October 21, Day off in Plainview, Texas
I’m actually visiting Plainview! I must have driven past it a hundred times, between my undergraduate degree in Abilene, graduate work in Lubbock, and a daughter in school in Abilene as well. But I never stopped once. I didn’t think it was an actual city–I just thought it was a sign post. Well, Plainview is huge! Its easily 5 miles across and has its own airport. When I was young, we used to sing a song at church that went, “Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He’s here in plain view…” The point was that you could find Christ all around you, particularly in the faces of other people. I sang the song in Texas too, and everyone would snicker because all we could think of was that sign post along the interstate…
“…He’s here in plain view…”
I left yesterday morning after debating whether or not I should take a day off in Canyon. But, I found myself saying, “Sure–you can bike 131.5 miles in one day. BUT–can you get up and ride another 75 the next day?” It turns out that I could, but at a pretty big cost. By the end of the day, my legs hurt worse than they had since–forever.
Cotton: the most amazing plant there is. You actually wear this stuff.
I headed for an RV park, only to find out that they didn’t have any space for tents, namely because there were no toilets. (Yes, I had called them earlier, but there was no answer).
If I ever put together a list of “pearls of wisdom” about bicycle touring, I would add a section on camping near public areas. If there is something about a place that attracts people, but there are no toilets, folks will just make do. A good example of this is any roadside rest area that is just for parking or a historical marker. You might think this is a good place to camp. But find the first secluded area, and I guarantee it will be covered with little white spots of toilet paper. Pearl of Wisdom: don’t camp there. You want to camp out in the open, or a LONG ways away from the rest stop. Anyway, I can understand why a campground that does not have communal toilets would not want tent camping.
They directed me to a public camp area that had restrooms, electricity, water, but no showers. It worked out OK for me, but I had a very strange interaction with the only other camper present. This fellow was clear on the other side of the facility from where I had put my tent. I went to sleep around 8:30 PM (normal for me these days). Around midnight, I awoke to this fellow banging on my tent and yelling at me. He wanted to know if I was hungry. A short conversation ensued, and he returned with a plate of tortillas, some kind of Mexican bean/meat combination and a can of Coke. He was also concerned that I might not be warm enough and offered me an extra sleeping bag. All of this would have been very neighborly if it had not occured in the middle of the night. As such, it was kind of creepy, and I didn’t sleep well aftger that. The food was quite tasty, however.
Tomorrow, the wind is going to work against me. Even though I am taking a day off and it is only 46 miles to Lubbock, I am going to feel it, because I am absolutely bushed. So, I will be on the road long before sunrise, just to beat the wind.
Cheers
Scott
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Midnight bean burrito visit. There’s a first! Let your legs recover, Scott. I bet your doctor would agree with me😉. And oh how I remember that song! Jesus is indeed in plain view, and I’m sure you’ve seen the evidence on your trip. Love you!
Hope those burritos don’t come for you tomorrow…
Hey I remember that song. I sang it many times. Praying for your health as you bike.