Big Bend NP to Pecos (Carlsbad NM)
We have actually made it a bit further than planned today – moving from Texas into New Mexico we gained an hour again so we decided to use it and go on to Carlsbad, New Mexico.
It is about 90 miles north west of Pecos – our original intended stop – on an almost straight road all the way !
Moon setting over Window View
We had tried to take some photos of the full moon last night but with some cloud and the lights around the Lodge, it wasn’t very successful. There was thunderstorms about in the distance and from our balcony we had a great light show from the lightning accompanied by the faint distant rumbling of thunder.
We were a little bit more successful this morning getting the moon setting.
Our first stop this morning was to head along a drive called the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive which takes you about as far south as you can go near the Mexican border – and toward the Santa Elena Canyon which was closed due to the previous bad weather.
The Rio Grande River near Santa Elena Canyon
The drive was very spectacular, through varying geology from flat open plains to steep gullies to sheer cliff faces. At the end of this drive is a visitors center called Castelon.
When we got here we saw that the road heading further out to Santa Elena Canyon was still open so we carried on. Just as we were starting to get our hopes up we reached a spot about 2 miles from the canyon and a gate closed across the road ‘ “Road Closed – Washout”. There was still an overlook of the river so we stopped here. The picture at right shows the river and the notch in the cliffs about 2/3 the way along is where Santa Elena canyon was carved through by the river. The cliffs on the left of the picture are actually in Mexico.
Old Adobe house near Castalon
On the way back we stopped at Castelon which had some old buildings on show. Looking at the landscape you would wonder why anyone would live here ! But back in the 1800’s a guy actually came here and successfully grew cotton along the river. He was here until the 1930’s when the commodity prices crashed and he went bust. Whilst driving this section of road we almost skittled 2 roadrunners who ran across the road – just like the cartoon but no coyote to be seen ! We certainly didn’t catch them either !
We headed back along Ross Maxwell Drive and stopped at a few lookouts we had seen on the way in. One of these was of another ranch which had been established at some stage and eventually went bust. This one is in remarkably good condition and much as it was when the owner, a Homer Wilson, upped and left it 1945.
Homer Wilson Ranch
It was then time to head out of the park and north toward the town of Alpine. Once we were out of the mountains and hills, the scenery was more of the flat, open, scrubby, barren countryside and long stretches of straight road. Well out of the park, about 10 or 15 miles before we reached Alpine, we came across another border patrol checkpoint. Adrienne was very well behaved this time while the officer asked us how long we would be in the country and where we had flown into whilst he checked our immigration stamps in our passports. Satisfied we were not illegal immigrants, we were allowed on our way again.
Texas Oil well
Through Alpine, we decided to stop for lunch at Fort Davis which had once been an army outpost and was now a National Parks museum.
We first stopped at a drug store diner and had a tasty lunch then headed down the road to the museum – however it was closed. So on we pushed to Pecos. We crossed interstate I 10 again, now well west of where we had left it, and drove north to Pecos – covering miles and miles on another dead straight road. This area of Texas was the real Texas – cattle and oil wells. Pretty much from the I 10 north to Pecos and beyond – even into New Mexico – are little pumps dotted along the landscape pumping away and big tanker trucks entering and leaving the main road. Another reason we decided to head onto Carlsbad was reaching Pecos. I am sure the hotel would have been fine but the town itself was one dirty, run-down, industrial, ramshackle place ! The recent rain probably hadn’t helped but there seemed to be made and dirt and dust on and in everything !
The area around Carlsbad seems to be a bit more rural and agricultural. Tomorrow we will visit the nearby famous Carlsbad Caverns before heading on again. Dinner at the “Ihop” restaurant next door – pretty basic but very cheap !