We were up early and drove back to where George and our bicycles spent the night at a truck stop in Esperanza. We'd ridden there the day before but a lack of hotels in the area required us to back track for lodging. All worked out well though. While we were traveling back to Clint, George was entertaining cyclist at the truck stop. Three weary bikers arrived at there for a break, George offered them a drink and rest in the SAG wagon, they were so grateful as they'd had a rough day of it with a total of 14 flats during the day. We would have an opportunity today to meet 2 of the 3 today as our paths crossed once again. This time George and Tim were pressed into service helping to repair Mya's bike as a bolt had snapped in half so her rear rack was broken.They helped buy reinforcing zip ties she had used to hold her bike rack together and removing a the bolt. Apparently she has overloaded her bike and it cannot take the weight of the load. Mya and her friend Abbey are young 20 somethings from Alaska traveling coast to coast unsupported, Bart is from the Netherlands here doing the same bike trip and happened upon the girls on the road fixing flats. He told me it was good to be able to help the "damsels in distress". He's been riding with them a couple of days now helping out.He will go his separate way once they find a bike shop to repair her bike.

As for this group of New Riders of the Southern Tier we had a good day. Tim had a flat before we even left this morning so took  care of that first thing. No other bike problems for us. We started our trip on Interstate #10 but after a bit were able to get on the frontage road that parallels the interstate, safer and quieter for cyclist.  We had quite a bit of climbing but some fun downhill runs as well.We entered a new time zone . 

 We ended our day here in Van Horn, Tx which like a lot of the small towns we have been in seems very economically depressed. There is a talc mine and a sand quarry here as well as plenty of ranches in the area. We dined at the lovely Hotel El Capitan which was built in 1930 by the Gateway Hotel Chain. Later it became a bank and in 2007 a couple bought it back and has converted it back to a hotel keeping much of the original charm.  The bank vaults were kept and one is used as the gift shop and the other is the liquor cabinet in the bar/restaurant. Extremely charming place with beautiful tile work and center courtyard.