The Hunt's adventure continues in Texas this month. We started off in Terlingua where Big Bend National Park is located. It was a very curvy mountainous road out in the middle of nowhere. The little town had very limited access to modern convenience. They literally just got a Dollar General in the last year. If you needed a Dr., it was 80 miles away. One of the residents described the life as a simple life, but not an easy life. The majority of ranches on this desert landscape have a water tank and no electricity unless by solar power. We were in one of the many campgrounds with full services. There also are 2 International Dark Sky parks if you are into astronomy or stargazing. We did not do these because of the exorbitant cost for one of these tours. We did a lot of exploring in the area. The picture of us above is on a side-by-side tour with lots of geological sites. I am sorry to say that Earth Science was never my forte in school, but I have learned a great deal of geology on this trip. We went into Big Bend National Park which was breathtaking. It was the first National Park that we have seen that has remains of farmsteads and villages. We spent almost all day there on the first visit. We went on some short hikes, did lots of driving and picnicking in the park. They were not kidding when they said have a full tank of gas and drinks available. We drove on the Ross Maxwell scenic drive along the Rio Grande River. It was really neat to see Mexico on one side of the Rio Grande and USA on the other side. We did not go into Mexico although there were a couple of spots we could have done so. There were SO many places to pull off and enjoy God's creations as we went through desert, mountains and river terrain. There were incredible sites to see and experience. While we there the first day, we discovered a free app called Just Ahead that narrates what you are seeing in and around you. It did not talk the whole time, so you could enjoy the beauty around. This app also encompasses several other National Parks, so it will be useful throughout our travels to other National Parks. We went back another day to take in the Chisos Mountain Basin. This area of the park was a vast difference in the landscape from the rest of the park. Whereas most of the park is desert, when you drive on this trail, as you go higher in altitude the scenery changes from desert to full blown forests that are about 20 degrees colder than the rest of the park. Although this is located in a remote area of Texas, it is well worth going to see it.
Another day we went to a ghost town that was a bust. We were done in about 20 minutes, so we decided to drive to Presidio. On this drive, I took a video of the roads that if you like roller coasters this was a road for you. We would crest a hill and could not see where we were going next. It was a 15% grade with many curves and loops. If you get car sick, this would not be the road to take a drive on for pleasure. A side-by-side tour to Christmas Mountain and the Rainbow mountains was an excursion for one day. We were so dusty by the end, I literally took off my sweatshirt and shook it at the door of the camper. I had to get a broom to clean up my mess. Mark and I were hoping to see some wildlife on this tour but did not see anything other than a couple of birds. We were shown some of the ranches that only have a water tank and solar power. It was fun for a while, but it got to be a long ride.
We went to a small town called Sonora, TX for a few days. This was about halfway between Big Bend and San Antonio. On the way, we saw a couple of wild javelinas. A javelina is a wild boar with lots of hair all over. It was a few days of relaxation in a mobile home park with a few slots open for campers. The first day we drove through the town and then went to the visitor's center to ask about the highlights of the town. There actually was a lot of history, but the tours are only open from Wednesday through Sunday, and we went to the visitor's center on a Monday. Mark got a short round of golf in, and I found a very peaceful park to sit and ponder life. We did a walking tour of the town and went to an ice museum where people got their ice to keep things cold. During this stay was a good time to do chores such as clean all the vents throughout the camper.
Next stop is San Antonio for a couple of busy weeks since there is a lot to do in this town. Our campground had a lot of pamphlets of places to visit, and we had a few items we knew we wanted to accomplish and see. We went to Lackland Air Force Base for Mark to get a haircut and to reminisce about Basic Training 44 years ago. This is one of the largest bases, I have ever seen and I have seen a few. (HaHa)We went to a huge church, almost as big as the one near Ashley's house. For Ash Wednesday, there were three masses and 10 communion services throughout the day for distribution of ashes for Lent. Finding a church has been a challenge throughout this journey in many places where there are not a high percentage of Catholics, but San Antonio is not one of those challenges. We have watched mass on-line when necessary. Our faith is an important part of this journey, and we have been blessed to be able to see the world.
We have made many day trips at this stop. We did the Mission Trail one day. The missions primary focus was to integrate the Native Americans and Spanish into the Catholic Church. Many of the ancestors still attend church at these places. San Antonio's five missions symbolize an era when the world was expanding, cultures were intertwining and the global landscape was forever changed. The missions were established in the 1700's and some are still used today. These missions are on either side of the San Antonio River with some similarities and some differences in the architecture and the uses of each place such as agriculture, ranches, and technology. All of the missions had a courtyard with one or two wells to serve the entire area. The courtyard was used for play, gatherings, and work. Many of the walls around each mission are still standing.
Another highlight was a day at Sea World; Mark has never been to a Sea World. We watched three incredible shows. We saw a Sea Lion Show, the Orcas and a Dolphin/Beluga Whale show. It is amazing what these animals are capable of doing. We learned some facts at each show. One of the Beluga whales was rescued when she was very young and injured, but she seems to be thriving at Sea World. Our lunch at Sea World costs more than our entrance fee and it was only a mediocre meal. Oh, the things you do in the name of tourism. I only was able to ride one roller coaster, it was fun, but no upside loops. The others that I was going to ride were closed temporarily since it is winter season here. It was a great day outside with the temps around 75 that day.
Another very long day, we drove to downtown San Antonio, had a trolley tour of the city, as well as touring the Alamo and took a riverwalk cruise around the riverwalk. I had been okay with driving in and around San Antonio until this day, there was a lot of traffic and a few scary moments for me. We rode the trolley around once to see and hear about the facts and folklore of the city. We got back on after lunch and stopped at the areas that interested us and did some exploring. Some interesting facts are there are 1.9 million people in San Antonio, there are 4,600 plus restaurants in the city, there is artwork everywhere, Lyndon B. Johnson was married in the city, Theodore Roosevelt was here and recruited folks from a local saloon, and Barack Obama gave a speech here. I am SO full of information at this point. The Alamo had a lot of construction going on, so we basically saw the outside of the building and part of a church that is being renovated. It was graduation week for the basic trainees at Lackland and there were lots of families out with the young folks. We also went to the first cathedral built in the USA it was built in 1731 and is still used today. The San Fernando Cathedral is much smaller than some we have seen. It was still beautiful to see. This is the second Cathedral where St. John Paul had visited, and a statue was erected in his honor because he did so much for the church. The other stature we saw was in Sydney, Australia. The old pipe organ was awesome!
We drove to West Cave Discovery Center and met up with a family friend, Cindy for a day of exploring two caves and a canyon. It was a short hike to the bottom of the canyon and the caves. One would think, we have had enough caves, but they each have been unique. This one was mostly the walk to the canyon and two smaller caves. The guide fed us more information about the area and the vegetation in and around the area. Bald Cypress trees were in the water, and their roots intertwine with each other as protection. It was a cool site, but I don't think I took any pictures of the entwined roots. We then had lunch in a hole in the wall cafe that served good food.
Mark had a day of golf and played with an 84, 85, and a 68-year-old. They were very nice folks. The oldest gentleman only played nine holes and the back nine was much faster. The other two men play three times a week and were very consistent golfers. They gave Mark hints about each hole and tips of what to avoid. That same day Mark took me to Red Lobster for Friday dinner during Lent. I had a baked potato because I can't stand seafood. I did inform Mark next week we will have to go to someplace that serves breakfast food for me.
We have about five more weeks until we return to ND and of course, we have to get the car a new windshield. We got a chip and with the heat, it has quickly spread to the passenger side. It is to be expected that maintenance has to be done. Although I don't miss the weather in North Dakota, I truly miss my connections with friends and my volunteer opportunities. Look for the next blog around end of March timeframe.
