By David Freeze

  First Dairy Queen milkshake and bike repair

  Leaving Kerrville, my only thought was to be in Fredericksburg by 10am when Hill Country Bicycles opened. I envisioned a one hour repair and a continuance of the trip east.

  On the way into Fredericksburg, I saw a policeman driving toward me and then putting his turn signal on. I knew then that he was going to stop me and he did. The officer pulled up beside me and asked me to come up to his side window. He asked if I was Taylor, and when I gave my name, he smiled big and said he was looking for him and to have a great day.

    I did make it the bike shop before it opened. Lisa, the owner and only staff member currently, showed up a few minutes late. We quickly had a disagreement about expectations, Lisa assuring me that she would work on the bike but that she would have to handle customers and phones calls too. So I told her what I thought the bike needed and did my best to be patient while customer after customer came and went. Over two hours later, I left with the bike in fantastic shape. I had sat outside most of the time, planning the next few days the best I could.

    The chain wasn’t stretched, but she found the hub was loose and fixed that. It shifted better than it had in a long time. The metal had been in the tire but was now gone. The tube in the tire had a small hole and she replaced it with a new one. Plus she put a new covering over the top of the spokes on the inside of the rim, stating that it was wearing and would soon cause trouble. We had an enjoyable conversation at the end, during which she told me that she had completed a 3 year trip around the world on a bike.

    After fueling up, I was over 2 1/2 hours past the point I arrived. I got on US 290 right away as after some up and down to get out of town, the riding was much more enjoyable. After Fredericksburg, which has a dramatic German heritage, I rode through Blumenthal, Stonewall, Hye and then into Johnson City. It reminded me of a segment of Route 66, with lots going on. There were miles of wineries, lots of unusual older vehicles and even a big castle on a bluff. One of the tall men from Route 66, labeled as “Howard Huge” was even on hand. The riding was so much fun!

  Johnson City is the home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, former US President. I stopped at a state park that centers around his ranch and toured the visitor center. There is another National Historic Park here in Johnson City. Lady Bird, his wife, had a park in Fredericksburg.

    So, other than the long wait for the repair, it was a fun day, although short on miles at 55. I am at the Hill Country Inn, right beside one of the first Dairy Queen’s I have seen. My first pineapple milkshake was great! And a great convenience store is next door. The low budget motel room has a cheap price but the biggest screen TV I have ever had in a room, perfect for watching the Yanks/ Red Sox as I write this.

  Tomorrow, I hope to get through Austin and maybe as far as Bastrop, which would leave me less than 100 miles from the end of this map section. If the bike keeps running well and I make the right choices, I will stay pretty close to the planned time frame.

  Thanks again to the Post and all the readers and sponsors for making this trip happen! I completed what I think is the last big climb this morning and we should be dropping below 1400 feet from now on. The bike is good and I feel strong, so send prayers for safe riding.

    See you tomorrow!