Day 38 Leakey to Bandera 45 miles

Oct 26
I have some decisions to make leaving Leakey, shouid I continue with the ACA route or leave the route and head for New Braunfels (some twenty five miles south of the route) where a complete stranger has, on reading my blog invited to visit him. I am reluctant to leave the well mapped aca path as the last time I did this I ended up in a dismal town and rather boring roads.
I banish my fears and decide to go for it, and looking at my Texas map decide to leave the the route later today at Vanderpool and follow my own path toward Braunfels some three days ride away, I'll be due a day off by then and can hook up with the aca road after having a rest there.
The ride to Vanderpool involves 3 climbs but these turn out to be less onerous than I had expected and I make good time. The scenery is again stunningly beautiful and gets even better when I descend into the Medina Valley, there are ranches, lots of horses, livestock and orchards. Medina itself is a charming little town and the locals are enjoying a fair in the local park which is festooned with giant pumpkins.
I have a really pleasant ride into Bandera under sunny skies and get in by 5pm.
Bandera looks the part of a real western town with lots of hotels, restaurants, bars and RV parks giving the impression of a lively place where texans come to whoop it up over the weekend.
In the Longhorn Bar next to my billet the owner is celebrating his birthday and I pop in for an hour to check it out. Its Sunday night but a fairly wild party is going on with live music, flowing ale and people dancing on the floor, the tables and the chairs. Despite the din and general melee I get chatting with a couple of people and even get a game of pool in before the dancers my play impossible, good fun, these guys and gals know how to enjoy themselves.

---

---