Dallas

29th/30th October 2010

Driving on freeways! Nightmare on 45! Houston traffic makes the M25 look like a country lane. At one stage we had 2 intercontinental lorries either side of us, no sky view, all moving at 70mph. Five hours driving to Dallas to the refuge of a Best Western in Dallas. Recovery time short as not walking distance to anywhere - another drive into downtown. parked in 'historic' district. Poor seedy feel like so many city areas next to railway and bus stations. V had looked up the sculpture park and headed there to see one of the best examples of public art we have seen. Life plus bronzes of longhorns on the trail, such real replicas of the cattle and cowboys crossing a stream. Back to our room, exhausted,with some wine and a takeaway from Dennys over the road, pits in diners! Jen then skyped like a ray of sun! So good to see her and hear they are all well. No rush in the morning as just Dallas to explore then drop car off and back to our seedy but comfortable hotel at the airport. All worked so well. Parked in same place as yesterday but no traffic as Saturday. Walked to the book depository museum, site of Kennedy assassination in 1963. Strangely unmoved, sad for the children whose lives were blighted, but perhaps would have been anyway. The only question we both had was would Vietnam have happened in the same way? From our reading last year we concluded that nothing would have ben any different. Same advisors, policies and military men. Johnson just followed the path set on by Kennedy. much glorification of the conspiracy theories but looking at the evidence presented in the museum you wondered where they all came from. Back in the car to the art museum and safe parking. Lunch of delicious boef bourginon to vivaldi. The mourners exhibition of alabaster 15th century figures from the tombs of the dukes of Burgundy, the Valois line, was amazing. from the Carthusian monastary of Champson they were so lifelike. Back almost freeway free to hotel, deposit bags in our room, take car back to Herz, 2 shuttles and back at hotel! Walked across freeway bridge to a red lobster. 5 star diner experience tonight and back for last night in Texas. Caught Laura, still up at midnight. So good to speak to her sounding very up. Nick has new job starting Monday with higher pay teaching french speaking Canadians. He also sounded up just going to a birthday party. Adios Texas!

Mission control

Thursday - must be Houston!

Good night after all the walking yesterday and away before 9. Freeway drive out gets the pulse racing but soon back on 10 to Houston. Through Flatoville seeing bison in field by the road! Rich rolling agricultural land with plenty of trees and rivers, the settlers must have pinched themselves arriving here. Drive straight to the space centre for the 1.20 tram tour of the sight. So emotional! Both of us really moved to be standing in the actual mission centre we saw on TV in 1969 when' the first small step ' was taken. The real saturn rocket used in the test run is huge with the sections fired off diminishing in size to the actual capsule. All the parts of the space station are in another hanger used as simulations for training. 14,000 people are still employed here planning and testing for the unmanned mars mission. After a fantastic film of footage from the actual mission we have a wonderful guide who was actually a scientist involved with the missions. The actual capsule that returned them to earth is on display - we touched it! But for us to TOUCH moon rock was something neither of us could ever imagine doing listening to that momentous time in our lives 41 years ago. The scientific spin offs forced years ahead of time by the space program made us aware of how our lives have been enhanced by that investment, itself partly a result of the cold war. Best Western again, superb room and walk to shopping mall next door (half a mile) for take out chicken and fresh fruit salad in our room.

last day San An

Did a thorough tour of The Alamo. They try hard with what little there is and this of dubious historical value! Back to the Cathedral and the reconstructed remains of the governors house, The one guide knows less than us - we did not think she had read the guide book! Rather like Seville sitting in the reconstructed courtyard on the reconstructed seats looking at the well, reconstructed from an imaginary vision. The day is hot and it is a peaceful spot as we are the only visitors. Could really have claimed a refund but not worth the bother for $5. Chose the only unexplored, rather unpopular, part of the riverwalk back to our cool room. Nicely planted with a coote and a grebe an the water - we could have been by The Yare but this was narrower and no gross sculptures. Out to our final riverwalk meal, carefully chosen low fat options, the sights get worse everyday. Fall into conversation with a South African father and daughter, she now with a green card and set to become American with her husband and children. They tell us about the reality of South Africa today, very much in line with what the couple in Brisbane had to say last year. Father had been robbed at gun and knife point twice in the last year and was surprised to be alive. Both had friends killed in senseless attacks. A pleasant, easy city to visit, quite unamerican  in the walking possibilities for tourists - we have not been in the car for 2 days!

Tuesday 26th October

Could make our own waffles for breakfast! No rush! Ambled to the riverside shopping mall to top up - contact lens fluid,  conditioner, emory sticks, and postcards. Half price of home. Onto a yellow bus to Texas cultural heritage museum. all immigrants included, never heard of the Wendles from central europe! Spanish and Mexican not there! Got nice photo of bear on a school bus - so many school groups there but could not take photo with one - not politically correct! Lovely parks leading back to the riverside and mock spanish village. Have a t shirt personalised and go through 3rd degree to buy stamps at a post office. Web research back in our room for a break after 6 mile walk directs us to the best restuarant on riverwalk - La Pescara - as good as the best in London! Free! We took such cheap lodging! Amble back in balmy air with the high from a really superb meal - good day - like San An.

Observatory in the distance

Monday 25th October 2010 San Antonio

Lovely room and a bed as good as home at The Best Western Del Rio. Spoke to the owner, a Ugandan British with another hotel franchise as well. He is refurbishing all the rooms. We had a swim in the pool and a good breakfast. 250 miles to San Antonio through scrubby semi desert. Easy roads with little traffic on Sunday. Coffee stop at Castroville (really!) and swap driving. In San An by 1.30 with the travelodge a pleasant surprise. Get a blue tourist bus from the Alamo which is only 2 blocks away. Go to market square for a browse before strolling back through town to the riverwalk. A bizarre place, the tourist hotspot which nearly ended up as a covered sewer! Failed to avoid another tex/mex meal but there were whole beans rather than refried and the ducks liked the nachos!

Sunday 24th Del Rio

Over 300 miles across the desert Southwards to Del Rio on the Border again. Priceline booking for Best Western  at less than £40 for huge room, pool and breakfast with REAL internet to catch up on admin and book ahead for the rest of the week. Relax and have our last tex/mex meal for a while at a diner 2 blocks away. Tried downtown but not Sunday and probably not the rest of the week. Highlight of the day apart from the desert scenery which never tires with the mountains in the background, listening to the Alan Bennett Diaries. Should have bought the next maybe in Hawaii. San Antonio next stop.

Friday/Saturday 22/23 October

Friday 22^nd October Saturday 23rd

Left Chisos Lodge by  9 for 150 Mile journey to the Davis Mountains NW. Only saw about a dozen cars on the way to Alpine, 100 miles on and our fuel and coffee stop. Arrived at Fort Davis  by Noon  in time to send our first package of books back to the girls, also sent some cards to the school. On to The McDonald Observatory to catch their afternoon tour. Dramatic approach to the visitor centre with 3 big telescopes on top of the mountains and smaller ones lower down. Had picnic in the car after getting tickets then saw a presentation in the Theatre. Introduction to spectography, without which the astronomers would have no knowledge of the sky. Interesting lecture then a tour of the telescopes.  First and largest structure was the 107 inch lens  telescope, built in the 60’s and the 3^rd largest in the world at the time. We were shown how to move the scope and then rotate the dome to align the opening. The pictures taken and work done classifying stars is amazing. We then moved to the most modern, the Hobby Eberly with the largest telescope mirror in the world. The structure is so simple, with the size of the mirror cutting out the need for a traditional scope. A fascinating tour which opened up whole new areas of knowledge to us both! Back to Indian lodge and a junior suite at a reasonable rate – we were about to find out why. No coffee maker and ended up driving 4 miles into town  despite the efforts of the check in staff to give us hot water for our tea bags! Restaurant has no alcohol, so no glass of wine with our adequate but diner style meal. This place is supposed to be the gem of the park service accommodation! The best was to come – disturbing noise from the room above, every word could be heard and there were a lot of people up there. The footsteps echoed and creaked, magnified by the sound box of the room. We were so tired – but the party above started watching a ball game, cheering it on and enjoying themselves, not in a raucous way just people enjoying a holiday, but the noise in our room! I ended up sleeping in the wardrobe closet next door on cushions from the settee and Vincent fell asleep, finally with exhaustion. They were all up by 7.30 but at least the restaurant did not charge for hot water for the tea. When we went to leave a day early the woman at the desk was horrified. We should have been told that there was no sound insulation at that, older end of the building and they are constantly having complaints. We were given another, more modern room and decided to stay as planned. Both tired we went into town to buy a picnic lunch then set off on a 5 mile trail in the hills. Relaxing late afternoon, tex mex meal in the diner and we know we shall sleep well tonight!

Davis mountains

Hot springs

Big Bend

By the Rio Grande

Shack at Marathon

Encounters

Wednesday  20^th October 2010  Rio Grande Village

Leave room as have to move for the next 2 nights!! Only 25 mile drive to  the river but lots of stops and 45 mph limit.  Dugout Wells first turn off. Site of school in 20’s with a few homesteads around. The ubiquitous water/wind mill without which no settlement would be possible. Nothing else remains but the mill is kept going for wildlife. A grove of cottonwood trees stand out in the desert to make the site easily identifiable. The desert trail from the mill was very good and we spent a good hour identifying shrubs and cacti with the help of the trail markers. Now know our 3 species of prickly pear and our creosote bush! Another tarantula, they must be quite common so no no no to camping! On to the Bochodillas overlook looking into a poor town in Mexico. There are  home produced goods for sale by the tracks with pots to put the money in. The Mexicans can be seen across the river and must come to collect the money  when the border patrols have gone. We went on a trail by the river where a Mexican with a canoe  was singing with his collecting pots scattered about!. We later saw him cross back with his takings. Had a picnic by the river and walked back up the cliff in 91 degrees. Driven to the only store in the village for  a cold drink both so hot! On to  Rio Grande hot springs – did not need more heat and nearly gave it a miss! A walk along a trail by a failed motel site and Indian hieroglyphics.. The spring was tiny and silted up from the river overflow but to sit in it with a small wall separating you from the muddy, cold river was an experience. One leg in the hot spring at 105 degrees and the other in the river was very different! An air con drive back to book in again to a new room with a cup of lemon tea was bliss.  More heat with chilli for dinner, spoke to Matt before  which was nice. People next to us at dinner saw a bear today so maybe us tomorrow. Saw a deer walking down to dinner so our tally is mounting.

Thursday21st October Chisos Lodge

Off before 9 to do a steep ascent before it gets too hot. The lost mine trail goes up 1300 feet in 5 miles. Start well seeing a large, brightly coloured lizard and a herd of deer in the pine forest. Good labels enable us to distinguish our Mexican droopy juniper from the alligator juniper from our one seed juniper! Canyons open as we get higher and the views beyond the Chisos in the early morning light are spectacular.  2 hours later at the top, 7400feet up we meet an amazing couple, Dina and Jim. About 10 yeas younger than us they have been coming here for 13 years. They are full time guardians for a granddaughter and great nephew of 7 and 8. Dina’s mother is  looking after the children for 2 weeks whilst they have a break! They did not go into detail but the background to the circumstance together with the hard work must be difficult for them. They had just come from the Davis mountains and pointed us there for our next stop as we obviously like the same things. Could have talked for hours, 2 very special people. Met our next tarantula on the way down, getting quite blasee about them now. Back for late picnic lunch outside our lodge and then down to the centre to do admin. Spoke to Jen who has a cold but sounds bright and e mail from Laura, very cheery. Manage to book Indian Lodge In Davis mountains for 2 nights and shall try to go to a star party at the Macdonall observatory as recommended by Dina and Jim. Back for a cup of tea and meet our neighbour Jo from Austin. She has been coming here for many years and confirms what many people have told us that most Texans do not know about Big Bend. She has a 100% disabled son from the war in Afghanistan and obviously has a hard time. She works in the governors office in Austin for the disabilities section. Meeting such people and seeing how they cope with such misfortune is very humbling. 

big bend

Monday 18^th October Marathon to Chisos Basin

Good night in Marathon Motel despite trains running all night.  Leave about 11 after guided tour of butterflies with Mac, lovely sunny day again although cold overnight.  About 30 miles to park entrance and another 30 to Panther Creek visitor centre. Lots of interest points on the way including a grave of a young mother who died at 31 leaving 3 young children. She was the wife of the schoolteacher at a tiny settlement 8 miles from their homestead, he must have ‘commuted’ across the desert by horse. She died after giving birth to her last child and wanted to be buried in the desert, a very sad story , one wonders what happened to the family. The desert really is very beautiful here with the backdrop of the Davis and Chisos mountains. We see prarie dogs scampering about but they are too shy to get photos. Interesting visitor centre with mock ups of mountain animals in the Chisos, mountain lions, black bears, javelinas, jackrabbits, coyotes and many insects as well as tarantulas.  Go on a cactus walk to help identify the different types, very well done.  Up into the mountains and our lodge in the basin.  Through the pass at 5500feet and look down into the basin with the backdrop of mountains around it  -  a really stunning sight.. Have picnic lunch looking through ‘window ‘ to plains and Christmas mountains. Set off on basin loop trail as check in not till 4. 2 mile circulr path and we start upwards. *&degrees but very dry air, plenty of pine and scrub for shelter. A tarantula on the path ahead of us! It stops in some grass and watches us, huge hairy spider but not as scarey as I thought. Got some good photos, both thrilled to have seen one. Round 2 more bends in the trail and another one! This does not stop and a little larger than the first. Back to lovely room with a bed like ours at home! Down to ranger centre for meal with sunset on the mountains and moon over Emory Peak behind us. What a day!

Tuesday 19^th October  Basin to Castolon

Stop at only gas station to fill up and take coffee with us to have at first view point Nail family homestead. The plain we drive through used to be quite fertile until overgrazing and the drought of the 30s. One family’s attempt at the good life in the 20’s. An adobe hut, water mill – still clanking away – and some fig and pecan trees all that remain. The clank of the pump would have finished me! On to  a trail through a tufa canyon. Very hot but the steep walls give some shade. Huge boulders of basalt and granite thrown up by the volcano are buried in the tufa, ash compressed into rock. Lovely colours of different rocks washed through the canyon over hundreds of thousands of years.  Castolon  an original one horse town and still is. Hot and bleak, dominated by a high peak and overlooking the muddy, unimpressive Rio Grande. Mexico is very impressive – 1500 feet high cliffs across the river to a plateau which is the chihauhuan desert. A coyote crosses the road as we head down to the river. All thoughts of a canoe paddle go as we look at the uninviting water. Along the bank to  Santa Elena canyon where the river has cut a 1500 foot gorge through the limestone, very impressive sight.  Drive back after a late picnic lunch and enjoy the view from outside our lodge. Good meal again – one steak between 2 – each with a bigger portion than UK average, no wonder so many people in the US are overweight!

A 400 mile drive towards the border

Up early, not difficult with paper thin walls in our budget motel! 150 miles by 9.30 with a breakfast stop in the middle of the desert and refuel. Avery pretty desert, not what we expected, across a limestone plateau rather like parts of menorca. On to Fort Stockton, a last outpost before the mountains of Big Bend. More fuel and a shop as we have no idea what will be available in the park. Arrive at our Motel about 1pm to a pleasant surprise. Adobe courtyard with fire pit, clean wooden cabin, paradise until the first freight train with whistle blowing for the crossing over the road passes! We then notice the earplugs, by courtesy, next to the bed. The trains are about half a mile long and run all night. Trip down to a small park by an old fort built to stop Apache attacks on the settlers, banded kingfisher and gold chested woodpeckers by the spring. Mexican local diner in Marathon, the 'town' with smoked pulled brisket, BBQ sauce home made, home grown salad and home made salsa. Superb food washed down with 2 really good margaritas. The waitress is doing a PHD in conflict and peace based on research in Fiji! Back to motel for sunset across the Marathon plain, 4400 feet up with views to the mountains, idyllic until we notice the windmill behind our cabin which has a metallic knock every time the bore lifts the water! Another glass of wine... all good intentions out of the noise!

Enchanted Rock

15 miles out of Fredericksburg this state park centres on a huge pink granite rock, really a large hill, almost a small mountain! Despite the efforts of the rangers we finally inched our way through the traffic jam at the entrance and with the clever ploy of getting Vincent to walk to the ticket kiosk before engaging in lengthy conversation about how I was today and where I was and how I could park in the lot facing me and walk into the kiosk to get a ticket Vincent was back and we drove straight in! It was certainly a time record for the day and probably the season, how do they do it? Pictures of the rock cannot do it justice. With perfect weather and stunning views all the way up we reached the summit at 1800 feet, ascending nearly 500 feet in about 45 minutes. Small islands of vegetation,always with prickly pear, cling to any crevice in the granite. I decided pink is a very good granite colour! Back for lunch from the doggy bag then off to the pacific war museum in Fredericksburg. Admiral Nimitz, the prime strategist for the US victory in the Pacific lived in the town - hence the museum. Amazing displays and video footage of the battles with the casing of an A bomb at the end. There could have been no other end to the war. An outdoor guided display of a PT boat, beachhead and field hospital ended the visit. A very impressive museum, especially as we visited Pearl Harbour last year. What a fortunate generation we are never to have had a war. Decided we had to sample German food and found it delicious! Red cabbage, wiener schizel, and German potatoes went down well. Back for early night as early start next day.

Fredericksburg

Got away from freeways and into the real Texas. Gentle rolling hills and grassland, ranch entrances with the brand mark in wrought iron on the huge gates and big blue sky! Hamilton Pool state park first stop. Clamber down limestone trail to an emerald green pool under a cliff overhang with the water dripping from the stalagtites above. It looks more like a film set. We walk right under cliff and around the pool before heading down along the river. So peaceful with fish in the clear water, birds darting around and lovely trees along the bank. Drive along empty roads, more like Norfolk, to The Johnson Ranch, another state park, the home of the former president. Tour a former German farmstead worked by voluteers in period costume. All very tidy and reminded how to make junket and cheese. Drive around the huge ranch and the Texas white house as it was called. On to our beget motel in Fredericksburg which had to exceed our low expectation. We read the awful reviews after booking it for 2 nights! Unchanged since it was built in 70's but comfortable, wifi, coffee and pastries in reception for breakfast and good value. Town is a delight. Centre of German settlement in 19th century with main street lined with historic buildings, now either gift shops or restaurants. Avoid the bierkellars and have a good meal with enough in the doggy bag for lunch tomorrow. Tackle the huge walmart to buy a cell phone. 2 hors later leave with a phone and rummikub, lemons, wine and bananas. Took all that time for service, we were not browsing! How do they keep in business?

America again!

Easy journey courtesy of BA business class again. Great value the round the world ticket. Left Heathrow just before midday and in Dallas at 9.30pm UK 3.30 US Only had to queue 45 mins at US customs and actually interrogated by an officer who smiled! Airport hotel, diner meal - tried fried pickles a once in a lifetime experience - then a good 12 hour sleep. Up early Thursday 14th October and collect the car from Herz. Upgrade and satnav due to gold membership and on our way to Austin, the state capital. A 12 lane freeway to negotiate out of Dallas so not a relaxing drive. Like the M25 with cars overtaking in any lane and all nose to tail, the satnav is essential for planning ahead for the turnoff which can be to the right or left. 200 mile drive and arrived at lunchtime. Nice holiday inn on club points and room with view over the lake which is part of the Colorado River. Set off to explore city on foot. Walk song lakeside to Congress bridge and up congress drive to the Capitol building. Lots of flags with every stars and stripes matched by an equal sized lone star flag. Lovely day and a sparkling city with smiling, friendly people. Lots of sculptures and trees. Iced tea for the heat then a walk round 6th street district with wacky bars all with loud, live music coming out! End up back on lake to have superb sundown margarita. Sit on lakeside platform with feet dangling over the water, or in it for Vincent, with terrapins surfacing around us. Joined by dozens of other people as the sun goes down to watch about a million Mexican free tailored bats leave their roost from under the bridge. The sunset is black streaked with them! An amazing sight ending our first day.