March 16, 2008 - Conroe, TX
Today was a long, slow day. We started late because we spent a couple of hours visiting with one of the innkeepers during and after breakfast. He regaled us with stories about Crockett, TX and the surrounding Piney Woods section of Texas. Based on his descriptions, society in this part of America hasn't gotten much past the 1940's - Overt racism, religious interference in government, substandard medical care, etc. The area is physically beautiful, and the social problems can be solved, but right now it's in flux.
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The owners of the B&B (waarfieldhouse.net) are a gay couple from Las Vegas. The stories we were told about their move to and subsequent introduction to East Texas society were hilarious. I can only imagine how scandalized the blue haired ladies of Crockett were when Doug and Ken moved to town. It's a great place with a good food (Doug cooks), an interesting history and loads of quilts (Ken's). I highly recommend it.
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We left around 11, and took our time along the Hwy 19, heading straight through the Piney Woods with its swampy lowlands and pine forests. The towns along the way were reminiscent of the small towns on Oklahoma, except there is a large Black population. This is a holdover from Texas' early history as a slave state. We rolled through Lovelady, where an old hotel on the corner of the highway caught my eye. A classic early 1900's East Texas structure.
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Because the highway had a nice wide shoulder, Jeni and I were able to ride side by side. Being able to talk, joke and laugh with each other made the miles go by quickly.
Lunch was at a Dairy Queen in Trinity where we saw a restored 1930 Ford in the parking lot. The owner looked like he might have been the original owner, complete with straw Stetson, jeans and Justin boots. Leaving town, the wind picked up and was square in our faces. The rest of the day was a fight to make headway into the wind.
With about 20 miles left to go, we began to parallel I-45 as we headed due South to Conroe. Huntsville Prison came into view, and it's a sobering sight. This is the place where "Old Sparky" is still used. It's also the prison that had inmate rodeos made famous in the movie Stir Crazy (although that was shot in Arizona).
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A mile down the road we came to the statue of Sam Houston. It's 67 feet tall, made of concrete over a steel frame and can be seen from I-45 day or night. Only in Texas!
Those last 20 miles were a real push to finish. Jeni and I took turns being the leader as we had to ride single file (no shoulder on the roadside). The sky turned gray which was a relief from the baking sun. Our tans are anything but even. The use of sunglasses, riding gloves and spandex wear has given us some strange tan lines!
Tomorrow is the last day of this ride, and it's St. Patrick's Day! I bought a large green shamrock hang on the back of the bike, and I'll be wearing green shorts when we ride. "Wearing of the Green" and "Danny Boy" will be the songs of choice tomorrow. |
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