Sunday 10 - Monday 11 February
Boy, it is definitely Sunday - the roads in San Antonio are deserted and when we get out of the city and start heading into the country again we see every denomination of church there could be, all with their car parks full - Methodist, Lutherian, Baptist, Kingdom Hall, and Catholic.

The good thing about today is that we are back with GREEN countryside. We hadn't realised for how long we have been in desert and to ride through forests and smell the pine, newly mown grass and cattle! makes us realise how long it has been.

On arrival in Nacogdoches we can see that the town is very, very quiet but obviously steeped in history with it's brick paved streets and old buildings. Our B&B for the next couple of nights is one of these traditional American houses. The Hardeman house was built in 1892 and is now lovingly owned by Craig and Michelle Smith. It is just beautiful in its decoration and content and Craig and Michelle are the perfect hosts. Checked in we decide to investigate the town further and soon come across an exhibition to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Columbia shuttle disaster on 1 February 2003. We hadn't realised, until we arrived in Nacogdoches, the significance the town has with the disaster but this is the "epicentre" of where the majority of wreckage landed. The exhibition was very humbling and the guys there were telling us of how the community came together at that time.

The town and county hold so much history, being the oldest town in Texas, but the story behind why it is called Nacogdoches is also very interesting. The Caddo tribe of Indians had a Chief who had twin sons and as they grew and were ready to become leaders of their own tribes, their father sent one brother - Nacogdoches - three days eastward , toward the rising sun and the other brother Natchitoches - was sent three days towards the setting sun. Natchitoches settled three days to the east in Louisiana and that's where we are heading next to have a look around!

Nacogdoches is also famous for having a series of firsts in Texas - first ceiling fans in a down town drug store, the fans being driven by a mule on a treadmill outside; the first oilwell drilled in 1866; first oil field; first oil pipeline; first oil storage tanks; first newspaper.....and another first, the first time we have been here!!