"Della was counting on this cross country trip to help pull her life into a little tighter perspective. She needed inspiration for a new book project. Her love life was in tatters, and frankly she was not enjoying this phase of her life. She half listened to Tish ramble on about alternative routes. She watched Ann as she nodded, not saying anything about Tish's suggestions. Della wondered how she was going to keep it together, while accommodating the idiosyncrasies of her two friends. "
(I'm just shoveling sand...)
Van Horn Texas to Ft. Stockton Texas then several hundred miles on backroads in the beautiful Texas Hill Country = 566 miles
Van Horn Texas is literally a wide spot in the road off I-10 about 120 miles east of El Paso. It was too early to stop (I'm a stickler for 500 mile days) when I came through El Paso. The next hotel was in Van Horn; I can almost clock the pain in my hip by the odometer...420 miles and my right hip starts with a dull ache. Time to look for a Hampton Inn!
Restless sleep and I'm up several times looking at the clock. I packed the bike and checked the route; planned to stay on I-10 until Ft. Stockton. Both Saturday and Sunday on I-10 in west Texas, I traveled over 200 miles before reaching another gas station. If you travel out west (or any remote area) make sure you know the gas stops. I've never run out of gas on my bike but I've come close. If you have a 5 gallon tank its a little easier, some of the smaller bikes you really need to plan! I actually found gas more plentiful on the backroads than on the interstate in west Texas.
Stopped for breakfast at the Sagebrush Café in Ft. Stockton. Had a scrumptious meal of TexMex style 'migas,' eggs, tortilla chips, tomatoes, onions, and chorizo topped with salsa. YUM! I gassed up and hopped on 190 east, grateful to be off the Interstate. Love those wide open spaces but the sparse traffic zipping past ( posted speed limit is 80 mph which means in the middle of no where vehicles are doing 100 mph) and the monotony was settling in. When the monotony of the ride sets in my mind wanders down the wrong road. I felt an emptiness in my heart and a tear or two slip down my cheeks. Time to move my mental energy in a more positive direction.
Texas is so vast and so diverse; the Hill Country is lush farmland, rolling hills, vineyards, and twisty turny roads! This is the first time I have approached the Hill Country from the west; although the 'hills' are apparent just outside of El Paso (and windmills!), the landscape is gently rolling, low scrub brush, pecan and pistachio groves and I believe I saw corn! Small towns like El Dorado, Ozona, Ft. McKavett, and Manard. I took 87 south out of Mason, Texas as I decided I would spend the night in Fredricksburg (Luckenback is just down the road where Waylon, Willie, and the boys hung out).
I rolled into Fredricksburg past 4pm, ready to shower and walk. Fredricksburg is a tiny little burg that has created a shoppers mecca on their main street; attracting tourists to the hill country and delivering some of the best in terms of funky shops and good restaurants. A couple of neat B&B's are on the main street too. I settled at the Hampton Inn on the very east end of the main drag then walked back several blocks relieving the stiffness in my hip and legs.
Cowboy leather items, a Lacheese boot store (!), too many jewelry stores (which I proudly walked right on by), kitchen store...I can imagine three or four girlfriends getting together for a 'girls weekend,' which translates to paying exorbitant prices for red casserole dishes, $15 dollar margaritas, and trying to figure out how they can hide the purchase of a pair of Lacheese boots from their husband. I sauntered into the popcorn store for a bag of dill pickle popcorn (not as good as it originally sounded), had a decent avocado/chicken salad in some non-descript TexMex restaurant then walked back to the hotel.
Tomorrow I would tackle the Three Twisted Sisters.
Debi Tolbert Duggar is the author of Riding Soul-O
Part Memoir, Part Travelogue, Part Spiritual Salvation
Available at Bessieandme.com and online wherever books are sold
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