I’m trying something different this time!

I’m going to be taking videos as I go and encouraging viewers to submit ideas, questions, destinations and challenges to incorporate as I go!

We ate a big breakfast in Marfa before we started the drive to the Ranch State Park, knowing it would be a while before we would have a real meal again. We read the park was extremely primitive and had no services, so we limited ourselves to packing food which could be preserved without ice and stuff we could cook on my tiny fuel stove…this meant a lot of cans of soup and protein bars.

Google had said it would be a couple hours from Marfa to our campground in the center of the park. However, it assumes you are doing the 25mph speed limit the whole time and the graded, rutted surface of the road, twisting around and climbing up and down hills with a trailer loaded with bikes, meant we never even approached those speeds. It felt like an eternity between mile marker signs and my inner four year old started chanting “Are we there yet?”

While the drive in was long, it was very pretty and I amused myself by hanging out of the truck window and taking photos.

By the time we were checking in we realized we only had a few hours to ride, so we asked the guy at the front desk what he would recommend and he sent us to Madrid Falls.

Apparently Madrid Falls is the 2nd tallest waterfall in Texas. I’m not sure exactly how much of an honor that is, given how much everyone makes fun of Texas for being flat. Also, a bit like how we call dry washes “rivers” in Southern Arizona, the man also said there wasn’t any running water in the park. Unfortunately we didn’t even get to see it, as there was a long hike from the road and we lacked time, but the ride was fun and that’s what we were there for anyway.

A little bit of google-fu found this picture.

Still pretty cool looking without water! Continue reading →

Bikes on the trailer? Check. Camping supplies? Check. Snacks and podcasts for the nine hour drive? Check.
Let’s roll!

James is ready for some riding.

James starts the truck and the engine makes a weird grinding clicking sound. We look at each other. That’s probably nothing right? We continue down the road and it makes the sound everytime we accelerate so we pull into the neighborhood auto shop.

“Yup. Your transfer case is trash. Gears are slapping around in there and punched a hole through the side!” The mechanic says and our faces fall. Continue reading →