Day 6: Del Rio to Brackettville

Breakfast at 7:30 to 8:30, read the paper, load the vans at 10, spin a quick 31 flat miles to Brackettville, munch BBQ beef under the trees at Ft Clark Springs (with a choice of ‘Original’ or ‘Sissy’ BBQ sauce), and it’s a day.

The tour feels like a comfortable old glove, a long and happy marriage where you know each other’s routines, and are happy in that routine. Because we are 32 riders who pedaled over 900 miles together last year (from San Diego to El Paso) and another 470 miles so far this trip, we’re an easy tribe (at least if you’re not a leader or sag driver).

Everyone helps out. Everyone knows the routine. We know with whom we ride well, roughly who is too fast or a touch too slow. Several people have commented on how much more at ease they are socially this year because we arrived knowing all but two. There is ease in familiarity. It is a good way to be pedaling across the country.

Alan, Polly, Mark, and Claire in Alpine

Terry and Norman in Marathon

Andy and Carol at in Ft Davis State Park

Rachel and Katrina at the pool in Marathon