Day 240 March 26, 2017 Giddings to Elgin,TX

Today was a strange day. It began in an normal way by leaving, Giddings - Home of the Buffalo and the Texas Buffalo football stadium, around 9 AM. We headed out on TX-290 a four lane highway with no shoulder. The night before we had tried walking down it to a Mexican restaurant on that road but, not sure we'd not make it alive, we turned back. We were worried about riding on it but had no choice, so off we went. After a mile or so the road got a shoulder so all was good.



After 3.5 miles we turned off of 290 with its traffic onto a quiet country road. The countryside here reminds me a bit of Northern Michigan with its large pines. Sadly, I think we are about out of Live Oak territory. On the other hand, there isn't any Spanish Moss, and deciduous Oaks, the type I am more familiar with, are plentiful, so I'm being compensated.

A Texas combination road: part pavement, parts dirt and gravel.

Texas, like Michigan, seems to turn paved roads into dirt or gravel. It does not get as many potholes (though they have them) as Michigan, instead the road surface wears away leaving uneven spots and a bumpy surface. As the road begins to wear down they add dirt to even out the surface.  Once the road has deteriorated far enough, they add gravel.

The line of cars heading into the faire was amazing. We passed
 a long stream of cars for at least 1.5 miles and more were joining
as we turned back onto 295.

On Saturday, we had seen signs for Sherwood Forest Faire . Since we would be going right by it, we thought we'd check it out.
As we got closer to the faire, unfortunately, our nice country deteriorated and became gravel. Thinking it might turn back into pavement after the faire grounds we soldiered on, but not before we check out Sherwood Forest.

It turns out Sherwood Forest Faire is a Renascence event and a BIG deal. After a bit of discovery, we passed it up. The cost was steep, and it was huge: over forty stages a "feasting" area, beer, wine, shops, crafts, jousting, theater, the list went on. It was an all day affair - or you could camp on site - that included- if you wish- dressing up in Renascence attire. Our riding shorts could pass for tights, but I left my bodice at home so we had to continue on.

We hoped the road would improve but instead it turned into washboard gravel. Miserable. Slow and bumpy,and we still had 8.5 miles to go! I pulled up the map and we headed back to 290.

Unfortunately, 290 had lost its shoulder, so we were in the traffic. At one point a car did not see us, was blocked from moving into the left lane so went on the grass and passed us on the right. Yike! We turned off of 290 as soon as possible. We would much rather arrive late and rattled than not at all. Luck was with us however, and the road was not longer gravel.

Tomorrow we'll reach Austin. I'm hoping it will be a less eventful day.