13/5/17
So today was a big day of driving. We set out at 8.30 from Terlingua and headed back into Big Bend NP so that we could cut across onto the 90 to San Antonio (our destination for the next two days). We arrived into San Antonio at 6pm.. Like I said, a big day of driving.
As I’ve heard many travel companies say in the past “it not just about the destination it is also about getting there..” Well, in the case of this part of Texas.. It is all about the destination! As they say in the movies “everything is bigger in Texas!” Reminiscent of driving through western NSW or western QLD… lots of flat + not much else.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself, there was a few things to see. Firstly, border patrol. I’m not sure I’ve spoken at length about border patrol but it is a real thing in Arizona, New Mexico + Texas. I reckon on this trip we’ve shown our passports at least four or five times at random check points about an hour past the Mexican border. I’m not sure if the distance is to enable “legitimate” smuggling or because they want to check cars at border and further in to check for additions, or just because! Anyway, I drove twice on this leg and both times I was the one driving when we got stopped for a “random” check. (It isn’t random because everyone gets stopped). Both times there is a bit of palaver because we aren’t Mexican or American citizens… so the border guys go through our passports, looking for our entry stamp. This is semi amusing because there are a lot of stamps in our passports meaning it takes them some minutes to find the US one amongst all the others (and don’t forget this isn’t our first trip to the US). One of the border guys was super thorough today, he had the sniffer dog do a tour of the car, asked me questions about my age and where I was born + when we entered the US.. Slight issue cause I gave him the wrong entry date! Fortunately D was able to correct my mistake promptly and the suspicious border guy allowed us to escape on our way.
We had four stops today- first one in the park to look at fossilised dinosaur remains within the NP. Big Bend is renowned for fossilised remains. Mainly because the park is exposed rock and little rainfall meaning the fossils are relatively easy to find and have minimal erosion. Amazing big triceratops looking animals and a T-Rex (gets me every time!). American mammal count this trip- coytote, deer (probably a few different types), rabbit, fox + javellina
Second stop was an uneventful morning tea stop. Only reason for mentioning is a note to self and readers that Texas has a great network of road side stops.. Far better than either Arizona or New Mexico.
Lunch was a stop in a little town called Langtry. This town is also home to the notorious Judge Roy Bean. Notorious because he dished out his own type of justice. He and the town didn’t have a gaol so all criminals were fined, often threatened with hanging or having a body part removed! He might have been slightly crazy but apparently the town was very law abiding! The lunch stop itself was outside the tourist info centre + the Judge Bean museum. Really awesome shady stop in a small one horse town. Amazing!
Last part of the drive was fairly uneventful. I was pleasantly surprised to not see one oil derrick on the road + to see a BIG solar and wind farm on the road to San Antonio. Home of Crude Oil and I saw only renewables!
Evening finished with us arriving into San Antonio and heading straight for the famous River Walk strip. Lovely to walk under cool shady trees that line the river in the middle of downtown + stop for a drink. The plan for dinner was to try some great TexMex but we failed miserably when the restaurants recommended had over an hour wait time! We settled for the Maccas equiv of TexMex and got an ok meal J