Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

Ahm sayin' nowt!

Latest from Sue's travels

Today headed out westwards again....from the Dallas area (East Texas) and the ranches and pastures with Texan longhorns, horses and goats.....past miles and miles of cotton fields...into West Texas (which is NOT pretty).....topography got progressively scrubbier and less lush....much more western movie-ish. Cactus everywhere now...and oil derricks. WE are staying in Odessa Oilpatch RV Park tonight!! Yippee-aye-oh!

For the environmentalists reading this, I was amazed that the windmills here outnumber the oil derriks by thousands. I swear we drove about 200 miles with windmills as far as the eye could see - on both sides of the highway! Passed through Sweetwater, Texas, Home of the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup. And something called the WASP WW11 Museum....I kid you not!!

We also drove by a little town called Stanton...."Home of 3000 Happy people and a few Old Sore Heads". 513 miles today

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Women airforce service pilots http://waspmuseum.org/

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Thanks, Gloria!!!!!!
I would no doubt have discovered that when I found time to Google it...but you saved me the effort. I was just struck by this massive billboard on the highway....and that is exactly all it said. You know my immediate thought...... as I am in the depths of southern United States...where anything is possible and that old garbage is still alive and well!

Westward ho!!

Update on Sue's travels.

Hunkered down early today....did about 300 miles. We are in the Far West Texas desert...reddish sandy earth...the area is called Big Bend and is in the Permian Basin...lots of oil and all the accoutrements of the oil industry abound. The landscape is jagged, rugged, sundried, dusty, flat and prickly...Keisha does NOT like it. She keeps getting little picky burrs between her toes! This is cowboy country, for sure.

We were climbing through the Guadalupe mountain range and decided to stop for the night at Van Horn. Otherwise we might have been searching for a campground in El Paso after dark...not an experience we want. Texans have advised us to pass through El Paso with doors locked - Apparently lots of drug smuggling and gun battles with Homeland Security. It is, of course, a border town with Mexico...

This campground has a cafe so we are off now for a fry-up of catfish......or perhaps smoked brisket. We'll see when we get there. Hope for an early start tomorrow, then whiz through El Paso a couple of hours later...and head into New Mexico. It is still cool at night and in the morning...>40F...but today it warmed up to 70ish. Getting more like it!!

Early start today by accident...changed to Mountain Time after leaving the campground this morning so clocks went back an hour! Continued driving along the Texas Mountain Trail, through El Paso, and into New Mexico. Desert on the right of the highway...and farmlands on the left, whcih was the fertile valley of the Rio Grande. MIles and miles of stockyards full of cows. Sweet smell of success??


Was amazed when we crossed the Rio Grande...expected a mighty river! It was a trickle with sand bars and mud puddles. I guess I saw too many movies with cowboys trying to ford this raging river and herd the cows homewards!! Rest stops had "Beware of Rattlesnakes" signs. O.K. Turned in for the night at Lordsburg, New Mexico....485 miles today.

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I am loving this holiday---my thoughts were the same on the Rio Grande.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Update...

We've arrived at our winter home! All set up, supplied and fortified....! We stayed last night in Tucson after an easy drive through the Arizona desert...passed 'Starvin' Marvin's Bar and Grill' in the middle of nowhere and - Roadkill Cafe! Lots of derelict buildings and ghost towns en route....lots of poverty and ru...sty tin shacks between cities. Looked like parts of Mexico or Costa Rica...... pua!

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Thank goodness for that. All that travelling was wearing me out!

_________________
Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Ooooh. Steve McQueen

_________________
Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

Portia....if you ever get a chance to revisit an oldie but a goodie movie with Steve McQueen and Robert Preston called 'Junior Bonner"...about 2 generations of rodeo riders....the bar scenes were all filmed in the Palace Saloon and the street scenes just outside on Whiskey Row in 'Press-kitt.'
They are still making westerns here and in Tx as some little towns haven't changed much. They come in with a crew, disguise the shop marquees and dump tons of sand on the streets and pavement....we were in a small town called Granbury in Texas one week after they finished shooting a movie with Sam Elliot (now there's a sexy man!)....Can't remember the name of it but it will be out sometime and I'll go see it!

Thank heavens for google! I had no idea who Sam Elliott is but google is my friend. He's not my cup of tea, much prefer Steve McQueen (whose A3 size picture happens to be on a wall at Picard!)

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I agree Mel, I prefer Steve McQueen.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Been lying low and relaxing for a while.....but spent the New Year weekend in Las Vegas for a change of pace! Wonderful! Dinner dance on NY Eve in the company and being entertained royally by Bill Medley (surviving Righteous Brother) and the band of Paul Revere and the Raiders. You may not know the names, but you will know their music! They all must be 101, but they still "got it"!
WE rocked!
Drove through Wickenburg...home of the Cowboy Poets Annual Convention. And through Wikieup, Rattlesnake Capitol of the World!
And stopped at Lake Havasu which is where the old London Bridge now resides, having been relocated stone by stone and re-assembled by some rich person who had nothing better to do with his/her money!!
All grist for the mill!
70F and sunny.....I hear you're having a bad time of it over 'ome!