Day 193: Marathon, TX

We said goodbye to George and Phillip, and then headed off into the first headwind that we've had in a while.  That lasted for about 30 miles, until we left Sanderson Canyon, and then the wind shifted and helped us along for the last 25 miles into Marathon.  And about 15 miles from Marathon our shoulder became a nice, smooth shoulder of black asphalt, as opposed to the rough chip seal that had preceded it.


Marathon is one of the more prosperous towns we've seen in West Texas.  It appears that is primarily because it is a crossroads for reaching Big Bend National Park.  There isn't a lot here, but there are some nice hotels and restaurants, together with one gas station and a very small grocery store.

We have camped at Marathon Motel and RV Park ($31.50, power, water, adjustable showers, free shampoo, free wi-fi).  We were fortunate to have a pine tree on our site, which was strategically located to keep the sun off or our galley (so that I didn't have to drink hot red wine [again]).  Our site faced north, so our awning kept us out of the late afternoon sun (it was deployed on the east side of the van).  It allowed us to spend most of the day outside, despite high temperatures in the 90s.

Late in the afternoon we had a fellow cyclist (heading east, of course) stop and camp here.  His name is Reiner and he is a firefighter/EMT from Bavaria.  He came over and chatted for a while before having to tend to business, but he rejoined us in the evening for some cheap red wine and more conversation.  He started out in San Francisco and will end up in Miami on the 28th of November for his flight home.

Of course just when he showed up, Lana got sick and threw up.  And then later, after he joined us in the evening, she did the same thing.  So we are a bit concerned that something is going on with her.  Especially since we've had recent episodes of her throwing up in the camper.  She has been pooping OK, so there doesn't seem to be an obvious mechanical issue causing these problems.

While we were talking with Reiner, Lana managed to discover a black scorpion that was trundling in the dark through the lawn next to our campsite.  We are pretty sure that she didn't get close enough to get stung, but it has us wishing we had klieg lights to illuminate the campsite after dark.  Our tiny Black Diamond lantern doesn't cast much light beyond a few feet away.

Tonight Lana also learned how to open the cabin door.  She's been acting like she had grasped the concept for quite some time now, but this was the first time she actually opened it, and not just once, but several times.

An interesting warning sign...