Helping reintroduce the endangering Rio Grande Silvery Minnow into the Rio Grande River.
This is a newsletter from Family on Bikes. The family of four is currently cycling the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina as the 11-year-old twin boys attempt to break the world record as the youngest cyclists to bike the entire Pan Am. See a slide show of cycling this area here.
December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas from all of us from here in Del Rio, Texas on the banks of the Rio Grande!
Since I last wrote to you, I feel like we’ve lived through about a year’s worth of adventures – but I suppose it’s really only been a month or so.
Once John had more or less recovered from the accident in Albuquerque and the tandem was repaired, we headed south following the Rio Grande to where our friend, Harry, was expecting us. Harry welcomed us to his home, helped John rebuild the bikes in his fully equipped shop, and fed us a Thanksgiving dinner we will never forget. It was tough to drag ourselves away, but in the end the lure of the road called us once again and we continued south to Texas.
We’ve learned there are two basic truths about Texas – 1) the wind always blows and 2) there are more friendly faces than one can imagine. One I could do without; the other I’m more and more grateful for every day.
Texas has thrown more than our share of obstacles in our path, but I guess that’s what makes the nice days all the more special. As we’ve cycled through southern Texas, we’ve dealt with tailwinds (Yea!!), crosswinds (Hold on!), and brutal headwinds (Go away!). We’ve holed up for a day to wait out a snowstorm. We’ve climbed up and over mountain ranges. In short – we’ve been challenged in more ways than I can count since we’ve entered into this state.
But when I look back upon our time here, it’s not those challenges that come to mind – it’s the many, many friendly faces we’ve come to know and appreciate. People of all walks of life have stepped up to the plate and provided support in so many ways.
In El Paso, Roy and Patty opened their house to us once again. They happened to be the very same warmshowers hosts who welcomed us to their city a couple years ago on our last journey, and it was fun to reconnect with them. While we were there, the El Paso Bicycle Club was having their annual Christmas party, which Roy and Patty generously offered to take us to. It was great to spend an evening chatting with other cyclists about all the things cyclists talk about.
A week or so later, we pulled in to Alpine after having crossed the Davis Mountains – and were welcomed into another home. This time Dee and Glenn opened their doors and allowed us to stay in their travel trailer. The boys were especially thrilled since Dee and Glenn are homeschooling their two children – and invited us to participate in their educational activities. The next few days were a whirlwind of activity as we drove to Odessa for a geography bee one day headed south the next day to Big Bend National Park to help out at the release of the endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnow back into the Rio Grande. We spent a day wandering the grounds of the historic Fort Davis, and learned about astronomy at the McDonald Observatory.
By the time we pulled out of Alpine, our brains were swimming with all we had learned in such a short period of time – but yet more was to come. That evening we pulled into Marathon, where another warmshowers host – Stan – welcomed us to his paper home. He is experimenting with using recycled paper to build structures and we learned more than we ever dreamed about papercrete.
After battling hills, headwinds, and cold temperatures for a few days, we were more than ready for a warm place to rest – but there was no reprieve in sight. The highway was lined with fences of private property, and we wondered just where we could set up our tent. Just then – more angels appeared out of nowhere to rescue us, and we bounced along a rough dirt road to Greg and MarthaLynn’s ranch house for an evening. Davy and Daryl had a blast lighting fireworks with their four kids, while John and I enjoyed chatting with Greg, MarthaLynn, and Charles (Greg’s father).
Mother Nature never let up, but kept throwing more and more obstacles in our path as we made our way south. The wind blew relentlessly in our faces, and we spent a whole day fighting winds so strong we could barely maintain any forward motion at all. In fact, we managed to go about 6 kph going uphill, and only 8 going down! Needless to say, it was brutal – and we were ready for a break.
That break came when we reached Seminole Canyon State Park and met up with Glenn and Sam – our friends from Alpine. The boys enjoyed a delightful afternoon exploring ancient ruins and petroglyphs along the banks of the Pecos River in Glenn’s boat.
And finally, we rolled in to Del Rio – exhausted. Fortunately, the Ramada Inn here in Del Rio has generously offered to sponsor us with a couple nights in the hotel, so we are basking in the luxuriousness surrounding us. It’s been a real treat to sleep in soft beds, play in the indoor pool and hot tub, eat a scrumptious Christmas dinner, and just relax.
I am feeling more and more grateful with each passing day for the wonderful people we’ve been privileged to meet and befriend. There are days when I feel so overwhelmed by all the kindnesses we’ve experienced, and I know there is no way we can even begin to repay our debt to society. My faith in mankind grows each day, and I’m thrilled that Davy and Daryl have had the opportunity to see this side of humanity – and not the side portrayed in the nightly news!
Thank you all for being a part of our journey! We appreciate your support more than you can imagine.
Nancy, John, Davy, Daryl
********
Read our other newsletters here:
Ready for takeoff: June 6, 2008
Dalton Highway in Alaska: June 28, 2008
Alaska Highway: August 3, 2008
Crossing into mainland USA: September 10, 2008
In Montana, Wyoming, and Utah: October 17, 2008
Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico: November 19, 2008
Northern Mexico: January 25, 2009
Yucatan Peninsula: March 14, 2009
Comments