I will admit to patting myself on the back for the title. Lois and I left our surprisingly spacious room in Jasper and hit, you guessed it, the disheveled US 190 towards Livingston. We went through beautiful Texas forest country and crossed the absolutely stunning B.A. Steinhagen Lake. I blasted "When The Levee Breaks" as we coasted through forests and alongside crystal lakes, a perfect tone to a sunny, clear morning. The temperature climbed as did the elevation. The hills took their toll on me, I must confess. Hills? Pfft. Surely if I could conquer Florida's, Texas would be a piece of cake. Not quite. It's not so much their steepness; they are elongated slopes which show no mercy. By midday I had shed my jacket, revealing the U bike jersey. Got not U throw-ups today, though. Oh well. Stopped in Woodville, Texas for a break and quick lunch (I had packed mine) and Lois had some coffee. It was either I rugged shoulder and smooth road or a smooth shoulder and rugged road, so I alternated between them. It's clear that while the culture is still Southernesque, the landscape is not. I anticipate around Bryan to see an even more drastic change.
I failed to mention I've changed my route once more (likely the last time). I originally was going to be as far north as Dallas, then Waco, and now it's Austin, Texas! I'm stoked to see my childhood friend Drew and his sister this week as well as this hip Seattle of the South. But that's not the main reason: it's to escape the cold dipping south from Canada.
New Mexico is going to be a pain to plan for, thanks to White Sands and a lack of roads.
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| B.A. Steinhagen Lake |
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12 miles outside Livingston
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