Day 30

We all slept well after our rest day in Austin. Up, packed, breakfasted and ready to ride at 8:00am. Another Tom is joining the group today, as well as Jerry and John. We are developing quite the peloton on this cross country adventure . . . and there are more to come!

620

This person rolled in after we went to bed last nice and what a fun surprise to see the car this morning . . .

621

. . . they had not emerged from their room by the time we left. Would have been fun to talk to them!!!

622

Coming into Austin from the west side was VERY hilly with lots of gated home developments and expensive homes. Leaving Austin, it was very flat, industrial with scattered modest homes. Not much to photograph and this one sort of tells the whole story!!!!

623

We stopped at an Exxon station to meet up with John, who is from Austin, and Jerry from Des Moines IA. After a few donuts and checking out the piñatas, we were on the road again. I should have bought one of these for my B-Day!!!

624

We went by a HUGE race track complex . . . .

625

. . . that featured a 230 foot tower you can ride up in an elevator, or climb the 413 steps, to get to the viewing platform. It has a glass floor . . .  !!!!

626

Soon we came to this interesting building. Common spelling and pronunciation . . . of course!

627

I could smell incense and hear chanting, before the ‘kick me dogs’ from across the street starting yapping and chasing us. The smaller the dog the louder they seem to be!!!

628

oh . . . we had some wide open country out in front of us today on our 70 mile ride to La Grange, TX, our home for the night.

629

Here was an interesting roadside attraction . . . a natural Burial Ground. A forested area where you pay for the right to dig a hole and ‘plant your loved one’ beneath a big oak tree.

630

Some interesting billboards along the way today . . . still trying to figure out what the pepper is all about . . . and so is the cowboy on the sign below!!!

631

TX humor . . . closed on Monday’s.

632

Haven’t seen one like this for the waterslide in the Dell’s . . .

633

. . . and I guess one just isn’t enough!!!

634

This VFW must have used their legislator’s influence to get this trophy parked outside!

635

On the TransAm, I developed quite a collection of photos of church signboards with witty announcements’. This is the first one I have seen so far on this trip!!!

636

Lots of great flowers along the roads in TX . . .

638

. . . things are REALLY blooming now.

637

The route was going to take us through two state parks today but when we found out bikers had to pay a ‘passing through fee’. We protested and took the local road that paralleled the park. In fact, it looked the the whole parked had burn 3-4 years ago!!!!

639

mmmmmmmmmmmm . . . who else do I know who has Clutter . . .

640

Flowers here . . .

641

. . flowers there, flowers everywhere. Especially beautiful on these sunny days . . .

642

mmmmmmm . . . wonder if this is named after Marilyn Monroe. It was a dirt road!

643

First oil rig I have seen since we entered TX, which seems like weeks ago!!!!

644

Had to stop and take a shot of this Cardinal that didn’t quite make it over the road, one last time. We love these birds. They mate for life and are always at our feeders, together, in the early morning and at dusk. Fun to watch then feed each other seeds. Very loving . . . if birds can be loving . . .

645

Thought this was a unique way to sell off used bridges . . . even with a car prop included!!!!

646

The last three miles into La Grange were on some awful road and we were happy to get to the motel. Got to check out this Kolache thing. I thought they were invented in NE Mpls.!!!!