Travels with Sally Oct 2018

The trek across the Lone Star state started at the Louisiana border (and a stop in Lufkin) on the east and ended at Guadalupe Mountains National Park (right on the New Mexico border) in the west.

Crossing into Texas from the East, through the Davy Crocket National Forest, then south to Humble (just north of Houston), west to Austin (and world famous Chuy's Tex-Mex eatery), and Horseshoe Bay.

From there, continue to Ft. Stockton, but first stopping at a cool little town called Llano. I had a tasty (and sweet) German pretzel from Chrissy's Bakery while walking around, taking in the sights. You can see Chrissy's across the street from a lovely outdoor sculpture and flower garden that is in front of the visitors center, railroad museum, and chamber of commerce. Look for the sign in one of the pictures on this post.

In Ft. Stockton I happened on Bella Terrazza, a wonderful shop that had all sorts of cool decorations, metal sculptures, and adornments. You can find it on the web. The proprietor, Amy, has a huge collection of items from all over the US Southwest and Latin America. While she attends to her shop she also registers local voters, shows them how to fill out ballots, and encourages them to vote for Beto O'Rourke who is trying to unseat Republican Senator Ted Cruz in the Nov. 6, 2018, election. I wish her shop and her politicking all success.

She's posing here with some of her favorite items, among them the large cross inlaid with colored glass beads, which is not for sale. I was drawn to her shop by the beautiful and colorful items she had on display outside. I bought the small metal cactus sculpture that's now in our backyard.

Big Bend...

Guadalupe Mountains... the only comment I'll make is that October is THE primo month for autumn foliage; it would make New England envious. That, and look out for rattlesnakes. See vids after the pictures. 

Turn up the volume and look closely. You might want to watch in full screen.

Van Horn is one of those West Texas towns--flat, spread out, plenty of elbow room, and surrounded by more flat, spread out, elbow room. Driving north from Van Horn you can go miles without seeing another person or vehicle. The scenery is sparse, austere, and beautiful in its way. The weather was perfect--cool and crystal clear--which helped, as did a bright daytime close-to-full moon.

New Mexico is a combination of Old West, Northern Mexico, and Native American that distinguishes subtly from its next-door neighbors Texas (where I came from) and Arizona (where I was headed next).  The countryside is rough and sparse. It too is beautiful in its own way.

Here's the route.

And here's a political ad, not approved by any candidate or party.

Some lovely new friends I made in Phoenix told me about the Steele Indian School Park, where the now-shuttered Phoenix Indian School still stands. It was a nice spot for a late afternoon-turned-dusky stroll, even though walking among the buildings and reading about the place made me think this was the site for a less brutal/more benign version of the "Trail of Tears," memorials to which I saw in Arkansas and Oklahoma weeks before. Maybe that's an unfair comparison. But it can't be doubted these were both part of a larger project to kill off, dispossess, then if necessary, assimilate the native  populations. In the 1800s it was known as "pacification":

Sheridan was ordered to pacify the plains and take control of the Natives there. His first order was to immediately called (sic) General Custer back to command. (American Indian Wars)

The Washita Massacre memorial I had seen in Oklahoma commemorated one such event that I had never even heard about. No doubt there are many more.

Leaving Phoenix, due west through the AZ desert, then at Blythe in CA, detour north to Vidal Junction, catching a glimpse of the Colorado River one time very briefly from the road, and again with another detour east for 3 miles. West from Vidal Junction through the Sheephole Valley Wilderness to the Palms Restaurant and surroundings. 

There's a reason they call this a wilderness (see the video), even though to the residents it's "Wonder Valley."

My good friend John Willinsky, bibliomeister and rock-a-blues maven, when I told him about my cross country plans suggested I pause when I crossed Highway 61. Always happy to take John's suggestions. But to my dismay I couldn't find Hwy 61, so could neither pause nor cross it. I saw no sign of 61 until I was in Natchez (MS), as I headed back west. Mystery solved when I did a little digging.

Hwy 61 (aka "Blues Highway") stretches from New Orleans to Wyoming, MN, generally paralleling the Mighty Mississip. (See map.)

On my trip east, however, I approached from the northwest, across Missouri and Arkansas. One would think I would cross Hwy 61. (See map.)

One would be wrong. Turns out that "US 61 enters Memphis from Walls as South 3rd St in the southern Memphis area, and then joins I-55 as they cross the Mississippi River to West Memphis, Arkansas" (ibid.)

What happens (see map below) is that 61 comes from the south and becomes 3rd St in Memphis (encircled, appropriately, in blue). Hegemonic I-55 (thank you Pres. Eisenhower, father of the interstate highway system and Cassandra of the military-industrial complex) comes from the SE, skips over 61 in South Memphis then heads north to intercept and appropriate it. 61 takes a sharp westward turn, rather than continuing north, and is effectively is erased at this point.

But plucky 61 bides its time, and just after Turrell reappears and continues winding its way north. (See map.) So while I was on the I-55 in Arkansas I was, presumably, on Hwy 61. But I don’t buy it, any more than being on the I-40 meant I was on Route 66.  Call me old fashioned.  But at least now we know where things stand.

So... next trip I'm taking Hwy 61 from New Orleans to Wyoming (MN), and I'll know how not to lose it when I get to Memphis.

You can either click the numbered links below, corresponding to the numbers on the map, or else

and click the numbers on the pdf map. The links go to the same urls.

1 Harpers Ferry, WV, and Shenandoah National Park, VA 2 Charlottesville to So Carolina coast, by way of Appomatox 3 Gullah/Geechee to Atlanta 4 Atlanta to Meridian, MS, via Montomery (SPLC) and Selma, AL 5 Meridian to Natchez (mostly Natchez) 6 Across the Mississippi River into Louisiana and Texas 7 Texas, east to west with a Big Bend south 8 E. Texas to south (Houston) and west (Austin and beyond) 9 Ft. Stockton and Bella Terrazza 10 Eye-popping national park scenery... Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains 11 Van Horn and points north (before Guadalupe Mts) 12 New Mexico 13 Phoenix Indian School and Park 14 Homeward bound