From Austin to Lubbock

402.6 out of 12,142 miles
Average speed: 57 mph
Top speed: 102 mph (passing a few semi's on a two lane road)

I got on the road at about 11 AM today, three hours later than I had planned. After my packing experience, I broke down and bought some saddle bags from Wood's Fun Center in Austin. I had been to Wood's before and had seen a set of Oxford saddle bags that would perfectly for my bike, but they just seemed to expensive. Now, they seem worth it. I was able to get everything on my bike that I wanted to and I feel better because of it.

I've made the drive to Lubbock no less than six times since I've lived in Austin. It's not a particularly scenic drive so I decided to take a different route than I usually do. This route took me through a town named Eden. I thought to myself, "That sounds nice. I wonder what makes that place so special as to name it Eden." When I got there, I drove into town on the main highway which was also the main street. It seemed like any other town where the streets are lined with little shops until I got to the center of town. Smakck dab between some shops was a20 foot chain link fence topped with bales of razor wire. 10 feet behind it was another chain link fence not nearly as high. Between the two fences lay two more bales or razor wire. If you haven't guessed by now, it's a high security prison...in the middle of "Eden."

Otherwise the drive was uneventful. So far, the hardest part has been getting on and off my bike with all the stuff packed on it. It takes a little more finesse than I have to do gracefully, so I'm sure it's pretty funny to see me mount and dismount. :-)