On the second day of January,
we departed Alpine and continued west of US 90, headed to El Paso, for a visit
with cousins Helen and Richard. We toured around Marfa, and culminated our tour
with lunch. Marfa, founded as a railroad water-stop, is now an arts community.
It’s situated in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos region, between the Davis
Mountains and Big Bend. The attractive
Presidio County Courthouse is the centerpiece of Marfa. Due to the current cold
weather, we elected not to pursue the “Marfa Lights”.
At Valentine, a railroad town,
founded in Jeff Davis County on Valentine’s Day, we saw “Prada Marfa”. The tiny
town has some interesting ruins and lots of current shacks. Valentine’s Day is
their “big day” and a drive-through town satisfied our curiosity.
Next was Culberson’s county’s
Van Horn, US 90’s western terminus at I-10, situated on the western edge of the
Central Time Zone. It was cold and windy, but we admired the mountain views
around Van Horn.
Our general observations on US
90 between Alpine and Van Horn, were the beautiful mountain panoramas,
observing the birds and wildlife, and the high desert plants. Unfortunately,
lots of birds, deer, javelena, rabbits, coyotes, pronghorn, and other wildlife,
meet their demise by motorists. The long, desolate stretches of US 90 see lots
of traffic but most motorists drive too fast.
On I-10, we continued west to
El Paso, and a campsite at the Mission RV Park. Along I-10, we enjoyed the Sierra Blanca
mountain views, the Sierra Blanca Pass, panoramic views of the Rio Grande
Valley, and the stunning lights of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.
Sierra Blanca is the 1881
completion point of the long-sought southern transcontinental railway and still
maintains their old Hudspeth County, adobe courthouse.
When I look at the lights of
El Paso, I always think of Marty Robbins song:
“Out in the West Texas town of
El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican
girl
Nighttime would find me in
Rosa's cantina
Music would play and Felina
would whirl”
That closes-out 2017!
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