2024 Milwaukee Run – Day 10

The night cooled off quick but once I got my fire going I was comfortable. Heat wise at least, there was no comfort sitting at that picnic table. As the 10 o’clock hour approached I was contemplating calling it a night and getting into the tent early. But that’s when a minor catastrophe happened.

A late arriving guest pulled onto the road behind me and I hear this loud screeching. Because he stopped I assumed it was either his brakes or he just had a rickety camper. That’s when I notice that the camper parked at the end of the row is now facing a different direction. Apparently the Late guest didn’t take the corner right, caught the tongue of the other camper and pulled it off all of its jacks an stabilizers. I heard no commotion and no fighting, just barely even talking. The men inspect the camper for a bit and then get to work to get it lifted back up to truck level so they can move it back into position. They’re using impact wrenches to move the jacks up and down. Impact wrenches are loud and I’m not going to be able to sleep while they’re working.

It’s almost midnight by the time they finish working so I finally head off to bed. It’s a cold night so I’m sleeping in my clothes with the sleeping bag fully zipped up. I laid on my back and fell asleep. I awoke just after 2:00am needing to use the restroom so I jumped out real quick, handled my business and returned to bed. I cannot stay asleep through the night. I know I’m getting some rest but I open my eyes every hour or so throughout the night. I’ve also forgotten that there’s a highway 100ft from camp and an hourly train just about every hour. Luckily I brought earplugs but they only help so much.

I finally crawl out of the tent at 8:00 and begin breaking camp. It’s another cool morning with cloudless skies. We’re back on the road by 9:00 and heading for home. It’s just over 300 miles to the house from here and only about a four hour trip if I drive straight through. That would put me in earlier than I want. I’d like to get home around the time the kids get out of school. I decide I’m going to stop every 50 miles whether or not I have a reason. I’ll spend about ten minutes walking and stretching.

Leaving out of Texarkana is city driving for a bit until it turns to ranchlands. There’s a few spots of tree lined highway. I get our remaining mileage down to around 250 and then pull off for gas. So far so good on the back but the butt starts to ache. The first 60 miles seem to fall away quickly. Our next stop is a rest area 50 miles down the road. I’m stopping for no other reason to get off the bike and walk around. I spend some time walking laps around a shaded picnic table. It’s hot in the sun with my jacket on but still chilly enough to need it at speed.

Traffic has been good so far. We’re down to 200 miles to go now but Dallas is about 60 away. I’m not expecting good times there. About 40 miles out of Dallas the outer fringe towns start to appear. Making it through Rockwall we cross Lake Ray Hubbard, a massive lake. The towns have no begun colliding into one another, it’s hard to tell them apart. Our next 50 mile stop is a Walmart parking lot, again just to get off the bike and walk around. Getting back on I-30 is a chore as there’s a ton of construction. Google isn’t helping and I have pay attention to road signs to get me back. It’s a few miles of riding down another highway (in the wrong direction) just to circle back. It’s annoying but construction always is, right?

Traffic picks up coming deeper into the Dallas area but the road widens so we’re still moving at speed. Until we hit crawling traffic. It’s only about 2 miles and takes about 15 minutes to get through, I never get out of first gear. Once we get past a wreck the road opens back up and we’re soon merging onto I-35E, just one more highway change today.

In Waxahachie it’s our fourth stop and we’re only 100 miles away from home. It’s also past lunchtime so as I stretch I look for food. I find the Southern Roots Brewing Company just a couple of miles away and head towards it. I don’t check their menu though, it’s mostly just pizza which I don’t want but I order a small one anyway and manage to get a couple of slices down. The rest I box up to bring home, the kids will eat it.

Leaving out of Waxahachie it’s back on I-35E for a few more miles then we merge with I-35 which runs right through the middle of my hometown. After only 30 miles though, I have to stop for gas. It’s early but I won’t make it to fifty miles. I take a few extra extra minutes to rest before getting back to it. I believe I can make it the last 70 miles without having to stop and push on for the last run.

The cityscape has long since vanished and we’re back in ranch and farmland now. But the town and county names are looking familiar. Traffic picks back up as we enter the Waco area but it’s not bad. There’s only a few small towns that lay between us and home now. Everything is starting to hurt again as we pass another fifty miles. I force myself to stay on the road and soon make it to my exit and towards the house. The bus has just dropped off when I pull onto our street but as I pull in the driveway notice the garage door is closed, this time of day that means that no one is home. I walk inside just in case anyone is home and find my daughter on the couch. She apparently came home early today. The youngest had safety patrol at school so he’s getting picked up today. They soon arrive and I’ve now reunited with most of my family. The oldest will be home later.

Laurelin has been unloaded and is back in her spot in the garage. My tent has been laid out upside down to dry and swept off and my laundry has been deposited in the basket. The rest of my gear has been placed in it’s usual spot, be it in the house or garage. Tomorrow I’ll get the backyard mowed, my neighbor mowed the front for me this weekend. I’ll also get Laurelin cleanup as she’s completely filthy, front to back.

For tonight though, it’s a hot shower or soak in the tub and probably an early bedtime. I’m sure I’ll sleep soundly back in my own bed but I hope my internal clock shuts off and I sleep for as long as my body needs.

In ten or eleven months I’ll start planning the next trip and I will ensure to have normal or short days towards the end. So until next year, thank you again for coming along with me on this year’s adventure, it’s nice to have you with me.