We have been living a charmed life. Nineteen days into our Coast 2 Coast adventure, and today we experience our first truly adverse conditions. I’m not complaining, but it was the hardest ride we have ever done! In fact, every member of our group has described it as “brutal”.
First the numbers, which will tell part of the story:
Start city: Van Horn, TX
End city: Marfa, TX
Miles: 73
Total miles to date: 1062
Pedaling time: 5 hours, 43 minutes
Avg. speed: 12.8 mph
Feet climbed: 1800
Fatigue factor: 9 out of 10
Wind: SE, 5-15 mph, headwind all day
Road condition: 1 out of 5
Temperature extremes: 48 at ride start, 90 at ride finish
Cattle spotted: Hundreds, but no longhorns
We make one turn out of the RV park and onto route 90, and take that road all the way to Marfa.
It’s hard to get lost.
Pecan groves dot the landscape.
A twenty-mile construction zone keeps things interesting. They are replacing the crappy chip seal with MORE crappy chip seal. Go figure.
Along the way we visit the Prada store. Grammy Boots would love this place.
Did you know that Prada makes cycling shoes? Very stylish.
We participate in a fund-raiser lunch at the local library in Valentine. Burritos and brownies.
This trip is all about stepping out of our comfort zones…and all I can say is that we are no longer Spam virgins!
Here is a look at a Border Patrol drone – keeping the country secure from the “bad hombres”.
What made this day so brutal? Road construction, terribly rough chip seal (shake-and-bake on steroids), uphill terrain AND a significant headwind of 10-15 mph during most of the ride.
What made it all worthwhile? Dairy Queen blizzards at the end!
Mint Oreo and chocolate covered cherry make us feel a lot better.
Tomorrow: uh oh…25-40 mph headwinds are in the forecast. This could get ugly.
Shirley D is following us across the country. See where we are at any time and how fast we are going: http://tinyurl.com/rogerandeve
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Eve and Roger's Cycling Adventures 
We will be praying for you tomorrow! Wind sucks!!
Good to see you smiling at the end of the day. Sweet dreams, and good luck tomorrow!
thanks for the memories 19 days of headwinds. Worst roads beautiful wild flowers 🌺
Just took a peek at Friday’s forecast – changing to Westerly. You can do it!
Keep up the good work. Iam talking about the writing. The pedaling I know you guys are good, as long as there is a Dairy Queen at the end.
Sofia and jorge
Very impressed.
I hope Bubba fed you something better than Spam at last nights dinner.
Fun fact: The film, Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Sal Mineo, Carroll Baker, and Dennis Hopper, was filmed in Marfa for two months.
Thought for your day… the wind is your friend. It is a crazy chant but sometimes it works. You have got this! 💨💨😎😎
Sipping morning tea listening to dreadful news… needed your blog
to read this morning. You did not disappoint! Chip seal, heat, headwinds…we feel (and have felt) your pain. But Prada, “spam virgins” and Dairy Queen with Eve’s smile, purple nail polish, and raised pinky finger made my morning! A smiling captain
with a sense of humor makes a
difficult day much better…and ice cream,of course!
Stoker D
Good luck today. Hope you have a rest day after these head winds!
Hope you have a DQ along your ride today! …but I am still a spam virgin
The thought of headwinds brought back memories of our long-distance canoe trips on the Colorado River…nasty, nasty headwinds and high, high waves on a 30-miler in canoes that were laden down with food, camping gear and kids. Yeah, I noticed the raised pinky finger, too…cute! Your face, though, showed a bit of the exhaustion you were feeling at the end of this tough day. Keep on truckin’, kiddos!
I saw your tracking bubble at the DQ. Looks like you stayed there for quite a while.
Potato, SPAM, and cheese burritos are the gateway dish.
Are you ready to be experienced?
http://www.food.com/recipe/french-fry-spam-casserole-149766
Pro tip: replace the frozen french fries with tater tots for even more caloric density.