Cross-Country Katy: Oklahoma and Texas

Alex digs into the best cheeseburger in Texas

Kelsey soaks her feet at our Friona home stay

Howdy from Friona, the official cheeseburger capital of Texas and home to some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Tonight is our first home stay, meaning we all split up to stay in the homes of various church members. Kelsey and I are staying at the home of Linda and Mickey, two retired educators who are getting ready to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary. Not only have they welcomed us into their home, but they have pampered us with a bubble bath, foot soak, remote-controlled recliners, frozen peaches and chocolate chip cookies, and our very own BEDS!! In fact, I’m writing this in the privacy of my own bedroom with TWO pillows and a comforter. Ahhh what a luxury. More than anything, Linda and Mickey have filled our hearts and souls with their warm conversation, stories of their children and grandchildren, and eagerness to learn about and our lives and our summer. This is just one of countless examples from the past week of the incredible hospitality and generosity we’ve encountered throughout Oklahoma and Texas.

Here are some more updates to catch you up on the trip:

Oklahoma:

Our welcome into Oklahoma was just as I had envisioned entering into tornado country – eerie clouds, 60 mph winds, hail, and sheets of rain. I happened to be driving the van that day, but the riders had some pretty exciting experiences seeking out shelter from the storm at gas stations, churches, stores, trees, and even the front porch of some friendly locals. Despite being drenched and held back a bit, everyone braved the storm with flying colors and came out of it with great attitudes and even better stories.

Second breakfast at Annie's diner

Oklahoma may very well be the friendliest state yet. Motorists and locals have been very receptive towards our group and gone well out of their way to offer a helping hand. A number of drivers have pulled over to offer flat assistance, directions, and curiosity about our cause. Biking into Tulsa, my group stopped at a diner for second breakfast and had it secretly paid for by one of the regulars. This is not a rare occurrence, especially in Oklahoma. Our hosts have gone above to make us feel welcomed and comfortable. In Yukon, OK we had iced towels waiting for us upon arrival, access to a private pool and hot tub, bike maintenance for everyone, and a feast of steak and grilled veggies for dinner. We’ve gotten a true taste of the local flavor here, eating more bbq and brisket than I could ever dream of, attending a rodeo in Chandler, and even testing out our own lasso skills. We now have a trip lasso thanks to the kindness of one of our hosts.

Cooling off at Pop's soda stand on Route 66

The heat factor has become much more noticeable as we make our way into the southwest. We had a couple days where the temperature hit the triple digits in the afternoon, which makes for tough riding conditions. These hotter temps mean earlier wake-up times to bust out more mileage in the morning, more hydration, and some creative ways to keep cool. My favorites have been a stop at Pop's soda stand, swimming at community pools, and even a water slide into a lake at one of our lunch stops. As we make our way into the desert, I’m sure we’ll have to continue to be strategic and resourceful about ways to beat the heat.

Build day or crime scene?

Tulsa Build Day:

In Tulsa we worked with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate’s “A Bruch of Kindness” program, which focuses on home repair and neighborhood revitalization. Our task was to prepare a home for a new paint job by scraping off lead paint and scrubbing off the Oklahoma dust. Not the most glamorous of jobs, but it did involve wearing head-to-toe yellow hazmat suits, masks, and gloves. With all 33 of us decked out in our safety gear climbing around a house marked off with caution tape, it looked like some kind of crime scene out of CSI. By the end of the sweaty day, we had readied the house for painting, which would be completed by another volunteer group the following day.

Texas:

Posting up with local farmers in the Texas panhandle

Biking from western Oklahoma into the panhandle of Texas feels like we’re really in the West now, with the landscape slowly changing right before our eyes. The soil has turned deep clay red, and we spotted our first cactus plants a few days ago. The wide open spaces and rolling terrain dotted with sagebrush and rich colors reminds me of Montana and makes me feel right at home.The ride from Wheeler, TX to Amarillo was one of the most memorable of the trip (I think I say that too often). Thunderstorms awoke us for our 99-mile ride day, with more predicted throughout the morning and early afternoon. After waiting for an opening in the storm, a couple groups hit the road eager to get as far as the weather would allow. That ended up being about 6 miles until lightening in the distance brought us to a halt. The remaining riders ended up shuttling ahead to 1^st lunch to beat the storms. My riding partner, Kristen, and I waited it out at one of the many feedlots along the route (“perfume factories” as one of the locals called them). Assuming my local sources are accurate, the Wheeler feedlots are the biggest suppliers to McDonald’s, a fact that I tried to block from my mind as we hung out with thousands of cattle for about 45 minutes until the storm passed. About a mile after we’d gotten back on our bikes the rain picked up again, but since there was no lightening or thunder we rode it out and enjoyed the cooler temperatures that came along with the showers. A few more feedlots and another 90 miles later, we rolled into Amarillo with the sun overhead and the wind at our backs. Our odometers read 102 miles – my longest ride of the trip (or ever). Kristen and I were pretty amped on what we’d accomplished that day and were excited to celebrate that night at the Big Texan.

Katie Lee vs. 72 oz steak challenge

What’s the Big Texan? Well to some it could be considered an obnoxious tourist trap, but to us it was everything we hoped for Texas all wrapped up into one – longhorn limo shuttles, waiters in cowboy hats, a shooting gallery, line-dancing, and a steak challenge attempted by one of our riders. The fearless Katie Lee had one hour to complete a 72 oz steak, shrimp cocktail, baked potato and salad. She came about 20 oz short, but made it farther than the other competitors at the table. All 33 of us dressed in matching lime green shirts and chanting for her throughout the challenge made for quite the scene. Afterwards we took over the dance floor with an Australian tour group. It turns out the bridge between the US and Australia is Shania Twain and sloppy line-dancing.

Raising walls left and right.

Amarillo Build Day:

Amarillo not only made our Texas dreams come true, but also provided us with an incredibly rewarding build day. The Amarillo Habitat for Humanity just so happened to be constructing its 100^th house, and we were the first volunteer group to work on it. Starting from nothing but the foundation, we

completed the majority of the framing for the house in just one day. The soon-to-be homeowner, a single mother with 3 kids who works at an elementary school, even joined us for the build day and brought her kids to dinner that night. It was nice to put some faces to the families that we are helping and hear about their excitement for owning their own home. Every build day I find myself rejuvenated and reminded that “biking is the perk, building is the reason” behind what we’re doing this summer. Check out all the newscasts that came out about us in Amarillo!