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Update 11 - 12/6/00
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We are in Del Rio, Texas
After leaving El Paso, the weather decided to become a problem.
Our first night out, we stopped at a small RV Park in Tornillo. The showers were closed for the season, but the manager of the park invited us to his home for a shower and then we joined in with his family to sing along as he played the guitar. It was a great evening.
We learned he is an Apache Indian and found out something about the "Rain Dance" that Indians perform in this part of the country. The Native Peoples did not try to change the weather, they accepted and adapted to it as part of the natural way of things. They did dance for weddings, hunting, religious and other events. When the early European settlers saw them dance, they asked if the Indians could dance to make rain. As a large payment was offered (26 cows), and the Indians had already noticed conditions that meant rain was coming (a halo around the moon), they accepted the payment and danced. Of course it rained -- it would have anyway, but the Indians didn't let on what was really happening and graciously accepted the payment from the settlers. When you stop to think that "science" has attempted to explain how these dances work, it is easy to see why Native Americans can't figure out us Europeans.
That evening the temperature dropped to the low 20's -- a harbinger of things to come.
We rode against strong headwinds through Sierra Blanca to Van Horn, and then decided to turn south on Highway 90 and avoid the 6000 ft. + altitudes of the Adventure Cycling Route through Fort Davis. We climbed to just over 5000 feet on the way to Marfa, where we spent an extra day due to a 35 mph headwind and wind chill near 0 degrees f. We were wondering if the "prevailing" west wind was some kind of hoax the weather folks play on cyclists!
The next day we rode to Alpine. The wind chill was 13 degrees with freezing rain and sleet. What did we wear? Everything! We rode over ice spots on some of the bridges and were very thankful for the smooth and stable handling of our da Vinci tandem.
Alpine is called the "Alps of Texas" and we were disappointed that the clouds covered the mountain tops. The cold nights continued, and we opted to stay in motels until conditions warmed up.
In Marathon we stayed at the historic Gage Hotel, a traditional western hotel that has been in business since the 1920s. They served a great dinner, followed by sitting in front of a roaring fire, where we learned some local history.
Finally, the weather began to clear and we enjoyed the riding from Marathon into Del Rio, getting a strong tailwind for the final 60 miles into town. Along the way we spent a night at Langtry, once home of Judge Roy Bean, the famous "Law West of the Pecos." The Texas State Visitor's Center there is well worth the stop.
We are "deep in the heart of Texas"!
George, Sharon and Jim Miner
Free as the Wind
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