We're not very good at taking rest days. I in particular want to be on my bike each day, moving on. On an earlier trip, we came up with the idea of “rolling rest days.” They were low mileage days – really low, like 20 or less – when we took it easy and just sauntered on to a new location.

We had our first such modified rest day last week. But it wasn't the short ride that made it relaxing, it was our destination. We were guests of Warm Showers hosts Rodney and Debbie, who have a lovely home on Lake Jackson. Not only that, they have a separate guest house that they turned over to us for the night. It happened to be a beautiful afternoon, and we enjoyed visiting with our hosts while sitting out back overlooking the lake. We had the advantage of both good company and being able to retire to our own space at the end of the evening. The golden sunshine bathed the lake in a beautiful glow which we admired as Rod fed us plentiful pancakes before departing in the morning.

Our next Warm Showers stay started normally enough. We'd just made our way into Oklahoma and had plans to stay with Stan and Misti for one night in Broken Bow. Our timing was very fortunate, in that their church was hosting The Singing Men of East Texas that evening, and we were able to attend the concert with them. Those men had powerful voices and sang with great fervor. When accompanied by their own brass ensemble, they rocked the church! It was a dynamic evening of music.

Our plans to cycle the next morning were quickly scrubbed when we awoke to thunderstorms and pouring rain. I kept thinking we'd find a window for cycling, but Stan and Misti knew better and immediately extended an invitation to stay another night. We felt so fortunate, as all day long the storms regenerated and kept up a constant downpour. So rather than slogging through it all, we had a lovely rest day in the comfort of their home, warm and dry.

An added benefit to our extended stay was the opportunity to see the new bike shop that Stan and Misti are opening. Having acquired an historic old stone building in Broken Bow built by the WPA, they have been hard at work using their own skills and sweat equity to restore it. After months of work, progress on the transformation is astonishing and we could easily envision its possibilities. Their plans are exciting and we can't wait to hear the news of opening their Gear Down bike and trailer shop. Sharing a delicious dinner prepared by Stan with good company and a cycling movie was the perfect conclusion to our unexpected day of rest.

Despite storms continuing into the night, the morning dawned sunny and clear and we were perfectly refreshed and ready to cycle. Thanks to Warm Showers.

Traveling by bicycle, as in life, not every day is wonderful. Most of the time it’s great fun, but then there are the days it feels like we’re just slogging through the miles. What makes the difference? There are so many things that car passengers never give a second thought that are critical to those of us pedaling the same byways. Just think about it.

Road conditions – Cars barely register uneven pavement, cracks and bumps. But each of these impediments is amplified by the narrow wheels of a bicycle. Chip sealing is the worst. Take loose gravel over fresh tar and you get a rough surface guaranteed to loosen several teeth. Sometime we get lucky, and the highway department in an attempt to save money neglects to re-coat the shoulders. We love those penny pinching counties that leave us with smooth pavement. It adds a mile an hour to our speed.

Width of the shoulder – I call this the white knuckle factor. On a road with narrow crumbling shoulders there is no escape from the traffic. Those huge semis that pass by usually give us a wide berth if possible. But on two lane roads, with oncoming traffic, there is nothing scarier than feeling the slip stream of the truck suck you and your bicycle along. Give me a good wide shoulder, and I breathe much easier. Better yet, give me a small country lane, devoid of traffic and I am in heaven.

Weather – There is no rolling up the windows and sailing through the rain on a bike. Neither is there heat or air conditioning. We are at the mercy of whatever the weather gods deliver. Wind can be friend or foe, depending on whether it’s pushing us along or punishing us with great resistance. Too hot or too cold can be miserable. But there’s nothing more pleasurable than a lovely warm day cycling through the sunshine.

Terrain – This one is a matter of personal opinion. I rather like the challenge of rolling hills and charging up the inclines. I’m a chicken on the downhills, using my brakes rather than flying down at breakneck speed. Rich, on the other hand, would be happier if the world were flat. And he happily screams down the downhills. To each his own. There is no doubt that hills are tiring, particularly at the end of a long day’s ride.

Equipment – It’s easy to take my bike for granted. When it hums along smoothly it’s my best friend, my trusty steed. But when the gears start slipping I can get pretty cranky. And I begin looking for a bike shop. Flat tires are always a hazard, but our Armadillo tires do provide some good prevention. And Rich is very good at replacing the inner tubes. I really need to work on that…

Scenery – The miles go by ever so much more quickly when there’s great scenery along the way. We see it at 12 mph so we have plenty of time to look around. And that’s the whole point of cycling, to see the countryside. Having towns along the way is a bonus. They make nice diversions and stopping points, not to mention options for snacks and potty breaks.

Food – To a cyclist, food is critical. The calories we burn up day after day give us the privilege of eating whatever we want, and lots of it. It’s also a highlight of our day. There’s no better rest stop than taking time out at a good restaurant to refuel. And no bigger disappointment than poor food. We’ve earned it, after all. It better be good. Oh, and ice cream is a necessity, of course. We also have to be attentive to the availability of food. More than once we’ve cycled long distances to find restaurants closed or out of business. That is a big bummer.

After 12 days on the road so far, we’ve run the gamut on all of these factors. Our moods and enjoyment often fluctuate throughout the day as conditions change. This morning’s travel on a busy road with no shoulders and endless hills felt brutal. But when the shoulders widened, the pavement improved and the land flattened out, life suddenly got much better. When the sun came out as well, we knew we’d reached the far positive side of the enjoyment equation.