July 29
Cordell, OK to Wheeler, TX: 86 miles
Our cue sheet was short, indicating we would be on the same road (route 152) for a 78 mile stretch. We left the town as the sun was rising. The Oklahoma landscape was really breathtaking, especially at sunrise with red and pink tints in the sky and clouds scattering the sunlight.
We were on a country road with no houses or gas stations for miles - so when we spotted a small green building labelled "Cafe" at mile 20 we all agreed to stop for a break. We ended up eating a second breakfast there. I got a biscuit sandwich with sausage and egg and a side of hash browns. It was delicious.
As we approached our lunch spot around mile 40, it started to rain. We had no roof above our heads so we quickly devoured some snacks and continued riding. A 16 mile stretch of gravel road followed. Being both drenched and numb from the vibrations for such a long period of time was an unpleasant experience, but conversation with Margoux and Lucas, my riding buddies that day, took my mind off my miserable state and made time go by faster. When we finally got to paved road, I felt like I was riding on butter. We stopped at the second gas station we encountered during the entire ride just around the corner and stopped for a break. A man in a pickup truck pulled over to us in the parking lot to ask what we were doing and gave us a donation. Inside the gas station, a couple of guys told us that we were brave and crazy for riding on the road we were on. One burly guy commented that he feared even driving on it. They were right - there were several trucks driving by at high speeds with no regard for our placement on the road, limiting our space to the narrow shoulder. Each time a truck passed, a tidal wave of water from the street would engulf us. Passing a speed limit sign that read 75 mph made it all the more unsettling.
Entering Texas! (The accuracy of the subtitle is questionable)
We made it through and arrived in the small town of Wheeler, TX. We stopped at a consignment shop in the town center to look for prom dresses, since we have a Bike and Build prom next weekend. I immediately spotted a blue sequined one that I found appropriately absurd and flashy for the occasion. Upon arriving at the church, I met Larry, a member of the church who was the epitome of a cowboy with a cowboy hat, mustache, an ornate belt buckle, and cowboy boots. He taught us how to lasso using a stationary plastic bull he brought from home.
I got the lasso around the bull's horns on my third try but demonstrated that was just pure luck after missing on the next 10 tries. For dinner, we had a delicious beef brisket, potato salad, cole slaw, and cherry pie.
July 30
Wheeler, TX to Amarillo, TX: 98 miles
The day started out unconventionally. There was lightening and rain outside and the weather report indicated that the storm would remain within a 50 mile radius for most of the day. So, the leaders made the decision to shuttle us to the lunch spot 40 miles away, where we began our ride. The roads were unpaved and bumpy and the bland Texas landscape did not offer much to look at. There were not any town centers or attractions along the way, just oil factories and grain elevators. We encountered 2 gas stations along our entire ride, stopping at one for an extended period of time to fuel up and enjoy each other's company since riding along a 75 mph highway with a narrow shoulder does not offer much of an opportunity to chat. One positive aspect of the ride was that it was very flat. In fact, it was so flat that we would be fixated on a grain elevator in the distance for miles. To keep ourselves entertained on our ride, we started a game that involved guessing how many miles away we were from a grain elevator - a game through which I learned that I have a poor concept of how far a mile is. Several cargo trains passed during our ride, which provided some variation in the dull surroundings and were fun to race. We successfully prompted one of the conductors to blow the whistle for us.
We arrived at the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Amarillo, where we would be spending the next two nights. A limo service shuttled us to The Big Texan, a touristy restaurant in Amarillo that is famous for its 72 oz. steak challenge: one person must consume a 72 oz steak, a 2 lb. baked potato, a shrimp cocktail, and salad within one hour.
Our limo:
As we were seated, I glanced over at the platform and saw a 250 lb man throwing up in a trash can. That was when I knew we were in a classy joint. Katie Lee, half his size, was the only person in out group determined enough to enroll in this challenge. We cheered her on throughout the hour and she put in a solid effort, eating 52 oz of her steak (more than the other two guys competing!).
Opposite of Katie was an Australian man who was also with a large party. They were an Australian tour group traveling across the country by bus from California to New York. After dinner, we joined the Australians in the bar for a fun night of socializing and dancing. The night concluded with an impromptu group hang out in this abandoned VW bus outside of our host site:
July 31
We had a very productive build day. We worked on the Amarillo Habitat for Humanity's 100th house. The house started off as a platform and by the end of the day, we installed all the framing in the house. Wall building and raising is one of my favorite steps in the house building process because we get to build such an integral structure as a wall and clearly see the progress we made by the end.
We built all of this in one day. How cool is that.
August 1
Amarillo, TX to Friona, TX: 72 miles
The weather was perfect, the roads paved, and the terrain flat - all the best riding conditions we could ask for were fulfilled. Again, the ride through the panhandle of Texas was not aesthetically pleasing or interesting. The main attractions were more meat packing factories and grain elevators. We stopped for lunch outside of a farmer's house. The farmer was a kind old man named Fred who chatted with us and allowed us to use his bathroom. Along our route, we passed through Hereford, the "beef capital of the world." We arrived in Friona in the early afternoon. Friona is known to be the "cheeseburger capital of Texas." Before arriving at the host, we stopped at a diner called Tasty Cream to try their burgers and shakes.
The host provided us with a great chicken casserole. Afterwards, groups of us were paired with members of the church who were willing to open their homes to us for the night. I and 5 other girls were taken to a family's home who had three young girls: a 4 year old named Ivy, a 7 year old names Aubrey, and a 10 year old named Emma. The family was extremely kind and welcoming. We played with the girls, their two kittens (one which I had to save from a tree), and their two dogs all evening. They even had a trampoline that we enjoyed jumping on just as much if not more than the 4 year old. They provided us all with beds and I had the best sleep I had in a long time.
I slept in Ivy's room:
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