Week 4 -Fredricksburg Tx to DeRidder La

Hello Friends and Family,

Happy Easter! And I am thrilled to say that on Easter afternoon , we finally finished our journey through Texas. We traveled approximately 950 miles over 18 days through the Longhorn State , visiting many small towns with welcoming folks and lots of BBQ.

A special Easter Thank You to Pastors Paul,Jason ,Angie(I was 20 miles from the Woodlands,Tx) and my friends at Monfort Heights Methodist Church who sent me a customized jersey this Easter week. Melissa and I have been members here for nearly 35 years and I have attended programs here since my kindergarten years ! Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated.

Day 23 - A special rest day in Fredericksburg, Tx. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with the newest member of our family ,my great niece Kennedy Ann. She is Four Months young and lives with her parents Hilary and Brian in San Antonio. Brian serves our country at Joint Base San Antonio in the USAF. They have lived away from family for quite a few years and I am glad to say they are doing well.

Day 24- Fredericksburg Tx to Austin Tx. ( 87 Miles, 5369 Elevation Gain, 6 hours in seat) We biked up and down in Texas Hill Country today. This booming area now has over 100 wineries and many exotic hunting ranches where the animals of Africa can be found in Texas. The beautiful part of the day was the miles and miles of blooming blue bonnet and paintbrush wildflowers that line the roads. This effort was pioneered by Lady Bird Johnson and the highway beautification act of 1965, leaving a lasting legacy throughout central Texas.

After Lunch we biked into Austin. The feel of the big city was a welcome change from two weeks of desert scenery. In the evening, I was so happy to meet up with my niece Rachel . Rachel grew up with my kids on West Fork Rd and is a successful graduate of the UC DAAP program in fashion design. She has a really cool job in Austin designing Men’s clothing for:

Criquetshirts.com check out the website.

Day 25 - Austin to La Grange Tx (77 Miles 2,133 Elevation Gain 5 hr 21 min in seat) Exiting Austin, we passed some of the new Giga Factories and the home of the Austin Grand Prix. The rest of the day was just getting miles done in Texas.

Day 26 - La Grange Tx to Navasota Tx (81 Miles 3648 Ft elevation gain 5 hr 40 min in seat) We had a beautiful day rolling east with miles and miles of blue bonnets. I was able to get a couple butterfly pictures on the flowers. We had lunch at the original site of Baylor University.

A monument of explorer Rene-Robert Cavalier de La Salle in Navasota led me to an interesting Cincinnati Connection. La Salle was the first European to navigate the entire Ohio River. Later while claiming Louisiana and the eastern part of Texas as part of France, he was assassinated near Navasota in 1687. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9-Robert_Cavelier,_Sieur_de_La_Salle

Day 27 -Navasota Tx to Cleveland Tx (75 miles, 2720 ft Elevation,5h 13m in seat) The terrain of Texas changed today as we bicycled through Sam Houston National Forest . Tall pine trees replaced the flat land and desert giving the ride a more wooded feel.

Day 28 - Cleveland, Tx to Lumberton Tx ( 69 miles, 699 ft elevation gain, 4h 9m in seat) Nice flat roads with a tailwind made for good day of bicycling. A friend of our guide hosted us for lunch at a private airstrip. He owned a Gyrocopter ,which I had never seen before.

Day 29 - Lumberton Tx to De Ridder La ( 82 miles, 1027 ft elevation gain, 4h 47m in seat) We are done bicycling in Texas ! We crossed the Sabine River into Louisiana today and celebrated with an Easter dinner prepared by a fellow riders mother. Wendy prepared Venison Chicken Jambalaya with cooked carrots and green beans. We all needed a home cooked meal and now a day of rest.

Easter Blessings - Jim