DAYS 24 & 25: 10/13 Bracketville, TX to Leakey, TX &10/14 Leakey, TX to Fredericksburg, TX

DAYS 24 & 25: 10/13 Bracketville, TX 71 miles to Leakey, TX and 10/14 Leakey, TX 87 miles to Fredericksburg, TX –

As we were leaving Bracketville, we passed a school and could hear them over the PA system reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. We patriotically stopped, placed our hands on our hearts and joined in. Having just come from staying in a military fort, the Pledge felt more meaningful. 

Heather reciting the Pledge

About an hour later we were pleasantly surprised to meet Will who had just staged a snack stop for Jack. He graciously offered us a refueling pit-stop as well.  

Our friend Will and his support

Just before 10am, I came around a corner and saw a state trooper and another car with their lights flashing. As I got much closer, I could also see a man and 3 youths sitting or squatting in the grass, with their hands behind their backs. It was an immigration stop. It was heartbreaking to see this so upfront and real. I pulled over shortly past them to pull myself together and wait for Heather. We discussed it and both had the boys’ faces etched in our minds. We both felt it was by far the saddest event of the trip to date. 

I don’t presume to know the solution to our complicated, southern border immigration crisis. It really hits home on multiple levels. Years ago, we sponsored a family for their immigration visas and eventual path to citizenship. Seven of our eight grandparents were immigrants, and lastly Heather and I are immigrants as well! Though our grandparents fit a more typical image (in their case leaving Russia and Eastern Europe to seek greener pastures in Canada), we came to the USA across the northern border with advanced education, some savings, and English language skills - though I’m still teased for my accent to which I respond to our children that I speak the Queen’s English. Nevertheless, we did immigrate and go through the visa to green card to citizen process, though did so without hardship. 

The immigration issue up front and real

As we progressed east, the ranch gates became more stately. 

More stately ranches

Around Camp Wood, we discovered an amazing eaterie, Kings Texas Smokehouse. I didn’t ask, but suspect the meat was really fresh, like right out of the neighboring field. The display of the taxidermist’s fine work (directly above the butcher counter) added to that feeling of the meat being locally sourced. Heather ordered “The Yardbird”, a spicy chicken sandwich, and I opted for “Home Slice!” It was amazing slow smoked brisket with their sauce, and one of their two signature sandwiches. This was not your grandmother’s brisket!  As we were eating, we were joined by Jack and Will who were done for the day. It was great to have that family feel on the road. 

With Jack, part of our cycling family (there was no mountain cat on the menu)

Quite the Jerky collection

Fresh, locally sourced

Once you exit “West Texas” rugged dessert-like country, you head into what’s aptly named “Texas hill country”. The hills just roll into one another. I had expected it to be simple riding of momentum down one hill continuing into the next climb and that repeating. But it is not quite like that and is much harder. On the downslope, at its lowest point you hit the “dip” in the road and it is almost like hitting a wall where there is no longer any forward momentum. So the climb feels like it is from a complete stop. It didn’t help that I had eaten a big lunch, more like a dinner. I told myself I’m not going to have a heavy lunch tomorrow with more hill country. 

Texas Hill Country

For over 3 weeks now, we have dealt with many challenges, but it has remained dry. Certainly our share of too much sun, but it had yet to really rain. As we were riding more rollers in hill country, and on a full-out climb, it started to drizzle softly. The sky was darkening and we could see lightening ahead. Using the simple method of counting from the sight of lightening until hearing the clap of thunder, it was about 1-2 miles away. We wanted to get off the road but we had about 6 miles to go, and there was nowhere to shelter. 

Without a better choice, we rode the 6 miles to go until our riverside cabin rental in Leakey. No sooner had we arrived and Heather was inside, while I was outside with the bikes, it started to pour torrentially with the rain blowing in sheets by a strong wind. We got very lucky and dodged the brunt of this storm. 

Scary when the image on the weather app matches your view of the sky in real time

By the way, don’t let a local hear you pronounce it Lee-key: it is Lay-key. 

The next morning was pretty foggy to begin, and then in a mysterious way we could see the fog lift. 

Fog lifting

We crossed back and forth over the low lying Guadeloupe River 5 or 6 times. The road crossed so low that you could see it didn’t take much for flooding to close the bridges. I wondered what we would do in that event. As we approached the town of Hunt, we passed a ranch where all the fence posts were capped with old boots. It looked really artsy and at the same time familiar. I felt I saw something like this last year on our road trip through Utah.  Like for everything else, I later turned to Google and learned it’s not artistic whim but a variety of reasons ranchers do this. These include honoring a loved one by using the boot of someone who has died, or more practically to prevent water damage on the top of the fence post.

Boot fence near Hunt

And then wouldn’t you know it, we came to the town of Hunt, the only town for a bit, and they had only one restaurant - the only other Kings Texas Smokehouse. I learned this was the original serving the community for 67 years. I didn’t want to repeat yesterday’s afternoon sluggishness following a heavy lunch, but Heather was thrilled to order another Yardbird. I was peer pressured or amenable, depending on how one tells it, and this time I ordered the “Cleaver and Sauce”. Their celebrated brisket slow smoked and chopped, doused in home-brewed sauce. This was a delightful indulgence. I don’t typically eat much red meat and now in Texas I was eating in days what normally I might eat over 6 months. And sure enough my ride that followed was again a sluggish afternoon. I paid the price. 

We eventually made it Fredericksburg, a charming town, with a Main Street vibrant with music sounding from restaurants, wineries, and shops. And noticeably without so many empty storefronts that affects all small towns including ours. 

We learned that due to the fires in Napa Valley, Texas wine country tourism was booming. We ate dinner at a touristy spot on Main Street, food was just okay and their signature strudel dessert was actually nothing to write home about. Probably should have eaten at the spot around the corner, recommended by the B and B we stayed at. Trust the locals! But the best part of dinner was we were again joined by Jack and Will, and we celebrated our observation that today we passed the halfway mark! It would be “easier” to finish than to go back. 

Back to our start (4 days 7 hours)

Ahead to our finish (4 days 3 hours)

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