Are we there yet, Daddy?: And I thought it would be warm.....

Day 30
Today's Ride from Lockhart to La Grange started poorly and ended the same. We had rain starting late last night and intermittent showers all night and all day. We started in high 40 temps and rode in the 50s in a cold rain all day. Yech. I was one frozen Florida boy... We are staying in the Rec Center in La Grange since the public campground seems to FLOOD when it rains.
Oh and La Grange was the setting for the (loosely) historically based play and movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”......... I guess it's closed now... oh well... ;-)
Oh, and we saw our first fields of Blue Bonnets.. more to come!

Cold, rainy, icky day

Texas Blue Bonnets

Day 29
Blanco to Lockhart took us pretty much out of the Hill Country. Don't get me wrong, we still had over 2,000 feet of climbing but it's not THE Hill Country we just left! The day was cold and overcast and a bit dreary.
We stopped in Kyle for lunch at the Texas Pie Company. I'd try to describe it but knowing how badly I'd fail, I'll just post a bunch of (fuzzy) pics below. Suffice it to say, it was one very neat place!
We also hit a bike shop (we hit ALL the bike shops even if we don't really NEED anything cause you never know what you might find...;-)
Sure see some strange modes of transportation along these old roads....
I mean, just where DOES one pick up a used, US Navy, carrier based A-7 Corsair jet fighter???

interesting forms of transport

Day 28
It was very cold when we rode from Kerrville to Blanco today taking sleepy, little traveled Farm to Market Roads through more beautiful Hill Country. We made our first stop in Comfort. Comfort seems to be a thriving, artsy, upbeat community. On one main corner in town is an outdoor "art gallery" with large sculpted/welded pieces for sale. We had hot drinks on this cold morning at Cafe High's coffee shop, a wonderful mix of book store, art gallery, coffee shop, bakery and winery! Warm and cozy and we did not want to leave! It's nice having civilization along the route, unlike west Texas and most of New Mexico and Arizona, but it's hard to get motivated to get back on the bike and ride after squandering an hour in such warm comfort when it's cold outside!
And Blanco is a lot more like Kerrville was 30 years ago than what Blanco was 30 years ago. Comnfort is like Blanco was 30 years ago!
Doug's take on “Progress”? Bah Humbug....

Comfort's Art Corner

Coffee Shop, book store, art gallery, wine etc

The Guadalupe again

more interesting forms of transport

Day 27
Our route from Concan to Kerville takes us into the “official” Hill Country” of Texas and took me back in time about 57 years........
A long time ago, in a Galaxy Far away, I was 7 years old and went away to summer camp in a place called Camp Stewart in Hunt Texas. It was there that I shot my first bow, fletched my first arrow, paddled my first canoe, and shot in my first shooting competition. As all of you know, I spent most of my life doing those activities and still love to do all of those thing....
So when we rode into Hunt, TX I knew exactly where I was and parted company from my companions and rode off on the old Farm to Market road that would take me back to camp and, it turned out, back about 57 years.
I had thought that since summer was not here yet for the campers, I might get to peer in through the gate or maybe get lucky and chat with a caretaker. I was surprised when I rode up and thu the open gate and saw people in the office just where it used to be.

I walked in and identified myself as an alumni camper and was greeted very warmly. As I told the tale of my cross country bicycle trip bringing me back to Hunt the friendly staff called in more and more people to listen. I ended up with the camp's owner, her family who runs things and two staff who are also cyclists, all quite interested in the trip.
I was then given a tour of the camp and discovered the most amazing thing: ALMOST NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
I have gone back to old schools, homes, and towns all over the place and have often, well, almost always been saddened or disappointed that things seem to have changed so much as to often be unrecognizable. And usually the changes are definitely for the worst.
Camp Stewart has managed to stay in WONDERFUL condition thanks to a dedicated staff and the place is almost exactly as it was in the 50s. Even my old cabin is the SAME one that I lived in! The archery has been moved to it's own dedicated FITA type range and there are additional equestrian facilities but the rest, except for a few rock and river alterations done by Mother Nature, the place is virtually unchanged.
I had a wonderful visit and tour with the staff and thank them kindly for their interest and hospitality!
I had spent an hour or so at the camp and needed to get back on route to Kerrville but I was sad to leave but happy to know that “some things never change”..

The road which had brought so many memories flooding back, from the first time we crossed the Guadalupe to Hunt, changed drastically as we neared Kerrville. It became one huge urban sprawl/strip mall/industrial park nightmare.. I was quite saddened and did not want to continue. Oh well...
Kerrville is no longer a sleepy little town. Maybe Blanco, tomorrow will be like I remember....