Amy and Pat Taylor

LET THE VACATION BEGIN!!!

Texas! Cooper Lake State Park near Sulpher Springs Texas - just 127 miles inside the state border.

We know we are vacationing when we unload the bikes. After an early start in Collierville and a long day of driving (that didn't really seem that long because we were having fun), we got here with time to get in a bike ride.

Right off the bat, My Lovely spots a ROAD RUNNER! I missed it, but I didn't miss the opportunity to share a little bit of stupid trivia (a coyote can outrun a road runner - if only he could avoid the anvil %$@#?).

The plan for this ride is to take the bikes to a trailhead and hike the trail -- but then the plan changes. We got to the trailhead, and My Lovely sees that bikes are allowed on the trail.

Weeeeeell, a newfound favorite (after our trip to Gulf Shores), is trail riding.

Dipping our toes in seems like the prudent thing here. The trail looks to be a bit more rustic, and there has been a recent rain, but we gotta do this. We ain't too old for this.

Off we go - but "Slow is Pro". There were a few tricky spots, and you never knew what was around the corner, which made this ride totally fun.

We got a little muddy. My Lovely is definitely "Sugar and Spice" but fortunately not always "Everything Nice". She not only rolls with the punches, but this is her type of adventure.

We saw a paw print that may have belonged to a really big cat - I mean BIG CAT (see the pic).

In addition to the mud, gravel, and bumpy tree roots in the paths, there were some beautiful meadows, interesting trees, and an awesome mushroom (again, see the photo).

Such a nice start to the trip. A little wash down on the bikes, and the next adventure awaits.Les mer