Day 14 - 1,064 miles from San Diego

Departure: Van Horn, TX      Finish:  Fort Davis, TX       Distance:    80.2 miles

Elevation gain:  2,342 feet 

Winds:   Mild NE winds, occasionally dead-calm. 

Weather:  Misty overcast - turned mostly sunny. Departed with 38 degrees. Arrived with 58 degrees.

On bike duration:   5 hrs, 54 minutes. 

Average speed: 13.6 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  1,064.3

The “Grand Depart” from Ocean Beach was two weeks ago today. Excluding the rest day in Tucson, the average distance is 82 miles per day. 

This morning we departed in a misty chill at sunrise, just after a light rain ended. On the beginning roll-out, visibility was less than a mile. Less than a block from the El Capitan Hotel, we hopped on US Hwy 90, southbound. It had a generous shoulder for a two lane road; a blessing, given the fact that the posted speed limit was 75 miles per hour. We continued on Hwy 90 for 45 miles. 

We came upon a spectacle about 25 miles north of Mara, Texas - the “Prada Marfa”. (“What in the world?”) It’s actually a permanent art installation - not an actual store.  A quick Google search yielded a UK Guardian story about it, calling it a cultural sensation. If you look closely at the fence surrounding the building, you will see “love locks” adorning the whole perimeter. This was probably our best water stop so far. There were about 15 civilians (non-cyclists) who had stopped as well. Evidently, it’s a “thing”.

Then we came to Valentine, Texas. They are extraordinarily proud of their abandoned structures in this part of Texas. If the residents have a primary goal of peace, quiet, and isolation - they’ve nailed it.

A few miles further gave us a left turn to join “Ranch Road 505”. 

I was concerned about what we would experience on a “ranch road”. It turned out to be one of the most delightful segments of the trip thus far. Smooth pavement, NO traffic, and breath-taking scenery! 

The first thing we saw was in the picture below. If you look closely, you will see a tethered surveillance balloon. These are used at several places along the border. The cable is on a big reel that can extend the balloon thousands of feet into the air. 

Many years ago, I was flying from San Antonio to Palm Springs, cruising at 12,000 feet. I suddenly saw an object at my same altitude that wasn’t getting out of my way. (I often see other airplanes move across my path.) As I continued, it got bigger and I could tell it was either moving toward me, or it wasn’t moving at all. With some trepidation, I keyed the microphone button to talk to Air Traffic Control. I said, “I’m seeing something out here I can’t figure out. It’s not an airplane, and I think it’s moving toward me at a rapid velocity.” The calm, but slightly agitated voice replied “That’s a surveillance balloon, Restricted Area R-6318. I suggest you deviate.” Sure enough, there it was on my map. That could have ended badly.

I tried once again to take pictures of the landscape. They do not capture the actual experience. Some of the Yucca plants are as tall as Maple trees.

I was previously ignorant to the fact that Texas has Antelope. We did not see any herds, but sighted 6 or 7.

Tomorrow is the next rest day, in Fort Davis, Texas. Fort Davis was founded in 1856 for the army to protect the trade route between San Antonio and El Paso. Today, there are 1,060 residents. We’re staying at the Hotel Limpia, named after a local creek that was known for its cool, clean (limpia, en Espanol) water.