Westward Ho

Isn't that the title of a new country rap song?

Left Hondo this morning and arrived on Wagner RV's doorstep around 8:45. He was ready for me and installed the hitch on the RV in no time flat. That guy's a magician, and that system by Blue Ox, is just outstanding. I watched as he installed the hitch and connected everything to the tow plate, which had been installed on the car last week. By the way, I expected to see some really ugly apparatus protruding from the front of my sporty little car, but it is sharp! Two prongs come out of the grill, and they're removable if I care to. I think I'll leave them on: it looks like I'm spear-hunting.

The hitch assembly is so easy. I had heard people, women in particular, brag about how simple to join/separate the system is, but I'm still amazed. Sonny Wagner, who chose the system, really knows his stuff! I'm really happy with it.

Anyway, he was finished by 10:AM, so Van Go, Oor, Spike, Annie, and I set off with hardly a backward glance. I did email Shari at the Lone Star Corral and thanked her, Nancy and Bette for all they did to further my efforts to find the car and get it joined to the RV. I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.

After spending last night with the roof vents and one window wide open all night, I had heard it raining pretty well in the middle of the night. I bounced out of bed and closed everything up, and by the time we arose at about 7:30 am, things had already dried out. Not much of a rain for poor ol' Hondo, and they really need it.

We headed west, and by the time we got to Del Rio at about 2:PM, I needed lunch. We pulled into a Walmart there and picked up burgers. The weather had turned COLD! I didn't have so much as a sweater on and just about froze to death just getting from the RV to the store and back. We downed our burgers and headed out again.

Del Rio has an Air Force base, I noticed: Laughlin.

The wind had been blowing very hard to whole trip, and continued as we passed through Del Rio. Shortly outside of town, I thought I caught a glimpse of bright blue out the passenger side window. I looked a little harder and it was a huge lake. Turns out it was Amistad Lake, part of Amistad National Recreation Area. Very clear, blue water. The wind was so high the whole lake was covered with whitecaps. From a distance, it looked like boats, but it was much too cold for boating. The rest of the area, however, is desert. Not too attractive, unless you like deserts.

Further west on Hwy 90 is Seminole Canyon State Historical Park, at which we did not stop. I was trying to get to Alpine before dark. Just as we were approaching a very small town (?) called Langtry, we passed over a gorgeous red rock gorge, through which the clear, blue Pecos River was running. If I'd had a brain, I'd have taken some photos, but I breezed right through, oohing and ahhing the whole way. Idiot! Ditto Amistad Lake.

I saw many Border Patrol vehicles on this route, and didn't realize how near the Texas/Mexico border I was 'til I later looked in my road atlas. Just outside of Comstock, there was an immigration checkpoint at which I was questioned as to "the nationality of all those in the RV".

Pushing on and watching the gas gauge plummet, I filled the tank in Dryden, and saw a sign saying "Alpine 104 miles". By this time, the temperature has reached about 40 degrees F, and my tolerance for the monotony of the road, plus the pain in my hands from gripping the wheel the whole way, had exceeded what I was willing to bear, so I decided to stop for the night in Marathon. Not much to say about Marathon: I'm too darn tired.

We'll start fresh in the morning.

Marathon Tx Elev: 4055