Big Bend N. P. Trip (Day 2)

Sunday Feb. 2nd

We awoke to a very cold morning in Brownwood and light drizzling rain.  The ground is not frozen due to the warm day yesterday but elevated surfaces (such as our car ) are covered in ice.  We once again head south on U.S. Hwy. 67.  Our next stop is downtown Ballinger.

 I love this old building directly across from the courthouse!

 Located on the courthouse grounds is this statue (created by world-famed sculptor Pompeo Coppini) honoring local cowboy Charles H. Noyes who died at the age of 19 while riding his horse on the range.

Also in Ballinger is Pioneer Plaza which honors early settlers.

 

Before we made it to San Angelo, we made a little detour to the Goodyear test track.  Unfortunately it is locked up, no tours, big high fence, stay out!  Oh well.

 

 

Now we are really getting into west Texas!  Vast open land, desert-like scrub bushes, hardly any large trees (only near a house), and those are few and far between.  We soon arrive in the tiny town of Mertzon, population 781, in Irion County.  Just before Mertzon we make a little detour to check out the Sherwood Courthouse, one of the best examples of early Texas courthouses.

 The community of Sherwood was the county seat of Irion County from 1889 until 1936, when an election made Mertzon the county seat.

 This is the courthouse in Mertzon.......

 not nearly the character of the old courthouse!

This is the actual site of the Santa Rita No.1, where some of the original drilling equipment and the original oil derrick along with a plaque telling the story of the oil gusher of May 28, 1923.  The 8,525 foot well was productive until 1990.  Since the University of Texas owned much of the grazing land surrounding the tiny town of Big Lake and the Santa Rita No.1, the discovery of oil made the University of Texas one of the richest schools in the nation.

 

We stopped next in Fort Stockton, where we planned to have lunch.  We checked out Historic Fort Stockton, a military post established in 1859.  It was an outpost on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route at the crossing of the Old San Antonio Road and an ancient Comanche War Trail.

 

 I imagine this porch must have been a nice place to sit on a hot afternoon in west Texas.

 Paisano Pete welcomes travelers to Fort Stockton.  Paisano Pete is 22 feet long and 11 feet tall, probably the world's largest roadrunner!

Following a great Mexican food lunch we drove on to Alpine, Texas, home of Sul Ross State University.

This longhorn is on the University grounds and looked to be made of hammered aluminum.

We visited the University's Museum of the Big Bend and were quite impressed with the extensive collection of artifacts of the Big Bend, with exhibits capturing the history and contributions of the Native Americans, Spanish, Mexicans, and Anglo-Americans.

 

Too early to stop for the day so we drove on to Marfa, stopping along the way to check out the Marfa Mystery Lights Viewing Center.  First reported by early settlers in 1883, the mystery lights still defy explanation.

We did not want to linger around Marfa the rest of the afternoon and into the evening (till after dark) in hopes of maybe seeing the mystery lights shimmering out across the desert. 

 

Instead we planned to push on to Presidio before stopping for the night.  We followed the scenic drive on U.S. Hwy 67 from Marfa to Presidio, 61 miles through the Chinati Mountains passing thru the old ghost town of Shafter.

 A perfectly splendid afternoon for a scenic drive, especially since this morning was so cold and wet and cloudy!

 The high plains surrounding Marfa gradually gave way to the Chinati Mountains.

 The ghost town of Shafter in the background.  Silver was found in the Chinati Mountains in the 1860's and miners ultimately removed more than 20 million dollars in silver from more than 100 miles of tunnels.

In the valley ahead of us lays the town of Presidio, with its larger twin town of Ojinaga, Mexico at the confluence of the Rio Grande and the larger Rio Conchos of Mexico.

  Home for the night in Presidio, the Three Palms Inn, pretty much the only choice for lodging.  Presidio is an extremely poor border town with absolutely NO national chain stores/motels/fast food.  After driving a long way today we were very thankful to find this one motel.

Tomorrow....goodbye Presidio!