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Published: November 28th 2006
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Shawne and Jo say...
Day 32
Miles Today: 26.4
Total Mileage: 1,301.1
Flats Today: 0
Total Flats: 36
We found a small artist's cafe and sat down for breakfast. The walls were covered in various local artist's works from photographs to paintings, all for sale. Jo ordered a 'Garden Waffle' while Shawne stayed with the traditional bacon and eggs plate. The coffee was serve yourself out of pump style Thermos containers. We talked with the owners (who were both artists) about the local scene. They explained that they moved here some-odd years ago and will never leave. The charm of the area had captured them. Our food arrived and Jo was disappointed with her garden waffle. We pictured a waffle with finely chopped vegetables mixed with the batter to produce an oddly colored Eggo. What we got was a regular waffle with a side salad piled on top of it. Jo choked it down while Shawne enjoyed his bacon and eggs.
Once again, we headed for the local library. As Jo typed away like mad, Shawne perused the shelves of the Children's section just behind her. He found all of his favorites from childhood still in circulation. A newer book
caught his eye that showed a cross-section of an old sailing vessel on the cover. He flipped through the book and was intrigued by the factoids and drawings explaining life on a large ship. The crew members were given a daily ration of rum that was diluted with water "to prevent drunkenness". Crew members avoided medical treatment if they were sick because they would lose their rum ration for the day if they were diagnosed as being ill. The librarian poked fun at him since a children's book grabbed his attention for so long. (Shawne says, "Hey, I was learning something, okay?"
An older woman stopped to talk with us. She explained that she had toured cross country on her bicycle twenty or thirty years ago. She was full of stories and tips. Shawne's favorite was "always wear your helmet, no matter what". She knew a lady that was riding just a few hundred feet from her tent site to the restrooms at a campground when she wrecked and cut her head open. The one time she didn't wear her helmet, and she wasn't even on the street! We think about this story often.
Leaving the library, we went in
search of a lunch spot (the waffle salad thing didn't provide much energy for Jo!). We found a Roach Coach with tables set up in front. It was slim pickings for food in this town, so we ordered a couple of meatball sandwiches and scarfed them down. We saddled up and headed for the next town...Alpine, TX.
On the way, we passed a state marker designating the road as a "Texas Mountain Trail". We laughed since there weren't any mountains anywhere nearby, and we snapped a picture. A single Pronghorn Antelope ran past us behind the barbed wire fence. It seemed to be looking for the rest of the herd as it scanned the horizon. Spotting a group of cattle, it bounced through the tall grass toward them. "That's not your family!" Shawne yelled to the antelope.
It's a funny thing, lately we've found ourselves talking to various livestock by the roadside. We will MOOO at cows and shout, "Who's got the best steak? Who wants to be my hamburger?" as they stare at us with their mouths open.
Entering Alpine, we noticed a large hospital and several nice commercial building that seemed out of place for a small town
of six thousand residents. We found the Lost Alaskan RV Park and pulled in to check the rates. We were amused by two graves on the lawn at the entrance hinting what would happen to you if you were caught speeding or not cleaning up after your animal. A sign showing membership in the "Texas Association of Campground Owners" made us laugh with it's acronym "TACO" proudly displayed. We talked with a few residents and even found the couple from the pizza place the night before. After discovering that the fee to pitch a tent for the night was $18.00, we opted to push on and find a cheaper campsite.
We learned some interesting facts about the town and the surrounding area. The local power company is a Co-op, providing cheaper rates for the townfolk. Alpine has a University and the largest regional hospital since El Paso. It is a large artist's community that is just breaking into renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. A man at the RV Park explained that he had been "on the road" in his RV for eighteen years, searching for a place to settle down with his family, and he found
it here in Alpine, TX. He was just putting the finishing touches on his first home that he built for himself and his young daughter.
We parked in front of the grocery store and pulled out the map, preparing to call the other local campgrounds. A woman approached us and asked if we needed any help. We explained that we were checking local camping rates, then she said, "Oh, no...y'all can just come home with me!" We didn't even hesitate to say OK. She introduced herself as Elizabeth and asked if we were hungry. She said she would buy dinner for us in the store, then asked, "Do y'all like wine or beer?"
"Beer," we answered in unison.
She gave us her address which was a couple of blocks away and told us to meet her there. We stopped at the Ace Hardware across the street for more tape for our handlebars, then pedalled over to Elizabeth's house.
She met us there and led us to the backyard to park our bikes. We prepared to unpack our tent and sleeping bags, but Liz interrupted, offering her spare bedroom to us. We happily thanked her, taking our gear into the house.
Liz spoiled us
Grapes, cheese and crackers! YUM! Her home was a beautiful older structure decorated with an awesome collection of paintings and sculpture inside. We changed as Liz prepared dinner. We gathered in the kitchen as Liz offered us beer, wine, cheese, crackers, and grapes. She asked us to gather up all of the goods and meet her outside at the lot next door.
The two of us walked through the garage to find an empty, level lot with a stone labyrinth covering much of the space. Liz met us at the entrance and explained that just last weekend her friends helped her construct the maze and that she would like us to walk it with her. The walls were one rock tall, creating a walking path that wound back and forth in a circular pattern. Just as the sun was setting, we reached the center and enjoyed our snacks and beverages.
Her neighbors came home and joked about hiring a landscaper to build a labyrinth on their property, too. It was a very unique use of the extra space which both of us greatly appreciated. We all walked back through the maze (no cheating!) and went back into the house. Liz gave us a tour of
The labrinth
It was amazing....huh huh her home and explained all of the artwork to us. She has an impressive collection of various artist's work in different mediums.
The air filled with the aroma of pork tenderloin as we sat in the dining room and talked with our new friend. She was buoyant, and exuberant, and we adored her. Liz, too, loved the area and praised Alpine as a wonderful town. After an amazing, home cooked meal, Liz explained that she would be leaving early in the morning to visit her boyfriend at his ranch an hour or so away (by car) and that she would try to be very quiet so she wouldn't wake us. She said that, if we wanted to, we should just take a day off and stay at her house while she was gone! We were blown away by her off to us, total strangers, to stay in her beautiful home without her being there! We accepted her offer, and agreed to her requests. She asked if, while we were there, Shawne would install a new odometer on her bicycle, and clean up her hard drive on her computer. These were things she didn't feel comfortable attempting. We agreed and thanked
her for her hospitality. It was a wonderful ending to a great day.
We fell asleep quickly in a REAL BED, thankful for meeting such a kind person in this cozy little town.
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pete
non-member comment
good to see you posting again-
Great to hear from you two. I smell love in the air... Shawne and Jo and Alpine Texas sitting in a tree k.... i.... s... s... i... n....g... Hoist a cold Coors Light for me.