Brenham, Tx. (Pop. 19,142)

We started our day by heading to 4141 Coffee House in downtown Navasota. It’s a charming little spot located in an old garage. The coffee house is beautifully decorated, with much of its original architecture still intact. I’m not entirely sure how it got its name, but there’s a picture on the wall showing a train engine marked “4141,” accompanied by a subtitle referencing George W. Bush. I suspect there’s a connection between those two pieces of information. Regardless, the coffee was excellent, and my breakfast sandwich was delicious.

After finishing our coffee and breakfast, I was ready to hit the road. Today’s ride would be my shortest yet, due to an incoming rain system expected to last several days. The forecast predicted strong winds from the south in the morning, with rain developing by mid-afternoon. I decided to stop in Brenham, which had more to offer than the next two small towns along the route. I figured Brenham was the better option to avoid getting stuck somewhere with limited amenities.

My route followed Tx 150, a busy highway with a wide shoulder. However, my mapping app occasionally directed me off the highway and onto country roads. One of the first turns led me about a quarter of a mile north before instructing me to turn left onto what turned out to be a dirt road. I immediately said, "Uh-uh! Not today!" and returned to the highway to stick to the shoulder. Later, I took another detour off the main road, which led me through the countryside and up and down a few too many hills. My legs struggle with hills—I can ride long distances on flat terrain, but hills are definitely not among my close friends. This detour brought me through Washington-on-the-Brazos, the birthplace of Texas. According to Wikipedia, "The town is best known for being the site of the Convention of 1836 and the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence." I snapped a couple of pictures of what remains of the town (which is an overstatement, to be honest).

I found this route challenging, not only because of the hills but also because my mind wasn’t fully in the game. Knowing it would be a short day, I couldn’t seem to get myself into the right mindset to power through. Nevertheless, I came across plenty of Bluebonnets in full bloom along the way. This is their peak season, and their beauty was on full display. I stopped several times to take pictures, including one with cattle in the foreground and Bluebonnets stretching into the distance. The photo doesn’t do the scene justice, but it was striking, even for a colorblind old bloke like me.

Returning to Tx 150, I faced significant wind for the rest of the ride. Fortunately, most of it hit me from the side rather than head-on, but it was still tiring. I was relieved to arrive in Brenham and visit Mescalito Coffee, where I treated myself to a cinnamon roll (not quite as good as The Brew’s) and a drink. After a short rest, I felt much better.

While at the coffee shop, a group of parents and children arrived. The kids were playing, laughing, and being noisy while some of the parents ordered drinks. Dana struck up a conversation with one of the mothers. It turned out they were a homeschooling group from near Houston, visiting Brenham on a field trip. I asked one of the boys if he liked school, and he said he did. I then asked if he liked his teacher. His dad laughed and joked, "Whoa, we better stop right there. That’s far enough." They were a wonderful group of people.

After leaving the coffee house, we wandered around town before heading to the Blue Bell Creamery, the home of Blue Bell ice cream and other products. At the creamery, we visited the visitors’ center and then went to the Ice Cream Parlor, where we got ice cream for just $1.00 a scoop. It was amazing, to say the least. While enjoying our treats, we spotted the homeschool group and greeted several of them.

Finally, we left the creamery and headed to our hotel for the night. It’s always nice to stay in a hotel once in a while—it gives us a chance to clean up like regular people and enjoy a bit more space.
I plan to do some research on routes that will take me out of the hills and into flatter terrain. Of course, I could push through the hills and tough it out, but at my age, I don’t feel the need to prove anything.

Tomorrow we’ll find some things to do and aim to head out on Sunday, depending on the weather. The forecast still looks windy, but I might attempt another short day and see how it goes.

Before parting ways with the homeschool kids, we handed out “Be Kind” stickers. Perhaps that was our way of making the world a little kinder today. What did you do to spread kindness in your corner of the world? Small acts of kindness, collectively, can make a big difference.Read more