Matt and Mark's Excellent Adventure

We arrived in Kerrville on February 10. It was raining when we arrived, but that soon changed over to really cold temps and really strong wind.

Saturday morning had plenty of sunshine, but wind and temps were both in the low 30's.

San Antonio was just a short drive away and Matt had never been . . . So, we parked the car and explored the town by bike. Breakfast was at G/M's Cafe right across from the Alamo.

Dodging traffic was easy. Dodging tourists was a bit more challenging.

After exploring the Riverwalk (Matt was a bit disappointed), we headed south from town along the Mission Route. There are five missions, including the Alamo, each about three miles apart. Pretty stuff.

This was my favorite mission. Lots of stuff to explore.

Matt and I had the same idea . . . Crash the wedding reception. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it. Doh!

This is at the back of the chapel. I just liked the mixture of shapes, textures and shadows. I sat down here to think about God, life, history, philosophy, etc., but then I got hungry.

No great insight here. I just liked what I saw.

Heading south was easy. When we turned around to head back north . . .

Leaving San Antonio to head back into the Hill Country, we happened upon this bicycle shop. Hank is the proprietor and is quite proud of his collection.

Hank (the owner) says that he can tell if someone is a "bike person" by their reaction when they walk in the store. Posers and schmucks wrinkle their noses and quickly leave. "Bike people" speak in reverential tones and start picking up stuff.

Hank had a lot of stories that are best heard in person. I highly recommend paying him a visit.

Sunday (Feb 11) dawned bright and cold. It soon warmed to pleasant temps, but still with a lot of wind. Matt and I decided to on a 50 mile route from Vanderpool to Leakey, then south to Rio Frio. We'd cross over to Utopia and then back to Vanderpool.

Immediately after leaving Vanderpool, you start a 2 mile climb. I think the climb probably only averages 6 or 7 percent, but in places it was easily 189%. I know these numbers are accurate, so don't even try to argue with me.

The eighteen miles (or so) from Vanderpool to Leakey was the toughest. There were two significant climbs, plus a good hill. Fun stuff.

Just before getting into Leakey, you cross the Frio River. Leakey has convenience stores and a few restaurants.

After leaving Rio Frio (near Garner State Park), you cross back over some gentle grades. These are all pretty mild hills, and the scenery is outstanding.

Utopia is a small town with a few restaurants catering to tourists. We stopped at the Old Miner's Restaurant (or something like that). We each had a sandwich and Matt sampled the homemade pies. The owner made fun of my "pokey-pecker shorts." I blushed a little bit.

The 10 miles of road between Utopia and Vanderpool is petty flat. It runs right along the Sabinal River. We had a vicious head wind, and it took us every bit of an hour to cover the ground. Looking for the perfect finish to the day, I decided to do the 2 mile climb again (the same one we started the day with). The return descent was a blast, as you might imagine.

Camping at Kerrville-Schreiner State Park

We arrived in Kerrville on February 10. It was raining when we arrived, but that soon changed over to really cold temps and really strong wind.