So Texas was not so bad. After Carlsbad Caverns, Dean and I headed to Ft. Davis, past the storm and wind, for good riding in the hills there, as well as a tour of the McDonald Observatory. Neat stuff. After Ft. Davis, we headed to the Hill Country of west-central Texas. Due to a wet April, the land was lush with greenery and wildflowers, and the rivers were running high. The hills were fun; definitely hills though, and not the mountains I had been battling the past couple weeks. Quick ups and downs, with little traffic. All of this made for a great last few days into Austin. My friends Brendan and JoJo met me just south of Austin, in Buda, on my way into town. These guys are old friends of mine, who moved to Austin from Seattle a couple of years ago, and visiting them was the reason I chose Austin as my destination. After high-fives, hugs, and a little snacking, we headed up to their house, and the end of my journey.
I ended up with around 1,300 or so miles (had some trouble with my cyclometer), only two flat tires, no crashes, a sweet farmer-tan, and a big smile on my face.
Now it was time to live it up in Austin for a few days before heading home. First order of things-shower. It had been a few days. After I was smelling better, we headed out to dinner at Wink, for easily the best meal I have eaten in years. Mac 'n' cheese with truffles, seared flounder, venison, and fine wine. Many thanks to JoJo for treating us. The next couple days were filled with more eating, sleeping in, swimming, and a couple bike rides. My last night in town, Brendan and I saw Mono play, then rode home in a warm, heavy rain. A perfect ending to a great vacation.
Photos-
Eastern Washington from the plane, Brendan, Texas Capitol Building, JoJo's dog Bodie, space telescope, Brendan and JoJo in Buda, Bodie again, and a dead armadillo.
Thanks for reading.
Nels Reese
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