A relaxed road trip to New Braunfels and Austin, with two stopovers in San Angelo along the way

It was back in the spring when I last had been able to use RCI timeshare points to spend a week away from Lubbock in a home-like atmosphere. That trip, to Bandera, had taken me to the center of the Hill Country; this time around, I visited the very southern edge of this part of Texas, in and around New Braunfels. As is so often the case, it had been difficult to find a resort that had availability on relatively short notice (I had made this reservation less than two months ago), but luckily I found a place that fit my schedule, the WorldMark New Braunfels by Wyndham. 

As far as timeshare resorts go, this one was one of the nicest that I have visited in all those years: The buildings were new and attractive, the decor was homey and modern, and there was little visible wear and tear that indicates that a resort needs a facelift to regain its former luster. With my points (and the obligatory RCI exchange fee of $299) I had rented a very comfortable two-bedroom unit for a seven-night stay.

One of the reasons that I had planned this trip was that I simply wanted to extend summer just a little longer. Early November is a time of unpredictable weather in Lubbock, with cold fronts starting to invade the South Plains that usually aren't strong enough to push all the way into central Texas. And true to fashion, it was quite a bit warmer in New Braunfels, even though the traditional first freeze in Lubbock on Halloween has still to arrive. But unfortunately, not all days were sunny and clear with several overcast, humid ones that made cycling much less pleasurable than a clear autumn day when the thermometer pushes 83° F. Well, we can't always win.

As the title of this post indicates, it was a relaxed trip. It's about a six-and-a-half hour drive to New Braunfels, but I had some hotel points that were going to expire at the end of the month, and so I decided to break up the drive by staying in San Angelo, almost exactly at the half-way point. On Halloween, the first day of my vacation, I stayed in the La Quinta, which turned out to be a total shithole; on the way back, I stayed in the Super 8, which is equally dismal. (I have complained to Wyndham, under whose portfolio these motels operate, and have received some of my points back—and they won't expire for another four years. Still ...)

The upshot of these two stopovers was that I had time to check out downtown San Angelo, which I had never visited. I have to say, I was truly impressed by the small shops, restaurants, and quaint buildings, and the fact that there are three microbreweries that serve up truly excellent beer was one of the biggest surprises of the trip. Who would have thunk?

Owner and brewmeister Dan gave me a full tour at Plateau

I arrived at the WorldMark, which is located less than half a mile from the touristy Gruene on the Guadalupe river, on Friday afternoon and moved into my condo. The next HEB+ grocery store was just about two miles away, and I loved the craft beer selection that puts a Specs to shame. My riding started the next day.

On Sunday, my friend Sandy from Lubbock arrived in the late afternoon. She had lived in the area for many years, and her son and his family live in nearby San Marcos. We had them over on two different evenings for nice dinners in the spacious condo. Did I say it was all very relaxed?

The resort has a nice pool area with a clean hot tub, and after my rides ending the day with a good soak and a cold beer was just what the doctor ordered. Sandy spent the days visiting friends and former colleagues, and twice we met up at breweries in the area; I'd go for a 35-mile one-way ride, we'd communicate about my ETA, and then I'd put the bike into her Mini and we'd enjoy Happy Hour before driving back to the condo. New Braunfels has several craft breweries, but I have to say that they fell short of San Angelo's offerings.

New Braunfels—as the name implies—was founded by German settlers, and many of their traditions have been kept alive. While Oktoberfest in Munich runs from late September into early October, Wurstfest in New Braunfels is celebrated in the first ten days of November, as to not interfere with Halloween or Thanksgiving. While the tradition is obviously rooted in the German celebrations, the first Wurstfest wasn't held until 1961 but has become an institution since then, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitor each year. Since both of us had participated in Wurstfest in the past, we decided not to watch people perform the Chicken Dance, sing German drinking songs, and get drunk on authentic German and German-style beers.

The week in the condo went by rather quickly, and the check-out time of 10:00 a.m. was rather cruel. Sandy decided to spend another couple of days with relatives before heading back to life in Lubbock while I headed toward Austin to extend my own vacation by a few days. For two nights, I stayed with my good friends Micki and Kent, who live on the west side of the sprawling city. We hadn't seen each other in almost two years, and occasional phone calls are no substitute for sitting on the porch with a hot cup of morning coffee.

On the first night with them I met their friend Maggie, whose arsenal includes a road bike (other than M&K who are mountain bikers only). I had mapped out a ride for Saturday and ran it by Maggie to check whether there were some modifications I might have to make, and soon it was decided that she would be my guide for a ride the next day. We met up at her place, just a few miles from where M&K live, and we had an enjoyable 30-mile ride on bike trails and low-traffic streets that took me to some parts of town I hadn't seen before.

As always, such rides have a habit of somehow touching on a brewpub or two, especially when I am involved. After visiting (512) Brewing, Maggie split for home to pack for an upcoming trip the next day, while I detoured to St. Elmo Brewing on the way back to her place. After the bi-annual time change the week before, dusk comes early, and instead of facing traffic and construction on highway 290 for a couple of miles on the bike I graciously accepted her offer to drive me back to Micki and Kent's place. What a nice day!

On Sunday morning, after another leisurely morning on the chilly porch, I packed up my stuff, bade my hosts a heartfelt farewell, and headed back north, to San Angelo. I made it to the illustrious Super Ocho with plenty of time to spare to ride back over to the downtown area where I visited my third SA brewpub, Zero One Brewing Company; just as at Plateau and SoCo, the IPA was fresh and tasty. Mission accomplished.

The next day I drove back home in sunny, calm, and fairly cool conditions. The first freeze is now forecast for November 20, three weeks late and a day after I will have left for my next adventure. So, maybe I can extend summer by just a tiny bit more....

Jürgen