On the 9^th day, there was big American metal. It was a tough, tough ride from lovely and returning-to-greatness Mineral Wells to Marshall, TX. There were wondrous kindnesses at stop and start, but in between, man, there was metal. You’ll see….

The day started slow as I dawdled toward my noon late checkout. I read the news, I did some pushups, I invested in my daily 45 minute minimum of packing. And a new friend called and we chatted for 40 minutes about family, life, music and the road. He encouraged me about the drive, but neither of us could have imagined what 1pm in Weatherford and 4:30 pm in Tyler Texas were hellscapes! Well not really, in fact there were well-meaning people everywhere simply attempting to live their lives. But there were a LOT of them. Sounds maybe a bit like Portland.

I try never to ride on Interstates, but I DO have a tipping point. So… I had plotted a route around the Dallas Fort Worth MetroPlex, I was looking forward to seeing Weatherford, Corsicana, Athens, Tyler, Longview and more. But as I put my carry bag on McCovey and strapped it down, one of strap buckles broke. Jury rigged it with tape, but it was a harlot of significant proportion.

Broken strap concern

So we stopped at a Walmart Automotive, bought a strap, restrapped the bag and we were OFF. At about 2pm, 2 hours later than plan. Still in Weatherford, I waited through at LEAST 5 long red lights with at LEAST 10 vehicles waiting not just in from of me, but bless them, waiting in EVERY direction. When it got up to 15 per, it took two turns of each light to get through. Then got out of town to a brief, beautiful treelined road and 80mph cruising. Until the next town (and every town), each of which had at LEAST 3 red lights with caravans of cars, often pickups and pickups towing boats and pickups towing flat beds. 

Conservatively and seriously, by the time I got through Tyler, Texas, I had spent at LEAST 45 minutes, and probably more than an hour, sitting on McCovey at red lights inching forward in 92 degree temps. Not onjy had I missed the Mariners/Blue Jays start by 2.5 hours, I was also chasing daylight. The sun was setting behind me and dusk was approaching when I finally gave up, hit Interstate 20 for 15 miles and swooped down some short country roads to the lovely Roseville Inn, Melvin and Virginia McCall proprietors, along with their especially nice rescue, Wheezie, she of the calm and happy demeanor. Like mine is again.

The amount of American, Japanese, German and melting pot steel I saw just sitting and waiting today could have been melted down and re-armed Ukraine, it could have built a bridge to Norway, it could have filled the Grand Canyon. But let’s not do that. 

Next time I think of riding a motorcycle even close to the Dallas Fort Worth area, I am riding deeper into the belly of the LEAST, because I can never do that again. It was hot, frustrating and even MORE frustrating because every driver was only doing only what they had to do, they were doing it efficiently. No road boulders, not one. It was a Columbus Day MIRACLE. Sort of like the miraculous way in which we remember Columbus, but I digress.

So let’s make the best of it and recount some thoughts on the great things that happened today:

• Texans are NEVER road boulders. On all these roads, if there are two lanes and someone is in the left lane as I approach going faster then they are, they happily move over!!! It’s universal here! And it’s universal almost NOWHERE. No one rides side by side in the two lanes. If they are side by side, one moves ahead or slows, the other moves over…, no road boulders! In 3 days now, I’ve only seen two exceptions – trucks on that 15 miles of Interstate seemed to be thumbing their noses at the Texas Road Boulder Breakthrough system. That and one navy blue Tesla with its logo removed just today. Otherwise, from the border to Lubbock, Lubbock to Mineral Springs and Mineral Springs to Marshall – road boulder sightings simply were zippo, nada, not happening.
• Lovely phone calls with pals and with my son. Intending on closing the evening with a call to One, although she is out to dinner with friends.
• Hospitality in abundance from Virginia and Melvin. Welcoming, helpful, and made a great dinner suggestion!

Virginia rocks. And no, her head is not that small. But, ummmmm….

• In Marshall at “Cajun Tex.” I had the Breaux Bridge – blackened fish smothered with crawfish etouffee with dirty rice. YUM!

• The Mariners win again! I think of Mariners fans and family, some who have passed in the 24 years since they challenged. They are all VERY happy, wherever they are tonight. I FEEL them!
• And now for a gentle ride back to the lovely Roseville Inn, a few miles down a quiet dark road to…, zzzzzzzzzzzz.
• And thank you for that brief respite…, a lovely breakfast discussing Melvin’s teaching and career as a local principal over Virginia’s delicious scrambled eggs. Wheezie was nearby juuussstt in case the goofy guest dropped something.

• It’s a beautiful, steamy cloudless morning, and I think I am more interested in getting to Vicksburg (oh no, Interstate) and looking around than I am taking twice the time and getting there late. It’s a 3:25 vs. a 5:50 choice! I’ll GET there, then maybe catch a piece of the Great River Road toward Memphis and find a Mississippi River overlook and eat a deli sandwich. 
• How great is the world with solid usage of Google and ChatGPT? In just seconds, I know that Brick Street Market and Main Street Market look to be the place to build a sammich and accost a local about a Great River Loop. On it!
• ChatGPT tells me that Brick Street is famous for deli sandwiches and great service. Main Street has a more cajun café feel to it, with more limited options, but great sandwiches and an ethic to engage everyone who enters about the locale. The limitation is that they close at 2. Amazing. 

OK, I’m off to see a wizard about a sandwich….