What a difference 12 hours can make!  When we went to bed last night in our tents pitched behind the truckstop, the wind was still howling pretty strongly from the southwest.  Then sometime during the wee hours of the morning a front pushed through and we awakened this morning to moderate winds out of the northeast.  JACKPOT! Tailwinds!

We packed up in the blazing lights from the truckstop before dawn, and went into the restaurant to have breakfast.  Nothing to write home about.  The biscuit bakers that Hardee's brags so much about haven't hired on at the Plateau truckstop.  'Nuff said.

The front pushed in enough cold air,  that for the first time on our ride,  I pulled on my windbreaker.  As soon as we began pedaling,  we could tell that today would be so much better than the slog into the headwinds we finished with yesterday. Instead of 3 hours to ride the 17 miles from Kent to the truckstop,  today we did the remaining 20 miles into Van Horn in less than 90 minutes, and were so much happier doing it.

We stopped at Rodney's Coffee Café for a second cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll.  There were a pair of retired regulars who were there when we walked in.  They'd obviously seen cyclists many times before.   In the half hour that we sat and relaxed, we got tips on roads we were taking, advice on restaurants of note in the area, and warm well wishes for a safe trip as we left.

Then we headed up the street for a stop at the post office, and one final stop at a Dollar General to pick up a new pair of reading glasses.  Those of you who know me will be surprised that the pair I started with in St Augustine have made it this far,  and truth be told, they may still be tucked into a pannier where they fell off this morning, but I'll be darned if I can find them.  So I sporting a new $6 pair and hoping I won't need another.  OK, confession time.  The pair of sunglasses that Cheryl insisted I take along are sitting outside the coffee and sandwich shop in Chattahoochee FL, where we sat waiting out a thunderstorm.   She'll find out anyway,  just as well come clean.

We left Van Horn on the wide smooth shoulders of I-10, and began the only real climb of the day, 7 miles with a gradual elevation gain of about 800 feet.  But on days like today, with cool temperatures,  a nice tailwind, and smooth roads,  even going uphill feels fine.  It's been the first day in quite awhile where we didn't have to shift onto our granny chainring.

Then we pedaled other 25 miles on a frontage  road across a high plateau, enjoying the views of the surrounding mountains.  We arrived in Sierra Blanca about 1 pm mountain time,  and sat down for lunch at a local Mexican / American restaurant. We've since found a room at the Americanna Inn, showered, and done another load of tub laundry.

We're trying another Mexican restaurant tonight for supper, one that's within walking distance of the hotel.

Tomorrow we hope to be in Fabens TX, just outside El Paso.

It's been a glorious day.