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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Day 2: Austin, Tx - Longview, Tx

Well, it seems that my butt hurts a bit less this morning. My right wrist seems to feel mildly better. With such a nice breakfast at Kerbey Lane this morning, my tummy is also happy. After dithering about, packing and stuff after breakfast, it was going to be a late departure, around 11 am. By then, it was sweltering. Even while I was loading my bags onto the bike I was sweating buckets.

Taking US 35 N towards Waco was pretty uneventful... and boring to say the least. The flat plains between Austin & Waco look pretty much like... well... the rest of of Texas. Two rows of hot black asphalt flanked by alternating scenery of either trees, farms or cow pastures. And then I hit Waco..... My trusty iPhone 4 tells me to break tracks from US 35 and swing a right onto TX 31.  I guess I must have had a messed up preconception that local roads were going to be slow going and tedious, but to my surprise, the first speed sign i see on the 2 lane highway is 70 mph!! (65 at night).  Not only that, but the close proximity of all the trees, vegetation, homes and animals to the edge of the road made sure that i was fully engaged in the american country experience.  

I have decided that my favorite stretches of road are the 2 lane pine forests. Somehow the breeze that wafts through the pine forests are very cooling and refreshing. The smell of the woods remind me that i'm not in downtown Houston anymore. 

I finally pull into Longview at around 5pm in the afternoon and like any city slicker trapped out here in the boonies, headed straight for the nearest Starbucks for my Grande Non-Fat Upside Down Caramel Macchiato.  

Interestingly enough, my last gas stop in Longview (right before starbucks) proved to be somewhat interesting as I notice that attached to the main building of the gas station, was a little barn with what seems like half an airplane sticking out of it's roof, as if it had just crashed into it! There was, what seemed like the hapless pilot of said plane peering over the top of the roof and staring at me filling up my tank of Gas! As if this wasn't strange enough, closer inspection revealed this to be none other than a drive through liquor store!! You drive through the rear with your empty pickup truck, and leave through the other end with booty in tow. I would load up, but unfortunately with my "truck bed", i'd be lucky to even fit an empty can of beer!


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