Seg #48 Trinity TrailFt. Worth, Tx Homatex 9/18/14

Seg #47 Trinity Trail Ft Worth, TX  Homatex 9/18/14 

Start	NE 23rd St	N 32.78602  W 97.33838	N-S miles 9.7
End	Dirks Rd	N 32.64684 W 97.42847	Trl lgth 9.7 Ride 13.4 mi

Ride hr 1:19

AVS 7.6

MXS  mph 13.5

DST13.4 mi

Tmp 83

Kcal 500

After a super room and a great night's sleep in Dallas, I drove to Ft. Worth through all kinds of road construction and rush hour traffic. It reminded me of driving through Memphis, Tennessee  in 2006 on our way to Augusta, Georgia. Too much traffic at race track speeds. As far as I am concerned these cities are worse than Los Angeles.  

Like all the other trails I have mapped out before leaving home, I used coordinates ascertained from Google Earth going directly to Trinity Trailhead  north. This trailhead was sort a desolate location without parking or toilet facilities. There was one building, Precision Tools, nearby so I went in and found a single person working. I asked him if I could park in his small lot. He was polite fellow and kind to let me park my car. He gave me a business card with the correct address to give the cab driver to transport me back to the car. 

This photo verifies my bike at the
north end of the trail. I peddled  9.7
miles south of here on a nice trail.

Some of the Ft. Worth skyline from the
Trinity Trail. The beautiful  parks
associated with the trail makes the
condos, across the way, expensive

 The Trinity Trail snakes along the Trinity River for six or seven miles, making for a flat and pretty trail. If not for the headwind, I think I could have averaged more than nine miles per hour. As it was I was able to get to the south end of the trail just after lunch time. A taxi ride back to Precision Tools recharged my motor. I was headed back to Iowa by three o'clock, making it to Perry, Oklahoma Thursday night and rest of the way home by Friday evening. There was a lot of driving, 1843 miles, for one fellow but the whole trip went very smoothly. Next ride will be to fill in the gaps of latitude riding trails in and around Clarksville, Tennessee. The gaps occurred due to my inability to get to North Carolina riding the beach in the False Cape State Park (see segment #37).

These bike rent stations are becoming the rage, especially along trails within
major cities. I saw similar bike rental opportunities in Minneapolis, MN and
Madison,WI. You insert your credit card and it unlocks a bicycle. You
then either ride to another station a park or ride back to the original station.
I didn't have time to determine the cost of credit card rental but I understand
it is free for the first thirty minutes, $1.50 for the next thirty and $3.00 per hour.

Seg #47 Cottonwood, White Rock Creek, White Rock Lake & SantaFe Trails Dallas, TX 9/17/14 Homatex Trip

Start	Cotton Wood Trail	N 35.47863  W 97.38841	N-S miles 12.3
End	Tx State Fair	N 35.43511 W 97.37061	Trl lgth 17 Ride 18.8 m

Ride hr 2:11

AVS 8.3

MXS  16.5

DST 18.8 mi

Tmp 83

Kcal 835

After Katy Trail # 2 in Oklahoma, I was off to Dallas, Texas. I drove to Richardson, Texas and parked the car at Creekside Baptist Church. I didn't have water in my bottles so I ventured inside the church and called out, "hello, is anyone here". There was a car near the front door so I figured someone was there, but no one answered my call. I went into the restroom and filled my water bottles.When I came out of the restroom Lo and behold there was a gentleman setting up a circle of chairs and the end of the sanctuary. I jumped in surprise and so did he. I apologized for the scare and said I had called out earlier but no one answered. He forgave me and  wished me well on crossing the country on trails. I am forever grateful to Pastor Cargile for his kindness, fresh water and well wishes. 

This verification mugshot serves to validate my "Beem There,
Done That" at the Cotton Wood Trail Head.

Beautiful clouds float over White Rock Lake, a 1,254 acre
reservoir only a few miles from downtown Dallas. The trail
skirts the west side of the lake making for a cooler ride.

I rode from the church through a quiet neighborhood that connected with the Cottonwood Creek Trail. The residential streets I rode were like many streets in Dallas and Ft. Worth with signage indicating one lane is for motor vehicles and the outside lane for parking and bicycle riding. Not all streets and roads are designated as such, yet groups of riders that give bicyclists a bad name, were out in droves near White Rock Lake, riding four and five abreast and holding up traffic. I think it is rude for these fanatics to hog the road especially when there is an eight foot paved trail juxtapositioned only a few feet from the road. Yes bicyclists have equal right to the road, but too often a group can be obnoxious as hell. Red-necked A-holes shouting out obscenities to small groups and single riders riding on the shoulder or crossing a highway. Since Chris and my ride near the Canadian Border, I have not heard one negative word---hope that continues. The Cottonwood Creek Trail changed to the White Rock Creek Trail ; then the White Rock Lake Trail and finally the Santa Fe trail. Over half of these trails ran through parks that made the ride very enjoyable sans the twelve mile per hour headwind. After reaching the southwest corner of White Rock Lake, the trail headed toward downtown Dallas. When I got to the junction of the of the interstate and several other major roadways, I took a picture of what appeared be a four level interchange like I drove when living in the Santa Monica, California. I am intrigued by the engineering skills needed to develop such a complex network of super highways.

Four levels of roadway is viewed from the Santa Fe Trail.
I was impressed with the art work shown to the right of the
trail. I didn't realize I was close to Baylor Medical Center. I
should have stopped to say hi to Brad Crump, periodontist.

  After I assured I had made it to the necessary latitude, I started to look for a good spot to call a cab to get me back to the car. I started riding toward the Cotton Bowl and found the back entrance to the Texas State Fair. I don't think I was supposed to be inside the gates but it was obvious the opening of the fair was a week or more away. There were a few people working to adjust lights, operate water fountains and cleaning buildings in preparation of a big event. This fair is largest in the United States and must be one of the largest fairs in the world, given it runs for four weeks and boasts an attendance of 2.5 million . The Iowa State Fair for example runs for ten days and has less than half the attendance. I think it would be fun to go to the Texas State Fair but I doubt Connie would be interested in such an event. I remember going to the Iowa State Fair to help my dad set-up displays of apples from our orchard. I know he received a few blue ribbons and several second place honors. It was enjoyable to see my dad's face when he saw the blue ribbons. I never saw him smile a lot but the ribbons, especially the blue ones were a treasure. .

My bike leaning against the barricade to the right is dwarfed by the mega
sign at the enterance to the State Fair of Texas. Everything has to be big in
Texas including a 212 foot Ferris Wheel and 500 foot observation tower. It 
took an hour to get a taxi back to my car. The cab was designed for wheel 
chairs which was perfect for hauling my bike. I don't think they charged extra.

Seg #46 Katy Trail #2 OKC Homatex Trip 9/17/14

Seg #46 Katy Trail #2 OKC 9/17/14  Homatex 9/17/14 

Start	NE10th	N 35.47863  W 97.38841	N-S miles 2
End	N MidWest Blvd	N 35.43511 W 97.37061	Trl lgth 3.7 Ride 8.7 mi

Ride hr 1:07

AVS 6.1

MXS  mph 14.4

DST 8.7 mi

Tmp 83

Kcal 397

After a nights sleep that was not that good---too much spaghetti and meat balls, I headed for the second section of the Katy Trail an hour later than I planned. Currently the Katy trail through Oklahoma City is interrupted by downtown freeways and rail-banked right of way. I drove to the head of Katy Trail # 2 that match latitude with the end of trail # 1 (see Segment # 45). I was an hour later than I planned due to a raving heartburn. Too bad I had eaten all the apples I had brought with me. An apple will knock a heartburn ten times better than antacids.  It was perfect riding weather to ride out four plus miles and then back to the car by 11:30 a.m. I was great to see gasoline prices going for #2.86 a gallon---I wonder if I will ever see gas below $3 again? I took a picture just in case. I remember the gas rationing of the seventies when we lived in Sepulveda, California. The price then was around S1.75 and folks were limited to so many gallons a trip to the station (ten I think). Cars were lined up two blocks or more in front of our house. Back then the government was promising us we would become self-sufficient within ten years. Hmm?!  I don't remember much about the trail or ride. Pretty routine I guess. 

Oklahoma City and Tulsa sold the cheapest gas I have seen in the past decade. This station posted $2.89 but I saw signs

professing $2.86 as the lowest price. Thank goodness there have been inroads  made into alternate sources of energy. Wind farms and solar panels have expanded greatly with competitive technologies --- hopefully America will stop being

 held hostage to the middle east oil. This world is a mess having to deal with Islamic terrorists and corrupt leaders such as  Hussein, Bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghadadi, Assad and on and on.. Hell's bells, I even support the Keystone Pipeline  Better to risk to the environment verses 911's, multiple wars and  beheading of innocent Americans. Oil dependence no more please! Bicycles Forever---no gas, no pollution, no noise, no congestion---a healthier population. Go figure and jump aboard.

Seg #45 Katy Trail #1 Firefighters Museum, OKC 9/16 Homatex

Seg #45 Katy Trail #1 Fire Fighters Museum OKC 9/16/14 

Start	I-44 OKC	N 35.53218 W 97.48346	N-S miles 4,2
End	NE 4th St OKC	N 35.47147 W 97.46997	Trl lgth 5.3mi Ride11.2mi

Ride hr 1:20

AVS 8.5

MXS  mph 21.5

DST11.2 mi

Tmp 85

Kcal 433

The cab got me back to the car with nearly two hours of sunlight available. Off I went riding the Katy Trail south. The feature of note on this ride was visiting the Oklahoma Firefighter Museum. Given I live just three miles from the Iowa Firefighters Museum in Coralville and Geoff's father-in-law Yoshiharu was chief of the largest fire department in Tokyo, Japan, I am more than moved by heroism these people espouse. An American that was trapped in the horror of 911, escaped New York City by renting a car and driving back to his home in Colorado. He saw a sign on Interstate 80 identifying the  Iowa Firefighters museum in Coralville. He could not help but stop and leave a letter of appreciation for all firefighters. What a moving piece of history enshrined  at the Iowa museum.

Oklahoma Firefighters Museum on the right and the memorial to the Fallen
and Living is to the left. I wish I had taken a close up of this sculpture that
depicts a fireman chopping a hole in the roof and pulling a child toward him.

Placards on the grounds of the Oklahoma museum commemorated the courage of these pro-fessionals. It was nearing sunset so I took some pictures and headed on down the trail. I was able to get to the proper latitude and then headed back to the car just as it was getting dark. 

Seg #44 Lake Heffner Trail & McArthur Ave, OKC 9/16/14 Homatex

Seg #44 Lake Heffner Trail & McArthur Ave, OKC  9/16/14 

Start	Lake Heffner (S) OKC	N 35.53141 W 97.60099	N-S miles 11.5
End	McArth&W'loo OKC	N 35.72595 W 97.62061	Trl lgth 17.4mi Ride17.3mi

Ride hr 1:20

AVS 8.6

MXS  mph 20.3

DST17.3 mi

Tmp 87

Kcal 1040

Several of the Oklahoma trails particularly in Tulsa
and Oklahoma City had interstate-like paths, where
non-bicyclists were able stroll on one path, while
bikes were free to fly down wide, well marked trails
as is shown above.

I got to Lake Heffner in Oklahoma City in the mid-afternoon. If I rode faster than my eight mile per hour average and called a cab to get back to my car, running out of light was not an issue. And that was pretty much the way it went. It was hot (89) but I had a tail wind so I made good time without becoming exhausted. In fact, I had enough light to do a section of the Katy Trail after Lake Heffner. In order to meet my goal of overlapping the next northern latitude, I needed to ride McArthur Avenue north of the Lake Heffner trail to Waterloo Road. Initially there was a small shoulder and sparse traffic but after a couple miles, the shoulder shrunk and the traffic increased. I had to ride four miles on a street that I felt unsafe. I was just glad I called a cab get back to the car. 

Here I am at a rural animal feed distributor. Milling around
this business brought back my farm days buying chicken
feed from the Carroll Roller Mills in Carroll, Iowa

It was fairly rural by the time I got to the designated latitude straight west of Edmond, Oklahoma. To get an address for the taxi, I had to ride back to D.C. Feeds. The cabby was from Bangladeshi. He joined the guys from Cario, Nigeria and Senegal. All of the managers and desk clerks were from India. What small world we live in.  

Seg #43 On the Trail Again Sperry-Tulsa-Bixby, OK 9/15-16/14 HomaTex Trip

Seg #43 Osage Prairie&River Park Trail 

Start	Sperry. OK	N 36.29701 W 96.00507	N-S miles 23.5
End	Bixby, OK	N 35.94389 W 95.88714	Trl lgth 33.3mi Ride37.2mi

Ride hr 4:16

AVS 8.7

MXS  mph 21.5

DST37.2 mi

Tmp72-91

Kcal 1231

I am calling this trip of five latitude segments, the Homatex Trip in deference to two TAVRTO states, Oklahoma and Texas . I started out before six in the morning and drove from Coralville to Sperry, Oklahoma. After eight hours behind the wheel and six hundred miles of interstate and turnpike racing, I was ready to jump on the bike and head toward Tulsa. About four miles down the trail, in my rear view mirror I noticed someone coming up on me. The closer he got, the more I could see he was an old guy without the luxury of teeth. He had a stubble beard and an Indiana Jones-like hat. I took this fellow to be in his early nineties. But how in God's name was he keeping up with me? I was peddling thirteen miles per hour, yet he was right even with me and babbling a mile a minute. Inspecting his bike a bit more, I realized this guy was not even moving his feet. He was riding an electric motor bike. It was so quiet, I could not hear the motor over his chatting and a train in the distance. J.D. was his name and conversation was his game. I could not understand him between his southern drawl, his riding ahead of me and my poor hearing. J.D. wanted to take me to downtown Tulsa. but after I heard a few words about being robbed after dark, I broke off from him and headed back to Sperry. Apparently the burg of Turley, is full of renegade teenagers that like to rob bicyclists after dark. I pumped hard and got to the car with plenty of light to spare. I was comforted by the fact that I left the car at the Sperry police station. 

The next morning I called a taxi that hauled my bike and me to Bixby, Oklahoma. Actually I didn't need to go that far south so I ended up riding an extra five miles. That included becoming discombobulated in an exclusive neighborhood. After riding in circles, a nice gentleman helped me find the exit. This is one time Goggle Maps let me down. After riding back to the spot where I turned around the day before, I loaded up the bike and headed for Oklahoma City about noon. 

J.D. rode (coasted) up by me and
talked my leg off. I had to escape!