By David Freeze

Managing the route!

  It was very late last night when I got to Fort Davis, and nearly 10pm when I got in the room. Most everything still got done, but I will admit to dozing off near midnight when I was proofing that day’s update. Knowing that it would get daylight later this morning, my alarm got a snoozing, something I never, ever do.

    I rode back through town this morning and out on part of the route that I missed last night when Mindi Fires picked me up. I didn’t realize that had I kept riding, I would have had a huge hill to climb coming into Fort Davis. In a day that seemed to have no ending, I would have missed my motel had she not picked me up. The owner said he was about to close. This was one time, in retrospect, that I did the right thing getting that ride in the pitch dark.

  I did take the time to plan today’s route last night. For the next few days, there are serious supply issues, so many that I am having trouble sorting through them. My plan today was to ride the 56 miles to Marathon, so small that it has only about 500 residents. But it has at least a couple motels, the one that I chose is the Marathon Motel and RV Park. I have a very nice room but major problems with WiFi. I am going to submit the story and photos and then ride downtown for some food. Much better than I did last night.

    Recapping today, I wanted to see what Fort Davis looked liked and found it full of interesting shops and restaurants. It also has a unique attraction, the Fort Davis National Historic Military Site. Fort Davis is the best preserved frontier military outpost. It has lots of buildings and I could have spent have a day there. The fort was used from 1854 to 1891.

    Attached to my motel was a deli and sort of community gathering place. This place had my favorite egg, cheese and potato burrito ready made. They are so good! My favorite store was the one selling barbed wire art. The old bank and courthouse, both still in use, were spectacular. Someday, I will come back and spend a day there.

      I had yet another tough climb up and out of Fort Davis, and continued on US 118. The scenery was wonderful, the grading of the road and its shoulders were not. I also realized this morning that Texas in this area looks just like Montana. Always mountains on the horizon, appearing to be miles away.

    My only other town today was Alpine, a beautiful and busy place but still at only about 5,000 people. Nice people and while there, I called and made the deal for my room tonight. It was 32 miles from Alpine and I rode it in one minute less than 3 hours. One significant hill in the middle, but lots of good riding on US 90. I noticed a bigger presence of border patrol agents in the area. My mileage today was 56.

  I still stop at every historical marker, and I saw one border agent hiding there. They always seem to have long sight lines where anyone crossing the road would be seen.

    Just as today, if I had continued past Marathon, I had 55 more miles to go for a place to stay and supplies. Tomorrow may be similar but I will research it tonight.

    Mindi Fires is now a significant sponsor for my coast to coast journey, and I want to  welcome Wayne Cobb to the group as a new sponsor.

    A cloudy day, with a little drizzle, never got past the low 80s. Hoping for another like it tomorrow. Join me back here to see what happens!