MAY 20 & 21, 2013   BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK

Monday was a rest day.  We got a little too much sun yesterday so we decided to spend the day during our chores and resting up.  I was also able to catch up on the blog.

Tuesday found us heading west towards Big Bend Ranch National Park.  Lahitas is situated on the edge of both Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.  We turned right out of the RV park and continued on FM 170 towards the gates of the park and Presidio, Texas.

The 50 mile drive along FM 170 had us following the Rio Grande all the way to Presidio.  Most of the time we were driving right beside the river but we did occasionally venture a little inland.  The scenery to this point was very similar to what we had seen on our drive into Lahitas.

 

 

The first stop in the park was at the Contrabando Movie Set.  It looks like a ghost town until you look inside and see that the buildings are just shells.  This set was built in 1985 for the movie “Uphill all the Way” but was used for a few other movies.  They include Rio Diablo (1993), Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994); Streets of Laredo (1995) Dead Man’s Walk (1996) and Journeyman (2000).  It was also used for the Brooks and Dunn video “My Maria” in 1996.

 

We also started to a change in the terrain.  We were starting to climb and although we were still seeing volcanic remains both the color and texture were changing.

Good Example of a dike

 

 

We continued to climb and once we reached what was the highest point on the road we pulled into an overlook.  It gave us a spectacular view of the terrain and the Rio Grande.  This proved to be the highlight of the trip.  At least scenery wise, the company of my beautiful bride was definitely the real highlight.

 

We arrived in Presido and only stopped long enough to get gas before heading north on Hwy 67 to Shafter.  However, we did learn that Presido is a very old town as the first Spaniards came here in 1535.  In 1760 a penal colony and a military garrison was established here and in 1830 the name changed from La Junta de los Rios to Presidio del Norte.  The first white settlers arrived in 1848 after the Mexican war but were virtually wiped out by a Comanche raid in 1849.  However, the town survived and continued to grow unto what is now known as Presidio.

Twenty miles north of Presidio on Hwy 67 is the mining town of Shafter, Texas.  Shafter at one time was a vibrant silver mining town with a reported population of 1500 people.   In or around 1945 with the closing of the mine and the two forts nearby the town essentially died.  Today the population is 11 hearty souls. 

 

 

We left Shafter and started on our way back to Presidio where we got back on FM 170 which would take us back to Lahitas.   On the east side of Presidio this was a road that would take us into the middle of Big Bend Ranch State Park.   The drive was reportedly quite nice but the problem was that it was an unpaved road.  However, we thought we would give it a try and began the trip into the park and the Visitors Centre.  We never made it, the road got pretty rough and I did not want to do any damage to the car. 

 

So we turned around and headed back to Lahitas.  On our return trip Kathy took a few pictures out the front window and they turned out pretty good. 

We arrived back at the RV Park and called it a night.  Another good day.