Day 37: Sierra Blanca, TX to El Paso, TX

Daily Miles: 81.9 Total Miles: 2026

Pecans to my left. Trains to my right.

After the rough day yesterday, I'm very happy to report that today was a great one. Mary and I received a lovely 5:45am wake-up call when my friend Anita, who is getting her Masters in Italy, Skyped me. Apparently as long as I have an Internet connection, the Skype on my iPhone shows that I am online and free to chat. It was great catching up with Anita, but I'm going to have to change that setting. Mary and I both went back to sleep a bit after the call before waking up, and grabbing coffee and breakfast at Subway. I got on the road this morning before 8:45am and was immediately having a better ride. I made it the 8 miles on the Frontage Road back to Exit 99 in no time, and then I had to get back on the Interstate for about 21 miles.

In front of Street's farm. The mountains are in Mexico.

There was far less traffic today, and there was an approximately 1000' descent. I was rolling along really well at one point averaging 19.9 MPH over a 5 mile stretch. Before I knew it I had safely reached my exit, and rejoined the ACA route, riding West on State Road 20. I rode on a few more miles, to Ft. Hancock (~35 miles into the day), and ate a snack while waiting on Mary. While waiting I met a really nice man named Street. He lived across the street from the post office where I was waiting and he and his family own and operate over 30,000 acres of alfalfa and cotton farms in the area. His property goes right to the Mexican border (about .25 miles from where we were standing), and a portion of the border fence ends right behind his house. It was interesting to talk to him and get his perspective on life in a border town.

One of the train cars at Track One

Street had just started bicycling himself (he said he hadn't been on a bike in 50 years) and he had lots of questions about my bike and my trip. It was fun talking to him and soon Mary showed up and we all chatted a bit. I headed off again and within a few minutes who did I see biking up the road, but Street himself! He went home to drop off his car to ride his bike to lunch. He had a sweet 30+ year old fixed gear cruising bike, and he tried to see if he could keep up with my pace. He could not, but he put in a valiant effort. It was great meeting him and I wish him the best on his future cycling adventures! I continued on another ~24 miles to Fabens where I met up with Mary again to eat a sandwich and chips she had bought for me in Sierra Blanca. We had planned on staying in Fabens, but I still felt fine, and it was only 2pm.

Another view of the unique Track One restaurant

They say that you should make hay while the sun shines, and I now know I have to make miles while the wind is at my back (or at least not right in my face). I decided to go on another ~23 miles in to El Paso where there were far more (and nicer) hotels and food options. I was rolling along nicely, through lots of pecan farms until I reached the suburb of Socorro. This area was an awful, crowded strip mall of a town with terrible roads and minimal shoulders. I made slow progress to the El Paso county line where the road improved and traffic actually died down, but by then I was riding into a head wind. Great. It slowed down my 14+ MPH pace of the day, but it wasn't as terrible as the past few bad rides. Traffic ebbed and flowed and there were lots of stop lights, but I made it to my meet-up spot with Mary safe and sound. We found a nice hotel by the airport and had a great dinner at Track One, a really good restaurant housed inside of old train cars. We had great wings and kabobs and definitely recommend the place. Tomorrow since I have fewer miles to go we are going out to an Easter breakfast, and we've invited my Honduran friend Jackie. Jackie is from Corquin (the village I lived in in Honduras) and has been living and studying in El Paso for  the past 10 months. I'm looking forward to tomorrow: getting to see Jackie, enjoying Easter with her and mom, and FINALLY leaving Texas and crossing the New Mexico state line!