Road Trippin West Texas - Big Bend

A straight shot down highway 54 through desert mountains and ranch country led me into the town of Van Horn and the intersection of interstate 10 which runs east/west from Florida to California. At Van Horn I jumped onto highway 90 and veered southwest while staring at a UFO for miles until I realized it was a blimp that's somehow used to detect drug smugglers and the like. From Marfa I got on highway 87 and headed south to the border of Mexico.

Just outside of Marfa there’s a Border Patrol check station. Heading south I was not required to stop but passed a bunch of hi tech equipment that appeared to be taking pictures of my car and license plate. Those heading north are stopped. As I proceeded on I saw very few cars.

Presidio is a border town in a very broad flat valley. I drove all the way to the border crossing then turned around and looped through town. Hot, dry, dusty and fairly depressed summed up my assessment of the place. It's what I expected but kind of interesting in its own way. The real reason for choosing the route was my desire to drive along the Rio Grande next to the border. I had been told that the road is so close that you can throw a rock into Mexico.

As I headed east along highway 170 things really started to get scenic as far as deserts are concerned. The road quickly leaves the flats of Presidio as it rolls towards the mountains and canyons of the Rio Grande. The highway itself is it excellent condition and most of the time you’re in Big Bend Ranch State Park so there are plenty of pull offs with some having interpretive information signs.

Along the way I stopped numerous times for photos, passed several border patrol, and easily threw a rock into Mexico. At one particularly scenic spot there’s the remains of an old Movie set with adobe buildings and shoddily built chapel, It’s right on the banks of the Rio Grande and has been used for 9 different films. Occasionally I’d see another car or motorcycle but needless to say the road does not see much traffic.

At the small resort village of Lajitas I continued on to Terlingua. Terlingua is a mining town gone bust turned ghost town. In the 1970’s Terlingua was a real ghost town except for once a year when a bunch of drunken crazies would move in for a chili cookoff. Eventually a hippie, an artist, a survivalist, and a few who just wanted to get away from it all started making some of the old buildings livable again. In time a few bars, a couple of coffee shops and small quirky hotels opened up. It’s now kind of a funky sort of West Texas Key West with a small year round population consisting of an eclectic mix of characters. I think it would be an interesting place to sit and write a book or something. However, I also sense it would be very easy to find yourself falling into a pile of Lone Star Beer Cans and wondering where the last few years went. It’s that kind of place.

Past Terlingua I entered Big Bend National and head up into the Chisos Mountains where I’ve set up camp for a few days to hike and explore the area. Yesterday I climbed the highest mountain in the Chisos Mountains and hiked along the South Rim of the Range. Today I explored back roads and hiked a bit in the Santa Elena Canyon. The weather has been warm and wonderful with mild nights but a dry cold front blew in during the day which means colder nights but still clear and mild days. All said, the desert scenery of Big Bend National Park is absolutely beautiful and unique in its own way compared to other desert regions of the USA.

West Texas via Denver

Sunday, October, 23

Two weeks ago I left Houston for Denver. I made the drive in a little over 16 hours. My fastest time yet for covering over a thousand miles in one push. I like to drive so time passes easily for me on the road.

I spent most of my time in Denver visiting my mother and doing misc. maintenance and painting around her home. The rest of my time was spent catching up with my sister, brother in law and nephew as well as a couple of friends. Time passed quickly but not before catching a Green Bay Packers game at the famous Rocky Flats Lounge and three rounds of bowling with my eleven year old nephew at the local neighborhood bowling alley. By the third game I bowled a 150. I felt pretty good about that considering I only bowl about once a year.

This morning I left Denver for a 10 hour drive due south to Guadalupe Mountains National Park where I’m camped for the night. As I left New Mexico I was reminded of the vastness of West Texas when I passed a sign warning 130 miles until next services. It’s wise to keep an eye on the gas gauge in this part of the country.

The campground at the National Park is pretty basic. It consists of walk in tent sites, one fairly large paved area for RV’s, and a restroom with no showers. It costs $8 for a tent site unless you’ve got a senior citizens pass, then it costs $4. Tonight I have a tent beneath a sky that’s surely full of billions of stars. On a clear dark night West Texas offers some of the best star gazing anywhere in the world. I guess that’s one of the benefits of being so far removed from services.

Guadalupe National Park, aside of a roadside view of the sheer cliff faced El Capitan, has little to offer the non hiker. It’s really a mountain desert hiking park. There’s a nice network of trials that weave throughout the arid mountains for a total of 80 miles. The two highlights are Guadalupe Peak, the highest mountain in Texas, and McKittrick canyon that proves to be a rare oddity with its strangely out of place Maple trees that bust out with color in the fall. Not many people know there are Maples in West Texas!

Tomorrow I plan to do an all day hike and stay for another night. From Guadalupe National Park I’ll continue south to Presidio on the Texas/Mexico border and traverse a road along the Rio Grande to Terlingua on the way to Big Bend National Park. It’s wild, rugged, dusty and remote yet beautiful desert country. It was once the stomping grounds for Apache Indians and Poncho Villa but now it’s more of running grounds for illicit drugs and illegal aliens. For this reason I have no intention whatsoever of crossing the border into Mexico or driving at night. Unfortunately, it simply isn’t safe anymore.

By time I'm done it will take about a week for me to get back to Houston. In a way it’s kind of like a readjustment excursion after my 5 month trip around the world. Whenever I return from long trip that involves a certain about of relatively exotic travel I'm certain to be somewhat changed. Hopefully for the better. After all of the foreign culture, different languages and multitudes of people I meet along the way it’s nice to retreat to a quieter more familiar environs. It gives me a chance to check in and realign myself with the ever constant process of personal growth and change.

Monday, October 24

As the retired Air force biker packed his Harley this morning he told me how he’s ridden in every state but Alaska and the road from Presidio to Bend Bend along the Texas/Mexican border is one of his top 5 favorite rides in the USA. I’ll definitely be headed there tomorrow.

Today my hike in the Guadalupe Mountains took me to the top of Hunter Peak and into an interior forested area known as the Bowl before heading down and out through a patch of colorful Maples in Bear Canyon. The hike took most of the day. With perfect sunny weather it did not disappoint. I took the photo atop the post this morning.

So, What Am I Doing? Ah, Good Question....

For the first two weeks upon my return I sailed right into a highly motivated work mode and successfully avoided making any real decisions about anything important. I was riding a nice wave avoiding the reef of change until I washed up upon a beach of exhaustion. I guess you could call it delayed post travel fatigue. I’ve been kind of tired and mildly unmotivated this past week. I really should get a haircut.

I was surprised by the quick pace of my daily runs as I strode along the paths near White Oak and Buffalo Bayous when I first returned. I guess it was all the walking abroad coupled with a dose of coolly sustained mild adrenalin that tends to be a byproduct of travel. However, last weekend, as I felt my pace slowing, I paused to ask myself, “What are you doing?” I replied, “Trying to make some money man. It takes money to live”. “Yeah, I know that. But what are you doing?” I talk to myself often. By doing so I can better see through my own misc. this and that. When I talk out loud it’s easier to distinguish when I’m being sensible or not.

Over the past week I’ve been dealing with the avoided issues while charging way too much on the Tarjeta Credico. Insurance, new tires for the car, dentist, etc. etc. Everything is more expensive. People ask, “How can you afford to travel so long?” My reply, “How can you afford to live in one place so long?”... It’s far less expensive for me to live traveling abroad. Go figure. However, I’ve got to make money somewhere, sometime and the USA, despite economic crisis and so forth, is still the best place on the planet with the most opportunities to make money. The dollar may currently be weak on the exchange but it’s still the currency of choice.

As of now I’m taking a step aside and am about to embark on a road trip to Colorado to visit family and friends. From Colorado I’ll likely return home via a longer route that will take me through West Texas. Once back I’ll have a new plan. This time for sure. I’m definitely going to change things in my realm of life at home. Wherever it be. Right now I actually have an ideal situation for my carefree travel ways but I feel a real need to go about things differently. Actually, I’ve been feeling the need for awhile.

So now, what am I doing? Good Question....