23rd of October - Fredricksburg and LBJ's Ranch

I stayed in a weird motel, which called itself resort but seemed to cater to retiree group travel. The kitchen was at five minutes past nine already closed and the bar could serve me only drinks. There was a country cowboy band playing and two couples shared the dance floor. As this is in Texas everything was BIG: bar, dance floor and air conditioning, only the crowd was pretty meager, I had one beer and after that I was not far from being frozen stiff, so I left as long as I was still able to. In the morning I left for Fredricksburg an touristy place in the hill country where they make quite a bit of wine. I walked through town, tried some wine (brrr! Texas needs still some time until it will become a wine and food lovers destination.) and I had a buffalo burger in a place with buffalo head.

From Fredricksburg I drove to Johnson City which is named after a cousin of LBJ. I cycled a bit around the farm and tried to make the tour on my bike. But they do allow the self guided tour only by car. I complained widely and people told me that they might change that soon and when I would come the next time I could perhaps enter already by bike. the tour of the farm would have been an ideal little bike tour, but whatever...

Overnight I stayed in Johnson City where I asked for a nice route to cycle on. The girl behind the counter told me she wouldn't know, but the on little road just up the street were always cyclist to be seen even as it was really hilly. She was right, it was a nice road for cycling - rolling hills, moderate traffic and pretty landscape. I went for a full work out ride. It was nice to exhaust myself without thinking about all the miles I would still need to go. I really like riding short and intensive better than long and moderate. Next to the hotel was one of this barn like huge and empty dinner places that they seem to have everywhere in the Texan countryside. I saw already before that a lot of Restaurants advertise themselves with superlatives like best hamburger in town, Texas or world, which is the same anyhow. This place said best chicken fried steak and behind it - nearly three dozen sold! I love this kind of humor, today I saw a big highway billboard which said: "Dirty birds to clean up? Birdbaths next exit!" By the way, I only learned on this trip what a chicken-fried steak is. It is a hamburger breaded and fried over which a white gravy (weisse Mehlschwitze) is poured. I cannot recommend it, there was until now not realy new and good food. Quite a bit of the stuff I tried was new to me but I don't really care for any of it. I was in this one country diner (only open one town), where I needed all but two items on the menu explained to me. I heard or read gizzards often but I don't really know what it is. But if you look at the photo of the gizzards and liver, I am happy, that I didn't have that - not that I had something better!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizzards