Texas Tales

January 15, 2013

Greg and I feel like we have finally really left for our new life! The last two months were mostly about heading south to get out of the cold and touring Florida so that we would arrive in Naples, Florida by Christmas to spend it with Greg's Dad. After New Year's with friends in Alabama, it became a search for dry weather. We thought the south Texas Gulf Coast would be the way to go, but we were still followed by rain and storms. A clear day here and there to explore and then the weather would turn again.

We left Bentsen Palms Village RV Park on Sunday, January 13. Actually, even given the really nice facilities, we were more than ready to go after two nights. We were the new kids on the block and attracted lots of attention. Everyone else there was a snowbird and staying for long periods of time. They all knew each other and had their social groups. I got delayed from walking to the laundry room by the “Rooster Party” going on in front of our site. This was an early morning informal gathering of the local men. I guess the wives were all inside their RVs cleaning up breakfast. We got invited to participate in the planned activities, including the country music concert held while we were there. Someday, maybe, Greg and I will be ready for that lifestyle. In the meantime, we were getting itchy feet.

We decided to head northwest to the Texas Hill Country. The weather report was calling for several of the coldest days since we left Virginia. There was still the possibility of rain. We needed someplace to hunker down for a few days and wait for warmer weather. We took the route along the Texas/Mexico border and the Rio Grande, which we had yet to see. We went through lots of small Hispanic towns that were probably mirrored on the Mexican side, but we couldn't see. Everything was in Spanish. Dogs roamed about and a few horses tried grazing in small front yards. As we went west, the climate got drier and more barren. When we reached Laredo ready to turn north, we looked north and saw overcast sky. We looked straight ahead and saw blue sky. We went straight! Texas Hill Country will still be there to visit when we head back east.

We started checking our maps and guides and decided to head to Big Bend National Park. Even if it was cold, as long as the sun was shining it would feel warmer. A long day of driving would put us in Seminole Canyon State Park with its rock paintings. We fueled up, grabbed food to eat as we drove, and pushed on.

Laredo is a prime port for trucks shipping to and from Mexico. In the rest of the country we forget how much the free trade agreements have opened up the borders for commerce. The city is geared toward this exchange. Big flyover ramps and a separate toll road by-pass to go over to Mexico facilitate all the trucking traffic. There is also a bridge and border crossing for other traffic. Bright shiny charter buses bring Mexicans over for shopping and visits. We saw cars with Mexican license plates in the shopping centers all along the border crossing towns. When all we hear about in the media outlets are stories about the Border Patrol, illegal aliens, and drug lords and smuggling of drugs, we forget that plenty of law abiding Mexican citizens cross the borders, too.

The Border Patrol is a visible presence, though. After seeing them so frequently at Bentsen Palms, we are more aware of a lesser presence in other areas. We saw an occasional vehicle, and some small towns had headquarters for the Border Patrol. We have been through two checkpoints on the main roads we have traveled. Unexpectedly, on a long open stretch, with no opportunity to take a side road, (there really aren't any), all traffic is funneled into a checkpoint. Armed border patrolmen with sniffing dogs question where you have been and where you are going, and is anyone else in the RV. We were quickly motioned on. Yes, I'm sure they profile, and we don't fit it!

As we traveled west roughly paralleling the Rio Grande and the border, it became more barren. Then we began to see evidence of fracking for natural gas. This area of Texas has traditionally been an area of oil wells, and now the fracking boom has hit. This, also, is not covered by the media, as it doesn't threaten the more populated areas as in the eastern parts of the country. We saw the infrastructure and equipment for fracking and then we began to see the hastily thrown up RV parks. Thousands of laborers and technical staff are required to frack and they all need someplace to live. There are only a few tiny crossroads towns and no place to live or eat. We saw dozens of RV parks. Trailers were plopped down in the dusty sand. Many looked new and were for rent as well. They all advertised free wifi, often cable tv, and full hook-ups. There were also rows of prefab housing, like one story dorms, in the dirt. Everything looked brand new. A few enterprising souls had opened small cafes and bars, but not enough for the amount of population in the housing and rv parks. Once the boom is done, and it will be, this will all be abandoned.

By late afternoon we realized we would not make it to the state park before sundown, so we pulled into Broke Mill RV Park in Del Rio, TX. It was a brand new park, so not much vegetation, but the showers were really very nice, and we needed them! The park owner had lots of good information for Greg for our continued travels in the region.

We had a cold night in the 20's. Keeping the furnace set at 50 degrees actually makes for comfortable sleeping. We like to sleep cold, but never slept quite that cold at home. Sleeping in the cabover bed with a down comforter, the confined space really traps our body heat! We turn on the tank heaters so that our gray and black water tanks don't freeze overnight.

Left Del Rio yesterday morning, January 14. A few high clouds, and cold, but otherwise beautiful! We had a short ride to Seminole Canyon State Park. Rode over part of the Amistad International Reservoir, which was created by damming the Rio Grande and includes a National Recreation area on the US side. Saw grazing sheep and goats. A few cattle, but this area doesn't have enough grazing for them. Too dry and barren.

We arrived at Seminole Canyon State Park at midday and signed up for two nights. When we inquired about the canyon tour and bike rides, the ranger got excited. Most people only camp one night and use this park as a stopover on the way to Big Bend NP. We picked out a site, had lunch and returned to the visitors center for the 3 pm tour. Access to the canyon is only allowed with a guide, so there is no other way to see the rock paintings. The temperature was in the upper 40's with a small breeze, but the exertion and intense sunshine made it comfortable.

Our guides were two volunteers, Kevin and Robin. They are staying at the park for 4 months and give tours in exchange for an RV site. It turns out they are full-timing Rvers, like us, originally from Wyoming and Texas. I discovered that while doing research before we moved, I had read their on-line blog! They spend their summers working in Yellowstone.

The four of us climbed down into the canyon and walked along the almost dry stream bed. They had just had two inches of rain, otherwise it would have been completely dry. Then we climbed up again into the sheltering areas under the huge overhangs of the canyon walls. The artwork was 4,000 years old. Absolutely amazing that it is still preserved. Not much is known of the people who produced it. They disappeared and there are only possible links to other ancient peoples in nearby areas. The artwork itself is deteriorating, possibly due to the increased humidity from the damming of the Rio Grande and the pollution that blows over from Mexico.

We enjoyed our time with Kevin and Robin, and they had lots of questions for Greg when they discovered he is a geologist. He gave them some geological information they will be able to add to their tour.

We spent another cold night last night in the desert. We are in a dark sky area again.

The last one was Kissimmee Prairie Preserve north of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. With just a sliver of a moon, the desert sky was clear and the stars gorgeous!

Today, January 15, we awoke to temperatures in the 30's, wind, and overcast skies. Greg decided to bundle up and explore on his bike. He returned at lunch after biking the trail to the Rio Grande and along the canyon rim. After lunch we both bundled up and rolled down the trail. I had ridden a few trails through the woods in Florida, but this was my first real mountain biking experience on dirt and rock trails. The first part of the trail was exhilarating. On the last section of trail, I looked at a downhill stretch with lots of rocks and shouted at Greg “Seriously!?”, and got off and walked! We parked our bikes and hiked the last stretch to the overlook. Finally we had a beautiful view of the Rio Grande River and Mexico. Not a sign of civilization in sight. Just a few ducks on the muddy water below us and swallows soaring around the cliffs under our feet. No need for the border patrol here. It would have been almost impossible to cross the river here.

We headed back up the trail and got our bikes. I walked on and off on the way back. Between the slight grade, the rocks and an increasing headwind, I was worn out. I was happy to finally be back at camp where we could warm up with (wait for it!) HOT SHOWERS!

Finished off the evening with Thai Green Curry Chicken for dinner and made plans for tomorrow. We are leaving to explore some of the interesting small towns in this area of West Texas. We will wait to go to Big bend on Sunday. After discovering a big 50K race through the park this weekend, and full campgrounds because of it, we will take our time getting there. In the meantime we'll head for Marathon, Alpine, Marfa and possibly Fort Davis.