Monday 22nd November 2010:

Today’s American tour is the Carlsbad Caverns, an impressive limestone complex of caves that extend tens of miles underground. One has to comment on the presentation of this unique structure.

Sloping walkways that extend all 1.25miles underground to explore the caverns then a 75 story elevator to return the visitors to the surface. Quite impressive!

So is the cave itself, the ‘Big Room’ is one of the largest open cavities open to exploration with all the usual stalactites and stalagmites etc. Well worth the visit.

Now heading south to the Guadeloupe Mountains, and into TEXAS.

Here we decided not to stay but at the information centre met Gerry Breen who is cycling around the world. His wife died of cancer last year and this is his way of drawing attention to the disease. In his 3 wheeler bike he started in Florida with central and South America next, followed by Australia, Africa and back to his home in the UK. Surprising Gerry was born in Brisbane our home town...as they say small world!  You can see Gerry’s blog at www.GerryBreen.com just drill down to his tour..a fascinating and inspirational guy.

Heading to Big Bend national Park our camp tonight is at a road side rest area just out of Van Horn.

Camp 11:  Van Horn Rest Area on interstate 10  

N30*02.562 W104* 45.184 

Distance Today: 287 Kms

Total Distance: 3041 Kms

Date: Tuesday 23rd November 2010:

Travelling overland like this is a world of discovery but today we had and out of world experience. Crossing the Chihuahuan Desert and taking the 118 south we stumbled across the McDonnell's Observatory and decided to drop in and see what it was all about. We left eleven, yes eleven, hours later!

By chance it was a Tuesday only one of three days a week they have a full program. Our universal experience started with looking at the sun through a huge telescope with the image projected on a large screen. Sun spots, solar flares, all appeared before our eyes as it was actually happening, well less the 9 minutes it took the light to get to earth, now that we are fully informed! The female presenter was obviously as excited about the subject as we were in hearing here wealth of knowledge.

All this was good but the evening Twilight Education program followed by the Star Party was GREAT! The Twilight Program covered an introduction to the planets, stars, galaxies, firstly inside with a slide presentation then after dusk in the amphitheatre and laser pointer a star tour.

The temperature was dropping and before the next segment it was on with the thermals and more and a hot chocolate or two.

The sky tour continued with Jupiter, the Constellations, and the connection of the star signs and the suns path through the sky. Interesting is that there should really be 13 star signs including Ophiuchus and that the time line for the actual path of the sun through the star signs is between 2 weeks and 5 weeks, not the 4 weeks as in our papers.

Then it really got interesting with individual views through several high powered telescopes looking at: the 4 moons of Jupiter including Io, a binary star, the cloud nebula of Pegasus, and the moons creators in detail.

We walked away very much enlightened.

Camp was in a rest area only two kilometres down the road.

Camp 12:  McDonald Observatory Camp

N30*41.192 W104* 02.058 

Distance Today: 170 Kms

Total Distance: 3211 Kms

Wednesday 24th November 2010:

Further south at Alpine saw us topping up our supplies before Big Bend National Park. With the US holiday of Thanksgiving on Thursday this week we decided to celebrate it with Corned Beef with vegetables cooked in our Dream Pot followed by Pecan Pie.

In the food store we could not find custard and on asking a very friendly and most helpful local informed us that custard is known as “depression food” and there for not available. She went on to say that most Americans have moved away from buying fresh ingredients and mainly purchase pre-packaged. 

Arriving at the Big Bend national Park around 2pm we checked in at the visitor centre and left armed with maps etc and promptly headed for Chisos Basin for camp.

Deciding to do a short walk on the Lost Mine Trail was some exercise we needed.

Something a little different from our trails was this sign.

...and the wild life.

Returned to the camp site only to find that all the positions were allocated, it was then a quick drive the 15kms back to the visitor’s station for selection of another spot before closure. Everything being pre allocated.

‘Back Country Camping’ suits us, and Rice Camp was our choice.

Rice Tank Camp is a stony desert camp beside a disused farm tank, in the distance fabulous mountain views.

Dinner Cajun Chicken and a couple of bottles of red wine!

Camp 13:  Rice Tank Camp  

N29*13.800 W103* 09.995 

Distance Today: 297 Kms      

Total Distance: 3499 Kms

Thursday 25th November 2010- Thanksgiving

Started the day with pancakes and maple syrup in trying to do the Thanksgiving Day theme, we also put on tonight’s dinner in the Dream Pot to cook all day.

A slow start to the day but on the road by 10am to the Rio Grande Village via picturesque desert scenery.

Here was free WiFi and outside the small shop we met Frank and Rita e-mailing their family. Actually as Lyn was attempting to open a bear proof bin to place our rubbish, Frank came over and showed her how and said “Are you Lyn”. Only moments before, and on seeing our vehicle he immediately Googled ‘GoannaTracks’ and voila.

Talking lead to a lunch invitation, and on to a most enjoyable afternoon. It was special to spend Thanksgiving with such a lovely couple. With our camp site already pre-booked we eventually had to move on.

Where the Rio Grande River cuts through the escarpment, we do a quick walk down the trail, along which are native souvenirs made by the Mexicans living on the other side of the shallow river.

Already the sun is low and a two hour drive along the rough river road; we arrive just on sunset at Loop Camp. Positioned above the Rio Grande here the river loops around us on three sides. We have a back drop of the Chisos Mountains to our North (in USA) and we look to the East, South and West over Mexico. 

....and our Thanksgiving dinner tasted great!

Camp 14:  Rio Grande Loop Camp

N29*01.672  W103* 19.960

Distance Today: 107 Kms

Total Distance: 3606 Kms

Date: Friday 26th November 2010:

Following the rest of the stony River Road west we reached Elena Canyon where again the Rio Grande cut its way through uplifted mountains. The short walk leads us to the 9 meter narrowest gorge and on our return destiny leads us again to catch up with Frank and Rita.

West again, all the time following the USA/Mexico border and the Rio Grande River, now on the newly bitumened road towards Lajitas and finally Presido.

Finally turning north for our camp is outside Marfa, but first a highly recommended pizza at the Pizza Foundation in a disused service station. Camp is 8 miles east at the viewing point for the Marfa Lights. This is a phenomenon that has many theories from UFO’s, to swamp gases, and the Ghosts of Comanche Indians, however despite constantly looking skyward numerous times during the night we did not see any lights. (Disappointed - yes)

Camp 15:   Marfa Min Min Lights Camp

N30*16.522  W103* 52.934 

Distance Today: 337 Kms

Total Distance: 3944 Kms

Saturday 27th November 2010

On reviewing our planned route Lyn decides that Dallas looked a good place to visit, despite the fact that I reminded her that Dallas was 500plus miles (750kms) further east than where we were...you simply cannot negotiate with a good woman that has her heart set on something. Aaannndddd tonight there is a rodeo in town that starts at 8pm so that would be good to see!!!

At 9am we leave the camp spot where the temperature is just creeping above the night’s minimum of minus 2.8DegreesC.

Past huge fields of pumpkins and chillies.

Past Texan oil fields that seem to stretch endlessly into the distance.

And past the oil’s replacement energy source of wind power.

We sit all day on 90-105kph (60-70MPH) on Interstate 20 and the distances on the Nuvi slowly reduce.

Around 6.30pm some 10 hours later, Debbie’s voice from the Nuvi (nicknamed from Debbie does Dallas) guides us gently into an all night car park only meters from the Rodeo event.

Following dinner of some great steaks at the Cattlemen’s Steakhouse it was off to the cow riding, horse bucking and cattle roping events of the evening. Yes it was fun, even I have to admit a little to that.

Camp 16:    Rodeo Camp

N32*47.244  W097* 20.847 

Distance Today: 787 Kms

Total Distance: 4732 Kms

Sunday 28th November 2010:

Dallas: There are certain dates in history that burn into your memory banks. Such was 22nd November 1963 when the US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald on Elm Street Dallas.

We visited the 6th Floor Museum that narrates in minute by minute in detail what happened leading up to and beyond that infamous date. As a 13 year old school boy at that time surprisingly the experience today still moves you to the core. This is one well presented historic document.

The picture shows the view of the 6th floor window of the School Book Depository where Oswald was positioned and the ‘X’ in the road where the unfortunate happened.

The moments in time that have changed the history of the world are part of our unforgettable memory.

Just prior to the above event was the “Bay of Pigs” when for some 13 days the world stood on the edge of nuclear holocaust. Such moments are also is the death of Martin Luther King, Princess Dianna, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and of course 911.

It was good to leave with the feeling of being ‘touched’ by the memory.

Turning to a completely new page our next stop was the North Park Shopping centre, over 2 million square feet of retail therapy. Our travel home carry volume is limited so no fun going crazy there, but it was good window shopping.

Returning to our last night’s car park camp in Cowtown/Fort Worth we stood by the street whilst they did the long horn cattle drive down the main street. Then marguerites and smoked ribs at a local cafe to finish the day.

Yes the long drive was worth it...but don’t tell Lyn!

Camp 17:  Same Camp Rodeo

N32*47.244  W097* 20.847 

Distance Today: 149 Kms

Total Distance: 4881 Kms