It occurs to me, of all the states I have lived in, Texas, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, none have been “land locked.” I have always had access to the ocean. Maybe it required a drive for five hours, but I could still get there in a weekend. So as I sit at the picnic table at White Sands Monument observing the different families, I realize this “monument” is not just a tourist attraction for nomads and bucket listers. Continue reading
My brother Don is three years older than me. We have mutual childhood friends our respective ages, George and his younger brother Fred. We had a lot in common as kids. We all grew up on a farm, and Fred and I shared a mutual love of music since “the early years.” Still to this day, Fred is the only person to whom I can say “They just don’t make music like they used to,” and know he feels my same pain.
It’s the autumn of 1966. Football season is winding down, while basketball season is in full swing in Small Town Texas. Camaraderie is fierce during this time of year, with parades, floats, band practice, and giant homecoming mums. So it doesn’t take long for word to spread among the small town community that there has been an “accident.” Continue reading
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is just thirty miles up the road from Guadalupe Mountain National Park, so it seems like a “no brainer” to make the detour. Though I have to admit, my heart wasn’t really in it. Maybe it was because I had already been there as a child on one of my parents many road trips out west. Or maybe it was because Continue reading
I really wanted to climb Guadalupe Peak. As the tallest mountain in Texas, it seemed like the thing to do as a native Texan in a “love hate” relationship with her home state. 😉 But an eight mile climb with over 3,000 ft elevation gain is a little beyond my abilitiy Continue reading
To be honest, I had never even heard of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park until I started my bucket list quest to visit as many of our National Parks as possible. And I’ve lived in Texas most of my life. So it speaks for the notoriety of such a park that gets no respect, Continue reading
The convergence of sunrise and moon set over Santa Elena Canyon
Leave it to Lynne to have some fancy app on her phone that tells the exact position the moon will be setting on any given day. She had done her homework to learn that it would be setting right in the crack of Santa Elena Canyon on the morning after the full moon….as I understand it, a one out of 365 day chance to hit the “sweet spot.” Continue reading
Continuing on with my “Big Ben Top Ten” series, here is the next installment. Thanks to those who are following along with my Top Ten countdown, even though it may be somewhat predictable. 😉 Continue reading
Continuing where we left off, here is Part Two of my “Big Bend Top Ten” List:
7. TERLINGUA GHOST TOWN – We met a couple of characters in the Hot Springs who said we should head on over to Terlingua for some good live music and cold beer. Continue reading
I have always been a bit of a “park snob” when it comes to Texas parks, sensing they were only for bass and crappie fishermen, or Texas rednecks looking for a cheap weekend getaway. I didn’t hold out much hope for Big Bend, being out in the far remote reaches of West Texas. Continue reading
Arriving at the Marfa Lights Viewing station, I am impressed to find such a fancy structure erected all for the purpose of viewing lights on the horizon which may or may not exist. The “Marfa Mystery Lights” have been reported to appear in various colors, darting about the horizon on a clear night, morphing into varied shapes. There are many theories as to the cause of the lights Continue reading