Finally, the Gulf

September 27/09 - Mustang Island State Park, Texas
Mileage: 107.2 km
Total mileage: 4,046 km

Camped tonight on the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Warm, humid breeze and we have the entire beach to ourselves. Just had a swim...water is 83 degrees.

Cycling east from Alice, we got our first blast of salt air about 13 miles west of Corpus Christi which is on the coast. If you are ever on Hwy 44 closing in on Corpus take a whiff of the air as you're passing Rosters Welding cause that's where you'll smell it. We peddled on with anticipation. The anticipation built as we peddled through Corpus Christi...that took a long time.

Reaching the Gulf of Mexico was another pivotal moment. When you see the ocean a few things cross your mind. First - achievement - I peddled this bicycle all the way here from Grand Forks British Columbia, wow! Second - this bicycle is a marvelous piece of engineering. Weighing approximately 25 lbs it carried me, and my load without whining, for the past 4,046 kms. Third - God gave us a beautiful planet, but its not a big planet. Maybe, just maybe, we should take a lot better care of it.

Cycling eastbound yesterday, the terrain started to change just after San Diego. Texas quite abruptly flattened right out. Flat like a pool table. Today continued much the same.

Flat land cycling is the hardest. You can give me mountainous, or even hilly cycling anytime. Flat land cycling offers no gliding or free miles, and you use the same muscle groups all day long...ouch. To boot, it usually involves wind and Murphy's law applies to cycling. It's always in your face!

Today was no exception to that law as the winds here blow from the Gulf. We peddled into it, Deby drafting me. I guess I got the short end of the stick having to break the wind. I get back at her though, by breaking wind in the tent as well.

Big huge tracts of farmland here as well. Most of it is summer fallow now, so we couldn't tell what they grow. Did see some corn and cotton though. Big, big farming.

The humidity has been a bit of a blow. The temperatures haven't changed, but it seems hotter. Have to get used to cycling soaked, going to bed wet, and waking up wet. Today, by the end of the day we were already getting more comfortable with it. It will be like this all the way around the Gulf now.