5-12-19 Southeast from Van Horn on US 90

... is a trip. You can see stereotypical, atypical, and quirky West Texas in a 70-mile stretch on US 90 from Van Horn to Marfa.  It can take less than an hour to drive, but do not rush it.

See the stereotypical Western vistas that might seem like a movie set, endless horizon, distant mountains, ranches, and historical marker.

And listen to the silence (turn up the volume), punctuated by a few birds and an occasional car imperceptibly approaching, roaring by, then disappearing back into the vastness. Hear the silence and birds again.

Then the atypical--but only to a point.

And the quirky.  Marfa Prada.  Or maybe Prada Marfa. Whatever.

Who thinks of these things?

If you want more on the road from Van Horn to Marfa, go here. For Marfa Prada (or Prada Marfa) specifically, here.




5-12-19 Marfa, TX

Marfa, TX is pretty unique. You might call it the artistic capital of West Texas, but I suspect both Marfans and W. Texans would object. No matter; it's worth a visit. I went by Marfa last year on the way north from Big Bend, and on the way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park (via Van Horn), but it was nighttime and I hadn't a clue. So this year I got a clue and made a point of visiting Marfa during the day.

Lots of artistic activity around; I spent most of my time at the Chinati Foundation. Totally worth a visit, but only if you're ok with minimalist, non-representational art and installations. I'd never seen or heard the works of any of the artists featured here, most notably its founder, artist Donald Judd. Still was a fascinating and mesmerizing visit.

More Chinati photos here. And a video of the Judd installation, "15 untitled works in concrete, 1980-1984" (with a visitor), here.




5-13-19 Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, and the border

The blimpy thing you see in the third picture (above) is part of the Tethered Aerostat Radar System, or TARS, watch over the southern U.S. border. I saw one of them on the ground as I drove through W. Texas.

In Brownsville, deep in the southern tip of Texas plunging into Mexico and the Gulf, is the Sabal Palm Sanctuary, a 557-acre preserve, right on the Rio Grande, protecting the last of the Sabal palm forests. It's wild, junglish, and filled with the sounds of birds cackling at each other, like old couples who argue out of habit more than anything else. If you watch the video to the end, you can catch a (limited) glimpse of the Rio Grande, or as the Mexicans call it, Rio Bravo.

I stopped by the National Butterfly Center, about an hour north of Brownsville, but there had just been a torrential downpour, so all the butterflies had taken cover and were waiting for their wings to dry. I did manage to see one lonely butterfly; maybe 2. Other pictures here. You can see how wet it was. It must be truly glorious when the place is dry and kinetic with color. But I learned that the Center is threatened by Trump's build-a-wall plans, where he wants to build hundreds of feet in from the River, clearing out the vegetation and habitat, and creating a 24-hour day with floodlights.

The guy at the center told me it would be disastrous ecologically. He doesn't oppose a wall, but can't understand why they don't simply build the wall at the river and spare the wildlife.  The issue will be decided (surprise) in court.

There is considerable evidence  of the "wall issue," and more generally, stepped up border enforcement.

From what I saw, it would be an exaggeration to say the border has been militarized, but the Border Patrol is definitely a presence, the white and green CBP trucks ubiquitous.

I was particularly struck by this scene... a CBP truck standing guard (on the left), silently menacing would-be intruders, near the entrance to the Sabal Palm Sanctuary. Sanctuary is only for trees. I suppose the birds and other creatures are ok too.











5-14-19 Palo Alto Battlefield and Corpus Christi Hooks

Just outside of Brownsville there is the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park commemorating the first major battle of the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48. Along with the Louisiana Purchase and other 19th century events, this battle and the war that followed fundamentally changed the North American political map. A display at the visitors' center shows how the conquest led to the US's doubling in size.

Outside you can see the battlefield,

read the historical markers,

and imagine the brutal bloody conflict, one of an interminable string of such conflicts the world over, before and since, for territory and dominion. See a video and more pictures.

And then for something completely different... on to Corpus Christi (or just "Corpus" as the locals say) for some minor league baseball at Whataburger Field, home of the CC Hooks.

A wonderful little stadium with a view of one of the many bridges

connecting chunks of mainland and islands in this coastal city and its surroundings.

At night, the bridge turns an iridescent blue.

The whole experience had a sort of small hometown feel that I've never experienced at an MLB park. Maybe it was the organ playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh inning stretch rather than the deafening racket and relentlessly concussive sound systems I'm used to. Or maybe it was the modest prices... $15 for a ticket almost on the field, which would have cost 10x that at an MLB park. And the baseball was pretty good, I'd say about 75% of the quality you get in the big leagues.  So 75% of the baseball for 10% of the price and a better more relaxing experience (unquantifiable). Bummer there are no minor league teams around where I live.

5-15-19 Refugio, Goliad and Texas, American, & Mexican wars

Leaving Corpus, over the bridge visible from Whataburger Field, and blue at night, up through southeastern Texas.

In 1836, Refugio was the site of an legendary battle in Texas' war of independence against Mexico. The Texans were defeated at Refugio but apparently inflicted serious damage to the Mexican army. A park, statue, and plaques celebrate the fallen Texans.

25 miles north of Refugio is Presidio La Bahía in Goliad. This was an important Spanish outpost founded in 1721 and the site of storied battles during Texans' war against Mexico. This piece of land was much fought over; political control changed 9 times after the Spanish first claimed the area in 1519. The fortress itself is elegant and imposing. The surrounding land is green with splashes of colorful wildflowers.

5-18-19 Gulf Coast and Crabbin in Loosiana

Headed down to Gulf Coast in Texas,

where the refineries and occasional houses populate the landscape in and around Port Arthur.

Just past Port Arthur, vacation houses populate Pleasure Island.

See more here. Sometimes they're across the road from refineries.

But usually not.

Then just past Pleasure Island you enter Louisiana, right on the Gulf Coast,

land of bayous, Creole,

and blue crabs.

Lots of locals catch and feast on these big boys. This couple showed me their catch of the day while we waited for the ferry to get to Pecan Island.

The ferry trip was an unexpected joy ride. Even saw some dolphins. Watch carefully and listen for the yelling. Then on to Pecan Isl.

From Pecan Isl, east to NOLA

to pick up Highway 61 and begin the trip up the Mighty Mississip.

North up US 61, Blues Highway turns into Great River Road, with a "Little Dixie" dash in Missouri

Trip north began in LaPlace, a little town just north of NO,

and ended where Hwy 61 ends in Wyoming, MN.

Here's a view of 61's path from space. (Full disclosure: I didn't take this picture.)

What starts out as the "Blues Highway" in the South

becomes the "Great River Road" somewhere in Missouri (where it's also dubbed "Little Dixie Highway," a bow to Missouri's border state past),

into Iowa, along the border first with Illinois,

then on north in Wisconsin and finally Minnesota.

This last stretch of the river (which goes past Wyoming to its source at Lake Itasca--I didn't make it that far, but next time for sure!) is known as the "Upper Mississippi."

You can read more about Hwy 61 here. And you can sing along with Dylan, in English or Spanish, here.







5-20-19 Vicksburg to Memphis via Mississippi Delta

Called the "The Most Southern Place on Earth," the Mississippi Delta is an alluvial plane that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. It's mostly in the northwest section of Mississippi with portions in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Its heritage ranges from horrific to inspired. The exploitation of successive generations of Africans did not end with slavery. Plantations provided high quality cotton to the industrial north and England. White owners amassed incomparable wealth from some of the richest soil anywhere. Blues musicians changed the face of music in the US and around the world. See post on the Blues Museum a half-hour south of Memphis. And read more about the Mississippi Delta (not to be confused with the Mississippi River Delta at the mouth of the Mississippi River in New Orleans).

It had been an unusually wet winter and spring when I drove through the Delta; you can see high water, roads washed out, houses half-submerged.

Maybe two-thirds of the way from Vicksburg to Memphis is Clarksdale, home to many blues musicians and a center of blues culture and history. Clarksdale is at the crossroads of Hwys 61 and 49,

where, legend has it, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. How else to explain his otherworldly virtuosity?

There's a blues museum in Clarksdale,

  but I couldn't find it. I probably didn't look hard enough.
Then continuing north on 61 is Tunica.

Past Tunica I stopped by a roadside stand called "61 Produce" for some boiled peanuts,

contemplated where I was headed after I die,

then rolled into Memphis.


If you've not had enough of the Delta and want to see moving pictures, click here, and you can almost smell the humidity.