Above: I rode through downtown Decatur to reach Highway 51, and
I got another shot of this attractive courthouse.
| I said good-bye to Highway 380 and I felt sad about it. The highway continued
east into Denton and McKinney, two towns that have become de facto suburbs of the sprawling
Dallas area. I could have continued on this highway, but I was concerned about the level of
traffic on these roads. As much as possible, I tried to avoid high-traffic highways.
State Highway 51 traveled northeast to Gainesville, connecting me to Highway 82 and
bringing me finally back on my originally planned route after a route change eleven days ago in
Socorro, New Mexico. |
Above: After settling in Sherman, I spotted a Golden Corral two blocks away and enjoyed an amazing steak
and a whole bunch of lasagna. There is nothing like packing the calories at a Golden Corral buffet, is there? ;)
Above: I made the most of my pricey night at the La Quinta in Sherman by sitting
in the hot tub and enjoying the breakfast buffet
in the lobby the next morning.
It was a tough day for picture-taking and realizing I needed SOMETHING to show for the day,
I captured that blurry shot of the front entrance. Look at those flowers! This was a
major upgrade from the average cheap motel I would stay in.
| Sherman, Texas
... My smile did not last too long. All in all, Highway 82 from Gainesville to Sherman was an unenjoyable ride.
There were way too many cars on the four lane highway with construction areas and many turnoffs.
The whizzing of cars in the right lane was unnerving at times and nearing Sherman,
I could feel the "vibe" of metro area Dallas from the seemingly large amounts of people everywhere.
(Hey, at least I didn't continue on Highway 380 through Denton and McKinney!)
This was a tough day, and I am not sure if I can emphasize this enough.
That sciatic pain in my lower back would pop up now and then, I was
physically exhausted and I was stressed about all that vehicular traffic.
The intensity of contending with the busyness of Highway 82 really wore me out.
The unremarkable scenery of pavement and generic franchise restaurants/stores was just too much,
and I found myself spending more time on my cell phone talking and texting to escape.
The one consolation of today, of course,
was the great relief of finishing the ride. I can only
describe this sense of relief by equating it to my past rejoicing
over the end of things like 1) sitting through terribly long and useless work meetings or 2)
enduring a painfully long-winded and boring sermon at church. :p)
Anyway, there was only one little problem: I could not find low end lodging in Sherman!
I asked around, but no one could help me, and only a few expensive hotel chains were in the vicinity.
Continuing to ride was out of the question, and so after some agonizing and reasoning,
I bit the bullet and stayed at a La Quinta Inn that was
way too expensive for my budget.
Lodging, Motels and "To Camp Or Not To Camp"
This was probably one of those times where I could have
regretted not camping along the route.
I realize many cross-country bicyclists opt for camping throughout the journey,
but for me personally, I had to be realistic about what I could handle.
With the exception of a few experiences of "car camping,"
I had little real camping experience.
Plus, it was clear my body and soul required the necessary
renewal in a hot shower, soft bed and restful night protected from the elements of outside.
Without it, I would have been in rough shape for the next day's ride. Lastly,
camping gear, however small or light, would be extra weight I
would have had to carry on my bicycle.
Obviously, lodging is more expensive than camping,
but I could usually find something in the $40 range most nights.
That rate is fairly cheap, but admittedly,
lodging was my largest expense during the journey. |
