Author: Paul Rito (Page 15 of 23)

Saturday November 5, 2022, New Orleans, LA (NOLA) Both Karen and M.A. were working today, so I was on my own. Eeyore returned in force with drenching rain and occasional thunder. It was actually the first time in three months that I put on rain gear, which for me consists of the little $1 ponchos you can buy just about anywhere. Why not full rain gear? (1) I have to carry it for the 98% of the time it’s not raining, (b) I find it much more comfortable than a waterproof jacket in which you sweat so much on the inside you may as well be wearing nothing. The poncho keeps the rain off but lets the air flow, (3) I expect my legs and shoes will get wet anyway, and today I had on Teva’s, so no socks to get wet either, and (d) the poncho fits over a small backpack I take along when I don’t have my panniers attached.

Friday November 4, 2022 San Antonio->New Orleans. Chili was so kind as to drive me to Amtrak which saved me from getting up at 3 and on the road by 3:30 to ride the 20+ plus miles to the station for the 5:40 closing of baggage check and a 6:25 departure. Such a nice person and such a nice couple!

The 15 hour trip to NOLA was uneventful and that’s about the best you can expect. Amtrak train status updates varied from being an hour and a half early to an hour early to half an hour early, but the reality was we got in about 10 minutes before the scheduled time.

Thursday, November 3, Schertz & San Antonio TX. Another week, more great family, friends and hosts. Claire, Dave, & Regina earlier this week and now Chili and Peggy.

This morning, Chili and Peggy took me to the Mercado (Market) in San Antonio. Tuesday was Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead, and Mexican tradition is to build an altar with pictures of relatives who have passed surrounded by things they loved in life. Watch “Coco” for an entertaining and culturally accurate and informative animated treatment of Dia de Muertos.

After a couple cups of coffee and muffins & PB, I packed up Papa Hobo once again and said goodbye and thanks to Claire, Regina, and Dave, and hit the road for the ride back to Schertz. A little different route, but the biggest change from Sunday was the amount of traffic. I also passed a cement plant and two quarries that had a constant stream of trucks coming and going. The good thing about that is that the shoulders were mostly good and even where they weren’t, the motorists were respectful and gave me a wide berth. There are a lot of cyclists in this area, so seeing me wasn’t unexpected.

Relaxing, quiet day. I did a little loop of the Lady Bird Lake trail and the Rainey St. Area in Austin. We did a video call with Dana in the evening and called it another early one.

After a very good night’s rest, I joined Dave and Regina to take Claire to work in downtown Austin. Regina had found Walton’s Fancy and Staple restaurant and wanted to try it for breakfast. We parked and walked the few blocks to the restaurant. Good coffee, good food, good company!

I left the last post in the Amtrak station in San Antonio at 5 am. After hitting the bathroom and filling my water bottles (no repeat of Lordsburg!), I headed out in the cool, dark morning on my way to Austin.

So, way back in Tucson when I was getting off the train and putting my bags on my bike, a man walked up and started asking about my trip – where I was and where I was going, etc., and that he had done some touring himself. I did a short summary and that I was going to be in Tucson for two days and then on to El Paso. He asked if I was going to San Antonio. “Yes, after El Paso.” “Do you need a place to stay?” “Well, yeah, I do. That’d be great!” He handed me his card and I gave him mine and I promised to text when I knew my schedule. I had done that a few days ago and Chili and his wife Peggy answered the text enthusiastically that they were looking forward to my visit and hearing all about my trip.

Surprisingly, today was the coldest start I’ve had on this trip at 40 degrees (4.44 for you metric using readers!). I’m in southern New Mexico in Las Cruces heading to El Paso. I started earlier than I would have if I were staying in El Paso, since I had a train to catch. A later start wouldn’t have mattered anyway as it wasn’t going to warm up until 10 or so, and the weatherman didn’t lie. I put on three layers, dug out my headband and full-fingered gloves and started out. Fortunately, while it was pretty cold, the sun was soon up in the sky enough to provide some warmth as I pedaled.

I’ll get to day 84 in another post, but this entry is dedicated to the memory of Martyn Pearson and his fiance Alex Olsen. Sue texted me on Saturday as I was riding to El Paso that they were killed on Friday afternoon in a head-on car collision near Deming NM where Paul, Sue, and I had just passed through.

I got up, had some coffee, and packed my bags once again. Paul and Sue had graciously offered to drive me to Las Cruces rather than the original plan of Deming which saved me a 50+ mile ride along interstate 10 and frontage roads. It also meant that we didn’t have to leave in the early morning.

Paul was under orders not to swing sledgehammers for a couple of days after his flu shot. He redirected his energy to finishing a stand for his chop saw which was made out of salvaged microwave bases and wood salvaged from a house a friend of his is tearing down. I made another trip downtown to explore some more. Sue was having a meeting with the organizer of a local bike race.