We woke up early, this morning, to get an early start on the 64 mile ride ahead of us. Before putting my clothes on, I opened the door to see what the temperature was like outside, and it was raining–again. The rush to get out the door came to a screeching halt. Eric and I rode out together at around 9 AM with an amazing tailwind that upped our speed to 20 mph on flat ground.
Our first stop was the Amistad Reservoir. When the dam that form the reservoir was completed in 1969, water flooded several valleys covering ranches in buildings that have been purchased by the government. Nowadays, scuba diving enthusiast have dive sites in the reservoir.
While stopped on one of the bridges across the reservoir to take pictures, I put a phone call in to Dex Tooke, a member of our 2017 Race Across America (RAAM) crew and an ultra cycling icon with both the book he authored, “Unfinished Business,” and the RAAM qualifying race he runs, “No Country for Old Men”. It turns out that Dex lives in Del Rio, just a couple of blocks off our route and only 2 miles up the road from the reservoir, so we stopped in to see him and meet his puppy, George.
Eric, being the impressionable young man that he is, got a kick out of Dex’s man cycling cave, race memorabilia, signature glasses, way of life and persona. He’s one of a kind, and seeing him again was the highlight of my day.
In second position behind seeing Dex was our lunch in Del Rio. Ken had offered to buy lunch with tour funds, as there was no food available for sandwiches and snacks. The group consensus was oriental food, so Eric and I rode over to meet the group for lunch at the designated Chinese buffet. No one else from the group showed up, and they really missed out. The food was delicious.
After lunch, we backtracked to Walmart to restock our snacks, bug spray, etc., then I got caught up in a few phone calls. Didn’t make it to Fort Clark RV Park till past 6 PM, and even though much of the day was downhill and with a healthy tail wind, I was still completely wiped out when I arrived.
Living Our Bucket List 