Texas...

We leave Texas more baffled than we would have expected. It started all so stereotypically – cowboy hats, boots and that larger than life southern drawl but it hasn’t really panned out like that after our month long journey in the USA’s 2nd largest state.

It is true to say that Texas is big… very BIG, dry, dusty, flat (mostly), with endless dead straight roads where the perspective offers a shimmering, hypnotic infinity, distorted only by an ever present heat haze. However, scratch below the surface and the almost universal image of Texas as the iconic representation of all things American is just too simplistic. In the Rio Grande valley in December you are more likely to find a Canadian Snowbird or a Mexican drug runner than a Texan!



The remote south and western areas of Texas hide an uncomfortable truth from much of the rest of the USA. The rugged, quiet (and often mountainous) Rio Grande river border is stunningly beautiful but an increasingly unsettled area as the USA comes under attack from drug cartels across the border in Mexico. We heard gunfire everyday (and night) over Christmas at Laredo but everyone tells you the same story – stay on the US side and you are safe – DO NOT go into Mexico! So we didn’t, although we did go within a few inches on a couple of occasions.

The border is the river and at this time of the year you can walk across and illegal immigrants often do. Up until 2002 you could walk across the border – have lunch – and return virtually anywhere. Now the penalty for crossing and then re-entering illegally is 1 year imprisonment!

However, the more significant and subtle attack on the USA from my point of view is the creeping Hispanic influence – most people here are of Mexican extraction and Spanish is the language of the majority of the people in south Texas. The US may have taken Texas from Mexico in 1848 but from what we have seen that may not be the end of it!

Jane has just read the above and said “What a load of pretentious twaddle” - Don’t you just love her!

So after a month in Texas where have we actually been…

We made our way down the Gulf Coast to Galveston Island, Brazos Bend (near Huston), Lake Texana, Lake Corpus Christi, Padre Island, Mustang Island, Kingsville (largest remaining cattle ranch in Texas), Rio Honda for a bit of walking and birding (what us Brits call bird watching :). Then we travelled West along ‘the Valley’ (Rio Grande river valley) from Brownsville to Mission. We camped at two, 500+ private ‘Winter Texan’ full facility type RV resorts. More like an OAP rally and not really us in this hot and heavily developed few miles… but excellent for a bit of Christmas shopping!

Then North to Falcon Dam, Lake Casa Blanca (Laredo, Christmas) then further North to Garner State Park (Concom) and on to Seminole Canyon (New Year).

From Seminole it was West on the 2nd Jan into Big Bend National Park. The park consist of 800,000 acres that includes an entire mountain range and looks likes God’s playground with every geological anomaly you could wish for and a night sky that you could only imagine. It’s a remote park, we were alone for most of the time – not even radio here, no mobile or internet… in fact we did not have any electric or water hook-ups either. We didn’t see any bears or mountain lions – just as well because it’s bad enough when the coyotes start howling (at dusk). It was a good feeling to be able to lock the RV doors and go to bed…

From Big Bend, North again along the Texas Mountain Trail – Alpine then Marfa where we spent all night at the Marfa Lights Viewing Centre watching the unexplained lights. Not sure about aliens but it spooked the RV to the point where the battery died and we were then stuck at the centre alone the following morning – another story.
Finally Fort Davis in the mountains (dinner at mile high Indian Lodge) and the following day a trip to the McDonalds! McDonald Observatory - 7,000 ft, mountain top site to visit worlds 3rd largest telescopes and attend a ‘Star party’ that evening. Amazing – cold, as the party was all outside but included viewing the night sky through several large telescopes… from Orion’s nebula and star nurseries to Jupiter and her four moons – just one word - amazing!

What were our favourite bits of Texas?



Jane…

it had to be Big Bend – clean, clear air, unbelievable night sky and incredible mountain vistas including our hikes to Hot Springs and Santa Elena Canyon in the warm winter sunshine.









Mule deer at Fort Davis (including one particular doe who was keen to have tea with us) and road runners – beep, beep… zoom!

The pictographs (rock paintings) at the Fate Bell shelter in Seminole Canyon.










Den…

Big Bend’s remoteness, little one horse towns and McDonalds Star Party… naturally … Oh and driving the 10 ton tank, 13 miles down the mountain in the dark afterwards in a clean pair of trousers and bicycle clips!






We are now off to New Mexico for a flying visit and then into warmer Arizona as we attempt to out run a cold front (freezing day and night in the mountains and high plains of central USA) Even if we can put up with the cold for a few days the RV's water system can't!

Cheers

Den and Jane X