Nov 2008, Smithville, TX
Slow getting out of camp today. That site just had too much wildlife—raccoons got into my stuff in the night. They only took my bagels & stuff from the trash, but I had to get up & hang my stuff from the awning in the middle of the night. Bleh.
After only five miles I ran into a large group of cyclists—they were actually a few different groups. They were all out just for a day ride, but two were going the same way I was, so they rode along with me for a few miles. Their names were Matt & Gary and they were very interested in my trip & had a good tip—there is a website called warm showers.org where people can find cyclist-friendly stops while touring. I definitely need to check it out.
I stopped for lunch in Round Top, TX, which was having a wine festival. I joined a table of locals who were interested in my trip. One of them was the chef & he had some superb gumbo. It was excellent & he gave me a free refill.
I pulled into camp to find it packed. This time it was a martial arts group. I picked out a spot & introduced myself to the folks next door—five people not in the martial arts group who seemed about my age. They offered me a sausage & we sat & talked for a while.
Anyway, I'm quite exhausted, and even though the clocks fall back tonight, the sun will still rise nice & early, so I've got to sleep.