DAYS 19 & 20: 10/8 Van Horn, TX to Marfa, TX and 10/9 Marfa, TX to Alpine, TX

DAYS 19 & 20: 10/8 Van Horn, TX 75 miles to Marfa, TX; and 10/9 Marfa, TX 25 miles to Alpine, TX –

We left Van Horn before sunrise and the sky was already spectacular. It was the classic look where clouds make the sunrise prettier. Funny how the pre-sunrise sky is prettier than the actual sunrise. Sometimes anticipation of an event is better than the actual event. Happens to all of us more often than we realize. 

Pre-sunrise anticipation and beauty

Sunrise also not too shabby

It was a beautiful morning and I was riding in a near trance state induced by the mountain scenery, particularly in one spot where I was taken by the layered effect of one range behind the other. 

Loving the layered mountains.  

This was short lived and I was brought back to reality when a warning sign appeared. 

One more thing to beware

The chip and seal was worse today than yesterday. 

Feeling every bumpy stone along our way

We could see the smoothest places to ride were where the tires of cars and trucks had pressed over the stones the most. The black smear is also where the tire rubber wears off leaving some of its oil as a residue. But that means riding on the road, not in the shoulder. So we ended up riding on the road and hopping over to the shoulder when we heard and saw in our mirror that a vehicle was coming from behind - at 70 mph! The louder the wind blew, the harder it got to hear cars so we had to keep more of eye in our mirror than we’d normally desire. 

You can see the desired riding lane

Every county paves with its own method, and the roads were paved at different times, so the quality of the road varied each time we crossed a county line. We could see the road change coming in front of us and it became a bit of a game guessing if the road would be worse or better and giving awards to better counties. 

Better or worse road as we change counties?

We got lucky with a “smooth lane”, that required riding in a narrow strip. 

Smooth strip

By the afternoon, we struggled in the 90 degree heat with very few places to find shade. We knew from the ACA that there would be no food or drink services on the route, so we packed extra water, meaning extra weight. 

Back to finding creative shade spots

Part of a ranch entrance. 

As my feet were swollen from the heat and my legs were tiring, I thought quite a bit about Lenny and Ernie and their persistence and about others I knew facing medical issues and what it must take to just keep soldiering on. 

Around 2:30 I got spooked by music starting to play from a moving billboard car. I realized afterwards it was likely solar powered and triggered by my movement. It had a giant cutout of a young Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. They, along with Rock Hudson, starred in the 1956 western classic, Giant, filmed in the area. It received 9 Academy Award nominations, won Best Director and was Dean’s last film. The stars and cast also stayed in The Paisano Hotel which contributed to its rich history. We had decided to splurge on staying there. 

Hollywood in Marfa

Another billboard truly helped me get through the challenging ride. It was my reward awaiting…

A sign from above (or the side) to help in my goal-setting visualization 

And just like that, we made it. Funny thing was Heather told me she wasn’t going to get anything at DQ. But once there, she followed my lead. 

Oreo Blizzard, of course

After some chill time at the hotel, by the pool and in the courtyard with the fountain, it was an early night to get a much needed rest. 

Marfa is known far and wide in art circles. In the 1970’s, a successful NY city artist, Donald Judd, moved here and created giant concrete works that sit in the open desert skies. His subsequent works and the ensuing scene put Marfa on the art map. There was definitely a hopping vibe in town as unbeknownst to us we were there on the annual celebration known as Chinati Weekend. The Chinati Foundation is a modern museum on 340 acres and many people make an annual pilgrimage to town this very weekend. 

At an amazing brunch at Aster Marfa, where we shared an outdoor table with Joe and Lee from South Florida, we learned more about this as Joe is one of those pilgrims who shared his enthusiasm. 

We cycled the mile to the foundation to check it out and ended up confirming our inability to appreciate any of the modern art that enthralls so many. I confess after walking through an exhibit of 30 wood boxes with an identical exterior, but slightly different interiors, they looked to me like somebody struggling with IKEA directions. At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I acknowledged this view to the guide, Hannah, and asked her to educate us on what was going on here. What was I missing? She explained that the boxes are like people, all identical on the outside but each very different inside. I’m still grappling with her response. If anything, this biking adventure has left me feeling that people are much more alike at their core inside despite so many outward appearing differences and each having a different story and path. 

Chinati Foundation under appreciated

As an aside, the bagel at Aster Marfa was an art form itself! I am definitely a Montreal bagel snob even after living in New York for 30 years, and the everything bagel at Aster was right up there with my native city’s very best. Dare I say better? And this was before any biking, so I was not biased by any riding-induced hunger. And if you do visit, the salted maple pie is a must have dessert, though I think we ate it as an appetizer. :)

Bagel art, now that's something I know about

Marfa is also renowned for the Marfa lights, that is lights observed east of town that many attribute to paranormal sources like UFOs. As we cycled the 25 miles to Alpine, we stopped to check out the signage. There we met Chase and Megan, who asked to interview us about the Marfa lights for a segment on their local news. Naturally, I pitched them a better story - us riding cross country and dedicating the ride for the Reeve Foundation. They loved the idea and a few days later we were aired on TV news. 

Heather turning the tables and interviewing Chase and Megan

Click here to see the interview (note: you may have to download the video to view it). 

Further along our shortest ride of the trip, I crossed over the rumble strip, the grooves that literally cause car tires to rumble warning a motorist they are drifting out of their lane into the shoulder of the road. We have both crossed it frequently on our bikes without issue. Somehow this strip shook my bike so violently, it was as if I could feel the vibrations in my molars. I thought I felt something fall and brush my leg, but dismissed it as my imagination. By chance I stopped 100 yards later to check directions with Heather. I went to look at Google maps on my phone. Oh shoot, my phone was missing from its holder atop my bike stem. That’s what must have brushed my leg when it was jarred out of its case. I was surprised Heather didn’t show her exasperation with one more typical Mark mishap. I left my bike with her and scooted back up the road to look for my phone, hoping it was in the shoulder of the road. If it was off to the side of the high grass, it would be lost as my ringer was off so we could not call it. If it was on the road, it was likely crushed already by one of the trucks that had since passed. About 50 yards back, I could see it lying in the road. Somehow, luckily, it was intact! Wow, that heavy duty case was worth every penny. Maybe I can do a product endorsement deal when I’m back home. When I was back with Heather, she confessed a few days ago, her whole handlebar bag flew off her bike onto the road. Alas her understanding of my plight. 

In Alpine, we settled into a cute guest house that our Warm Showers host let us use although she was out of town. She simply left it unlocked for us. Gotta love small town trust.

Literally mi casa es su casa

After a memorable and incredibly delicious dinner at the Century Bar and Grill, we went to bed early to get rested for two big days of grinding out miles in West Texas. 

© Copyright Mark Segal 2021.