Day 40

I just finished talking with the guys, and what I heard the most was, "Today was a really, really, really good day." This trip just seems to get better and better, and they love every new adventure. The team began in New Boston today and traveled 22 miles to Avery, TX.

They began their travel around 8 this morning. It was "fog city" as Andy described it. The morning was also pretty cold, so they were dressed in pants and long sleeve shirts. The fog could have made it difficult to travel, but a large shoulder on the road helped them move along without a problem. The first 12 miles were really uneventful, and they moved at a pretty good pace. Andy said he could just feel that it was going to be a nice day, and he was right. After about an hour and a half, the fog lifted, and not a cloud was in sight.

About 12 miles in, a stop was made in Delkab, TX. On the way in to town, a group of construction workers called them over to see what they were doing. After a few minutes of talking, the crew donated to the travel fund. Thanks guys! They stopped here for lunch at the Front Street Junction. Durkin indicated that these burgers were cheap and amazing. He could not believe the product that he received for about $4. After lunch, the team was able to rid of the pants and long sleeve shirts, and run in the beautiful warm weather.

With about 10 miles to go until they reached Avery, the guys set out on the road. They switched on to a new highway, which has a 70 mph speed limit. This could have been a problem if they were not presented with yet another huge road shoulder. Andy admits they will be paying more attention to the cars while they travel. For the next couple hours, the guys chatted about what they hope to do when this whole trip winds down. Andy said it was nice to talk about, because it reminded him that through all of this, the guys were still grounded. They were enjoying the adventure for now, but knew life would come quickly after the Nation has finished. Ken talked a lot about doing some camping and different day hikes. He also really wants the two other guys to come a long with him. This trip has really brought 3 best friends even closer together, and the good times will only continue!

Just before arriving in today's destination, a dog began to walk next to the guys. Ken and Durkin were so pumped! They had added another member to the group! They spent a good amount of time taking pictures and video of their new companion. About a half a mile later, ANOTHER dog began walking with the trio and their new friend! This only excited the two more, as they took even more pictures and videos. Durkin said that the dog barked, "I better get some blog time!" So here ya go, pup!

The team rolled into Avery, population about 500, at about 2 p.m. this afternoon. They began to walk around town for a little bit, and then found their way to City Hall. When they walked in, the Mayor and secretary were there. The secretary said she had seen the guys on the news the previous day, and knew exactly who they were. After only a few minutes, the Mayor offered up the town's tornado shelter for the guys to set up shop for the night. They were immediately THRILLED! They had no idea what a tornado shelter would look like, or what it would include. What they did know is that it was going to be AWESOME. The Mayor indicated that this shelter could sustain winds up to 400 mph! It would be a safe sleeping night for sure. They talked with the Mayor and secretary for about an hour and a half. They found out that Avery has a Tomato Festival every summer. This festival includes a tomato competition, lawnmower races (where they were told the mowers get up to around 70 mph), and about 14,000 travelers! Can you imagine 14,000 people coming into your neighborhood?! Incredible! The guys were really impressed with this festival. The mayor gave the team Tomato Festival hats, t-shirts, and a tomato cookbook to remember Avery, TX. I'm sure they will never forget it! Thank you Mr. Mayor! One last thing! City Hall had an American Flag inside that had 48 stars. This flag used to fly at City Hall, and Andy said it was a pretty neat thing to look at.

At about 4 p.m., the guys made their way to the only diner in town. They ate yet another large feast (surprise, surprise) and they made their way to the tornado shelter. The trio laid outside the shelter listening to music, writing letters and post cards, and just relaxing. This was also the point at which they had the first good disc throwing (frisbee) session of the trip. Durkin said that some of the afternoons were just not warm enough, or they were too tired. However, today was perfect - and the disc was thrown! Just after 6, the team headed into the shelter for the night. When 6:30 came around, the large basement-like room was filled with people taking a tae-kwon-doe class. Andy said they got to watch them spar, and some were throwin' down some serious roundhouse kicks. It was a pretty entertaining evening. After the class ended, they set up their sleeping bags and relaxed some more, resting up for tomorrow's trip. I could not agree with the guys any more, today was just a really, really, really good day. Thanks for reading!

Rick