West Texas is where its at!

Hi Friends, on Monday 2/13 the weather cleared and we drove from Roswell into West Texas with an unplanned stop at Carlsbad Cavern. Our planned trip to Lubbock was snowed out and the pipes froze in Roswell so it was time to head farther south. We had traveled on route 285 from close to Santa Fe to Roswell and then continued south to Carlsbad and finally to our camping spot for the night in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Carlsbad is one of the biggest caverns in the world and is both a national park and world heritage site so we couldn't exactly complain about our trip being diverted. We did a fabulous walking tour of the cavern including the mile long trail from ground level. Everyone should go here once in their lives. I took a few snaps but didn't bring the tripod so no photos of Carlsbad but there are tons on line if you wanna check it out.  http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm

Hiking down into the cave entrance (taken with my I phone)

No one ever sees the cave site from ground level. . . .pretty spectacular location on top of a mesa

We then headed on to Texas across the dry, dusty, Chihuahuan desert. Oh my, as soon as we crossed the border it felt like we were in a different country and I guess alot of Texans would agree.

What can I say, I like this shot!

Gotta love the bullet holes. . . Route 285 into Texas is not exactly upscale

This is the first official rest stop after entering Texas. . . . Just kidding.

The first real town you hit on Rt 285 is Pecos, a very depressed town with one big claim to fame

By the way Texas apparently has more of these history markers than any state in the US. Unfortunately as Howard Zinn points out in his classic book "Lies Across America," These signs seem to leave out all historical facts that don't involve white people conquering, whipping and winning and you can be sure that in every instance the "cowboys" "soldiers," "Texas Rangers," "white settlers," etc. always come out in top.

If you look closely at this sign you will see why so many towns in rural America have lost their downtown shopping districts. If you look even more closely you will see that this same problem is coming right out of this horse's ass! (below)

You can see that things are booming downtown

Well at least there's BBQ. . . .but darn it is closed too!

We tried to catch some music in Fort Stockton but Monday is not the night! 

Well we got the hell out of Pecos and finally stopped for the night in Fort Stockton at Camanche Land RV Park. . . . you gotta love it. 

Our time in West Texas was framed by the country music we heard on the radio. There was one song in particular that Bay Area types and city folk in general will surely "cotton" to. Check out these lyrics and then saddle on over to you tube and watch the video. This is my favorite new country song. y'all come back now, ya hear!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XB2peAKwOA&ob=av2e

Can't Even Bait a Hook by Justin Moore

I heard you had to drive him home after two umbrella drinks

I heard he's got a Prius, 'cause he's into bein' green

My buddies said he saw ya'll, eatin' that sushi stuff

Baby that don't sound like you, that don't sound like love, sounds like it sucks...

(Chorus)

He can't even bait a hook

He can't even skin a buck

He don't know who Jack Daniels is

He ain't ever drove a truck

Knows how to throw out a line, but not the kind in a field and stream book

No darlin' I ain't even worried, you'll come runnin' back

He can't even bait a hook.

Has he kissed you in a hay field as the summer rain falls down?

Has he took you to meet his mama, back in his home town?

Does he drive the interstate, or take them old back roads?

Can he melt your heart with a country song, every good old boy should know?

I didn't think so...

(Chorus)

It won't be that long, 'till you start gettin' bored

I'll be smilin' on the river, realin' in one more...

He can't even bait a hook

He can't even skin a buck

Hell he don't know who Jack Daniels is

He ain't ever drove a truck

Knows how to throw out a line, but not the kind in a field and stream book

No darlin' I ain't even worried, cause you'll come runnin' back

He can't even bait a hook

No baby I ain't even worried

He can't even bait a hook

Now Davy Crockett could bait a hook and a lot more. As Davy says "Be sure you are right, then go ahead." . . . .sounds like a plan. Davy Crockett is the hero of West Texas, this statue is in Ozona. If you do a little research you will learn that the myth of Davy Crockett was largely created by the Disney sponsored TV show that we used to watch as a kid, but in West Texas the legend lives on. . . .