Nueces River RV, near Campwood TX

 Our motel featured sunset and then sunrise symphonies of grackles, very loud cacaphony.


Breakfast in the parking lot, with only leader Donna getting a dropping splat on her shoulder. It had rained during the night, humid and cloudy morning.

Delightful evolving transition, once we escaped Del Rio environs, from the dry shrub desert we've been in for a couple of weeks, to a world of green, even with substantial trees. Traded shades of gray dust for shades of green. Did see another bobcat, dashing across road.


At 30 miles stopped in Bracketville at convenience store for ice tea and a too early lunch, since nothing for next 50 miles. Chatted with world traveler Tom from New Zealand, age 57, sold his travel business in 2919 to bike around the world, starting in Argentina. Got to Bolivia when Covid hit, went back to NZ. Since then he's done Europe and now east to west on the southern tier. He also did the Transamerica route in 2016. He apparently was an early adopter of Bitcoin so he's just going to keep going -- he thinks he's done 45,000 kilometers, so approaching 30,000 miles by bike so far. He expects to ride to Mexico City from San Diego next.


No real wind today, very good news, just some rolling hills, but happy to be in camp relatively early. Sore back of knee, like a strain or overextension, a new pain only popping up last ten miles. No doubt just cumulative fatigue, and from not sitting down for lunch and taking real break. Which has been the trend, few break opportunities and no place to sit except on concrete pavement.

Staying in a nice campground for a change, under oak trees (no grackle infestation so far), very spread out, lots of cabins, hardly anyone else around. Except three house cats (feral?) prowling in the darkness.

Today we left the border environs, heading toward Austin. And also off busy truck route US 90, onto quieter farm roads, no shoulders. Cattle country, but also game ranches with high fences and dirt roads dug high up the hills, to make it easier to get trophy kills. And also away from the militarized Customs and Border Protection presence, large headquarters in every town near border, well funded with lots of vehicles which were often speeding past else stopped on side of road searching the desert. Conflicted feelings, yes we need a secure border but at what cost. We were warned to always lock bikes and be careful. But I always am as a matter of prudence, not fear. The nice Baptists who gave us dinner and breakfast said there had been a "bailout" in their small town recently-- when police stop a vehicle and the presumed illegals jump out and scatter. They cautioned us that these aliens were dirty, hungry, and mostly men. I thought to myself that description fits our group at the end of the day as well.

Our busy campsite breaking down/packing up under the trees. 












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