Bellville, TX to La Grange, TX (45 miles)

Tuesday May 20, 2008

After some much needed rest, I started my day at Snoflake Donut in Bellville, grabbing a tasty ham and cheese croissant. This place was crazy busy but the line moved fast and the business is well run.

Turning in my key at the motel front desk, it was no surprise to see a new degenerate attendent asleep, making no effort to wake as I walked in and set the key down. He simply went back to sleep as if I had disturbed him.

After only a couple miles down Highway 159 following my 7:30am start, three dogs charged me from their yard. They were running perpendicular to me and would surely catch me. I chose Oris's advice and stopped on a dime. They stopped as well. The trouble was that I couldn't get my left shoe unclipped from the pedal fast enough, and down I went on my left knee. Aching from the minor fall, I limped the bike forward while the dogs just watched. Once I got far enough away, I began pedaling on, but I wasn't happy with this start to the day.

Rolling through Nelsonville and seeing nothing, I continued until the town of Industry. At the Shell station there, I met a nice lady who was working the register. She and I talked about the hot weather, the MS150 ride that comes through each year between Houston and Austin, and how she never feels like doing her gardening when she leaves the station. Trading yard work for transportation entered my mind. ;-)

In Willow Springs, I stopped at another little store but only to "borrow some shade". I never went in, but outside i witnessed a mama cat moving her litter of kittens one by one to a perhaps safer spot free from either predators or human observers. Growing up on a farm this was a familiar site when us kids got a little too close for mama cats comfort.

Rek Hill was another sort of Nelsonville. Nothing there. In Fayetteville, I found a cute downtown with B&B's but rather unfriendly people at the little store I stopped at. One word answers and no eye contact was all I got from the attendant while I made small talk. Customers walking in never gave me the time of day. There will be better places ahead I am sure, and I was glad to leave while the attendant chose to come outside nearer the fuel pumps to smoke his cigarette.

After many miles of open road bordered by fields full of Texas longhorns, I was only 6 miles from La Grange when I pulled under some shade at Lonestar Truck Equipment. As I typically do, I go inside to let them know I am just hanging out in the front of their place for a little while to cool down. I was invited in "You sure you don't want to just come inside and enjoy the AC?" See, I thought, how quickly the day changes. There are friendly people everywhere if you look hard enough or just get lucky.

Inside I met Leah, the wife and co-owner with her husband Larry. That could've been Larry who invited me in as he left. Not sure. Anyway, Leah was eating lunch at a work table while her two cats, one midnight black in color and the other being a tabby, were lounging on the table in between moments of searching for attention. One of the work crew was also inside eating lunch and reading a book. Leah and I talked about my trip, and both she and the worker-guy agreed they couldn't bike the 6 miles left to La Grange let alone from Florida given the hills in the area. After a conversation about the slow economy, it's affect on the truck parts business, her cats and mine, all over a cold refreshing cola, she gave me a business card and asked me to send a postcard when I get to San Diego. "I'll probably forget about you until I get the postcard", she said "but then when it arrives, I'll say 'oh yeah, I remember him'."

Reaching the edge of La Grange, I called for motels. I found the Cottonwood Inn offered a place for around $35 and began pedaling in that direction. A little uncertain I was heading the right way, I rolled up to a Shell station where one of the three lady attendants was outside sweeping up and invited me in to cool down, knowing the Texas temperatures were about 5-10 degrees above normal right now. I couldn't say no to her, though I wasn't in need of a break quite yet. Inside I snacked on chicken tenders while sitting at a lunch booth that seems so common at these stations in the south. Shortly after, I biked through cute little downtown La Grange, crossed the Colorado River, and found myself at Cottonwood Inn, but due to the fact it looked sketchy, no one came to the desk when I continued to ring the bell, and there was a better looking motel across the street offering similar rates, I headed over to the River Valley Motor Inn, of course without the motor part.

At the River Valley Motor Inn, I got a discounted room on the recently remodeled first floor, and made use of my 2pm arrival here by doing laundry in the machines they offered, and planning my route in the largest room I have had since I started. Seemed luxurious in a "I just biked 1,000 miles" sort of way.

A chicken pasta dinner across the street at La Marina restaurant, followed by a telephone interview with Nancy Quick of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (my hometown newspaper), a short nap later in the refreshing AC-filled room, and I felt a ton better than I did before the interview. I hope the interview didn't go too badly though I know my spirit was temporarily beaten down by the sun and heat over the last two days.

After a 1/2 mile walk to McDonalds for a Quarter Pounder and a return trip to the motel, I spoke with the night attendant about what route she suggested to get to Bastrop the next day. She advised State Road 71 rather than the windy hilly ACA route since I was back in a town on the predesignated route now. When I asked about a shoulder on SR 71, she replied "Oh no, there's not much room, but people here are aware of cyclists because of the MS150 ride each year, so you'll be fine if you're riding during daylight." I used the satellite images provided by googlemaps online using the computer in the lobby and I verified it was a divided 4 lane highway the entire way to Bastrop and I should be fine.

start time: 7:30am
end time: 2:00pm
time on bike: 3:50:08
mileage: 44.94 miles
avg speed: 11.72 mph
max speed: 27.42 mph
calories: 3,040
conditions: Hot, cloudless sky. 92F. Familiar wind from SW. All hills on Highway 159.