A Travellerspoint blog

Where's Waldo?

Camels,and zebras and buffaloes , oh my!

82 °F
View Pony Ride 2013 on brendagerber07's travel map.

Arkansas on Rt 82 for 5 hours and 50 mins. They rode 90.4 miles at an average speed of 15.5. What a Monday! So as Wynn said, a hard day on the bike is better than a good day at the office...sorry, Neil! Not much to see as we went along? Well Karen and I saw things off the road that the team missed. Even though they had a large shoulder, the road was quite rough and there was a fair amount of traffic too. Their eyes were trained to the ground. So we try to show some of the things that they went past on the route. And yes, we did go through Waldo, Arkansas.

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The thing that really made us smile was a field that appeared out of nowhere...we have seen mirages as we have travelled along; something I don't think I'd ever seen. I looked over and thought I saw a camel...and indeed, I really had.

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And we saw a perfect sign for Dan and his "Mango" ointment.

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We saw some bridges again and the ever present RR crossings and water towers. Our water stop was at a little roadside park.

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Today's route took us through Magnolia, where we ate lunch and then through Waldo and Stamps, where we had water breaks. We ended up finishing our tour today in the middle of a farmers field about 20 miles east of Texarkana. We stopped in the middle of a mosquito nest. I never saw so many mosquitoes before...and many of them ended up in our van. Here is the team riding in

We loaded into the van and headed into Texarkana. We met at the courthouse that holds both the Texas and Arkansas governments. We took pictures straddling the two state lines. We met our Warm Showers host and hostesses, Mike and Tracy. What a wonderful couple. So hospitable and they have a wonderful dog named Holly. They got their dog at Christmas also. We are being treated to a lasagna dinner. Everyone is through the shower and the second load of laundry is underway. We are sitting around in a comfortable living room, sharing war stories. Our host is an ironman competitor and his wife is a marathon runner. What a nice break in the schedule for all of us. (I will put up a few pics tomorrow of Mike and Tracy) and I will try to share the recipe for tonight's dessert. Oh....was it ever yummy!

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So I am closing off early tonight so I can visit. (Dan is in the garage, changing his second flat tire. Glad it happened here and not on the road in the morning.)

Riding on....tomorrow we will be writing from Texas (Paris)
Brenda

From Colleen: Hi folks, Colleen here. I thought I would share a little with you this evening. When we start our days riding, sometimes it's hard to wrap my brain around completing all the mileage that is ahead. But I set my mind on the first 20 and before you know it were at second breakfast and thinking about the lunch stop where typically we are 50 miles or more, then it's smooth sailing on in to where we finish. Each day is so different and brings new vistas and horizons. Today we are blessed to be hosted by a wonderful couple in their beautiful home. I get to sleep in a bed all alone in my own room tonight, I will sleep like a log. I cannot tell you how much your support and words of encouragement mean to all of us. I am ever mindful that being able to participate in an adventure such as this is a tremendous privilege.

Posted by brendagerber07 17:23

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Comments

You all seem to making good time. Texas already?! "Warm showers," what a wonderful program. How many "warm showers" were offered at your house before you took advantage of them yourself. Keep on pedaling! Where is the next shower?

by Rachel

Brenda and Wynn
Great pictures. Keep them coming. Too quiet over at your place. Miss not seeing you out and about. We hope you are receiving our notes. Go Tribe!They are doing great, wish we could go to one of the games. They are sold out. Rats! Oh well hope they go all the way. Write when you can. Have fun and stay safe.

by The Millers

Enjoyed this blog til now! Ha.

Keep up the good work. Can't believe you're a third of the way across the country.

by Neil

Glad the weather seems to be decent for your travels. Keep hydrated, stretch frequently.....and enjoy this wonderful adventure. We are proud of all of you. Keep the updates coming. We feel like we are there with you. :)

by Montgomery's

Texas is one big state But I know you can do it..I think I can... I think I can...I think I can ...Blessings to you all Paul and Jane

by Jane Godby

Good morning 'group' -- hopefully as I write this you are getting in your last restful zzzz's of the night at a wonderful respite (it's 6 a.m. here, so 5 a.m. there). I can't say this enough: it's so good to see your smiling faces! Especially loved the last picture above as well as the "lube" picture -- brought a smile and a chuckle here. Thank you Brenda and Karen for keeping them in focus, in more ways than one.

Note to Colleen: I had a 5-mile plan on my last GOBA day. Every 5 miles Christine, LaDean and I would plan a break. I have to admit I was really pooped by that day and it's the only way (along with the company of Christine and LaDean) that I was able to get through. I know 5 miles at a time will definitely NOT work going cross country (or would it?!?), but you get the drift and it sounds like you're doing it with the 20-25 mile plan. Dittoing off Paul and Jane's message above: I know you can, I know you can, I know you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're there with all of you, every pedal of the way.
Hugs from Vicarious for now!

by Ev Roob

Love "the wilds". Baby zebras....so cute! Mom is faithfully following your trip on her Atlas. She is having fun reminiscing about her trips with Dad through some of those same towns. She said she goes through her pictures of Dad every night before she goes to bed. We are going up this weekend. Tim will be leading the roof project. Pray for clear weather so they can get this done quickly. Hugs to you! Keep up the good work and enjoy Texas! Will you be near Houston?

by Karen Schaffner

Whoaa! Who's whipping those ponies? I didn't know this was a cross country race. You're doing great and we're enjoying the ride along. Hope you can slow down to smell the roses and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Fix those saddle sores before you hit the cattle guards and mountains here in NM. Suggested sights to see along the route: Bitter Lake NWR (birds, dragonflies), Smokey Bear Park (Smokey's home), Three Rivers Petroglyphs (best rock art anywhere), Carrizozo for fruit, Bosque del Apache NWR (whooping cranes, geese and many other birds). Ride safely, Keep Calm and Peddle On!

by Cousin Eda

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