Big Bend—wow! Day 1

Three terrific days of weather to explore very different landscape.  Cool nights and the days got up to the 90’s. We stayed at Stillwell Ranch and RV Park located right outside the main gate of the park—Hattie Crawford Stillwell, 1897-1997 was a strong lady settling the Big Bend territory.  She had a “Hall of Fame Museum” right there at the Park—we were told to just come by and they would give us a key!  If we ever go back to Big Bend we would probably stay outside the western gate in Terlingua.  There were people of all ages from all parts of the country at this National Park. First day we  hiked:  Bouquilles Canyon in the east part :

The Rio Grande River at a big bend in the river.  This is the border with Mexico.   It is about 60 miles from HWY 90 which would be the first place for food and water.  They don't have a big border patrol problem here.

Big change in terrain from what we have seen.



Mexicans do come across the border and leave wares for us to buy (leave money in the bottle and they will come by and get it that evening)



Casa Grande was my favorite mountain

They even have some hot springs that bubble up from the Rio Grande.  It was over 90 degrees this day and the springs were over 105 degrees--didn't look refreshing

The Stillwell ranch entrance

 

Drive North --Spring Has Sprung

So much to see and many miles to drive as we meander home. 

Diane and Bob invited us for dinner and St. Paddy's Day Parade.  This is Cathy and Jerry (Bob's Sister and Husband) and Dennis and Nancy Doyle our next door neighbors

Dinner at the Fritels was a precursor to pulling up stakes and head for the trio of National Parks.  Bob and Diane have been terrific friends at La Feria we will miss them! Farmers from Wolford, North Dakota, we have threatened to visit there.  They helped to put a new spin on staying in one place for the winter—we are the type to need more than 2 or 3 days to make friends and when you are gypsies that doesn’t happen. On the Loop we kept running into the same people so it was easier.
 

The St. Paddy's Day parade proceeded right by the Fritel's

 

We left La Feria on March 21st  and first stop was the Walmart at Del Rio. They had RV spots and we provisioned for the trip which provided changing landscape we headed north and into the unknown.  This is the land of wide open spaces and no cell service, so we are not real sure what to expect for the next few days but we are ready for adventure. 

Here we stand in front of a Century Plant at Langtry.  It looks like a giant aloe plant and blooms once (this takes about 25 years) The bloom they called a yellow Christmas tree and they actually cut it off for theirs.  The plant then dies. 

 

The bar was the actual building.

 

The Judge called his home the Opera House hoping to impress Lillie (through letters) sadly
he died before he could meet her

 

Belly up to the Bar

 

The Pecos River

 

We have catfish yard art in Nashville they have boots

Next a stop at Langtry, TX where  Judge Roy Bean held court in the late 1800's. He had proclaimed himself the "Law west of the Pecos".  He actually kept the order when the railroad men got rowdy in his bar and he had a serious crush on Lillie Langtry (an international actress of some repute) and so he (of course) named his town after her.  There was an hilarious movie  back in 1972 starring Paul Newman that we both loved named for him so we had to stop.  There was also  great Ranger here that told us various places along our route to stop including the McDonald Observatory and Fort Davis--we will get there.

 

Mexico Margaritas at Angels/Port of Brownsville/Mission/Picnic/Rodeo

March is here and we need to start checking off things here in South Texas because home is calling.  We went to Mexico and learned from Angels how to fix a great margarita (fresh squeeze limes, crushed ice, orange liquor, tequila, more ice, couple of limes, then top it off with sprite—yum) and admired TJ who paints vases right on the sidewalk.   

  We took the Port of Brownsville boat tour and saw a salvage yard for military boats and big ships.  Then we took a ride on the Rio Grande up in Mission where we learned from the border patrol how badly a border wall is needed. 

We took the Port of Brownsville ride with Ruby and JJ from Columbia, TN

 

Long Island Village is like Seaside (in Destin) but here on Port of Brownsville at South Padre Island

The Saratoga was being salvaged--a battleship from the 1950's (they sell these old war ships for a dollar but it cost 1.2 million dollars to transport them here to be dismantled for scrap)

 

Mission, Tx had a ride and tour of their section of the Rio Grande

 

Riverside Club at Mission offers the ride on the Rio Grande
 

 

Flora is starting to bloom

 

Reminded us of the Blue Heron on the Cumberland

 

The Border Patrol is a huge presence

 


Here at the park, we finished off the season with the horseraces and picnic. 

T

Diane and Bob Fritel have been incredible friends and welcomed us at their family gatherings--we will miss them

 

Hat contest for the horserace

 

Diane counting her winnings

On Monday we will finish up pickle ball with our first tournament—we come away from LaFeria with a new addiction—pickle ball, I hope we can keep it up when we leave.  








King Ranch/Parade/Music Man / Granny Clare’s/March Madness

March brought on more consistent warm weather and therefore a willingness on our part to get out and enjoy the territory.  We went north an hour and toured the King Ranch.  It is the largest ranch in Texas. It comprises 825,000 acres and was founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis. It was the largest ranch in Texas and offered hunters an opportunity to hunt exotic animals.  It was an interesting afternoon touring the farm but we would have liked to tour the old home place which the daughter of Captain King,  Alice and husband Robert Kleberg built.

This ranch was full of horses and cows and employed as many as 600 people in its heyday--now about 250

This tree and décor were antlers

Side entrance to the pretty home

Stable built in the Alamo motif

YUK

Charro Days is the 81^st celebration of “bi-national” community in Brownsville –right on the Mexican/American border.  The all day Saturday parade was a throwback to the parades of our youth where the police, fire department and different schools marched down the main street in full Mexican garb and entire families turned out.   Terry said it is why politicians think we hold them in high esteem—they all rode in convertibles (but not necessarily getting big applause).

Border Patrol and Police were a pretty major part of the parade.

This Mexican/Texas Cowboy is a Charro

The dresses were fabulous

At Granny Clare's you show off your home place, Wolford was put up by our Fritel Friends (Diane and Bob) and I love that Knoxville was already there

Jack is our buddy from Birmingham--big Crimson Tide Fan

The community theatre did Music Man –outstanding – which we went to with neighbors Roberta and Jim Richel from Minnesota.  Pickle ball with Diane (who turns out to be the twin of Donna Shalala—Democratic politician) and Bob Fritel (Rugby, North Dakota) continues and both of us continue to get better and meet a lot of friendlies.  Bob is a font of information—they have been coming here many years—and through him we found Granny Clare’s citrus where we go to get the BEST oranges and grapefruits.  Bingo partners Cheryl and Karl Sellers are people we would love to keep up with.  They live near Allentown, PA and are huge Penn State football fans.  Next time UT and Penn State play we have decided we will have to take our RV’s and park together and have a big party.  Of course, it will be the best if the Vols could manage to beat them.  

Cheryl and Karl--we won at bingo!