Day 3.
Saturday April 21st, 2012

With the need to cut my vacation short, I had to make my way back home this morning.
This meant that I would be making the long journey back all by myself.
I must admit that I was quite apprehensive. The thought of a really long ride of this distance by myself gave me pause.
To date, in all my riding miles, never had I made a journey of this distance by myself.
Now I was to test my riding mettle.
So immediately after breakfast and bidding my friends farewell, I re-checked the security of my luggage on the bike and headed out into the bright, early light of a typical West-Texas morning.
Cool, crisp air, clear skies, sun just beginning to rise over the horizon, no breeze and temperatures in the low 40’s ‘F (single digits, ‘C).
Pulled into the Valero gas station next door at the intersection of E. Holland Ave. and Church Rd. and took on a full tank of gas for first leg of the long lonesome journey back home to Corpus Christi.
I suited up with what warm garments I brought along, making sure to dress in layers. I learned this from experiences of the previous trip/visit/tour.
As the day would heat up, it would be far more convenient to strip layers of clothing at a time in order to accommodate the slowly changing conditions, versus having to change ones’ full riding attire each time the need would arise.
My plan was to keep it simple.
These were my pre-GPS days and so without wanting to add to my distraction by constantly reading a map for guidance, interstate 90 all the way to San Antonio was my choice of route.
It was a long and not so exciting journey, but it gave me a first hand taste of what it was really like to be a “Long Rider”. I created several opportunities for photography. The highway was a “straight shot”. The weather on this day was relatively warm - typical of Texas at this time of year - cool mornings, hot days.
I rode for miles. I kept stopping for photos. I kept checking my ride statistics, time versus distance to destination, fuel consumption, luggage security and most of all was constantly assessing my physical condition/well being.
All good, except that I was not making “good time”.
By the time I began to realize this, fatigue started setting in.
The highway ride was becoming very monotonous.
Texas, because of it’s size, presents extremely long distances of nothing but straight highways. Highways that run straight to the vanishing point of view.
Very challenging and gives the impression that you are getting nowhere!
By 2 p.m. it was necessary for me to get some rest/sleep. I could almost not keep my eyes open.
The fatigue from a full day of riding in the Big Bend National Park yesterday, was beginning to tell on me. I had to find a place to pull up and stretch my feet. I had been on the bike now for a little over 6 hours.
In my estimation, I was about 5 to 6 hours from home - as the crow flies!
Not good enough. By all this time on the road I felt I should have been so much closer to home with respect to time.
So as I began to ponder this situation, I found a pull over spot with a little park and few amenities and decided to use it to stop and rest.
As I downed a Pepsi and nutri-bar, I began to realize that I was gauging my ride by time and this altered my mindset, making my mind tell me that I was not being “efficient” on my journey.
I wanted to make good time and get to my destination much quicker than my actual progress. this was not as fun as I had imagined.
As I mulled these thoughts and tried to rationalize and put the trip into perspective, I must have fallen asleep.
It was not a deep sleep either, nor was it a long one, ’cos I remember very clearly, constantly being aware of myself being so exposed and vulnerable to whatever surprises might have presented themselves to me out in the open.
It was a horrible sleep/rest period, although physically much needed.
So awake now and with new resolve, I figured that if I was to make it home in good time, I would have to not “dilly-dally” along the way.
I attacked the next stage of the journey with great determination to make changes to my thought and decision making process.
I became more focussed.
I had more purpose and determination.
This point in my riding career/life was to be a defining point in how I would approach and alter the whole process towards preparing for, planning and executing my approach toward future trips.
This trip in particular, showed me that it required both a different mental and physical approach and readiness for a trip, in order to stave off a lot of negative apprehension and disappointment which only leads to discouragement on and for a trip.
In other words, not making you want to turn round and go back home halfway through a trip when things are not going exactly as you want or expect them to when one is 1000 miles (1600 km) from home with still 1000 miles (1600 km) to go to your destination.
I was physically exhausted when I arrived in San Antonio, TX. but had to muster my senses and stay sharp.
Navigating a big city such as San Antonio demands full attention.
Attention to not only what is around you, but also behind you!
Having lived and worked in San Antonio during the mid 90’s I pretty well knew my way round the city highway system.
This fact and experience helped a lot.
I made it through the city safely and was soon at the southern edge of the city after cutting right through the city center - shortest way, of course!
Driving past the Alamo Dome always brings me good memories.
(My time as a computer service representative for a company in the building management, HVAC, lighting, fire protection and energy control systems, found me working on a team that prepared and commissioned the dome.)
The road from there to Corpus Christi, TX. is pretty much a straight shot and now I could feel home within “striking distance”.
Having plied this route so many times in the past, I knew that all things being equal I could be home in a n hour and three quarters.
60 miles from Corpus Christi, in Beeville, TX. one more hour to go ……………….. I pulled into the Shell gas station right alongside the highway for a potty break and re-hydration for both me and the bike. I had Pepsi, the bike had premium unleaded even though it did not require it since my last fill up. There was more than enough to get me home.
I pulled up in the driveway at home just before 6 in the evening.