San Antonio is hot. Seriously. Especially when standing outside the Alamo at high noon in July. But people and the media are interested in our statewide pilgrimage to promote hybrid driving and hypermiling so we can stand a little sweat.
Before we left for Austin we made a stop at WOAI-TV (NBC 4) for an appearance on San Antonio Living. I was hoping to meet Kelly Ripa before I remembered she hosts another morning talk show but Leslie Bohl Jones was just as affable.
After a few laughs and quips over coffee in front of the cameras we headed over to Alamo Plaza with our Toyota Prius’. The city was kind enough to let us roll them up right next to where Davy Crockett fought which provided a nice backdrop for a few more interviews.
We hit Interstate 35 around 12:45pm and were prepared for an easy drive about 95 miles north to our state’s capital. We had some time to kill so we veered west a bit on Texas 46 for a lunch stop in Gruene. This was my first time in the town though I probably floated through the city limits while on the Guadalupe River years ago in college.
This area is now part of New Braunfels and is famous for Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas. Autographed photos of musicians who played here cover the creaky wooden walls including Willie Nelson, George Strait, Jerry Jeff Walker and Lyle Lovett. The town seemed as if it never grew out of the 1800’s and the nearby Gristmill Restaurant was outstanding.
We could have sat by the banks of the Guadalupe and watched families float by all day but we still were only halfway to Austin. Dan pulled back onto I-35 with about 8/10 of his gas tank still full. Even though he is averaging an incredible MPG he had an idea up his sleeve to stretch his numbers further.
Hypermilers stick together so Dan called a local buddy who lives south of Austin in Buda. They met each other in their own Prius’ (apparently it is many hypermilers’ car of choice) and rode some out-of-the-way roads and small hills to improve his mileage. After 45 minutes of coasting and gently braking at no more than 30 mph, Dan finished his leg of the Hybrid Tour of Texas with some mind-numbing numbers:
Dan’s 3rd day average MPG: 75.2 mpg
My 3rd day average MPG: 40.3 mpg
We met up on the steps of the Capitol for a picturesque landing and to recap the day’s journey. Some of the increased mileage could be accounted for the traffic we hit during the drive especially as we approached Austin. I-35 is a busy corridor and traffic is cause for braking…braking and driving under 40 mph allows for battery-powered driving…more battery means less gas-driven engine power…and that increases fuel MPG.
We are getting psyched up for Day 4 as we have 200 miles ahead of us towards Dallas. I’m sensing a quick stop in Waco which means a Dr. Pepper break and some good home cooking at my parents’ home in Big D. Can’t wait to tell them how much gas money I am saving on this drive. They’ll be so proud.
