TexanRT
06-12-2009, 04:18 PM
I was invited to join a couple of guys for a weekend run from Houston to west Texas in April and I'm just getting this posted -- better late than never, I guess. It's a special place and one we're going to visit again soon.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/2.jpg
We arranged to meet in west Houston and were on the road to Austin before the sun was up. I knew the weather was going to be rough on our first day -- severe weather was forecast in our path as a cold front moved through Texas -- I figured we'd meet it around Austin. An easy rain turned to a drenching downpour from Austin to Llano -- but west of Llano the sky was clearing and we'd have blue skies for the next four days.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/3.jpg
Texas is tapping wind energy in a big way and wind farms are popping up across the vast open spaces of west Texas. We passed this one somewhere west of San Angelo.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/4.jpg
It's a place where the roads run straight to the horizon.....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/5.jpg
We took the scenic route through Pecos before arriving in Ft. Stockton for the evening -- David added Loving County, Texas to his list of visited Texas counties before we stopped to dine at Alfredos :thumb -- we covered about 700 miles on day 1.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/6.jpg
Day 2 started with us heading south out of Fort Stockton on 385 -- the pictures don't do justice to the expansive vistas we enjoyed on this trip -- here the road goes on for miles before turning.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/7.jpg
An interested factoid relating to these next photos -- early electricity and phone lines were strung along roadside fence posts -- here along 385 you could see lots of old wires. On the right side were the two-strand electrical wires. On the left side were the single-strand phone lines -- positive only -- the phones were grounded at the residence and when there was interference somebody would pour water on the ground where the phone was "grounded" to clear up the signal. As I recall David said this was described in a book he read about the west Texas Pulte family.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/8.jpg
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/9.jpg
More west Texas wide-open spaces -- somewhere along 385 I think...
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/28.jpg
We arrived in Marathon and stopped in front of the historic Gage hotel -- we'd stay in Marathon on Sunday, but at the Marathon Motel -- their cabins are much more to my liking. The Gage Hotel (http://www.gagehotel.com/index.html) was completed in 1927 and restored by its new owners in 1978. Its premium accommodations include a fine restaurant.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/10.jpg
Somewhere along old highway 90....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/29.jpg
We arrived in Ft. Davis around noon after traveling old highway 90 from Marathon and through Alpine. Dined at the Old Texas Inn.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/11.jpg
After lunch we traveled north to Calera, Texas -- the location of Mission Mary -- the La Calera Chapel. The mission was established around 1902 and was later abandoned before its restoration in 2003 by the Calera Foundation. Here's a link to some photos of the restoration: Mission Mary Restoration -- caleratexas.org (http://www.caleratexas.org/mission_mary.htm) It sits alone -- the last remaining vestiges of the original settlement. This beautiful little chapel was open to visitors.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/12.jpg
The Old Rugged Cross -- we stepped inside to see a small altar and a copy of the Bible. As soon as I saw the book opened, I knew it was turned to John's gospel -- John 3:16 "For God so loved....." I hope you'll indulge me this one opportunity to say it takes a special people to settle and live in a place like this -- it could not have been easy. And like so many places we've visited we're struck by the fact that among the earliest of settlements -- no matter how difficult the circumstances -- they built a church.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/13.jpg
Ft. Davis was established (1854 - 1891) as an outpost for the protection of the San Antonio - El Paso road and the Chihuahua Trail. According to the Ft. Davis website (http://www.nps.gov/foda/) there were no walls or palisades protecting the fort -- in fact, few western forts had walls or palisades according to the website despite how our Hollywood westerns portray them. The fort is set back against these rocky hills forming a formidable barrier.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/14.jpg
The fort's hospital is undergoing renovations and will be the only restored hospital in the US from this time period.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/15.jpg
The renovated officer's quarters....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/16.jpg
Next is our visit to the MacDonald Observatory -- to be continued......
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/2.jpg
We arranged to meet in west Houston and were on the road to Austin before the sun was up. I knew the weather was going to be rough on our first day -- severe weather was forecast in our path as a cold front moved through Texas -- I figured we'd meet it around Austin. An easy rain turned to a drenching downpour from Austin to Llano -- but west of Llano the sky was clearing and we'd have blue skies for the next four days.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/3.jpg
Texas is tapping wind energy in a big way and wind farms are popping up across the vast open spaces of west Texas. We passed this one somewhere west of San Angelo.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/4.jpg
It's a place where the roads run straight to the horizon.....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/5.jpg
We took the scenic route through Pecos before arriving in Ft. Stockton for the evening -- David added Loving County, Texas to his list of visited Texas counties before we stopped to dine at Alfredos :thumb -- we covered about 700 miles on day 1.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/6.jpg
Day 2 started with us heading south out of Fort Stockton on 385 -- the pictures don't do justice to the expansive vistas we enjoyed on this trip -- here the road goes on for miles before turning.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/7.jpg
An interested factoid relating to these next photos -- early electricity and phone lines were strung along roadside fence posts -- here along 385 you could see lots of old wires. On the right side were the two-strand electrical wires. On the left side were the single-strand phone lines -- positive only -- the phones were grounded at the residence and when there was interference somebody would pour water on the ground where the phone was "grounded" to clear up the signal. As I recall David said this was described in a book he read about the west Texas Pulte family.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/8.jpg
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/9.jpg
More west Texas wide-open spaces -- somewhere along 385 I think...
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/28.jpg
We arrived in Marathon and stopped in front of the historic Gage hotel -- we'd stay in Marathon on Sunday, but at the Marathon Motel -- their cabins are much more to my liking. The Gage Hotel (http://www.gagehotel.com/index.html) was completed in 1927 and restored by its new owners in 1978. Its premium accommodations include a fine restaurant.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/10.jpg
Somewhere along old highway 90....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/29.jpg
We arrived in Ft. Davis around noon after traveling old highway 90 from Marathon and through Alpine. Dined at the Old Texas Inn.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/11.jpg
After lunch we traveled north to Calera, Texas -- the location of Mission Mary -- the La Calera Chapel. The mission was established around 1902 and was later abandoned before its restoration in 2003 by the Calera Foundation. Here's a link to some photos of the restoration: Mission Mary Restoration -- caleratexas.org (http://www.caleratexas.org/mission_mary.htm) It sits alone -- the last remaining vestiges of the original settlement. This beautiful little chapel was open to visitors.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/12.jpg
The Old Rugged Cross -- we stepped inside to see a small altar and a copy of the Bible. As soon as I saw the book opened, I knew it was turned to John's gospel -- John 3:16 "For God so loved....." I hope you'll indulge me this one opportunity to say it takes a special people to settle and live in a place like this -- it could not have been easy. And like so many places we've visited we're struck by the fact that among the earliest of settlements -- no matter how difficult the circumstances -- they built a church.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/13.jpg
Ft. Davis was established (1854 - 1891) as an outpost for the protection of the San Antonio - El Paso road and the Chihuahua Trail. According to the Ft. Davis website (http://www.nps.gov/foda/) there were no walls or palisades protecting the fort -- in fact, few western forts had walls or palisades according to the website despite how our Hollywood westerns portray them. The fort is set back against these rocky hills forming a formidable barrier.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/14.jpg
The fort's hospital is undergoing renovations and will be the only restored hospital in the US from this time period.
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/15.jpg
The renovated officer's quarters....
http://www.thenewpamphleteer.com/images/16.jpg
Next is our visit to the MacDonald Observatory -- to be continued......