Although we enjoyed our free time in Austin, it was time to load up the bikes and set off again. Today we’re headed straight into Hill Country, but first we have to get out of the city. That isn’t as easy as it sounds- much of the early part of the route utilized many of Austin’s extensive bike paths. While they are wonderful, they are difficult to follow if you aren’t familiar with the area. Eventually we got on the far side of town and were on our way. This part of Hill Country we actually rode in our car last year, and remembered how scary steep the hills around the Barton Springs area were. They did not disappoint! The downhills were as daunting as the uphills. Some were so steep our bikes almost fell over on us. It took a long time to get away from Austin traffic, but eventually we were out in the country. Texas is one of our favorite states as there is so much unspoiled countryside. Even though we are cycling past ranch after ranch, they are all beautiful, and they take care to preserve all their beautiful live oak trees. And even though it is October, there are still so many wildflowers! You work so hard to pedal to the top of a hill, and are always rewarded by a breathtaking view. We stopped for a late lunch at the Texas Olive Ranch. Who knew Texas grew olives? They have everything in this state!!! We pushed on to our destination- Pedernales Falls State Park. We arrived with enough daylight to set up camp and cook dinner. It was almost 4 miles of hills back to our campsite. Once it got dark we were rewarded with an amazing star filled sky! We could even see the large swath of the Milky Way. It was the most stars either of us had ever seen. A perfect end to our day. Total cycling mileage: 49 Total hiking mileage: 5