Michelin Tires...

Are trying to kill me and Barley.

Don't buy Michelins.

I'm in Sierra Blanca, Texas trying to limp into El Paso.

I'm getting rid of all the Michelins left on Barley.

What did I ever do to France to deserve this?

"What a long strange trip it's been" II
http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-long-strange-trip-it-been.html

Be safe out there,

Jeff

I'm in Alamogordo, NM now. Texas was starting to get to me.

"I Saw Miles and Miles of Texas."

Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel.

I was seeing Mexico too. This was true Borderland country with geographic names criss-crossing between English and Spanish. The Spanish names seemed to be edging out the Anglo ones though.

I took a quiet hike in Big Bend Ranch State Park and pondered the "why" are there so many Texan Spring Breakers in the middle of nada? 

The reason: Texans don't have anyplace else to go. Texas has a pittance of public land for people to trod upon without violating private property rights. (I would not recommend trespassing in the Lone Star State.) Texas is the second most populated state and the second largest in our nation. There's a meager 4.2% of land to play on. If we are comparison shopping, Colorado (eighth largest state) has 48% public playgrounds. This is one of the many reasons, I love the Centennial State more.

I stopped along my way in a grocery store in Presidio. It's so close to the border there's a Mexican Consulate in town. While trying to purchase a half dozen eggs, I was given a friendly lesson on how to ask for the huevos en Espanol. Even though the Stars and Stripes were on all the Public Buildings, this didn't bother me at all. 

It's all so appropriate in the Borderland country of West Texas.

Buenas Noches from Marfa,

Jeff

"What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been."

 "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead. 

Mañana, I'll slowly begin to move north and west of Big Bend National Park. 

It was a weird stay down here. The weather was off, I was off and the humans I came in contact with were way off. Hence an epiphany. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/big-bend-epiphany.html

On today's twelve mile loop up and around and down the Chisos Mountains, it felt more like fall than impending spring. I crunched a lot of brown leaves underfoot. Area-code sized gangs of families, youth groups and college kids kept asking me "Are we there yet?"

My answer, "I dunno. What's your destination?" Sometimes they were less than a mile from a trailhead.

We are raising a nation of wimps! I'm not a wimp, just a cold weenie. There's a difference. 

So...tomorrow I'll take a scenic drive along the Mighty Rio Grande River, go for a hike and head back to Marfa. That's been a highlight of this tour. At least the town exudes a benign,  harmless strangeness. (Like me). 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/where-heck-is.html

From Study Butte RV Park (pronounced Stoody) 

Hey! I'm in Texas! High Schools spend more on football coaches than teachers. 

PS. I'm not writing West Texas off, just the month of March when the thieves are here.