We just didn’t feel like driving I 10 west again. It is not all that scenic and we have taken that route a number of times. So the plan is to head toward Big Bend on US90.
First we head out on TX72. This part of Texas is heavily scarred from recent oil drilling. We noticed flare stacks all along the horizon from Choke Canyon. Ugly brown patches slash through the already parched terrain. Wildlife still seems to find a way here. We saw a bobcat and a group of pronghorn. Heavy trucks have taken a toll on the highways and we bumped and rattled along at 45mph much of the way. Three Rivers and the surrounding area must have been booming but with the recent slow down there are shuttered stores and abandoned hotels, company housing units, and RV parks everywhere. Signs indicated they got $204/week for a travel trailer on a dirty gravel lot back in the heyday.
We reach Pearsall. Oil activity thins out. Huge walking irrigation sprinklers appear on both sides of the road where acres and acres of cabbage, onions, corn and apparently watermelon (not this time of year I guess) are grown. It was quite a different scene. A sign claimed “world’s largest peanut”. I guess they grow those here too. I will have to check that out.
We pick up US 90 in Uvalde. It is in a bit better shape so we motor on.
Next we encountered hills; they call them mountains here at 1500 feet or so. It’s rocky and dry again but pretty in its own way.
Del Rio is a sprawled out border town with what looks like at least one fast food place for every resident. We stopped for fuel but otherwise didn’t tarry. Perhaps we will return to check it out later.
Our destination today; Seminole Canyon State Park. Our site overlooks the desert. A steady breeze keeps it comfortable. Tomorrow we will check out trails to ancient cave paintings along the canyons. We will probably hop back to Amistad NRA too. The lake is low and we probably won’t launch the boat but we may explore and bird watch a bit since we are here.
It is nice to be on the move and seeing new things.