T-shirts, Texas & almost to Three Thousand

Okay, so first and foremost I want to thank EVERYONE that has donated to Bike and Build and the affordable housing cause. Whether you've donated because you truly believe in the affordable housing cause, because you love me, or both, (& let's hope it's the last one) I really appreciate it. We have 17 build days this summer & our route will get to make a huge impact. In just a few short days I went from feeling hopeless and far behind regarding my fundraising efforts to energized and ready to take on the fundraising world. I'm only $75 away from reaching the $3,000 mark. Which would leave me with just $1,500 left to raise and almost a month to do it in. I've received several donations in the past few days from fellow college students which really warms my heart. I know what it's like to be in college & be short on cash despite having a job. & to see friends of mine who are willing to part with some of that $, no matter how many dollars it may be, really means a lot to me.

So, I am in KY for a hella long Easter Break. No classes for 8 days. Brought my bike & accessories & can't wait to get some miles in because the weather should be G-R-E-A-T! So fingers crossed everyone. My goal is 100 miles. I got this.

Alright, now on to explore some more cities. Got our research assignment from B&B today. Each rider has to prepare a presentation on an affordable housing subject that we are assigned and also research a few of the cities we'll pass through. I've got a leg up on everyone else as I've been doing some slight city research already, but I'll go back & do some more thorough research.

Wichita Falls, TX

• Wichita Falls is home to the "World's Littlest Skyscraper".
• Wichita Falls is home to the Hotter'N Hell annual bike ride. This century ride (100 miles), now the largest sanctioned century ride in the country, was started in 1982 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city. Making the ride a 100 miles, in 100 degree weather to celebrate the 100th anniversary. Sadly, we'll miss the ride, though I'm also hopeful we'll miss the 100 degree weather too.
• In case anyone was confused about where Wichita Falls is located their website describes it perfectly..."The City of Wichita Falls is comfortably nestled in the lower North East corner of the Panhandle/Plains area of North Texas." Hahaha

Lawton, OK

• Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (pictured left) is located just northwest of the city...and who said the great plains were flat!?
• Lawton, OK is located in an area of the country known as Tornado Alley.
• The town was founded in August of 1901 when the last of the Indian lands in the Oklahoma Territory, the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation, was opened by the federal government for settlement.

Altus, OK

• Home to Altus Air Force Base, a USAF training base.
• Also located in Tornado Alley.
• The "original" town of Altus was founded in 1886 and was named Frazer, however, it was wiped out by a flood in 1891. At this point the town was relocated, and named Altus, which is Latin for "high place" (Though, there seems to be no disputing this I am still unsure as to how one just relocates a town, isn't it then a different town?)
• Altus tags itself with the phrase a "City with a future to share".

 After our short stint in Oklahoma ( a state to which this will be my first time visiting ) we will head back to Texas for a few more days of riding before we hit New Mexico. So heads up on those posts to come as well as some riding posts, as I'm about to start putting in some serious miles. :)

Last, but not least, t- shirts have arrived. They look great! I've got extras, so don't panic if you didn't pre-order, you can still get one. They are available in S, M, & L & are only $15 & a great way to support my B&B trip & let everybody know it!!!