Day 35 - Austin to Buesher State Park

Got off to a late start today,I needed to run one more errand and that store didn't open until 10:00, and I wanted to stop by the Brazilian restaurant in east Austin and it didnt open until 11:00.

On the way to the Brazilian place I ran across Amanda and her coffee shack, Black Lodge Coffee. I had to stop for a cup and it was delicious. Kiss My Grits was right next door and I really wanted to eat there too, but I held out for Brazilian breakfast.

At the Brazilian Cafe I had Acai na Tegela, pastel du camarao and pao de queijo. Yay! The Acai and pao de queijo were not as tasty as Sunstream in SF, but they were a taste of Brazil and of home. No coxinha tho, bummer. The pastel was the best I've had in the US.

The ride to Bastrop was unremarkable, nice, but nothing special. Although I did detour on to a pleasant country road for a while. I stopped at a Taco Cabana for a brisket taco just to try it. It's a local fast food chain and a wanted a taste before they stopped showing up. Not bad, a definite step up from Taco Bell. Fresh flour tortillas made on site.

We had planned on staying in Bastrop, but Jerry and Michele arrived before me, we're unimpressed ("all the charm of El Paso", I believe was how Jerry put it) and decided to push in to Buescher State Park, so I rode on to catch up. Frankly, I think Jerry was a little harsh in his assessment, it wasn't that bad.

The extra 12 miles were by far the most beautiful and difficult of the day. The road went through Bastrop State Park which is home to the famous "Lost Pines," an isolated timbered region of loblolly pine and hardwoods. Most of the park was destroyed by fire last year and the damage is extensive, and eerily beautiful.

Being a park road, it also turns, sweeps, climbs and descends like a roller coaster. The rollers weren't high, 75 feet maybe, but man were they steep. Even in my lowest gear I had to climb out of the saddle and weave back and forth across the road. The park website has this to say about cycling in the park: "The scenic, 12-mile-long, winding, and hilly, paved road between Buescher and Bastrop State Parks is ideal for biking, but should be used only by experienced cyclists." I'll say!

Buescher State Park escaped damage and is densely forested, a very nice place to camp. Can't say enough about these Texas State Parks.

Jerry & Michele lugged a roasted chicken, salad fixin's, and a cherry pie over that road for dinner. I felt slightly guilty for not sharing the load, but not so guilty that I refused to eat it.

Andrew is no longer riding with us, he went home to DC. That's too bad, it was nice having him around. Only good thing about him being gone: since he's not here I didn't get any beer and I was able to catch up on my blog. Don't feel much like blogging after a few beers. Posted five entries today. Whew!