Kirsten Hotchkiss 
Yesterday and today were the best days yet! Yesterday we spent the first 30 miles winding our way through the country next to a Bayou. We finished the day crossing the great Mississippi River. I had told Rob that I wanted to stop just before the river for a photograph, so he dutifully got a … Read more
We crossed into Louisiana a mere 86 miles ago, but it’s like we’re in a different world. We traded ranches and farms for swamps, bayous and rice paddies, which are also used to harvest crawfish. The counties here are called parishes and the towns, street signs and stores all have a french basis to them. … Read more
Texas didn’t want us to leave. The day started with double digit headwinds and continued for the entire ride — as if the state was pushing us to stay. Big surprise there. We have by now decided that the concept of prevailing westerly winds is a myth. But the headwinds could not hold us back … Read more
Today was an excellent day of riding. Just under 70 miles from Cleveland to Lumberton. Nice cloud cover the whole time, a little rain, mostly smooth roads, and significantly less traffic than yesterday. So I thought that instead I’d share with you some pictures of just some of the yard art that we have seen … Read more
Today’s ride was from Navasota to Cleveland which is about 75 miles. The nice part of the ride was that much of it traversed through the Sam Houston National Forest. Lots of greenery and winding roads, and still many ups and downs (I was mistaken when I said we left the hill country 2 days … Read more
The day started out overcast, which we like. It blocks the sun (which also means that cars behind us can see us better), and keeps it cool. A light rain was forecasted, so we wore rain gear. Three miles into the ride, we confronted our first challenge – a bridge we were supposed to cross … Read more
Yesterday we departed Fredericksburg to head to Austin – it was our last day in Texas Hill Country, and boy was it hilly! Remember that camp song, The Bear Went over the Mountain, The Bear Went over the Mountain, the Bear went over the Mountain, and what do you think she saw? She saw another … Read more
As today was a day off, it is the perfect day to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us on this ride. We’ve gotten so many texts, and comments on Facebook, Linked In, and responses to our blog posts that it’s almost overwhelming. But keep them coming! We love hearing from you. And … Read more
Today was the perfect day (gee, have I said that before?). It started off cool, and at mile 5 we had one steep climb to the plateau of the Texas Hill Country. After that it was 30 miles of a series of rolling hills through pastures and farms (some working, some abandoned), and we passed … Read more
This morning we woke to a cold and rainy day. The temperature had dropped nearly 40 degrees and was hovering around 49 -50 and it was raining. We bundled up with extra clothing, planning to get out with the rest of the group, when the ride leader pulled me aside and said, you should probably … Read more