Winter in Texas
2006
San Angelo State Park, San Angelo, Texas


We left home on January 17, after the Holidays and other odds 'n ends were taken care of.  We came to Texas in our 1989 Winnebago Minnie Winnie pulling an enclosed trailer with two motorcycles and other neecessary "stuff."  We brought our BMW F650s along this trip.  We pretty much drove straight to Texas, stopping one night in the City Park in Tonkawa, Oklahoma.

We stopped overnight in Wichita Falls and again at San Angelo before spending three nights in a large County park in Big Lake.  We spent two nights at Ft. Stockton - all the while keeping our aim toward the Big Bend area West of the Pecos, and Big Bend National Park.


This photo shows what remains of the oldest house in Ft. Stockton, dating back to the original military Fort Stockton, constructed in 1859.

Leaving Ft. Stockton we headed south towards Big Bend National Park.  Just north of Persimmon Gap, the north entry into the park, we detoured southeast on Ranch Road 2627 to the Stillwell Ranch, Store, and RV Park.  We received a very friendly welcome from Nan at the store/RV office.  We decided to stop and 'set a spell.'

We were located a few miles from the north entry into the park, and about 20 miles from the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico.  The area is in the Chihuahuan desert and barren - but the rolling, rocky topography and vistas are stunning.

Located on part of the historic Stillwell Ranch, the store and RV park have been operated by members of the Stillwell family for many years.  This modest settlement beside the road includes the store, a handful of mobile homes, the RV park, and the Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame.  We spent a week with Stillwell as our base as we rode to explore Big Bend National Park and the area northeast of the park.



Voni with our dog Sarge at the ranch gate.
 Paul at the campsite.


The Stillwell Ranch remains a large working ranch.  Sarge, our 130 pound Malamute/Shepherd, found several of the cows to be quite entertaining while walking with Voni.  In the motor home Sarge tries to be as small as he can, and we get along well despite his size.  He's a good traveler.
Located next door to the store, the Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame museum honors Hallie Stillwell: teacher, ranch wife, mother, Justice of the Peace, author, lecturer, twice honored as the "Yellow Rose of Texas, inductee into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and otherwise a treasured institution in the harsh land "west of the Pecos."

Hallie Stillwell died in 1997, just two months and two days short of her 100th birthday.



Paul browsing some of the memoribilia
at the Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame.
Replica display of the one room ranch house where
20 year old Hallie joined her new husband at the ranch.






We've spent a bit of time in Big Bend National Park, exploring the areas along the main roads and some of the back roads too.  We  discovered you can never be sure what you will find running along the roads in the park.  Like a left-over from the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur's Court - Voni found this little fellow, wearing armor as he ran across the road.


The road from Panther Junction to the Chisos Basin bears testament to the fact that there is wildlife of the large carnivorous variety roaming in the park.  The view of the Chisos Mountains is spectacular, and the road is a world-class motorcycle road, even with the slow National Park speed limits.


The F650s are perfect for exploring some of the back roads in the park - including this road back to Nine Point Draw.
Just to the east along Ranch Road 2627 we found the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area - 120,000 acres set aside for back packers, day hikers, primitive campers and hunters. 




At the end of the road we found the bridge over the Rio Grande, closed since 1997 and now barricaded with concrete barriers and barbed wire.  Across the river lies the Mexican village of La Linda.  There are no paved roads reaching La Linda on the Mexican side.  La Linda began life as a fluorspar (mercury ore) mining town.   Now cut off  by the lack of access there is little left of this once thriving community.




Paul has adapted well to retired life on the road - both outside and inside!

After a week exploring the area from the Stillwell Ranch we relocated to Alpine.  We spent a few days in the BC Ranch RV Park just north of Alpine.  We got caught up on the news with cable TV.  Then we decided to move further south, but only moved 10 miles to the La Vista, about 6 miles south of Alpine.  We almost immediately paid to stay a whole month.  La Vista is a small RV park - 14 spaces neatly aligned, all facing the splendid views of the Del Norte Mountains to the east. There were four spaces occupied when we arrived.  We've had a few one-night neighbors since then.  For a crowning touch, La Vista has WiFi!  Just like at home - with access to the Internet we don't miss TV at all.




At elevation 5,100 feet, the views are spectacular, and the sunrises and sunsets have Voni grabbing for her camera!
Right across the road is the Double Diamond Ranch - the location of the making of "Texas Ranch House."


Even spending a few weeks exploring west Texas, Paul has plenty of tools in his bike, in the motorhome, and in the trailer too!  He just can't leave well enough alone!  He can always find something to "fix."



With good weather and wide open spaces we find lots of opportunities to go walking with Sarge.  Along the road, his sled dog instincts seem to take over.  We're not sure why, but he locks onto the white line and sticks to it like a youthful tongue on a North Dakota doorknob in December.


From La Vista we've found many places to ride, and to explore.  Voni found the local youth practicing their calf roping skills in the arena at Lajitas, a beautiful clear sky view of the craggy skyline at the Fort Davis National Historic Site, (above) and the Terlingua Ghost Town.
Lajitas:       Terlingua Ghost Town:        Forth Davis NHS 



Marfa is located 25 miles west of Alpine.  This is the area where the Marfa Mystery Lights have frequently been observed since the 1880s.  While their existence is not in doubt, apparently there is still no good scientific explanation for what is being seen.  This is the Marfa Lights viewing station beside the highway between Alpine and Marfa.



The University of Texas' McDonald Observatory, home of the world's largest mirror telescope is located about 20 miles northwest of Ft. Davis.  The road at the observatory is the highest paved road in Texas.  Dipping and diving, weaving and climbing from Ft. Davis to the observatory and beyond, Texas Highway 118 is a truly joyful place to ride a motorcycle.


We met local resident and BMW rider, Dan Ray while we were  walking along the highway with Sarge.  We saw a rider go by on an R100GS and casually waved.  Paul commented to Voni that it was too bad the rider had no way of  knowing we were BMW riders too.  We were so out of context, walking a dog along a Texas state highway, far from anywhere BMW.

But almost immediately we saw the bike coming back.  Dan had turned around, and when he rode up he said, "Hi, you're Voni and Paul Glaves aren't you.  I saw Voni all in red and then noticed Paul and recognized you."

It truly is a small world - when you let it be!

We had the pleasure of having dinner as guests of Dan and his lovely wife Robbie who also rides - a BMW R80RT and a Ducati Monster.


February 10 was Paul's birthday.  We greatly enjoyed a birthday lunch at the historic Holland Hotel in Alpine with friends Phil and Harriett Marvin who came the 220 miles from El Paso to help celebrate the occasion.


Alpine, population about 6,000 people, is the home of Sul Ross State University.  Housed at the University, the Museum of the Big Bend contains some marvelous displays of artifacts from the history of the Big Bend area dating to the paleolithic and archaic epochs.  In front of the museum is an excellent cactus garden displaying, with signage, the many varieties of cactus native to the vast Chihauhuan desert.



We've been having so much fun that early last week I called Engle Motors, the BMW dealership in Kansas City, to have them ship me a new set of tires and tubes for Voni's bike.  She will need them soon!  Yes, indeed!  Again!

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