Day 12

2004_0413Image0006.JPG 2004_0413Image0007.JPG 2004_0413Image0010.JPG In case you were wondering whether this is the Bible Belt 2004_0413Image0011.JPG XIT museum, coverage of the XIT ranch 2004_0413Image0014.JPG For Mom, the ceramic elephant collection at the XIT museum 2004_0413Image0019.JPG Hartley county courthouse 2004_0413Image0020.JPG 2004_0413Image0021.JPG For Scott, a picture of how the bike is loaded

Day 12 - 4/13/04
Vega to Dalhart
69 miles

The weather was nice today, had a pretty good ride.  Most of the way was flat except for the Canadian River valley, which was quite scenic (the first two pics).  A series of beautiful  mesas and ravines.  Also, if you've ever wondered where Cal Farley's Boys Ranch is located, it is between Vega and Dalhart.  I used to get ads from them all the time; the adds were notable for having free mailing labels.  Everything around Dalhart is named for the XIT Ranch.  The Ranch originally covered much of several counties and the land was given as payment to the guys who built the state capitol building.  However, most of the ranch was sold in the early 1900's, and the last parcel was sold in 1963.  Anyway, the XIT museum had a nice history of the area.  Another sort of sad story for the area is Lake Rita Blanca.  It used to be quite large, but over the years it has mostly gone away, I guess because of regional water usage of the feeding tributaries.  However, what remains is still apparently a good spot to view migrating birds.  For a few years it was a state park.  Finally got out of the dry counties of West Texas, it was nice to have a beer with my meal again.