January 28, 2016 – Sunny, 65 degrees

Miles Today: 28

Miles to Date: 10,996

States to Date: 28

 I enjoyed a beautiful, easy day of bicycle touring. US 90 from Marfa to Alpine is a gorgeous stretch with vast vistas. About ten miles outside of town is a striking pavilion built to watch ‘Marfa Mystery Lights’, fantastic light displays of undetermined science that occur a few times a year. There was nothing but bright sky this morning. Fortunately, a musician was there who had seen them. What he described was magic even in daylight.

Paisano Pass was a nice climb that introduced varied terrain all the way to Alpine. I got to town and indulged in Chinese Buffet: vegetables, sushi, and sweet cakes. I stayed about three hours, catching up on writing and planning my foray into San Antonio before exploring Alpine and checking into a sweet Patel-motel.

I took an evening stroll through the downtown strip. Alpine has a movie theater that projects two shows every weekend, a bookstore, and a former gas station turned coffee shop / laundromat. Perhaps not the most exotic commercial, but mighty pleasant under the amazing stars of Big Bend.