La Grange to Navasota

Today was just a delightful, delightful ride! There were gentle rolling hills, good road surface, blue skies, beautiful scenery--farmland and pasture, cattle grazing, beautiful oak trees (live oaks, I think), wildflowers-- and cool weather.  What more can one ask.

The front that came thru yesterday changed the weather tremenduously.  Yesterday morning when we left it was around 77 degrees, and I wore my shorts, a sleeveless bike jersey, and sandals with no socks.  This morning it was almost 40 degrees colder and I wore my shorts, a short-sleeved jersey, a jacket, leg warmers, full gloves, and shoes with socks and was still cold until the sun was high enough to warm us.  But once it warmed, it was a perfect day for riding.

Today was bluebonnet day--they were everywhere, along the roadside and whole fields of them in many places. In addition to all the other flowers we've been seeing, today there were in a few white poppies with yellow centers. I got some great photos but have not found any way to get them from my camera to the computer.

It was such a lovely day that I was in no hurry to get to the motel, so I stopped to explore along the way.  One stop was at the original site of Baylor University founded in 1845 as a coed institution, later separated into a men's college and a women's college. The same site also had several historic houses on display tho not open for viewing.

Then I stopped in Independence, one of the original settlements in the area, for lunch and a chat with the owner of the General Store, who looks forward every year to the bikers coming thru and had many stories to tell.

Finally, I stopped at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, which is dedicated to the history of the independence of Texas from Mexico and the 10 years of the Republic of Texas.  The convention of delegates that drew up the Texas Declaration of Independence and declared the republic met in the town of Independence, which they refer to as the Philadelphia of Texas.

Then it was 10 more miles to Navasota, another strawberry milkshake, a shower, and dinner.  A special treat tonight because we were celebrating the 50th birthday of one member of the tour.