This is part three of a series of writings which document my solo cross country road trip taken on my 2008 Kawasaki Z1000 in the month of March, 2022. I would realize a life long dream which would evoke new dreams of even greater journeys via motorcycle travel. Read Part II here.
In contrast to the unsettling events of the night prior, my morning in Houston was quite chill. It felt good waking up in Texas, I knew traversing the largest state in the lower 48 was going to be a huge milestone in the journey. I had my complimentary continental breakfast: a highlighter yellow banana and some waffles with a generous portion of tar like syrup. Big oil and banana republics fueling my stay in the Lone Star state. 
I was wise enough to look for a coffee roaster in the area, a practice I'd begin implementing in each new city. I came across Luce coffee roasters and ordered a pour-over. Wow was this good. As I was slowly enjoying my coffee I decided that after my 600 mile stint yesterday, it was time for ya boy to enjoy some Texas back country roads! My destination for the day was Austin where I'd be crashing at my good friend Kyle's house.
The ride was nice, albeit quite windy. It wasn't cold by any means but having now lived in Miami for some time, I had forgotten that early March is still winter for most of the United States. Nearing the Austin metro area I crossed through Bastrop State Park, trading the swampy straight lines from my journey through the deep south for some pines and windy roads - the country was changing before my eyes. 
Before I knew it I was passing the Circuit of the Americas (which remains as a bucket list destination to watch some MotoGP!) and soon enough I was parking in Kyles driveway. This day's 160 miles on old state highways felt like a short walk in the park in comparison to the 600 interstate miles the day prior. I was greeted with a warm hug and a familiar face. Being received in someones home after days of riding is a feeling thats hard to describe. Journeys like these make the simple things feel like riches of the highest wealth.
Austin was kind of a rest day for me, I got to Kyle's place around 2pm so he showed me the crib, I changed into real human clothes, and we went for a quick walk to what would be some of the most memorable tacos of my life. I had heard in passing that the food in Austin was good, but holy shit. I didn't have one meal that wasn't absolutely amazing there, they really got something going on. 
We had some mixed meat tacos and elote in a bowl, fantastic. I learned about the Austin delicacy that is Topo-Chico and we caught up, having not really seen one another since graduating college in 2017. We FaceTimed our wonderful friend Diego to have a virtual reunion, hung out a bit at the house and then we walked into the city.
It was clutch that Kyle lived so close to the center of the city, we were able to grab some Lime Scooters and cruise around - once again on two wheels. These scooters are sick, but actually pricier to use than you'd think. We cruised a few miles looping downtown and it came out to like $9 each, ouch. The cool thing though is that unlike most electric push scooters, these were rear wheel drive, so I was able to learn how to do some prolonged wheelies, pretty fun, didn't fall so I'd call that a win. Another zen reflection, playing with friends like we're kids again is so good for the soul.
We agreed that neither of us wanted a wild night out, Kyle wanted to go to the movies and I spied that he had a fire-pit in his back yard: so like any logical adults we agreed that we would go see Jackass Forever in theaters, head back home and make some home made Old Fashions by a fire in the backyard. Bliss. We follow through with our plan after having some dinner. We chat by the fire, having those great conversations that for whatever reason a fire always manages to stir up, and call it a night after. I made sure to take advantage of the washer and dryer available, after-all I only had 3 t-shirts to last me the month on the road.
I woke up the next day, did some journaling and went downstairs to make myself coffee. No sign of Kyle at first, but soon enough he comes in from the front door and in his signature way says "want a breakfast taco?" What a gem of a human.
We grab coffee at Flat Track Coffee, I top off my gas tank and I'm off. The goal is a place I never heard of up till that point, Marfa. I'd find out that it's actually a eclectic art town in the middle of nowhere far west Texas. I map out a route that once again keeps me off I-10 for as long as possible.
It was probably 30 minutes into my ride westward where Texas transformed into the emblematic landscape of the wild west. Taking the old state highways instead of the interstate was great for catching up on some history. I'd come across signs on the side of the road with spaces to pull over with plaques from the Texas State Historical Survey Committee leaving notes of the landmarks I was crossing. They were mostly centered around pioneers and settlers as the US expanded west. 
As the tones of the lands transitioned from a familiar green to a dry brown I began to feel overwhelmed with excitement and joy. I constantly had to pull over to take pictures which will never do justice to the immense beauty that the western United States hosts.
The remoteness of the west can be intimidating, you're about 5 hours away from any major amenities but its also so breathtakingly beautiful having uninterrupted views of the landscapes, nothing in the East Coast is able to come close to the vast nature of the West.
Experiencing this on my motorcycle, exposed to the elements, especially the wind, was particularly rewarding. I'd soon feel the challenges of the climate as I gained elevation and the temperatures dropped, but I felt so euphoric to traverse these lands.
I found an airbnb in Alpine Texas, it was an entire house but was the most affordable option available. During this trip I didn't take any camping gear as to reduce my luggage, but lodging in the US is quite expensive. Nonetheless I had a few hours to go and my pit stops for photos didn't help me cover ground. I'd stop by Marfa the next morning cause it was a bit out of reach with the way the sun was quickly setting.
I'd make it safe and sound but began to worry about my gear. I had winter gloves but the nighttime temps would drop below freezing. I'd have to really begin to plan my travels accordingly as I prepped for lows in the 50's F (10 C).
I woke up in my airbnb where I practiced liberal usage of the heater provided, sorry to the owners for their electric bill. I was working remotely throughout this trip and had a meeting I took in the Airbnb. I packed up, procrastinated a bit on leaving, hoping that the Sun's presence would raise the temps, and was off to Marfa. 
If it wasn't for the absolutely incredible views and winding roads distracting me, I would have frozen over on that 30 mile ride from Alpine to Marfa. Once again, West Texas's landscapes left me speechless and grateful. I'd stop at Frama Coffee in Marfa (which google says in now permanently closed). I ordered a pour over from a not particularly friendly barista and set up my laptop to work for a bit. From there, my stomach was requesting lunch, so I rode to The Water Stop, which I strongly recommend visiting if you're ever in the area, I had a beautiful chicken bowl that tasted as good as it looks.
After checking in for work, I was ready to hit the road once more. My goal for the day was to reach El Paso, about 200 miles away. I began to make my way out of Marfa, a few miles down the lonely highway I see a pair of massive murals that pay homage to western films, I pulled over to get a photo. They were super stunning and felt like such a treat to see these artworks in the middle of the big bend outreaches.
As I continued westward a structure in the distance made itself visible to me. I noticed a car pulled over and people taking pictures. I pass and nearly slam on my brakes and pull off to the shoulder. I do a U turn on the 2 lane highway and pull up to the most bizarre structure I've ever seen. Here, 30 miles away from the tiny town of Marfa was a Prada store. Well, not actually. Turns out it is a permanent art installation that was inaugurated back in 2005. 
The windows of the "store" had cracks from what I imagined to be opportunists hoping to grab some unsupervised $2,000 purses. I cannot emphasize enough how remote this structure is. 30 miles away from the smallest of towns, there really isn't anyone here to tell you "stop vandalizing".
Satisfied with my understanding of the structure, I carried on. I was cold. The emptiness of the road that initially inspired me, turned into monotonous riding and the stinging cold on my neck made itself more noticeable. Nonetheless, I carried on, thats all you can do on a trip like this. I stopped for gas in Van Horn and had some chili from the gas station's Wendy's coupled by a green tea from the self serve section of the gas stop. People were friendly there, noticeably so. Maybe there's something about being in such a remote and hostile environment that makes you value human interactions a bit more?
I would make it safely to El Paso and check into my room at the Red Roof Inn. Looking for cheap eats and fruits I find a Walmart and get some crappy microwavable soup, a sandwich, a salad, and a Naked juice - trying to get those vitamins in. I peeped out my window and saw Ciudad Juarez in the distance, a city that seems to dwarf this side of the fortress walls. It wouldn't be the last time on this trip where I'd see first hand the scale and unsightliness of the border.