A few days ago, the hard peddling Danish cyclist Soren had told us that if we stayed in Richards TX, we should stop at the Checkpoint.  So that is where we are tonight, and it's another recommendation that was right on target.

The Checkpoint is a wonderful camping spot owned and operated by Erie and Doris Bazan.  He's retired military who met and married Doris during his twenty year stay in Germany.  She's German but had a strong desire to come to the US and live on a ranch and work with animals.  So they began working on a piece of land outside Richards TX and over the past twenty years have forged it into The Mexican Hill Ranch.  They both are really hard working folks, who enjoy friends and family and the cyclists who have become a regular part of their lives.

We are camped on the covered porch of one of several outbuildings they've built or modified in the past five years, since a couple of touring cyclists were directed to their place looking for a night's lodging.   They really just had a guest house that they used for friends and family, but could hardly turn the cyclists away.  And so began a relationship that has blossomed to include a few commercial tours each year, Adventure Cycling's tour leader training each spring, and many  visits from cyclists on the Southern Tiers route each year.

The facilities are spotless and the hosts have enchanted us with wonderful stories about how the started, built, modified, and entertained family and friends here.

We left Susan Butler's home this morning about 7, and almost immediately started getting Texas geography lessons.  "Texas is not flat."  Fortunately the worst hills of the day were in the first five miles, but rolling terrain was the theme of the days route.

We ate a scant breakfast in Coldspring and then made our way to New Waverly, where Susan had recommended the Taco Corner for breakfast tacos, if we could wait that long.  Barb and I pushed the first 30 miles pretty steadily and reached New Waverly about 10:30.  Our efforts were rewarded with soft shell tacos piled full of eggs and chorizo,  shredded cheese, pico de gallo, and topped with red or green salsa at $1.59 each.  Fantastic!

Leaving New Waverly,  we soon spent much of the remaining day riding through the beauty of the Sam Houston National Forest.  The hills had lessened to be long slopes across ridges bordered by pine forest.  The riding seemed easy as we rolled through close to 20 miles of forest with light traffic.

Outside the western border of the forest, the portico of another Baptist church provided us with a shady place to rest for 15 minutes before riding the last 7 miles into Richards.  We grabbed a quick early supper of a generously made deli sandwich, and purchased a few snacks for this evening,  and then made our way to the Checkpoint.

Tonight as we ready ourselves for bed we're being serenaded by the lowing of cattle, the yips of coyotes protesting a passing train, and just a few muffled cries of a one year old baby who's visiting the ranch for the first time with his German parents, good friends of our hosts.

On a bicycle tour you can never be sure of what's around the next corner.

Sunrise at Checkpoint Lodging