Just a hop, skip and a jump and we are in Texas.
Guadelupe Mountain looms ahead
Getting quite a view
We pull in and check if there are any spaces left for the night. We are told to go check as they don't have an up to date record. We get down there and there is one spot left that will fit us!
We head up to the Frijole Ranch to check it out
I could live here.
The birds are enjoying the natural spring
John Thomas Smith purchased the Ranch in the early 1900's.
The Smith family
produced a many crops on the15 acre orchard, including apples, peaches, apricots, plums, pears, figs, pecans,
blackberries, strawberries, and corn. Ocassionally, the Smiths would
load wagons in the evening, covering the fresh produce with
wet paper and linen, then travel two days to Van Horn, sixty five
miles south, to sell their .wares
They hired a teacher to teach up to 8 of their and neighboring farm children. The teacher got a room, board, $30 a month and a horse.
A short trail from the Ranch leads to the Manzinita Spring. There are 6 springs within a 3 mile radius of the Ranch.
An oasis in the desert.
From here we go to the Pinery Trail to the ruins of the old Pinery Butterfield Overland Mail Station - and Tucson can come too.
The Pinery was once a favored stop on the 2800 mile Butterfield Overland Mail
route wich ran from San Francisco to St. Louis. Stops were spaced an
average of 20 miles apart.
Each coach traveled
day and night, averaging 120 miles a day and carrying up to 9 passengers,
essential baggage and 12,000 letters.
The walls once were 30" thick and 11 feet high to protect from indian raids
In August 1859, this route was abandoned just 11 months after opening for a new road that passed by closer to Forts Stockton and Davis.
We head back to camp and the wind has picked up and dark clouds are rushing in. The wind howled all night and a good thunder and lightening storm came through with 50 mph gusts.
Tomorrow we blow out of here and head to Big Bend!
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