Plano, TX
Elevation: 729 ft.
Distance: 50.6 mi.
Odometer: 292.2 mi.
Managed to wake up at 6:00 AM despite having no alarm clock to speak of. Ate and packed quickly and got on the road at 7:00. Mornings are moving faster already.
Today was all urban navigation, and the route I'd planned on called for going straight north between Dallas and Fort Worth, bisecting the metroplex. I was avoiding highways and the busiest parts of the Dallas area, but I was still worried about catching rush hour. I got halfway through the Dallas area by 8:00 AM though, which meant most traffic was heading in as I was heading out. The streets I used most of the way (Belt Line and Park) were both three lanes and not insanely busy, so it wasn't too hard for traffic to get around me. I only got one honk in 50 miles of urban riding.
Coming into Plano was both triumphant and weird. It was cool to know that I'd really biked that far self-supported, especially since I can actually put Austin-to-Plano in perspective. Weird though because after the last few days, I finally recognized something and knew where I was going without consulting a map.
Maybe the weirdest part was seeing that random farm right in the middle of Plano. I'd been seeing nothing but commercial stuff all day, hadn't seen a farm since halfway through yesterday, and all of a sudden there's cows and bales of hay. Made me finally wonder what that farm's doing there. The land's gotta be worth a fortune. But I guess it's not for sale.
Got home at about 10:30 AM. Quickest day so far by a long shot. Showered, ate, etc. Felt good.
I'm glad I have a few days off to work a few things out (like the electronics) before I continue. Also plan on planning out routes and places to stay. Might be a busy few days. Then I see Peyton off and head to Idaho.
June
