
And after that, I went a little picture-crazy. I took several pictures of the beautiful scenery along 21, but as is the case with photos, they don’t really capture the essence of the surroundings. Here are a few pictures from the driver’s seat though, which might serve to give you an idea of what it’s like on the bike:
I even took some video (one hand holding the camera, one hand on the handlebars), but I promise the ride isn’t as scary as the movie (also, you may want to turn down the volume on your computer):
We decided to stop for a snack at the Mission Tejas State Park. We were too hungry to ride through the park, so we just stopped at the entrance, sat on the porch of the ranger station and had a lunch of peanut butter crackers with tuna, some fruit and a DP from the park’s vending machine. Acreage-wise, it’s a small park, but the land is beautiful.
We talked with one of the rangers for a bit about our trip and our experiences on the bike. He was especially interested on the kinds of roads we preferred to ride, so Dad explained that the best roads are those that are a) properly paved & rolled and b) have either a huge rideable shoulder or no shoulder at all (a huge shoulder means we can generally be far enough away from the cars to avoid interaction entirely and no shoulder means we can ride in the lane, forcing cars to go AROUND us to pass us; anything in between usually leads to several incorrect assumptions on the behalf of the drivers – for example if there is a large, unrideable shoulder, the drivers assume we should be on the shoulder rather than in the lane and they get angry that they have to go around us; if there is a small rideable shoulder, the drivers assume they can pass as close to the white line as they please, going as fast as they like without affecting us as long as they don’t cross the white line).
We talked about the phenomenon of how bike lanes can cause more trouble than good and the ranger brought to our attention that often the problem lies in the fact that “engineers and operators don’t talk to each other”. It’s usually inexperienced bicyclists (or the parents thereof) who vie for bike lanes, while avid cyclists find them more of a nuisance.
Anyhoo, after we packed up after lunch, we got back on the road and headed further down Hwy 21 toward the Caddo Indian Mounds Park. We stopped at the museum which, along with the site, has been recently transferred from Texas Parks and Wildlife to the Texas Historical Commission. They’re about to overhaul the historical site, the museum and the website to reflect more of the society’s history and culture throughout their homelands in the US. Currently they have some great (and some very curious) artifacts on display as well as a neat magnetometer map of the mound site.
Before arriving at the museum my ankle had been bugging me, so before leaving I stretch and worked my ankle a bit. Just after pulling out of the museum parking lot, my ankle began to hurt a lot then suddenly cramped, seizing up my entire foot, toes and all. I pulled over and radioed Dad. He swung around and came back to helped me get my foot working again. The incident happened next to a field with a bunch of cows hiding behind some trees, so I took the opportunity to photograph them.
Once my ankle loosed up, we rode into Alto, stopped at a Dollar General and picked up some athletic tape, a Reese’s bar and a jar of bread & butter pickles. I immediately drank half the pickle juice (to help with the cramping) and we wrapped my ankle, then we shared the Reese’s and headed off toward Rusk. We initially took back roads but the happened to feed onto Hwy 69. Though we’d normally avoid riding state highways because they are typically so poorly maintained, this one looked to be in excellent shape – smoothly rolled asphalt and a LARGE shoulder – so we took a gamble, turned onto the highway heading toward Rusk. It carried us in comfort all the way to town (and past the State Hospital which – no joke – sounded it’s siren just as Dad passed).
Having enjoyed that ride so much, we decided to gamble again and follow the highway out of town rather than seeking out the back roads we had planned for the route. This time our luck ran out on us. The shoulder gradually held more and more road trash and just before the North edge of town, I got a flat. We pulled over, switched the tire (in the hot hot hot sun), got back on the highway heading North and left town. Shortly thereafter the shoulder disappeared completely on the Northbound set of lanes. We figured we might still be able to handle it, but the terrain had grown VERY hilly and we began to obstruct the speeding traffic while fighting the climbs. When we spied the sign that said “textured pavement ahead” we decided to turn around.
Parked in the shade on the shoulder of the Southbound lanes, we consulted the GPS and map, looking for some alternate route that didn’t involve fighting the hills we’d just struggled with on the way out of town to get back to our planned route. Unfortunately, there was no alternative but to backtrack. We tackled the return to town and, having wasted about an hour (between the flat tire and our attempt at riding the highway), rejoined the route.
As is often the case, the back roads held even more elevation changes than the highway did. We hit some LONG, TOUGH climbs on a little two-lane road and though thick woods surrounded us, we had to ride in the sun for most of the ascent. We were miserable! Then we reached the humble summit:
Dad didn’t stay long, but I stopped to marvel and take pictures. Once I got going on the steep descent I knew he must be miles ahead and that it would be awhile before I could catch him. I FLEW down those hills though, literally screaming with delight. It was so much fun! I reached over 41 mph on the Agio which is the fastest I’ve EVER gone on a bike! It’s simultaneously scary and awesome.
By the time we made it into Jacksonville, we both were out of water & Gatorade and were needing to both hydrate and relieve ourselves. So we stopped at the first gas station we reached, peed, then bought a bottle of Gatorade and a gallon of *cold* water (something we NEVER have on the road). We took a few minutes to rest, rehydrate, and refuel. We used the remaining cold water in the gallon jug to refill our water bladders and water bottles then got back on the road to the stares of several bewildered onlookers.
Most of the rest of the ride was largely uneventful. We arrived in Tyler without too much trouble and continued past the big schools and mammoth churches to our host’s neighborhood. Caitlin, a good friend of mine from Waco has family in Tyler and happened to be visiting them this weekend. When she found out we were riding into town she offered to see if we could stay at her father’s house. Naturally, we took her up on her offer and I am so glad we did. The neighborhood where her father, Les, lives is amazing. Red brick streets (which were a smoother ride than we’d ever expect from a brick road) flowed around gorgeously green parks with families and friends out and about. The houses all appear to be older houses, each with it’s own unique style, structure, layout and landscaping. It’s a beautiful area!
We arrived at what we thought was Les’ house and knocked on the door. Caitlin greeted us (I spared her the sweaty hug), showed us where to park the bikes and introduced us to her dad and his wife, Kristen. We talked about the bikes and our trip as we unloaded our panniers, then they helped us bring in our things as they led us to our separate rooms. The room I stayed in was tranquil and charming and the bathroom carried over a subtle art deco tone from the house’s earlier years. The whole house is gorgeously decorated and immaculately maintained and though each room is adorned very differently, they all feel like an interesting piece of a larger whole. Very cool house! Very comfortable, too.
We showered then visited for awhile with Caitlin, Les and Kristen, as well as Catilin’s brother, Blake, who showed up a bit later. Eventually we all piled in their vehicle and drove to a Mexican restaurant in what I guessed to be one of Tyler’s main squares (I’ll have to check on that though). We met up with Blake’s wife, Katie, and had a tasty dinner, followed by a beautiful evening on the back porch back at the house. We were even blessed with a visit from Les’ neighbor and friend, whose name was Matt, I think. He was a fun and hilarious addition to a refreshing evening.
Today’s Quick Stats:
Bike Distance (mi) Average Speed (mph) Trip Odometer
MiniWini 96.19 15.7 473.05
Sti(ck/g) 96.47 16.2 476.30
Stampedes: 3
Roadside Pees: 1