MIA for a Day

But all is good. Yesterday's route was self-determined, so of course we got lost in Austin. Cloudy day, rolled in to Bastorp one hour before the rain and higher winds came in. Ran barefoot down the street, in the rain, to a Chinese buffet for dinner. My shower shoes that do double duty for street wear were too slippery, and I am a KY girl, after all.
Today's ride ended at a Warmshowers host in Carmine. Rating: B for the ride, A+ for hospitality here. We started the ride through two state parks, Bastorp and Bueschler, hilly and quiet and pine forest pretty. But a riding day in Texas isn't complete without at least a few miles of intense traffic.
Lunch at LaGrange was a surprise. We met "Laura Long," formerly of Newport and Cincinnati. She had seen our tandem on the road and gave us a big attaboy for doing this trip. When we left town, she was parked at a gas station, cheering us on.
Figuring out mileage for the day is always a challenge. David and I factor in the usual: probable weather, how we feel, projected elevation, amount of traffic (!), and distance between towns with real lodging.
Our Warmshowers association is invaluable. Today, the destination was Round Top. But it's a weekend town, although it's listed as having full services. No campground available, either. So we called Carol Montgomery in Carmine. She rode out to the main route to pick us up in her truck, taking us over six miles of gravel road to her own little piece of paradise.
She sets up cyclists in a barn loft, with sleeping area for up to seven people. It boasts a wood burning fireplace, efficiency kitchen and bath. An open deck overlooks the countryside.
You'll just have to visit to find out the rest. It's enough to say that she has built her home herself, and I think she has done most of the work in this loft as well.
That has to be it for now. We have an early start planned for tomorrow.