Day 17

Today it was time for the last stretch to Austin TX. We started off around 8.45 am, a little late because I found out that I had a flat I needed to fix. After getting directions from the hotel clerk how to get out town we headed to Holland, TX. After driving through Amsterdam in Arkansas it was only a logical next stop!

We arrived in town at 10.30 “koffie tijd!”, So we stopped took pictures and had coffee with some muffins, lekker!

The next stop was Round Rock to meet an old family friend of my mother; Anton and Rebecca van Tilburg, they hadn’t seen each other in 50 years. They moved to the United States in the fifties after the war, starting here in a very different way than I have in 1993. We put the bikes on the car to get to their house and decided to drive closer to Austin to finish the last lap safely. Seven miles from the Capitol Vicky and I got back on our bikes and rode into Austin traffic, one more time follow by my parents in the car. The ride was nice with a good down hill and left turn onto Congress: there it was the Capitol of Texas; I made it all the way!

We rode up the hill and circled around the Capitol for a victory lap, I could see all my family and friends cheering me on like you have done all the way! Thanks for all the support; I made it thanks to all of you.

After taking pictures and one more ride around, we needed to hit 70 miles it was time to find the hotel and take a shower. We had dinner with Vicky’s friends Cathy and Hutch at a wonderful Italian restaurant. Thanks for dinner and the good directions to get into town. Nancy called that she missed her flight and wouldn’t be in until Saturday, but at 9.30 it was time to go pick Deb up from the airport.

After a quick cup of tea in the hotel room, it was time to go to sleep.

Sis