New Braunfels

The morning was a bit chilly, but we had plenty of covers, so we stayed warm and cozy. We spent the night at McCoy's Farm Supply parking lot. We left around 7:00 and headed to Summer Moon Coffee House. We enjoyed our coffee, and I had a breakfast taco—a popular breakfast choice in this region.

By 7:45, I was ready to start the day's ride. I had just under 40 miles to cover today, and I was unsure about the roads. I knew I’d encounter some wind. The forecast indicated the first few hours would be relatively calm, with the wind picking up around 10:00. It seems the Windy Family didn’t get the memo—it picked up much earlier than expected. I battled wind in my face or on my side for most of the day. The 38 miles felt much longer with the constant gusts. I was grateful I’d hammered out 58 miles yesterday, leaving a shorter distance for today. For most of the ride, I was on well-traveled roads, some with little or no shoulder. At one point, a "big boy in a big truck" decided I needed less room and veered onto the small shoulder I was hugging as he passed. I hope he felt satisfied because I certainly wasn’t. For about eight miles, the road was quite bumpy, and the shoulder was even worse. I rode on the road until I noticed a vehicle approaching from behind, then moved onto the shoulder until it passed. Fun times!

Here’s the thing: riding on country roads can be absolutely beautiful, while riding on main roads can be downright ugly. It’s surprising how much beauty we hide behind equipment, machinery, factories, signs, and trash. I’ve truly enjoyed the past few days’ rides because of the scenery, though I’ve been tempted to complain about the hills. To be honest, there weren’t many photo-worthy moments along today’s roads. There are plenty of metaphors hidden in the details I’ve described—I’ll leave it to you to find them.

I arrived in Gruene (pronounced "green") before noon and was able to rest for a while. After my nap, we sat outside and enjoyed the cool breeze while shaded from the hot sun. Gruene is an old cotton town that has transformed into a tourist hub for northern San Antonio. We chose it as a destination because Dana’s cousin and his wife were meeting us for an early dinner. We met around 3:00 and spent three hours eating and talking. I didn’t know them very well before, but it was wonderful getting to know them—we had a great time together. They’ll be heading out to Virginia in the morning and wanted to get home early enough to finish packing for their trip.

As you may have noticed, I’ve adjusted our route slightly for several reasons. This new route cuts off about a hundred miles and has fewer hills as we head west. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the downside is sacrificing some of the natural beauty.

Hobby Lobby is our overnight host. Tomorrow, we’ll continue pressing west and head toward Boerne (pronounced "Bernie").

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