Tag Archives: drive

The Adventure Begins …

Teardrop Trail Log: June 12, 2016. Red Power Roundup trip start.

Building, modifying, cleaning, planning and packing complete, the day of departure finally arrived. If we didn’t have it, we didn’t need it. We left midday, intending to reach Lake Bob Sandlin State Park in northeast Texas by early evening. Marilyn had a route, and it looked like a great day for travel.

All went well for the first hour or two and we joined I-35 at Round Rock. It was Sunday and I commented on how well traffic was moving. I must have jinxed it, because we encountered the first construction shortly after around Salado, and it continued all the way to Waco. What should have been an hour took more that two. Not a great start.

American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea)

To avoid further construction, we turned onto Highway 31 towards Corsicana, reasoning we would see the back country, and go through a few quaint, small towns. The scenery was beautiful, and we encountered a vast expanse of American Water Lilies in Henderson County between Trinidad and Malakoff. We pulled into the roadside park to make photos. The sky was threatening however, with consequences later in the day.

The sky threatened …

Turning north on Highway 19 at Athens, Texas, we were still making good time. Marilyn wanted to head northeast, more directly toward the state park. At Canton, we turned onto FM 17 (a two-lane “farm to market” road). More great scenery. Lush fields of hay with stands of tall pine trees dotted the landscape, set off by a dramatic sky. Although not Interstate speeds, we were sailing along when …

A fiery road-block near Fruitvale, Texas

We encountered a blazing car fire with traffic stopped in both directions. Sitting in the long line of cars for about 10 minutes, it was clear that it might be hours before the road opened. We had to go back. Now I had to turn our rig around on a narrow, two-lane road with no shoulders and no place to pull out — all with an audience of the several dozen.

Perfect.

Marshaling my best backing skills, I completed the U-turn in a few minutes. Thank goodness our rig is small. Anything larger and we would have been stuck. Retracing our steps back to Canton, we took I-20 West and re-joined Highway 19.

By now the light was fading, and we would have to set up in the dark. We’ve done it before, and it’s not so bad. Then it started to rain. Hard. Driving toward Sulphur Springs, the downpour worsened, with poor visibility as well. Perhaps a nice motel room would be best.

Reaching Sulphur Springs and I-30, we headed east toward Mount Pleasant. Marilyn called ahead and made a reservation. Arriving around 10, we loaded into the room in the pouring rain. Although low cost, a warm, dry room seems like a palace when compared with setting up in a dark, rainy campsite. Roughing it in a Motel 6 is still camping, right?

Mt. Pleasant Motel

Planning Our Latest Adventure on the Teardrop Trail

Marilyn, July 25:

We got a jump start on this year’s trip as we pulled out of the Missouri State Fairgrounds in June of 2015. Someone mentioned that camping spaces would be very limited for the 2016 Red Power Round Up, so upon our return to Roy Creek Ranch, I got online and booked reservations for one of the coveted campsites.

I love planning trips and I’ve never been one to wing it. It is inspiring, like putting together a multi-dimensional puzzle. Making dreams reality. I started by making list of places we might want to visit on the route from Roy Creek Ranch to Red Power Round Up in Union Grove Wisconsin and the adventure home. I used Google Maps to get the distances between points of interest, inviting restaurants and camping possibilities. Then we have an idea of how long it will take to get to the next stop and the possible route. This list helps to answer the question, “Are we there yet?” Yes, adults still ask this time-honored question.

The next step was to create a list of optional activities in the states we’d be driving through. I’d put out an inquiry on Facebook to get recommendations from friends for must-see attractions. An extensive Internet search followed, investigating possibilities along the route. I compiled a list of activities and points of interest. The list included Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Taliesin, House on the Rock, Pullman National Monument and more.

Road atlas detail

In the past, we used Jim’s well-loved 2004 Road Master Atlas to plan our trips on the Teardrop Trail, but this year, he got us a New National Geographic Road Atlas, Adventure Edition. We sat down with the with the new atlas and sticky notes to mark the points of interest along our route.

I revisited many of the check lists I found online to make sure that we had everything for this trip. On the trip to West Texas, someone had forgotten a pair of flip flops. Some of our other treks have taken us off the retail track, making replacing forgotten items a challenge if not impossible.

As the departure date approached, details came into focus and reservations were made for the first two legs of our trip, but this would be a different kind of excursion down the Teardrop Trail – one without a complete itinerary. Another travel blogger ascribed luck as an important aspect of the trip. After our stop in Kansas City, we would be planning as we traveled. Each stop at a visitors’ center or tourism office could bring a wealth of new maps, magazines and opportunities. It would now be plan-as-you-go with a dash of serendipity thrown in.

Travel brochures

Wildflowers in the Big Bend

Teardrop Trail Log: March 27, 2016

We were a little early for the big flush of wildflowers, but there were quite a few blooms — especially cactus — anyway. These are a few of the beauties we encountered in the Big Bend area.

: Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

: Greenstem Paperflower (Psilostrophe sparsiflora (A. Gray))

: Buttercup (Ranunculus macranthus)

: Strawberry Pitaya Cactus (Echinocereus enneacanthus)

: Purple Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia macrocentra)

: Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Hiking the Santa Elena Canyon

Teardrop Trail Log: March 26, 2016

After a lunch break at Castolon, we drove on to the Santa Elena Canyon entrance. The park ranger in Castolon mentioned that parking might be a problem, and we could see why as we approached the canyon. It’s a very popular attraction in the Big Bend, and a modest amount of parking. Cars were parked on either side of the entrance road for quite a distance. Luckily, someone had just left, creating a space, and we slipped right in. Another advantage of a smaller vehicle! A short walk on the road, and we entered the trail.

Switchbacks!

It starts out with a longish beach “paved” with boards which really help with the deep sand. A turn or two and you get the first unobstructed view of the canyon. Amazing. With walls up to 1500 feet directly bordering the river, the views are really dramatic. After crossing Terlinqua Creek, you begin climbing the improved trail on the U.S. side of the river. A series of switchbacks consisting of paving and stairs, form the first part of the trail.

The view from the top

With a vertical rise of several hundred feet, the 1.7 mile trail provides a decent workout, but a walking stick is helpful as the trail is on the edge of cliff faces at several points along the trail. Great views, but a little challenging for those who aren’t as sure-footed or suffer from vertigo. The paving ends once you reach the highest point of the trail.

The trail near the river

Later, the trail descends back down to the river level with sandy, grass and plant-lined paths that end up at the river. It’s very shallow here, and in places you can walk across the river to the Mexican side — many hikers do. In all, we spent 2-3 hours enjoying the canyon and taking photos. One of the most spectacular experiences I have had on the Teardrop Trail yet!

Near the end of the trail

Adobe Architecture in the Big Bend

Teardrop Trail Log: March 26, 2016

In Castolon, we encountered the Alvino House, named for Alvino Ybarra who lived there with his family from 1918 to 1957. It was originally built in 1901 by Cipriano Hernandez, who irrigated the bottomland to grow melons, pumpkins, squash and beans. To make extra income, he operated a store out of the house and tended the steam-powered cotton gin. It is the oldest adobe structure in the park, and represents the everyday life of families who lived and farmed along the Rio Grande.