Texas's Last Stand

All I had to do is cycle out of El Paso and I was going to be free of Texas. But Texas wasn't going to let me go that easy. The best way out of El Paso?

TX-20: 6 lanes, 8 including turn lanes, no shoulders, stores caked up and down for the next 13 miles so there were a lot of parking lots with cars entering and leaving. 

Let me put in perspective what I just cycled down:

Louisville people: imagine cycling down Dixie Highway

Glen Ellyn peeps: imagine cycling down Roosevelt Road or North Ave during rush hour

Chicago: well you don't have an equivalent since you can navigate by bike anywhere, and cars aren't going 45 mph turning in and out of parking lots every tenth of a mile. It was freakin terrifying, but I just cranked up the tune-skies and cycled on. Really wasn't much else to do.

Cycling on the interstate was far safer than what I just did. Oh well.

Finally into New Mexico:

Some crazy river eh?

West Texas winds new slogan is:

BOHICA= (BOO-HICK-AH)

Bend

Over

Here

It

Comes

Again

Other than the winds and the amount of time it took to pedal across Texas (20 days almost half the trip) (here is Google's shortest route of what I did, actual distance was probably 1200-1400 miles:)

West Texas was actually a pretty sweet place. There were a lot of cool towns, hostels, bars, and flavor across Texas (I know I didn't think there would be). It was crazy to see your destination when you were 30 miles away. It was mind boggling to look out and see nothing, for what seemed like hundreds of miles. The "nothingness" or emptiness was rather satisfying/peaceful.

Here are some of my favorite Texas things: head scratchers:

 I had no idea Texas was its own nation:

Awesome bike:

Hostel in Marathon, TX:

The border patrol, the guy who questioned me was named "Ortiz" it was 2pm:

Ortiz: what are you guys doing?

Me: riding across the US

Ortiz: are you  US citizens?

Me; yes 

Ortiz: okay go ahead then

The next day we are 90 miles up the road and stopped on the side and a border patrol pulls over, it is Ortiz again.

Ortiz: hey guys, I was the one at the gate yesterday!

Me: right right, how are you?

Ortiz: good. You guys haven't made it too far. I went home, drank some beers, and saw you guys pedal by yesterday, you only made it 45 miles from the check point.

Me: what? We are on bikes. We can't go that fast.

Ortiz: I just wanted to let you know. Have a good day.

Thanks for the info Ortiz.