Day 16 - 71.5 miles - Balmorhea, TX

My concern for today and the next few days is the east winds. For me, the wind out of the east, means headwinds. Headwinds here in the wide open plains of Texas can spell disaster. My thought was to wake early and try and beat the afternoon winds which seem to be worse. Problem was that I hit the road a little to early. Yesterday I crossed into Central Time and it pushed the clocks ahead by one hour. Meaning that this morning when I left at 5am it was really 4am, which means it was pitch dark. I was doing this earlier in the trip but that was because of the heat. Now I have to do it because of the afternoon winds. I was never so happy to see the sunrise because it gave me light to see and to be seen. I do have many reflectors and the road shoulder was 8 to 10 feet wide, but I was mostly afraid of running over something big like a blown truck tire. Everything worked out, including beating the winds. I arrived early in the extremely small town of Balmorhea, TX. I made the right decision to stay here seeing that the next town is over 50 miles away. I am staying at a mom and pop Inn. Dave, co-owner of the Eleven Inn, talked my ear off for over an hour as I was checking in. Dave even pulled out his map to show me not to be missed spots. I very much appreciated it but I had to remind him several times that I am traveling by human power and not with a V-8 engine. He did have great ideas but its something I will have to explore on another trip, that includes a motor. I must say that is the downside to bicycle touring. Most places worth visiting are off the beaten path, or up a mountain. Which is fine, just not after a long day in the saddle. My legs are shot by most days end. It's a chore to walk to the local market for resupply. Actually after a day on the bike in is nice to walk a little. Today I walked through this small town which has very limited services. No big box stores or chain restaurants here. All mom and pop stores which gives this town it's charm. Note: Over 1,000 miles ridden!

Photos: A service station overpass for I-10 - I-10 near Kent, TX - Dead end - Eleven Inn in Balmorhea, TX - Gift Shop in downtown Balmorhea - Balmorhea town park - Main Street Balmorhea