Recapping yesterday's rainy final day
Though yesterday’s fourth and final leg of my Boston-to-Austin drive was by far the shortest at a mere 404.7 miles (the first three days were all 700-plus miles), it certainly felt a long haul to me.
The weather was absolutely abysmal, save for the final 30 minutes of the drive, when, in true storybook fashion, the rainy skies gave way to some sunshine. What a welcome to Austin!
But apart from that final, glorious stretch, I had to contend with several extended stretches of blinding torrential downpours throughout the day. Speeds were reduced to 40-50mph in spots.
There were accidents all over the place, too, with cars having driven into each other or into the median. I landed in a major jam just north of Fort Worth (30-plus minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic), and eventually jumped off the main interstate (I-35W) in search of an alternate route. Of course, the surface roads were backed up as well.
Along the way, though, I took a much-needed break for a drink and some grub with Jay Ehret at the famous George’s in Waco, Texas (yes, that Waco). It was true Texas, with country music blaring and locals drinking The Big O and having a smoke (not a fan of that part, of course). I sampled a refreshing Shiner Bock. A big thanks to Jay for his hospitality!