FAW3
Adventurer
In January 2022 I decided to make a run out to West Texas from my home in Virginia. I wanted to re-visit Big Bend NP and the interesting areas nearby (“nearby” may be a somewhat optimistic term in the context of far west Texas). The total trip lasted 4 weeks. I had a bit over 2 full weeks in West Texas and the other time was basically running to/from home. Not my first rodeo out this way so that should be a hint that this wonderful region offers a wide range of terrain and discovery worth coming back for...this area offers desolate desert terrain, high mountains, clear running rivers, old forts, great food and neat little towns come together and make a great composite destination.
My rig is a '05 Ram 3500 4x4 with a flatbed with a slide in type Four Wheel Hawk with storage boxes on the sides. Good livin' with heat, powered fan air ventilation, hot/cold running water, LED lighting and plenty of secure storage. No real challenges on this trip for the Ram even with encountering some snow and running the more challenging back country roads in BBNP.
My co-pilot was OZY, my now 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog. A side of the road rescue pup he is a great road trip buddy and loves to go camping and to explore new areas. The Ram really spoils him with the 60% rear seat folded down, the flat metal platform, and his comfy dog bed.
Living in Northern Virginia, I ran the interstate out and back to make time & miles...not much to say about that...it's something you do to get somewhere. I gave the cruise control and the satellite radio a real workout on these long highway runs. Amazing to see the variances in diesel fuel prices along the way: highest at $4.15 and lowest was $3.19/per gallon.
Once in the Lone Star State I came out of “overdrive” and focused on secondary roads and enjoyed the scenery and the ride. My main areas of interest were Big Bend National Park and the towns of Alpine, Marfa, Ft. Davis, Junction, Del Rio and Galveston. For the return trip home back east I initially followed the Gulf Coast and enjoyed some nice beach time.
I entered Texas on I-30 at Texarkana and made it past the urban sprawl of Dallas/Ft. Worth and into the rolling hill country a bit west of Mineral Wells. A very enjoyable change of pace and scenery from the interstate. For my first night in Texas I aimed for the Brazos River Authority CG #7 near the dam spillway at Possum Kingdom Lake. A nice easy place to spend a quiet weekday night. Free camping with about 8 sites, a restroom, water source and trash receptacles. I was the only camper here this night.
Back on the road the next day my target was the city of Big Spring. A neat town to drive through with some nice restored buildings and especially a couple of old gas stations really redone well. I had discovered online that there was free camping at the Comanche Trail Park near town and found a nice CG area with level paved sites.
Comanche Trail Park:
Restored gas station:
My next stop was Alpine. I planned ahead and had reservations at the Lost Alaskan CG a place my family has visited several times before and we always have enjoyed our stay. I think this is the best commercial CG in the area. Well run, clean, nice facilities, sells propane on site. This was a stop I planned so I could have easy access to the Ace Hardware store and Porter's Grocery in town for any stocking up or parts I might need as well as the campground laundry and to refill my propane. Plenty of restaurants, shops, auto part stores and fuel sources in Alpine.
While staying in Alpine, I went over to Marfa and toured the town. I would have liked to be out there at night for the mysterious “Marfa Lights” (there is a nice viewing stand on RT90 out of town) but my timing just did not support it. A typical small west Texas town with the central courthouse square, a few restored buildings, some nice stores and art gallery's and a small choice of hotels ranging from 4 star fine establishments to something I'd rate as “drive on by no matter what”.
Marfa "Lights" viewing area:
Next it was time to enjoy Big Bend National Park. It was 5 years ago I last did BBNP and I was really looking forward to this return visit. At BBNP my reservations included a full week of camping and exploring the park and staying in the Chisos Basin Campground, the Cottonwood Campground and several back country sites. I enjoyed staying in both campgrounds and got to meet some nice folks, exchange some stories and information and also see some nice well thought out camping rigs. But it is the back country camping and exploring that grabs me at BBNP. You leave the people and support facilities behind and venture out on marginally improved (some are not maintained/improved) roads for miles and rarely see another vehicle. These back country designated campsites are well marked, well dispersed and provide a level spot and a bear box. The night sky field is awesome and hearing the coyotes sing you to sleep some nights is just wonderful (I'll note an exception from OZY about hearing the coyotes at night). The many hiking trails and items of interest in the park (water springs, old ranch buildings, graves, mines, petroglyphs, the Rio Grande River) just add to the wonder. For the time frame I was there reservations for campgrounds and back country sites were absolutely necessary, especially for Chisos Basin and the popular drive in back country sites.
BBNP sights:
After BBNP I ran north up to Fort Davis and really enjoyed the town – great Mexican food at Cuvea de Leon and a great sandwich and milkshake at the lunch counter at the drug store. The US Army Fort Davis old cavalry post just north of town is a wonderful historical site and beautifully restored. Located just northwest of town is the Davis Mountain SP where I stayed. Typical state park set up, nice facilities, nice sites, and well managed. A great base of operations for this area which includes the McDonald Observatory and the very scenic drive on Route 118 & 166. This is especially true in the summer where the tree shade and higher altitude here offer some relief from what can be oppressive heat. Once again this is a return visit for me and I highly recommend this State Park.
Fort Davis Courthouse Square; neat main street drug store & Fort Davis parade ground and officer quarters:
Meandering further north I aimed for the area surrounding the town of Junction. I stayed at the South Llano River SP for a couple of nights. Great campground with nice shade, great sites, and very neat restrooms/showers. Water and electricity at the site. A couple of field areas and the easy river access gave OZY some great time running around and wading. The interest here was the wonderful clear blue running Llano River, the Presidio de San Saba and Fort McKavett. Prior to Texas Independence from Mexico the Mexican government as well as religious missionaries established many settlements throughout what is now Texas. The Alamo is the famous one...but many others are nicely restored and are even more enjoyable to tour and enjoy. The old missions located away from modern urban areas give you a much better feel for living on the frontier back in the day. A real treat of this area is the restored Fort McKavett, a USA cavalry fort that served to protect the wild western frontier settlers from Indians and bandits. This fort during it's day was described as the most beautiful US Army post in the nation. Well off the main tourist routes...this is a site to see. One last thing about Junction: LUM's BBQ...it's really good!
Ft. McKavett typical restored building:
More to come....
My rig is a '05 Ram 3500 4x4 with a flatbed with a slide in type Four Wheel Hawk with storage boxes on the sides. Good livin' with heat, powered fan air ventilation, hot/cold running water, LED lighting and plenty of secure storage. No real challenges on this trip for the Ram even with encountering some snow and running the more challenging back country roads in BBNP.
My co-pilot was OZY, my now 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog. A side of the road rescue pup he is a great road trip buddy and loves to go camping and to explore new areas. The Ram really spoils him with the 60% rear seat folded down, the flat metal platform, and his comfy dog bed.
Living in Northern Virginia, I ran the interstate out and back to make time & miles...not much to say about that...it's something you do to get somewhere. I gave the cruise control and the satellite radio a real workout on these long highway runs. Amazing to see the variances in diesel fuel prices along the way: highest at $4.15 and lowest was $3.19/per gallon.
Once in the Lone Star State I came out of “overdrive” and focused on secondary roads and enjoyed the scenery and the ride. My main areas of interest were Big Bend National Park and the towns of Alpine, Marfa, Ft. Davis, Junction, Del Rio and Galveston. For the return trip home back east I initially followed the Gulf Coast and enjoyed some nice beach time.
I entered Texas on I-30 at Texarkana and made it past the urban sprawl of Dallas/Ft. Worth and into the rolling hill country a bit west of Mineral Wells. A very enjoyable change of pace and scenery from the interstate. For my first night in Texas I aimed for the Brazos River Authority CG #7 near the dam spillway at Possum Kingdom Lake. A nice easy place to spend a quiet weekday night. Free camping with about 8 sites, a restroom, water source and trash receptacles. I was the only camper here this night.
Back on the road the next day my target was the city of Big Spring. A neat town to drive through with some nice restored buildings and especially a couple of old gas stations really redone well. I had discovered online that there was free camping at the Comanche Trail Park near town and found a nice CG area with level paved sites.
Comanche Trail Park:
Restored gas station:
My next stop was Alpine. I planned ahead and had reservations at the Lost Alaskan CG a place my family has visited several times before and we always have enjoyed our stay. I think this is the best commercial CG in the area. Well run, clean, nice facilities, sells propane on site. This was a stop I planned so I could have easy access to the Ace Hardware store and Porter's Grocery in town for any stocking up or parts I might need as well as the campground laundry and to refill my propane. Plenty of restaurants, shops, auto part stores and fuel sources in Alpine.
While staying in Alpine, I went over to Marfa and toured the town. I would have liked to be out there at night for the mysterious “Marfa Lights” (there is a nice viewing stand on RT90 out of town) but my timing just did not support it. A typical small west Texas town with the central courthouse square, a few restored buildings, some nice stores and art gallery's and a small choice of hotels ranging from 4 star fine establishments to something I'd rate as “drive on by no matter what”.
Marfa "Lights" viewing area:
Next it was time to enjoy Big Bend National Park. It was 5 years ago I last did BBNP and I was really looking forward to this return visit. At BBNP my reservations included a full week of camping and exploring the park and staying in the Chisos Basin Campground, the Cottonwood Campground and several back country sites. I enjoyed staying in both campgrounds and got to meet some nice folks, exchange some stories and information and also see some nice well thought out camping rigs. But it is the back country camping and exploring that grabs me at BBNP. You leave the people and support facilities behind and venture out on marginally improved (some are not maintained/improved) roads for miles and rarely see another vehicle. These back country designated campsites are well marked, well dispersed and provide a level spot and a bear box. The night sky field is awesome and hearing the coyotes sing you to sleep some nights is just wonderful (I'll note an exception from OZY about hearing the coyotes at night). The many hiking trails and items of interest in the park (water springs, old ranch buildings, graves, mines, petroglyphs, the Rio Grande River) just add to the wonder. For the time frame I was there reservations for campgrounds and back country sites were absolutely necessary, especially for Chisos Basin and the popular drive in back country sites.
BBNP sights:
After BBNP I ran north up to Fort Davis and really enjoyed the town – great Mexican food at Cuvea de Leon and a great sandwich and milkshake at the lunch counter at the drug store. The US Army Fort Davis old cavalry post just north of town is a wonderful historical site and beautifully restored. Located just northwest of town is the Davis Mountain SP where I stayed. Typical state park set up, nice facilities, nice sites, and well managed. A great base of operations for this area which includes the McDonald Observatory and the very scenic drive on Route 118 & 166. This is especially true in the summer where the tree shade and higher altitude here offer some relief from what can be oppressive heat. Once again this is a return visit for me and I highly recommend this State Park.
Fort Davis Courthouse Square; neat main street drug store & Fort Davis parade ground and officer quarters:
Meandering further north I aimed for the area surrounding the town of Junction. I stayed at the South Llano River SP for a couple of nights. Great campground with nice shade, great sites, and very neat restrooms/showers. Water and electricity at the site. A couple of field areas and the easy river access gave OZY some great time running around and wading. The interest here was the wonderful clear blue running Llano River, the Presidio de San Saba and Fort McKavett. Prior to Texas Independence from Mexico the Mexican government as well as religious missionaries established many settlements throughout what is now Texas. The Alamo is the famous one...but many others are nicely restored and are even more enjoyable to tour and enjoy. The old missions located away from modern urban areas give you a much better feel for living on the frontier back in the day. A real treat of this area is the restored Fort McKavett, a USA cavalry fort that served to protect the wild western frontier settlers from Indians and bandits. This fort during it's day was described as the most beautiful US Army post in the nation. Well off the main tourist routes...this is a site to see. One last thing about Junction: LUM's BBQ...it's really good!
Ft. McKavett typical restored building:
More to come....
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