TRACE THE MITTEN

Southern Tier Texas Going East: Comstock, Del Rio, Bracketville, and Camp Wood

11/30/2022

The temperature today in 45 degrees and in Michigan it is 35. That 10 degree difference will be appreciated. Yesterday Michigan had 52 degrees. Sometimes there is not much difference.

Our accommodations in Comstock.

Amistad Reservoir

The reservoir is surrounded by the Amstad National Recreation Area run by the National Park Service. The lake was created in 1969 and is a popular site for recreation and the land for hunting.

Del Rio has a population of 34673 at elevation 2516'.

It has been awhile since we were in such a big city. On the top of the list of places to find in the city is a bike shop. A quick look at the bike by expert eyes may spot a problem. Do I need more tubes or lube? We had a great selection of food choices. We also have more choices on accommodations.

On the way to Bracketville.

Our campsite. near Fort Clark.

An operational fort existed here 1852-1946. It was the base of the Buffalo Soldiers, which was the name given to the African-American cavalry. This statue commemorates their service. After integration of the forces this was home of the last horse mounted unit.

The barracks are now residences and form what is known as Fort Clark Springs.

Alamo Village.

Alamo Village is no longer open to the public on a daily basis, but it is rented for special events. This is a replica of the Alamo, which is actually in San Antonio. This area has been a set for some movies. I remember it from the movie The Alamo that I saw as a kid.

We have had a lot of sun on this trip and it is not surprising to see solar panel farms.

Neuces River near Camp Wood.

This river runs for 315 miles through the Texas Hill Country. The Adventure Cycling Association which is still to the east of here,

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Further into Texas: Sanderson to Langtry then to Comstock

11/15/2022

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The view along the way.

Sign for Judge Roy Bean

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Bean

A view from the high ground.

It is common to see trains and these towns started up due to being on the route.

Flood rivers kept wiping out the car bridge and this one is too high to be affected by the floods.

Pecos River.

The Pecos River begins in the mountains of central New Mexico and empties into the Rio Grande. It flows for 926 miles.

The camping spot.

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Further in Texas: Van Horn to Sanderson

11/4/2022

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This weekend our clocks fall back. Sunrise on the day before this happens is 8:18 A. M. I guess I might as well sleep in:) With the clock change the sunrise moving later for a while and the sunset is moving earlier; the days are still getting shorter. I like to be in my destination by mid afternoon.

Sometimes the pavement gets a little rough.

When you do tours you find a variety of paved surfaces. All you can do in take what is given you, but there are some tips that may help provide some comfort. A bumpy road exhausts you.
1. Seat with springs, front suspension fork, spring loaded seat past. foam on the hand grips
2. Take some air out of your tires.
3. Find the smoothest line.

Each day we see abandoned buildings and in this case a little town.

The roads are flat and all you do is push the pedals. The wind can be strong and constant around here.

Having a soft bed and air conditioning helped to re-energize me. Hotel Riata.

After a hard day, a short day helps.

I have seen building murals in many towns.

On the Alpine city website they note that this area is great for stargazing because of the dark skies absent from the light pollution that we find elsewhere in the U.S. Big Bend National Park is south of town.