We rode down to Fredericksburg, Texas, from Dallas yesterday.  The weather was not pleasant – that’s an understatement.  The weather was downright crappy.  Cold with temps in the 40’s, windy with gusts at 20-35mph and the occasional drizzle mixed in just for fun.  We left around 9:15 and got in around 3:30 which is really not too bad for time wise.

Oh, and by the way, if you update the firmware in your Sena headset, be ready to re-pair all of your devices and the intercom with your buddy.  What I thought would be a simple connection, wasn’t.  I had a difficult time understanding the instruction manual (pdf on the iPad) and when to press which button.  On the side of the road with your mates waiting on you in the cold wind created too high of a level of performance anxiety and I had to give it up.  I was able to get it accomplished the next morning with little trouble.

The wind was ferocious.  Given that the wind was out of the north-west and we were generally heading south or south-west, it was either at our backs or coming on strong over our right shoulder.  Several times we would be going around a curve in the road to the right and the wind would almost push us into the other lane.  That definitely caused some sphincter constriction.  Add to the wind the light drizzle and all of a sudden you have some significant worry about whether or not the bike is going to slide out from under you.

We came through Fort Worth to get to 377 to Grandbury. From there, we turned south down to Glen Rose then on to Hico for lunch at the Koffee Kup and yes that’s how they spell it. It’s great food – chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes both covered in cream gravy, a small salad and for dessert, we had coconut pie. Yummy! I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) eat all of mine, but the taste was awesome. There’s nothing like home cooking.

[side note on the Koffee Kup – all of the waitresses in there are older. They have to be at least in their 50’s and look liike they have been doing that job for a long time. They are great – nothing wrong with them at all. But what was funny is they had another woman who was clearing and cleaning the tables – “bus girl”. She was younger. I imagined that she just wasn’t old enough to wait tables even though she was in her 40’s.]

From Hico, down to Hamilton to Goldwaithe to Fredericksburg. If you have never traveled down TX 16, it is well worth it. The flowers yesterday were just beautiful. This time of year brings out the best in Texas flora. I probably should have stopped to take a picture or two, but we had been on the bike for over an hour and had drank too much coffee and water. That combination with the cold and drizzle…well, you get the idea.

But with all of that, we made it.  Looking forward to Day 2.  May do a brief ride this morning and then hit the museum and some shopping around town. The big ride will be on day 3 and then headed home on day 4.