Thursday, December 12, 2013
December Road Trip Day 5 - Miles 2120-2966. Homeward bound
Not quite sure what time I woke up (I forgot to write it down...probably due to exhaustion) but I headed out knowing I had an 800+ mile drive today. What I didn't realize was how very boring it would be. I mean, I absolutely love driving...love being out on the road. But DAMN...everything east of Van Horn (which was very far in my rear view) was God awful boring. I thought I would never get home. I thought I would never leave Texas. I thought I was sucked into some vacuum and Texas was never ever ever going to end. If I had more time I would have found some other way. And the speed limit out there was 80...but of course most people are driving 90. I tried to go with the flow of traffic, but I was watching my MPG gauge getting down to almost single digits. I settled on about 77 to get around 14-15 mpg. I may have been the slowest guy out there, but I didn't want to have to sever my right arm to pay for gas on this last day. It's hard to get excited knowing I had to pass through such familiar territory as San Antonio and Houston. I swear it just dragged on and on. Finally, after feeling like I was fused with the driver's seat of my truck, I made it back to the house. Bittersweet. Deep down I was glad to be home. But I missed the west so very much. I missed the excitement I had 4 days earlier when I was pulling out of my garage, filled with glee about the pending adventures. But life goes on...and life is too short to be anything but happy. I was thankful I made it back in one piece, I had tons of pictures, I got to see familiar places that warm my heart and new places to add to my collection. But most of all I am thankful that I have the opportunity to venture to such places...and thankful for my parents who started me on that path when I was all but 6 years old. But now, as I drag myself inside the house....I'm thankful for some rest...until next time!!
December Road Trip Day 4 - Miles 1639-2120. One more ghost town
Decided to just get up whenever, knowing full well that I later today I'd be heading towards home. But before then I had two missions today...go get pictures of historic San Miguel church and to go on one last loop road off the interstate to see the ghost town of Lake Valley. After that, 70-80mph interstate driving all the way home. With mixed emotions I started out about 7:30 am and drove north into town a few blocks to the church. The sun wasn't quite up enough to shroud the beautiful building in full light just yet so I sat a little bit and waited. It was a cool 15 degrees outside and the sky was as blue and clear as I had ever seen. As I sat in my truck I was hoping that no one would call the cops on me for just sitting there. That's what happens when you have to sit and wait...your mind starts to wander. I was also hoping to see the temperature gauge jump up to around 72 degrees but that didn't happen. So when the time presented itself I grabbed the cameras and set out on my mission to get some pictures of this beautiful building.
After cheerfully getting back into my warm truck, I found my way back to I-25 and headed south towards and through Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (formally called Hot Springs) and down towards my last venture off the interstate before heading home. A right onto Hwy 152 then left on 27 took me to the ghost town of Lake Valley
As has been the theme on this trip, I pretty much had the place to myself. There was another couple here and a caretaker for the town but that was it. This old town was abandoned somewhere in the early 1900's and has a few buildings still intact. I walked around town for awhile, knowing that this would pretty much be my last recreational stop on this trip. I wanted to stay longer...wanted to turn west or back north again...wanted to see more...but time was running out.
Just a little ways up the road was the old cemetery. It was kinda spooky and I didn't hang around too long...didn't want anything to "follow me" home if you get my drift. Maybe I watch too much paranormal stuff on TV:
As I bid goodbye to Lake Valley, my thoughts turned to concentrating on getting home. I knew I had a long day and 3/4 driving straight through to get there. It's hard to keep a smile going. There is just something about heading towards home that makes me sad. Not that I don't love being home, I just love the adventure of exploring new places and being able to take my time. I don't like when vacations come to an end. Just before getting back to I-25 I passed through the little town of Hatch. If I was a chili pepper lover I would have been in heaven. Hatch is proclaimed as the "chili capital of the world". I also found out later that a co-worker of mine went to high school here. Go figure. I rolled on down I-25 to Las Cruces and grabbed some much needed lunch. Also gave my truck a much needed bath. Dirt roads and road grime from the snow on day 1 were caked on...didn't know if one trip through the car wash would even do.
I joined I-10 at this point and headed towards El Paso. This area of New Mexico and Texas is very beautiful and very dry. I was pleasantly surprised at how mountainous it is. I had never been in this area before. Passing close to the Mexican border, I could see how dense everything is on the other side of the Rio Grande. The streets are so close together that in my GPS, Ciudad Juarez looked like one big blob. From what the eye could see, it is not a place I'd like to go. Continuing east along I-10 I came across a border checkpoint, even though I was not crossing the border. I approached the station and was hoping I would not have to unload everything in the truck. I didn't have anything I wasn't supposed to, but at this point I was tired and wanted to get as far along as I could tonight knowing how long of a drive I would have tomorrow. The border patrol agent, with such a heavy Spanish accent that I barely understood him, asked me if I was a citizen. I had to get him to repeat himself....twice...cause I couldn't understand. I though for sure that was it for me...he was going to taze me and someone would upload it to YouTube. I finally understood and said that I was indeed a citizen...I really wanted to ask him if HE was a citizen.... but I wasn't in the mood to pick myself up off the ground after being a YouTube sensation. That was it...no showing of driver's license, no strip search...nothing. Back to speed. I really enjoyed the landscape between El Paso and Van Horn. It was strikingly beautiful as the sun set behind me. Darkness fell and I could no longer see the terrain however I knew that I was making my way away from the mountains once and for all. I struggled as much as I could to catch the last glimpses of the wild country as I could as the pitch black covered the earth like a thick blanket. It was seriously dark and desolate, with very little signs of life other than the ribbon of interstate cutting across the desert. I finally made my way to Fort Stockton and found myself at a Motel 6 for a change (haha). After driving up and down the main strip, I settled on K-Bob's steakhouse. After a 20 minute or so wait, I was seated. The food was just so-so. I expected more for a steakhouse deep in Texas. But hey, I wasn't asked "would you like that large size". I made my way back to the hotel and prepared for the long day ahead. The last day of the trip. After all the anticipation I could not believe it was almost over.
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| 1600's era San Miguel Church in Socorro, New Mexico |
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| 1600's era San Miguel Church in Socorro, New Mexico |
After cheerfully getting back into my warm truck, I found my way back to I-25 and headed south towards and through Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (formally called Hot Springs) and down towards my last venture off the interstate before heading home. A right onto Hwy 152 then left on 27 took me to the ghost town of Lake Valley
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| I can't help but say "Elephant Butt" when I see this. |
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| My last venture off the interstate took me to the ghost town of Lake Valley |
As has been the theme on this trip, I pretty much had the place to myself. There was another couple here and a caretaker for the town but that was it. This old town was abandoned somewhere in the early 1900's and has a few buildings still intact. I walked around town for awhile, knowing that this would pretty much be my last recreational stop on this trip. I wanted to stay longer...wanted to turn west or back north again...wanted to see more...but time was running out.
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| Overview of Lake Valley, New Mexico |
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| Original school, turned gas station in Lake Valley, New Mexico |
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| Crumbling house and old mine shaft in Lake Valley, New Mexico |
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| Old car with Lizard Mountain in the background. Lake Valley, New Mexico |
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| Inside the 1930s era school, which is now the visitor center in Lake Valley, New Mexico |
Just a little ways up the road was the old cemetery. It was kinda spooky and I didn't hang around too long...didn't want anything to "follow me" home if you get my drift. Maybe I watch too much paranormal stuff on TV:
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| The spooky Lake Valley Cemetery |
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| Gravesite in Lake Valley Cemetery |
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| Driving down I-25 in New Mexico |
December Road Trip Day 3 - Miles 1284-1639. Historic places and new territory
After a long couple of days driving, I slept in a bit this morning. Didn't get going until abut 7:45 (8:45 Central time) due to some much needed rest. It was 19 degrees when I started heading south on I-25. I forgot to mention that the mercury did not get above freezing all day yesterday. As is the norm for me, my route for today consists of very little travel on the interstate. After just 4 miles on I-25, I gladly exited for Hwy 64 heading southwest towards the town of Cimarron, New Mexico. Not much more than what I would consider a Sunday drive around these parts, however it was exciting nevertheless. I had never been down this road before and I welcome the new sights.
After spending a little more time in the nice warm Visitor's Center, I headed back down to I-25 and continued south to Las Vegas...no not sin city, but Las Vegas New Mexico...although back in the day this probably could have been sin city as it was one of the wildest and most dangerous places to be in the heyday of the old west. I grabbed a quick lunch here and a few miles down the road I gleefully got off the interstate again and headed south on Hwy 84. Now as much as I love taking back roads...this part of the journey left a lot to be desired. Not much in the way of interesting things to see. I imagined that what I was looking at was pretty much the same thing people saw hundreds and even thousands of years ago...well with exception to the blacktopped highway of course. I cross I-40 and continued south on to hwy 219, then Hwy's 60 and 285 west before reconnecting with I-25 south. About the only entertainment I had was to honk at cows along the way, trying to alert them that they may soon find themselves being part of a supersized meal at McDonalds. Yes the lonely road was getting to my head. Before entering I-25, I did pass some ancient ruins called "Abo Ruins". This was part of an old mission and NOT to my surprise a stray dog was wandering around. Just my luck. However he didn't give me the usual "I'm want to eat your face" welcome that some of his brethren have given me in the past. So with caution I finished my little tour (no one else around except the Ranger) and made my way to Socorro. It was beginning to get dark and I was ready to hang it up for the day...and it was my plan to stay here all along. I knew that in the morning I wanted to go see San Miguel church. I happen to love the old adobe style Spanish churches and this one was built in the 1600's and still being used today. I knew it faces east and I wanted to catch it in the morning light. I checked into Motel 6 (my place of choice because it's cheap, not necessarily 5 stars...or even 4 stars....OK maybe not even a full 3 stars...but I don't really care, and then headed down California Street looking for a place to eat. I saw a couple places that had "Pizza" on the sign so I knew what I would be eating. I chose Socorro Springs Brewing Company and thoroughly enjoyed my choice. I had a full belly, a brew or two, pizza in my stomach, and I was on vacation. I headed back to the hotel room thinking about my plans for tomorrow...and knowing that I was winding down day 3 of 5...and the end of the trip was within sight. I was somewhat saddened at the moment, but quickly turned that around into a smile when I thought about how lucky I am to be here right now.
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| Cruising along Hwy 64 in New Mexico |
After reaching Cimarron, it was back east along Hwy 58 to I-25 south for a ways. A few miles down the road came the turn off for Fort Union. This was one of the largest forts in the old west and was a major stopping place along the Santa Fe Trail. They supplied arms to many of the other western forts. As I expected there was maybe one or two other couples here since this is not peak travel season. And as yesterday, it was damn cold and windy outside so even being bundled up the cold found a way to penetrate every place it could onto my body. The air is so cold, yet so clean and pure. Can't say that about the air back home. I walked around for about an hour, took some pics, and imagined what it must have been like 125 years ago. There are lots of trail ruts from wagons that can still be seen in the landscape today.
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| Panaramic shot of Fort Union, New Mexico |
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| Fort Union, New Mexico |
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| Fort Union, New Mexico |
After spending a little more time in the nice warm Visitor's Center, I headed back down to I-25 and continued south to Las Vegas...no not sin city, but Las Vegas New Mexico...although back in the day this probably could have been sin city as it was one of the wildest and most dangerous places to be in the heyday of the old west. I grabbed a quick lunch here and a few miles down the road I gleefully got off the interstate again and headed south on Hwy 84. Now as much as I love taking back roads...this part of the journey left a lot to be desired. Not much in the way of interesting things to see. I imagined that what I was looking at was pretty much the same thing people saw hundreds and even thousands of years ago...well with exception to the blacktopped highway of course. I cross I-40 and continued south on to hwy 219, then Hwy's 60 and 285 west before reconnecting with I-25 south. About the only entertainment I had was to honk at cows along the way, trying to alert them that they may soon find themselves being part of a supersized meal at McDonalds. Yes the lonely road was getting to my head. Before entering I-25, I did pass some ancient ruins called "Abo Ruins". This was part of an old mission and NOT to my surprise a stray dog was wandering around. Just my luck. However he didn't give me the usual "I'm want to eat your face" welcome that some of his brethren have given me in the past. So with caution I finished my little tour (no one else around except the Ranger) and made my way to Socorro. It was beginning to get dark and I was ready to hang it up for the day...and it was my plan to stay here all along. I knew that in the morning I wanted to go see San Miguel church. I happen to love the old adobe style Spanish churches and this one was built in the 1600's and still being used today. I knew it faces east and I wanted to catch it in the morning light. I checked into Motel 6 (my place of choice because it's cheap, not necessarily 5 stars...or even 4 stars....OK maybe not even a full 3 stars...but I don't really care, and then headed down California Street looking for a place to eat. I saw a couple places that had "Pizza" on the sign so I knew what I would be eating. I chose Socorro Springs Brewing Company and thoroughly enjoyed my choice. I had a full belly, a brew or two, pizza in my stomach, and I was on vacation. I headed back to the hotel room thinking about my plans for tomorrow...and knowing that I was winding down day 3 of 5...and the end of the trip was within sight. I was somewhat saddened at the moment, but quickly turned that around into a smile when I thought about how lucky I am to be here right now.
Additional Pictures from Day 2
Well no sooner did I post day 2 and I forgot to add some additional photographs from that part of the trip. So without further ado....
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| Had to pull over and say hello to one of the natives just inside New Mexico |
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| Entrance into Capulin Mountain National Monument. Capulin, New Mexico |
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| Looking west from the top of Capulin Mountain, New Mexico |
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| The historic little town of Folsom, New Mexico |
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| On Johnson's Mesa, New Mexico |
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| 1896 church on Johnson's Mesa, New Mexico |
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| One of the locals near Raton, New Mexico |
December road trip day 2 - Miles 829-1284
I opened my eyes just before 5:00 a.m. to the sight of a faint light to the east. The sun was not quite ready to show itself...and I was not quite ready to get out of the truck to go inside the rest area and pee. I've been known to just go where I feel like it (if no one is around). Usually I'm in the middle of nowhere and while I could have easily walked in front of the truck to take care of business, the temperature readout on the truck screamed "IT"S 12 DEGREES OUTSIDE YOU BETTA GO INSIDE". So I bundled up and walked BRISKLY to the rest area bathroom. This is not your average ordinary rest area. It doubles as a tornado shelter if needed. They are common throughout the Texas panhandle and being in tornado alley I'm sure it's a welcome sight to summer travelers if they happen to be in the area during bad weather. It's also very well done...looks almost like a museum. Lots of history and displays. I wouldn't normally think of a rest area as a tourist attraction but they have done this one up well. I could have stayed for awhile and soaked up some history of the Texas plains, but my eagerness to get back on the road took over. I BRISKLY walked back to the truck with the only sound being wheels churning down nearby HWY 287...being drowned out by chattering teeth. After firing up the Hemi and merging onto the blacktop, that excitement I spoke about in day one took over yet again. Slowly but surely the sun rose behind me and I smiled to myself due to the realization that I was headed west. Not towards home, but towards new adventures. Makes me smile now just thinking about it.
Getting close to Amarillo I again found myself looking out to the right for signs of I-40. I've written about it in earlier blogs, but as a kid I used to always do this. For me, this was a sign that part 2 of the trip was about to begin. Once we headed north through Amarillo, the landscape started to change dramatically as HWY 287 started to gain elevation. Trees became more and more scarce and the terrain becomes more hilly. There are places along the way that you can look back and see downtown Amarillo from many miles away. So I stopped there to get gas and some breakfast before getting to that change of scenery. Pumping gas when the wind is blowing like crazy (it's always like this in the panhandle) and the temperature is in the teens is NOT fun. However it was much better than being at home. As I was pumping gas I was thinking about all the times I had stopped at this same station in the past...sometimes in 100 degree heat wishing for relief. Much different than the air this morning. I thought about how many times my dad had stopped here. Had he used this same exact pump as me? What if there was some sort of time warp and perhaps my Dad was pumping gas here at the same time in some alternate universe? Maybe the cold was freezing some brain cells, but what else is there to do when waiting for 24 gallons of gas to make its way into my tank. Being nostalgic makes me happy and sad at the same time. I can't get my Dad off my mind.
As I made my way north to Dumas, the landscape looks exactly like it did when I was a kid riding in my special place above the cab in the motorhome...with one exception. As I near Dumas, I see the giant wind turbines dotting the plains. Most are moving, some are not. I've seen a few of these wind-farms before and I wonder if they truly cost effective. A simple Google search would probably tell me, but it's not my top priority right now. And aside from the giant Walmart Supercenter south of town, Dumas pretty much looks the same as I remember it. Speaking of Wally World...for some reason by the time I started rolling into town I was getting extremely tired. I wasn't completely comfortable last night and I didn't get the best night's sleep. So to be on the safe side, I rolled into the parking lot next to a couple big rigs and a motorhome or two and took my place amongst them for some shut-eye. After a quick nap and feeling better, I jumped back on the road into town. Rolling on 287 it just looks the same as always. Getting to the junction of Hwy 87, I leave the familiar 287 signs that I've been seeing since just after lunch yesterday in Decatur...hundreds of miles and many hours ago.
Before leaving town another piece of real estate near and dear to my heart approaches on the right. A small town park with picnic benches and playground equipment come to view. This is another stop on the Isbell family nostalgia trail. We used to stop here for lunch and picnic, similar to what we used to do on the now extinct picnic area near Decatur Texas on Hwy 305. If I'm not mistaken, the playground equipment looks to be the same exact pieces as what we used to play on when I was a kid. We would eat then spend some time just expending energy and having a great time. I remember seeing pictures of my Aunt Lou swinging and she had the biggest smile on her face. Not sure why that particular picture stands out in my mind, but those pictures...and my Aunt Lou...are now but a memory. She passed away earlier this year. I didn't stop there this time, just smiled and remembered being care free and happy here. I hope they never pave it over and put a shopping mall here. I would be crushed.
Passing through the farmland and towns of Dalhart and Texline, the outline of small mountains and buttes start coming into view. Heading into New Mexico, the first signs that another dramatic landscape change is about to take place. First it's one or two...then more...then more...until in the distance Sierra Grande takes shape. It's not totally imposing, however it is the biggest single mountain in the country (as opposed to mountains that are part of a chain). Another part of the Isbell nostalgia trail is gone...the old wooden "Welcome to New Mexico" sign is long gone, replaced by a boring metal sign. We used to always stop and take pictures here...with the females complaining about their hair because the winds constantly blow strong here.
Passing around Sierra Grande, the familiar sight of Capulin Mountain warms my heart. I won't go into too much detail here because I've explained this in detail in earlier blogs, however I never miss an opportunity to drive to the top. And because winter is not really travel season around these parts, the usual crowds were not there and I pretty much had the place to myself. I walked around a bit, ate a sandwich or two, had my nostalgia moments of past visits as a kid looking west to get my first glances at the Rocky Mountains many miles away, and eventually pressed on.
Making my way north from here, I ventured over to Johnson Mesa. This place has such extreme winters that most of the population move away. Some ghost farms and old barns remain, and a stone church from the late 1800's still stands today. An old snow covered cemetery sits across the street. The whole time I was up there, not one single car passed me by. I was alone on top of a cold, deserted plateau...and I couldn't be happier. Well, if I had some hot pizza I may be a wee bit happier...and maybe some beef jerky...
I made my way to Raton, New Mexico which is where I pick up the interstate for the first time in many hundreds of miles. This is the gateway to Colorado. Raton Pass takes me up and over the mountains and down into Trinidad, Colorado. On the downside of this pass, the Sangre De Christo mountains come into view. Finally made it to the big stuff. But as I look to my left, I can see ominous clouds and I start to worry that I may get caught in a snowstorm. I have a route planned out to head west from Trinidad over the Highway of Legends and over to Alamosa. Knowing that there are a couple high altitude passes along the way, I start to think I'm going to have to make other plans. I do not want to get caught on the Colorado side of Raton Pass in a snowstorm. I would be surrounded by mountains to the west and south, and plains to the north and east. A snowstorm in any of these situations would not be a good thing. After driving west towards Alamosa, the snowflakes started hitting my windshield and I did an immediate about-face and hightailed it over Raton Pass back into New Mexico before they shut down I-25. After a much welcomed shower and change of clothes, I grabbed some grub a restaurant called Mulligans and settled in to the semi comfortable bed at Motel 6. Not too shabby.
Before hitting the sack for the night, I looked at a few maps and started planning out day 3. Plan A was to head back east through Colorado after a brief stop in Alamosa over to Kansas to see Dodge City. But not wanting to risk blizzard conditions on the plains, I decided to go with plan B and head south on I-25 to an old fort and at least one ghost town I wanted to see. No matter what, Plan A, Plan B, Plan ZZ, I was no less happy to choose any route. I was ecstatic to be where I was. I went to bed and slept good, tired from my day's adventures (and lack of sleep the night before) and I can't be certain, but I believe I closed my eyes with a smile on my face.
Getting close to Amarillo I again found myself looking out to the right for signs of I-40. I've written about it in earlier blogs, but as a kid I used to always do this. For me, this was a sign that part 2 of the trip was about to begin. Once we headed north through Amarillo, the landscape started to change dramatically as HWY 287 started to gain elevation. Trees became more and more scarce and the terrain becomes more hilly. There are places along the way that you can look back and see downtown Amarillo from many miles away. So I stopped there to get gas and some breakfast before getting to that change of scenery. Pumping gas when the wind is blowing like crazy (it's always like this in the panhandle) and the temperature is in the teens is NOT fun. However it was much better than being at home. As I was pumping gas I was thinking about all the times I had stopped at this same station in the past...sometimes in 100 degree heat wishing for relief. Much different than the air this morning. I thought about how many times my dad had stopped here. Had he used this same exact pump as me? What if there was some sort of time warp and perhaps my Dad was pumping gas here at the same time in some alternate universe? Maybe the cold was freezing some brain cells, but what else is there to do when waiting for 24 gallons of gas to make its way into my tank. Being nostalgic makes me happy and sad at the same time. I can't get my Dad off my mind.
As I made my way north to Dumas, the landscape looks exactly like it did when I was a kid riding in my special place above the cab in the motorhome...with one exception. As I near Dumas, I see the giant wind turbines dotting the plains. Most are moving, some are not. I've seen a few of these wind-farms before and I wonder if they truly cost effective. A simple Google search would probably tell me, but it's not my top priority right now. And aside from the giant Walmart Supercenter south of town, Dumas pretty much looks the same as I remember it. Speaking of Wally World...for some reason by the time I started rolling into town I was getting extremely tired. I wasn't completely comfortable last night and I didn't get the best night's sleep. So to be on the safe side, I rolled into the parking lot next to a couple big rigs and a motorhome or two and took my place amongst them for some shut-eye. After a quick nap and feeling better, I jumped back on the road into town. Rolling on 287 it just looks the same as always. Getting to the junction of Hwy 87, I leave the familiar 287 signs that I've been seeing since just after lunch yesterday in Decatur...hundreds of miles and many hours ago.
Before leaving town another piece of real estate near and dear to my heart approaches on the right. A small town park with picnic benches and playground equipment come to view. This is another stop on the Isbell family nostalgia trail. We used to stop here for lunch and picnic, similar to what we used to do on the now extinct picnic area near Decatur Texas on Hwy 305. If I'm not mistaken, the playground equipment looks to be the same exact pieces as what we used to play on when I was a kid. We would eat then spend some time just expending energy and having a great time. I remember seeing pictures of my Aunt Lou swinging and she had the biggest smile on her face. Not sure why that particular picture stands out in my mind, but those pictures...and my Aunt Lou...are now but a memory. She passed away earlier this year. I didn't stop there this time, just smiled and remembered being care free and happy here. I hope they never pave it over and put a shopping mall here. I would be crushed.
Passing through the farmland and towns of Dalhart and Texline, the outline of small mountains and buttes start coming into view. Heading into New Mexico, the first signs that another dramatic landscape change is about to take place. First it's one or two...then more...then more...until in the distance Sierra Grande takes shape. It's not totally imposing, however it is the biggest single mountain in the country (as opposed to mountains that are part of a chain). Another part of the Isbell nostalgia trail is gone...the old wooden "Welcome to New Mexico" sign is long gone, replaced by a boring metal sign. We used to always stop and take pictures here...with the females complaining about their hair because the winds constantly blow strong here.
Passing around Sierra Grande, the familiar sight of Capulin Mountain warms my heart. I won't go into too much detail here because I've explained this in detail in earlier blogs, however I never miss an opportunity to drive to the top. And because winter is not really travel season around these parts, the usual crowds were not there and I pretty much had the place to myself. I walked around a bit, ate a sandwich or two, had my nostalgia moments of past visits as a kid looking west to get my first glances at the Rocky Mountains many miles away, and eventually pressed on.
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| Capulin Mountain from a previous trip. |
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| Lonely Hwy 72 on Johnson's Mesa, New Mexico. The old stone church is on the left, some abandoned buildings on the right, and the snow and cloud covered Rockies are in the distance on the horizon. |
Before hitting the sack for the night, I looked at a few maps and started planning out day 3. Plan A was to head back east through Colorado after a brief stop in Alamosa over to Kansas to see Dodge City. But not wanting to risk blizzard conditions on the plains, I decided to go with plan B and head south on I-25 to an old fort and at least one ghost town I wanted to see. No matter what, Plan A, Plan B, Plan ZZ, I was no less happy to choose any route. I was ecstatic to be where I was. I went to bed and slept good, tired from my day's adventures (and lack of sleep the night before) and I can't be certain, but I believe I closed my eyes with a smile on my face.
Pictures from Day 1 of the December 2012 trip
Well, I had a bit of trouble uploading pictures to my blog last year and now that I have that fixed, I've included pictures from Day 1 of my December 2012 road trip. A little late, yes, but I got it figured out. Also, someone did replay to my article in Texas Escapes about the big crumbling building and did confirm that it was an old school. Onward to day 2!
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| Along I-20 east of Dallas |
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| Along I-20 east of Dallas |
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| brrrrr! |
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| Totally useless today! |
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| The Medicine Mounds just south of Chillicothe, TX |
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| Old Gas Station in the ghost town of Medicine Mound, TX |
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| Quiet winter day in the ghost town of Medicine Mound, TX |
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| Old school in the ghost town of Medicine Mound, TX |
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| Ghost farm near the ghost town of Medicine Mound, TX |
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
December road trip day 1 - Mile 0 - 829: Slip-sliding away...
After a full day of activities Christmas day, including dodging torrential downpours and tornado warnings, stuffing myself with the usual trappings of a holiday feast...turkey and warm rolls...I found myself laying in bed....counting the seconds...tic toc tic toc...till "go" time. As tired as I was from a full and wonderful day spent with family and friends, getting much needed sleep before the 3:30 a.m. alarm comes at me like a freight train seemed like an impossibility. It may sound crazy but the anticipation of knowing I'm going on a road trip feels about the same as a kid waking up Christmas morning knowing that something new is awaiting him under the tree. You know that feeling...think back to being 8 years old and when you wake up Christmas morning, you smile as you realize today is the day. Today is the day your life will change. You know there are new adventures waiting for you under the tree. Maybe it's something you always dreamed of...or maybe it's something you totally didn't expect...or maybe it's a pack of white ankle socks and some new underwear you get to open in front of your entire family. Either way, the feeling that takes over your body between the time you wake up to rounding the corner to see all those special gifts waiting for you to tear into...that's how I feel when I know I'm about to get on the road. Parked in my garage is my truck with all of my gear pre-loaded...like a tree with new adventures under it. It's difficult to sleep, but I try hard to clear my mind for the long drive ahead. Finally at some point I dozed off. Don't remember exactly when but I damn sure remember that alarm going off. As I get out of bed to do the usual wash up, brush teeth, and get dressed routine, I'm that 8 year old kid again anticipating what is under the tree. I can't get ready fast enough. After checking and double checking everything, I make sure everything is loaded and climb into the driver's seat, knowing that my butt would be here for quite awhile and my truck would be my home for 5 days. No way anything in the world can wipe the smile from my face. I open the garage door and the wheels start turning. I'm happy to be alive and feel absolutely blessed and thankful that I can get out and see the world. Happy that later this day I will be chugging down Hwy 287 on the same route (for the most part) I traveled down so many times since I was 6 years old. After a quick stop for some McDonald's breakfast I was headed west down I-12. I'm still happy, but I have to admit the first 8 hours of the trip are the worst part. Not that it's a bad ride, but between home and Dallas just feels like I'm still at home. I'm not exactly sure why...maybe it's because there is not much to see or just that east of Dallas and all of Louisiana looks pretty much the same...like home. But once I got about halfway between Shreveport and Dallas, the landscape was quite unfamiliar this time. Unlike I had ever seen in this area.
About 5 hours into the trip, I started coming across other vehicles that were covered in varying layers of snow. The temperature had now dipped below freezing, and little did I know it would be 3 more days before I would experience anything above 32 degrees. There was no snow on the ground, but I had known from watching the weather (as I talked about in my previous post - to try and see which way I would ultimately go) that this area had some snowfall. As I merged onto I-20 and pointed the Ram towards Texas, I ran across more and more vehicles covered in the cold white stuff. Finally about an hour west of Shreveport I started seeing some accumulation on the ground. This was anticipated, but I had no idea how much it would wind up being. Pushing west the landscape turned into a winter wonderland. It was beautiful. This helped cure the stigmatism I have about this part of the drive. I stopped to get gas and found the pumps covered in wet snow and the windshield washing stations completely frozen over and useless. As I'm cruising towards, and ultimately around Dallas, taking in the wonderment of what looked like an alien planet (I had just traveled through here in November and everything looked both freshly familiar and unfamiliar at the same time) a thought started creeping in the back of my mind and grew stronger by the second...you know kinda like when someone farts in an elevator...the smell comes on slow and eventually takes over. I started to worry about the road conditions as the accumulation grew deeper and deeper. Knowing full well I was headed north and then northwest, for a time I started to wonder if I would have to break off the path and just drop due south and maybe take I-10 or I-20 to New Mexico. But I kept on. After leaving I-20 for Hwy 80, then I-635 around Dallas to I-35E North I came to the exit where I would say goodbye to the interstate system for awhile (except for a small section of interstate around Wichita Falls). Hwy 380 in Denton is the spot where I mentally think of as the beginning of the trip. This highway shoots due west to Decatur and then onto Hwy 287. But here at this spot is the old familiar gas station where we always stopped on our way out west. I remember it fondly. Immediately next to it is the railroad underpass. This is the exact spot where my trip begins, and ultimately ends when I travel back this way heading home. It's always been this way. Back in the day this marked the boundary bewteen big cities and interstates and country highways and small towns. When I pass under that railroad I feel like I'm moving into a new dimension...a new world. Today, this road is succumbing to urban sprawl. It's much more built up than it used to be. Back in the day this was sparsley populated ranches where cows ruled the landscape. Today, while there are still a few ranches hanging on, there are huge houses in subdivisions and the old 2-lane blacktop is being replaced by a 4 lane divided highway. A casualty of this expansion was the old picnic area along the creek we used to stop at and eat lunch so many years ago and so many times. When I traveled this way in 2008 (which turned out to be the last vacation with my Dad) we kept the family tradition alive and stopped here for a picnic lunch among the creek and usual giant ass bumble bees. It warmed my heart to stop and eat at the same place I remember from so long ago. And it looked like a time capsule...same picnic tables and awnings over them...same little creek...and same awesome feeling of being out and about. I wrote about this place in my 2010 blogs. As I passed along I tried to find where this place had been and I think I saw the area...having since been obliterated to pretty much non-existence. My heart was heavy. I wish I would have known beforehand they would wipe it off the face of the earth because I would have tried to buy one of the picnic tables to put in my backyard as a relic. My nostalgia for things like this may be hard for people to understand, but it really does hurt me to know I will never again be able to stop there and enjoy a sandwich while trying to keep from getting pelted by a pack of angry bumble bees trying to take my cold turkey on white. Just a quick note before I move on...I stopped for gas in Decatur and the entire parking lot was iced over...cars and people trying to traverse the parking lot without falling and slamming other cars was quite amusing and worrying at the same time...and this scene would repeat itself a couple more times before I got out of Texas. This was the first time I put my truck in 4-wheel drive but it wouldn't be the last.
So after passing the "starting point" of my trip and seeing all the new development taking over the landcape of Hwy 380 to Decatur, I reached the golden passage of Hwy 287 with 400+ miles of this road ahead of me. I feel like I'm visiting an old friend as I merge onto the familar blacktop. While the route still goes smack through some of the old towns of the Texas plains, more and more it seems as though they are being bypassed for speedier travel. I love going through the quaint little downtowns of these places with familiar names like Goodnight, Chillicothe, and Clarendon. I remember each and every little town. I also remember that I've probably eaten at every Dairy Queen along this stretch of highway. As the road takes me northwest, the snow accumlation varies from time to time. But as I get close to Wichita Falls, it alarms me at how much I'm seeing on the road, and even moreso at the ice patches. Since just before exiting I-35 at Denton I began seeing cars that have slid off the road. I wasn't too concerned until now. More and more tire tracks in the median (that's "neutral ground" to you and me) where people had gone off and some still there, waiting on a tow. I'm sure some tow truck drivers had a hell of a day. At this point I'm now in 4-wheel drive and slowing down so I don't wind up ruining my trip by having to be put on a waiting list to be dragged from a soggy, snowy trap. But over time things got better. The snow didn't go away, but the road conditions improved and thoughts were concentrated on my first little side trip to the ghost town of Medicine Mound. I love little side trips. It's Christmas morning again.
Leaving Hwy 287 and turning onto Avenue H (FM91) in Chillicothe was exhillerating. I love exploring new territory. I had read about and seen pictures of the ghost town of Medicine Mound and I was excited to finally see it for myself. I was also happy that I had planned my leaving time just right for me to get here before the sun went down. Matter of fact I got there right about the time the sun was starting to cast long shadows and things began to glow a warm yellow...also known as the "golden hour"...as opposed to the warm yellow "golden shower"...but this is NOT that kind of blog so I'll steer clear of that. Didn't take but about 20 seconds to leave the confines of the small town and be out on the vast plains along a tiny two-lane road again. A sharp left, then sharp right, then sharp left again and then I'm finally here. At the intersection of FM91 and FM1167 sits the nearly abandoned town I've wanted to visit for quite awhile. I immediately found the old W.W. Cole building (old gas station with rusted-out gas pumps) and the Hicks & Cobbs building (was the old general store and now is a museum). I stopped for some pics, being careful not to slip in the snow, and just enjoyed the fact that I was finally here. I get giddy I'm tellin ya...can't help it. Yes I'm weird but I don't care. I love this stuff. I took some pics of the historical markers for later reading and walked between the two historic buildings. They date back to the 30's and replaced 1800's era buildings that had burned down in the late 20's. The old general store operates as a musem, but it was closed at the time I was there. Being that winter is not much of a travel season I imagine that it only operated during the summer. After spending some time taking pics and just imagining how this place was full of life some 100 years ago, I was planning to drive out...satisfied that I had acheived one of my goals, when I noticed some large brick ruins about 50 yards off the highway. I also noticed that there was a small, snow covered dirt passage way...wouldn't really call it a road...leading back to it. No way was I leaving without exploring. Back in 4-wheel drive, I headed to see what was waiting for me there. I parked and started walking around and realized this had been quite a large building. The brickwork on what was the front wall had some intricacies to it...kinda like an old school or perhaps a courthouse. There were some pieces of other walls standing, but the ground inside and off to one side and the rear was covered in broken timber and tons of bricks...just a victim of time and neglect. I sent some pictures and an e-mail to the website where I found out about the town in the first place to see if they, or any of their readers, knew anything about it. My e-mail to them and my pics can be seen here:
http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasTowns/Medicine-Mound-Texas.htm
I'm hoping someone replies as I'm interested to see what it may have been. After spending some additional time here, I pulled onto FM1167 and headed back towards Hwy 287. After a couple more sharp turns, something up ahead on the right caught my eye and again, that Christmas feeling took over me. I love finding old abandoned farm houses and barns on my backroad trips. This particular house was larger than I usually find on my adventures. It was a rather big abaondoned farmhouse being overcome by nature and time. I stopped to get some pics and explore, hoping that I don't have that same luck that seems to follow me wherever I go...a wild, crazed dog will come from out of nowhere and give me 9 kinds of hell just for being in the same zip code and breathing the same oxygen as him. With a weary eye I start snapping pics and walking closer and closer to the house. Making my way through the thick grass, calf deep snow, and knocked down barbed wire fence (wasn't me I SWEAR), I couldn't help but get close enough to get a good look inside. I could see the tattered walls and an old sofa turned upside down. Just a mess. And as I stare I cannot help but think back to a time when this was someones pride and joy. Someone put a lot of blood, sweat and tears building this place. Kids may have run up and down these stairs thousands of times. Maybe there was lots of love here, and maybe lots of tears. Either way here it sits on this cold winter evening, exposed to the elements and dying a slow, slow death that will ultimatley come. The sound of silence is deafening. It's a sad sad sight. I love stumbling upon these places but it also breaks my heart. I question what happened...why is this once grand place left to die? Why is there no more life here? As a sign in the window just a few miles up the road at Medicine Mound asks, "Where did all the people go?". I mean it when I say these old abandoned places make me think all these things and more. My curiosity runs amuck. At times when I see places like this I have to collect myself and get my head back in the game. I know that one day this place will be long gone and forgotten, but for today it is alive and well in my imagination...kids running and playing...and perhaps walking down stairs in their pajamas with anticipation to see what is waiting for them under that Christmas tree...I know how they feel.
Getting back on the road, the sun is now barely above the western horizon and my visit with the old town is over. Knowing that I was not going to stop anywhere else for pics today and wanting to be as far west as I could to set up my travels for day two, I pushed on westward on 287. I ate dinner at Pizza Hut (big surprise there!) in Childress, Texas. I've visited this same establishment many many times over the years. Last time I was here (on that same trip in 2008) we stopped to eat here and it had been a week since a tornado had come through the town. There was still lots of damage everywhere and even this building was undergoing repairs. There were only a few other people trying to eat there but things were a mess. They were out of some things and, after having only receive a part of our meal for the 6 of us on the trip, we ultimately left and ate dinner at the Sonic up the street. Ironically when I stopped here for dinner tonight, the place was undergoing renovations and was quite torn up. At least this time I was able to eat my delicious pizza and not have to go find food elsewhere. Have I ever mentioned how much I love pizza? Yum!
I pushed on and finally around 9pm, after 15 hours of driving and 829 miles, I pulled into a rest area for the night. I do this on occassion when taking these types of trips so that I don't have to haul my stuff in and out of a hotel every night. I can go clean up in the restrooms so I don't stink too bad. I pulled into a parking spot and with temperatures now hovering in the low 20s, get settled in, and drop a movie in the DVD to help me relax. I didn't make it all the way through before I was eventually attacked and overcome by the sandman. I went to sleep happy. Happy about where I had been and happy about where I was going tomorrow. Happy and blessed with my life. Happy that I wasn't drinking too much Diet Coke or water because I surely didn't want to have to get up and pee in the middle of the night as the temperature continued to drop. I was safe, warm, happy, and fulfilled. Luckily for me the anticipation of tomorrow was not man enough to keep the sandman away. Goodnight Texas and more on the way soon...
About 5 hours into the trip, I started coming across other vehicles that were covered in varying layers of snow. The temperature had now dipped below freezing, and little did I know it would be 3 more days before I would experience anything above 32 degrees. There was no snow on the ground, but I had known from watching the weather (as I talked about in my previous post - to try and see which way I would ultimately go) that this area had some snowfall. As I merged onto I-20 and pointed the Ram towards Texas, I ran across more and more vehicles covered in the cold white stuff. Finally about an hour west of Shreveport I started seeing some accumulation on the ground. This was anticipated, but I had no idea how much it would wind up being. Pushing west the landscape turned into a winter wonderland. It was beautiful. This helped cure the stigmatism I have about this part of the drive. I stopped to get gas and found the pumps covered in wet snow and the windshield washing stations completely frozen over and useless. As I'm cruising towards, and ultimately around Dallas, taking in the wonderment of what looked like an alien planet (I had just traveled through here in November and everything looked both freshly familiar and unfamiliar at the same time) a thought started creeping in the back of my mind and grew stronger by the second...you know kinda like when someone farts in an elevator...the smell comes on slow and eventually takes over. I started to worry about the road conditions as the accumulation grew deeper and deeper. Knowing full well I was headed north and then northwest, for a time I started to wonder if I would have to break off the path and just drop due south and maybe take I-10 or I-20 to New Mexico. But I kept on. After leaving I-20 for Hwy 80, then I-635 around Dallas to I-35E North I came to the exit where I would say goodbye to the interstate system for awhile (except for a small section of interstate around Wichita Falls). Hwy 380 in Denton is the spot where I mentally think of as the beginning of the trip. This highway shoots due west to Decatur and then onto Hwy 287. But here at this spot is the old familiar gas station where we always stopped on our way out west. I remember it fondly. Immediately next to it is the railroad underpass. This is the exact spot where my trip begins, and ultimately ends when I travel back this way heading home. It's always been this way. Back in the day this marked the boundary bewteen big cities and interstates and country highways and small towns. When I pass under that railroad I feel like I'm moving into a new dimension...a new world. Today, this road is succumbing to urban sprawl. It's much more built up than it used to be. Back in the day this was sparsley populated ranches where cows ruled the landscape. Today, while there are still a few ranches hanging on, there are huge houses in subdivisions and the old 2-lane blacktop is being replaced by a 4 lane divided highway. A casualty of this expansion was the old picnic area along the creek we used to stop at and eat lunch so many years ago and so many times. When I traveled this way in 2008 (which turned out to be the last vacation with my Dad) we kept the family tradition alive and stopped here for a picnic lunch among the creek and usual giant ass bumble bees. It warmed my heart to stop and eat at the same place I remember from so long ago. And it looked like a time capsule...same picnic tables and awnings over them...same little creek...and same awesome feeling of being out and about. I wrote about this place in my 2010 blogs. As I passed along I tried to find where this place had been and I think I saw the area...having since been obliterated to pretty much non-existence. My heart was heavy. I wish I would have known beforehand they would wipe it off the face of the earth because I would have tried to buy one of the picnic tables to put in my backyard as a relic. My nostalgia for things like this may be hard for people to understand, but it really does hurt me to know I will never again be able to stop there and enjoy a sandwich while trying to keep from getting pelted by a pack of angry bumble bees trying to take my cold turkey on white. Just a quick note before I move on...I stopped for gas in Decatur and the entire parking lot was iced over...cars and people trying to traverse the parking lot without falling and slamming other cars was quite amusing and worrying at the same time...and this scene would repeat itself a couple more times before I got out of Texas. This was the first time I put my truck in 4-wheel drive but it wouldn't be the last.
So after passing the "starting point" of my trip and seeing all the new development taking over the landcape of Hwy 380 to Decatur, I reached the golden passage of Hwy 287 with 400+ miles of this road ahead of me. I feel like I'm visiting an old friend as I merge onto the familar blacktop. While the route still goes smack through some of the old towns of the Texas plains, more and more it seems as though they are being bypassed for speedier travel. I love going through the quaint little downtowns of these places with familiar names like Goodnight, Chillicothe, and Clarendon. I remember each and every little town. I also remember that I've probably eaten at every Dairy Queen along this stretch of highway. As the road takes me northwest, the snow accumlation varies from time to time. But as I get close to Wichita Falls, it alarms me at how much I'm seeing on the road, and even moreso at the ice patches. Since just before exiting I-35 at Denton I began seeing cars that have slid off the road. I wasn't too concerned until now. More and more tire tracks in the median (that's "neutral ground" to you and me) where people had gone off and some still there, waiting on a tow. I'm sure some tow truck drivers had a hell of a day. At this point I'm now in 4-wheel drive and slowing down so I don't wind up ruining my trip by having to be put on a waiting list to be dragged from a soggy, snowy trap. But over time things got better. The snow didn't go away, but the road conditions improved and thoughts were concentrated on my first little side trip to the ghost town of Medicine Mound. I love little side trips. It's Christmas morning again.
Leaving Hwy 287 and turning onto Avenue H (FM91) in Chillicothe was exhillerating. I love exploring new territory. I had read about and seen pictures of the ghost town of Medicine Mound and I was excited to finally see it for myself. I was also happy that I had planned my leaving time just right for me to get here before the sun went down. Matter of fact I got there right about the time the sun was starting to cast long shadows and things began to glow a warm yellow...also known as the "golden hour"...as opposed to the warm yellow "golden shower"...but this is NOT that kind of blog so I'll steer clear of that. Didn't take but about 20 seconds to leave the confines of the small town and be out on the vast plains along a tiny two-lane road again. A sharp left, then sharp right, then sharp left again and then I'm finally here. At the intersection of FM91 and FM1167 sits the nearly abandoned town I've wanted to visit for quite awhile. I immediately found the old W.W. Cole building (old gas station with rusted-out gas pumps) and the Hicks & Cobbs building (was the old general store and now is a museum). I stopped for some pics, being careful not to slip in the snow, and just enjoyed the fact that I was finally here. I get giddy I'm tellin ya...can't help it. Yes I'm weird but I don't care. I love this stuff. I took some pics of the historical markers for later reading and walked between the two historic buildings. They date back to the 30's and replaced 1800's era buildings that had burned down in the late 20's. The old general store operates as a musem, but it was closed at the time I was there. Being that winter is not much of a travel season I imagine that it only operated during the summer. After spending some time taking pics and just imagining how this place was full of life some 100 years ago, I was planning to drive out...satisfied that I had acheived one of my goals, when I noticed some large brick ruins about 50 yards off the highway. I also noticed that there was a small, snow covered dirt passage way...wouldn't really call it a road...leading back to it. No way was I leaving without exploring. Back in 4-wheel drive, I headed to see what was waiting for me there. I parked and started walking around and realized this had been quite a large building. The brickwork on what was the front wall had some intricacies to it...kinda like an old school or perhaps a courthouse. There were some pieces of other walls standing, but the ground inside and off to one side and the rear was covered in broken timber and tons of bricks...just a victim of time and neglect. I sent some pictures and an e-mail to the website where I found out about the town in the first place to see if they, or any of their readers, knew anything about it. My e-mail to them and my pics can be seen here:
http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasTowns/Medicine-Mound-Texas.htm
I'm hoping someone replies as I'm interested to see what it may have been. After spending some additional time here, I pulled onto FM1167 and headed back towards Hwy 287. After a couple more sharp turns, something up ahead on the right caught my eye and again, that Christmas feeling took over me. I love finding old abandoned farm houses and barns on my backroad trips. This particular house was larger than I usually find on my adventures. It was a rather big abaondoned farmhouse being overcome by nature and time. I stopped to get some pics and explore, hoping that I don't have that same luck that seems to follow me wherever I go...a wild, crazed dog will come from out of nowhere and give me 9 kinds of hell just for being in the same zip code and breathing the same oxygen as him. With a weary eye I start snapping pics and walking closer and closer to the house. Making my way through the thick grass, calf deep snow, and knocked down barbed wire fence (wasn't me I SWEAR), I couldn't help but get close enough to get a good look inside. I could see the tattered walls and an old sofa turned upside down. Just a mess. And as I stare I cannot help but think back to a time when this was someones pride and joy. Someone put a lot of blood, sweat and tears building this place. Kids may have run up and down these stairs thousands of times. Maybe there was lots of love here, and maybe lots of tears. Either way here it sits on this cold winter evening, exposed to the elements and dying a slow, slow death that will ultimatley come. The sound of silence is deafening. It's a sad sad sight. I love stumbling upon these places but it also breaks my heart. I question what happened...why is this once grand place left to die? Why is there no more life here? As a sign in the window just a few miles up the road at Medicine Mound asks, "Where did all the people go?". I mean it when I say these old abandoned places make me think all these things and more. My curiosity runs amuck. At times when I see places like this I have to collect myself and get my head back in the game. I know that one day this place will be long gone and forgotten, but for today it is alive and well in my imagination...kids running and playing...and perhaps walking down stairs in their pajamas with anticipation to see what is waiting for them under that Christmas tree...I know how they feel.
Getting back on the road, the sun is now barely above the western horizon and my visit with the old town is over. Knowing that I was not going to stop anywhere else for pics today and wanting to be as far west as I could to set up my travels for day two, I pushed on westward on 287. I ate dinner at Pizza Hut (big surprise there!) in Childress, Texas. I've visited this same establishment many many times over the years. Last time I was here (on that same trip in 2008) we stopped to eat here and it had been a week since a tornado had come through the town. There was still lots of damage everywhere and even this building was undergoing repairs. There were only a few other people trying to eat there but things were a mess. They were out of some things and, after having only receive a part of our meal for the 6 of us on the trip, we ultimately left and ate dinner at the Sonic up the street. Ironically when I stopped here for dinner tonight, the place was undergoing renovations and was quite torn up. At least this time I was able to eat my delicious pizza and not have to go find food elsewhere. Have I ever mentioned how much I love pizza? Yum!
I pushed on and finally around 9pm, after 15 hours of driving and 829 miles, I pulled into a rest area for the night. I do this on occassion when taking these types of trips so that I don't have to haul my stuff in and out of a hotel every night. I can go clean up in the restrooms so I don't stink too bad. I pulled into a parking spot and with temperatures now hovering in the low 20s, get settled in, and drop a movie in the DVD to help me relax. I didn't make it all the way through before I was eventually attacked and overcome by the sandman. I went to sleep happy. Happy about where I had been and happy about where I was going tomorrow. Happy and blessed with my life. Happy that I wasn't drinking too much Diet Coke or water because I surely didn't want to have to get up and pee in the middle of the night as the temperature continued to drop. I was safe, warm, happy, and fulfilled. Luckily for me the anticipation of tomorrow was not man enough to keep the sandman away. Goodnight Texas and more on the way soon...
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