Final West Texas Stop - San Antonio

We wrapped up our trip to West Texas in Missions and romance. San Antonio, our last stop in a months long journey, took us on the Mission Trail and let us pause and relax along the River Walk.  We had a fantastic journey which you can see and read about in our Facebook photo album here.

The Beginning of the End of Our West Texas Adventure - Del Rio to San Antonio

With Waylon and Willie and the Boys

After several weeks exploring West Texas from our temporary home in Del Rio, we packed up the dog and decided to start making our way back home.  We knew that this would be a long journey back to Missouri, as we still had a lot to see, including one of our premiere destinations, San Antonio.  So Tuesday morning we headed north out of Del Rio on highway 277 up to Sonora, and made a roundabout trip over towards Fredericksburg.  This was a day full of views and history, including Roosevelt, Junction, the ever beautiful and fantastic Fredericksburg, and the little old town of Luckenbach. Read about these places and more by following us through photos in our Facebook Album here.

We'll blog a lot more about San Antonio next, as we continue our journey home to Warsaw, Mo.

Pecos to Del Rio via Fort Stockton

When you come into Pecos on I-20 from Toyah, you might think this is a pretty big town.  However, once you get past the string of Hotels along the Interstate, you realize that the main part of town is much removed from the hustle and bustle of the Interstate, and the reason for the hotels is simple.  There's not a lot going on in this part of West Texas, and for many, this is the only option for an overnight stay. That might also explain why the speed limit in this part of Texas is 80mph.  People tend to want to move as fast as they can back to civilization.

West of the Pecos Museum Saloon

We had a pretty long day when we pulled in, so it was nice to find the comfortable room at the Quality Inn after being turned away by other hotels.  A little exploring the next morning, after a nice tasty breakfast at Abi's Kitchen, found us at West of the Pecos Museum.  Located in an 1896 Saloon and 1904 Orient Hotel, this gem of West Texas is an internationally recognized historic landmark and a must stop for history lovers.  The Saloon has been restored and tells the story of the infamous gunfight between Barney Riggs and the henchmen of the notorious Jim Miller.  Three stories of rooms filled with area history are well worth the small admission price. While your there, make sure to go outside to see the grave of famed gunfighter Clay Allison.  And before heading out of Pecos, be sure to see the Pecos Rodeo grounds, home of the Worlds First Rodeo.  I'm sure some of you are saying that couldn't be, but Pecos is home to the first rodeo that offered prize money.

Paisano Pete, the Worlds Largest Roadrunner

We didn't get back on I-20, opting instead to head south on Highway 285 back to I-10 and Fort Stockton.  Lot's of history here with an Historic Downtown, the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, and of course Fort Stockton Military Post, established in 1859.  This is a nice place to visit and shop the quaint shops in downtown, along with soaking up the history of this favorite rest stop along the Comanche Trail to Chihuahua, San Antonio-El Paso Road, The Butterfield Overland Mail Route, and the San Antonio-Chihuahua freight-wagon road.

A Scenic Overlook above Ft Lancaster

From Fort Stockton, we head East down I-10 and cut off onto Highway 349 for a side trip to Fort Lancaster.  The old post is located about ten miles east of Sheffield in Crockett County. It was one in a series of forts erected along the western Texas frontier,  established in August,  1855, to guard the military supplies, commercial shipments, and immigrants moving along the San Antonio-El Paso Road. Today, there is little left of the old post but ruins. Fort Lancaster was abandoned by the U.S. Army during the Civil War, at which time it was taken over by Confederate troops from December, 1861 through April, 1862.  It was then abandoned and the buildings began to deteriorate from vandalism and the harsh climate.  The drive is scenic however and it's worth a stop for history buffs.

Crockett County Courthouse

Back onto I-10 we head to Ozona, called the "Biggest Little Town in the World."  Ozona is the only city in Crockett County, which encompasses over 3,000 square miles, and sports a population of around 3400.  Crockett County was founded in 1875 and named in honor of Davy Crockett, the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo.

Devils River

From Ozona, we get off the Interstate and start our trek back to Del Rio via scenic 163 to Comstock.  Along the way you will cross the Devil's River.  Near here once stood Camp Hudson, established by the U.S. Army in June, 1857 to protect the San Antonio-El Paso Road against hostile Indians. The post was evacuated during the Civil War, but, re-occupied afterwards. It was abandoned again in April, 1868. Unfortunately, there are no remains today. This area, also called Baker's Crossing is a popular entry point for rafters along the river.

Getting back to Del Rio we feel we have seen what we came for in this part of West Texas, and start making plans to wrap up our extended stay and head home.  Of course, it won't be a direct route, as there is much more to do, including Sonora, Fredericksburg, and a little town made famous through music on the way to San Antone, one of our premiere destinations of our long journey in the Lone Star State.

In the meantime, follow this part of our trip in pictures via our Facebook album here.

North from Shafter to Pecos

Wild Rose Pass north of Fort Davis, Texas

Our round trip from Del Rio, through Big Bend and North to Pecos continues with a jaunt from the Mexican Border area to the Ghost Town of Toyah Texas.  There were a lot of great stops on the way, including historic Fort Davis.  This is another one of those times though that the story can best be told through pictures, so follow us in photos with our North to Toyah Facebook album here.

Marathon to Shafter via Big Bend - Beautiful Texas History

Going South out of Marathon Texas on highway 385 you can see the approaching beauty of Big Bend National Park. Famous for its natural resources and recreational opportunities, this area is rich in cultural history. Evidence shows that Native peoples have lived in or passed through this area for thousands of years. The park it self encompasses more than 800,000 acres and is a haven for those who like unimproved dirt roads and hiking trails.

While we enjoy the beauty, our focus is on history, and there is plenty of it. Over the years, archeologists have discovered artifacts estimated to be 9,000 years old. Several Native American groups have been found to have lived in the area, including the Chisos. A loosely organized group of nomadic hunters, the Chisos probably practiced limited agriculture. A possible enemy of the Chisos,  there is evidence of  the Jumano tribe as well, also a nomadic people. Other history includes Spanish explorers in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Mescalero Apache in the 18th Century and Comanche in the 1800's. With all it's beauty and history, Big Bend National Park has become one of the most popular vacation destinations in  Texas with an average 300,000 visitors a year.

Turning onto Highway 118 we come out the other side of Big Bend into Study Butte. This small town on the edge of the park is right by one of Texas most famous Ghost Towns, Terlingua. The name has actually been applied to three different settlements, with the original site a Mexican Village on Terlingua Creek, three miles above its confluence with the Rio Grande River. Later, in the mid 1880's, the Marfa and Mariposa Silver Mining camp became known as Terlingua. After those mines closed in 1910, the town name and post office were moved to it's current site, which was the Chisos Mining Company camp.

It was the discovery of Cinnabar, from which mercury is extracted, that brought the mining to the area, creating a city of around 2,000. Years after the mining played out, Terlingua is now a Ghost Towners delight with plenty of old building and ruins still dotting the hillsides.

Now on FM 170 out of Terlingua, we make our way to Lajitas, a resort town that was developed from an 1800's ranching community.  In 1916, interruption of commerce by Pancho Villa caused the US to establish a major calvary post there. Now a resort hotel stands on the actual foundations of the post.

Coming out of Lajitas you are now entering Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest state park in Texas.  FM 170 winds close to the Rio Grande River all the way through its approximately 270,000 square miles, and along the way you can see why the Rio Grande is now considered an endangered river.  In fact, with some of the highest population growth rates in the US, the area claims 95% of the rivers annual flow for municipal and agricultural use.


We found a bonus stop along with way that wasn't on our agenda.  An old movie set built back in 1983 for the movie "Uphill All the Way" sits right off the highway and on the shores of the Rio Grande.  The set was later used for several other projects, including 1993's "Rio Diablo" and 1995's "Street's of Laredo", along with numerous others. Complete with a Church and other historic looking buildings, it was a fun photo stop, but don't let it fool ya, those buildings weren't there before 1983.

We did get another dose of true historic buildings though as we passed by the 1876 town of Redford. This small town about 16 miles Southeast of Presidio, was originally known as El Povo, Spanish for "the dust." We enjoyed some ruins and an abandoned historic church before heading on down the road, exiting the park and into the town of Presidio.


Right before entering the town, you will want to stop at Fort Leaton State Historic Site.  Originally established as a private citadel of a Chihuahua Trail freighter and first Anglo-American farmer in Presidio County in 1848, the private fort was built on the ruins of a Spanish fort founded in 1773.  El Fortin de San Jose at La Junta was abandoned in 1810 and later became a private home before being purchased by Ben Leaton in 1848.

The town of Presidio sits in the midst of the oldest continuously cultivated area known in the United States, with evidence of farming dating back to 1500 B.C. Anglo settlers came to the area after the Mexican American War, and a Post Office was established in 1868.

Now moving north on Highway 67, we run into the ghost town of Shafter, a mining town established in 1880.  There is evidence that the Spaniards mined the area during the early 1600's, but it didn't become a town until John W. Spencer discovered Silver Ore. The town eventually had a population of around 1500, but today only houses around 20 residents.

Next blog, we continue on toward Pecos and back to Del Rio via Fort Stockton.  In the meantime, follow our travels through photos on our Facebook page here.