The River Road aka FM 170.
One of the prettiest roads in Texas.
Run's from Study Butte to the tiny little village of Candelaria. Ofreen wrote about it in one of his great roads posts.
It follows the Rio Grande, passing thru mountain and open desert. It's a twisty that takes unexpected turns and road dangers from sand, rocks, and wild javilina. I've encountered rocks as big as bus's coming over the big hill.
Fortunately the worst this time was some sand drifts in the low spots.
Coming out of the national park you enter Big Bend State park. A couple easy walks right off the road, Closed canyon and a small hoodoo field.
Closed Canyon is a small slot canyon that takes you almost to the river before you get to dropoff.
This is used a lot in films out here.
Just before the Big Hill
Top of the Big Hill looking NW. You can just make out the Rio Grande in the valley bellow. Mexico to the left.
When it rains the rocks and boulders dislodge from the hills above and litter the road.
This road passes thru the tiny village of Redford right before Presidio. This is where a high school student herding goats was shot and killed by a US Marine in 1997. This inspired the movie "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". For such a small town it has played a large part in our history. Many military bases. Beautiful but troubled. People talk about sealing the border but families have lived on both sides of this river for hundreds of years. Passing back and forth as easily as walking to the store.
Made Presidio and a good lunch. On to Shafter and Marfa.
Shafter has a silver mine that closed at the beginning of WWII. They ripped out all the steel for the war effort so it was never economical to reopen. Only in the last few years has it started to process silver again.
The opening scene of "There Will Be Blood" was shot in one of the mines. Danial Day Lewis really does fall in that mine shaft and breaks a rib. He did the rest of that movie taped up.
Shafter Graveyard
On to Marfa, County seat of Presidio county. Have habit of taking pictures of my bike in front of the county courthouse's. Texas has a lot of pretty ones.
Marfa was a sleepy little ranching town. A famous NY artist settled out here and pretty well ruined it. It is now infested with people in skinny black jeans, high heels and high dollar restaurants. Many unoccupied second homes. It has really highlighted the divide between the rich and the working class.
A west Texas woman made it good in Austin with several "Boutique" hotels. (Not quite sure what that means).
She bought a few acres just south of town and created "El Cosmico".
A campground for "Glampers". They set up a bunch of retro trailers, safari tents, and teepees. You can also just pay 10 bucks and set up your own tent. They were having a wedding photography workshop with folks from all over. Had a good conversation with Brandon, a SOHC owner from Canada. If your on the boards, Hi Brandon!
What made it ALL worth while was this.
Sure beats sponge baths in camp. Cleaned up and went into town and had a big salad at the local hotel.
Back to my tent and turned in for the night.
**Next, A dessert Oasis**
