Photos from Texas Christmas Road Trip
Jan 22nd, 2015, 11:09 AM
#1
Original Poster
Photos from Texas Christmas Road Trip
My wife and I recently completed a 3-week, 2700 mile road trip from Colorado through Texas. I lived in Fort Worth when I was around 10 years old from 1957-62, and the plan was to meet my brother and his family, who flew in from New York City.
We revisited the old neighborhood, getting to go into one of the houses we lived in back then, which was thrilling. The owner was outside and said, "C'mon in!" when we told him why we where there, and showed him pictures of the house from 1958. We returned to other places we visited as kids, including The Alamo in San Antonio.
Some photos are here, if you have a few minutes to waste:
http://nelsonchenkin.zenfolio.com/p132881014
Photographing the Texas plains in winter is a different challenge than photographing Rocky Mountain scenery.
In lieu of a real trip report, here is a list some of the places we visited:
Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo - We are mostly vegetarians so were not tempted by the 72 oz steak (no tofu substitute available), but since we are approaching pecan country, I left with a couple liters of their excellent pecan porter beer. (We had our usual baked potato, baked sweet potato, salad, and grilled or steamed veggies dinner - or some variation on that theme - that we typically get in steak houses).
Donley County Gin, Memphis - We pulled into there, never having seen a cotton gin before. We stopped in the office and asked the owner if we could look at the bales that were stacked near the road. He said, "You are the first folks to ever ask, everyone else just goes over there and takes pictures. Jump in my truck, I'll give you a tour!". This was really fascinating and we got a nice introduction to the cotton industry and how a gin works.
Clarenden - we went inside the 1890 Romanesque revival courthouse, beautiful building.
Quanah - my wife knew of this town since she recently read a couple of books about Cynthia Ann Parker. (One was about the making of the move "The Searchers", very loosely based on the Parker episode). We could / should have lingered longer in these evocative little towns, but it was cold and windy, and we wanted to put some miles on to meet my brother.
Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes, Decatur, right on the courthouse square - First of many excellent slices of homemade pecan pies we were to sample in the coming weeks.
Amon Carter and Sid Richardson Museums, Fort Worth - classic art of the American West. Life was tough back then, and Remington and Russell show it without pulling any punches (no pun intended). The Carter museum had a great George Caleb Bingham exhibition, and the people in his paintings could have stepped out of the audiobook we were listening to on the trip, A.B. Guthrie's "The Way West". Or maybe the other way around.
Fort Worth Zoo - excellent small zoo, open on Christmas Day. Ever see a rhinoceros play with a large and heavy ball? Pretty neat!
Fort Worth Stockyards - touristy but fun.
Joe T. Garcia Mexican Food, Fort Worth - decent (though not great) food and a fun vibe, helped by excellent margaritas.
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Fort Worth - great beer selection and good pub food.
Creation Evidence Museum, Glen Rose - well, we had to check it out.
Hico - interesting shopping at Blue Star Trading, nice homemade pecan pie at the Koffee Kup diner.
Johnson City - the Christmas lights at courthouse and Pedernales Electric Co-op were fantastic. We had a good meal and superb beer (a holiday ale) at the Pecan Street Brewing Company. We went back a couple of days later, but they were closed on Monday, so we settled at the East Main Grill. (Slow service, but they were busy, about the only show in town that night. Food was quite good and they were very accommodating to our weird vegetarian requests).
LBJ Ranch - one of our good weather days, so we enjoyed strolling around outdoors, picking up pecans that had fallen out of the trees near the Pedernales River. Tour of the Texas White House was interesting but too rushed, we both could have spent a lot more time in there. (Before the trip I started Robert Caro's excellent biography of Johnson, brought volume II with me to read at night. I'm into the third volume now. Never thought I could read that much about LBJ, but Caro makes it exciting and fascinating). One woman commented what a stylish dresser Lady Bird was, but my wife and I thought she had rather frumpy taste in clothes.
Pacific War Museum, Fredericksburg - this is worth an entire day, even more for World War II buffs. They know this, so tickets are good for two days, which is nice. A few years ago we donated an artifact to the museum (a porthole from a Japanese ship sunk at Kwajalein). It was not on display when we were there, but we spent a better part of a day in the museum and still only saw half of it. They have a lot to read if you choose to, or you can go through more quickly and just hit the major displays.
Stonehenge II, Ingram - we wanted to see Stonehenge in England years ago, but couldn't get there due to a foot and mouth disease epidemic at the time. So we went to a replica in Texas, on a cold, cloudy, wet day, just like England.
San Antonio Riverwalk - crowded but fun. Weather could have been better for us, it was in the 30's and windy, but nice to wander around nonetheless.
The Alamo - we remembered it as kids when we were about the only people inside. Very different now, a bit too crowded for our tastes, but you have to go there.
San Antonio Missions - a big thumbs up, and it was a nice warm day when we were there so we enjoyed walking around the grounds. We did a guided tour which was good and then spent a few hours on our own.
County Line BBQ, Riverwalk - we'll eat chicken/fish on occasion so had to have a meal at a BBQ joint. They have grilled veggie skewers here too. Also the BEST pecan pie of the trip!
Green Vegetarian, San Antonio - one of the best vegetarian restaurants we have ever eaten in. Meat eaters will love it too, guaranteed.
We were a bit disappointed in the Tex-Mex food we had in San Antonio, but maybe this was because we had high expectations and stuck to the touristy restaurants at Market Square, Mi Tierra and La Margarita. Both were fun atmosphere for sure, and the food was OK, but we've had better.
Holland Hotel, Alpine - we were supposed to go to Big Bend but got cancelled there due to a power outage from an ice storm. Our hotel in Marathon was also blacked out, so we wound up at the Holland after some frantic phone calls, power had just been restored in Alpine. (Glad we filled up the gas tank in del Rio). We enjoyed a night in this classic old hotel.
Reata Restaurant, Alpine - A bit pricy for what you get but some tasty food and nice ambiance.
Fort Davis - 1880's Fort on the San Antonio-El Paso road, great exhibits in the visitor center and restored buildings.
Balmorhea State Park - a surprising bit of beautiful blue water in the middle of the plains.
Monohans Sandhills State Park - a surprising bit of sand hill desert in the middle of the plains! (Purchasing admission to one Texas State Park gets you into another on the same day).
Permian Basin Stonehenge, Odessa - why see only one Stonehenge replica in Texas when you can see two? This one is made from real stone and closer in size to the actual site than the one in Ingram. We stopped by at sunset, kind of magical in spite of Home Depot and Walmart located across the road.
Panhandle Plains Museum, Canyon - a world class museum in this little town south of Amarillo, fascinating exhibits on paleontology, agriculture, petroleum, history, geology. Great art gallery. Highly recommended.
Rock 'N Roll Soda Shoppe, Canyon - Blue Bell ice cream banana splits in an old style soda fountain. My wife had two in one sitting! I had one, plus a scoop of pumpkin pecan ice cream.
Palo Duro Canyon - we spent a delightful afternoon hiking some trails there (we had a few hours of no wind and sunny 60 degrees), definitely on the "would like to return" list.
Honeys Diner, Brownfield - pecan pie, baked potatoes, steamed veggies of the day (broccoli). The big rancher sitting next to us with his chicken fired steak said "Damn, that's what I should have ordered!"
Cowgirl Cafe, Channing - our last slice of pecan pie of the trip. Beans, baked potato, a salad. See, vegetarians can do fine in small town Texas!
XIT Museum, Dalhart - interesting historical displays of what was once the largest ranch in the world that financed building state capital in Austin.
Overall, a very nice trip. The weather could have been better, we had more cloudy and windy 40 degree days than sunny 60's. It could have gone either way.
But that said, on three occasions we were one day from really nasty weather, but we never had even one day of bad driving in three weeks in winter. No complaints.
We definitely plan to do another trip down there, probably in spring sometime. Hopefully we'll make it to Big Bend then.
We really enjoyed the small funky towns, a bit run down and past their heyday perhaps, but interesting to wander around in.
We revisited the old neighborhood, getting to go into one of the houses we lived in back then, which was thrilling. The owner was outside and said, "C'mon in!" when we told him why we where there, and showed him pictures of the house from 1958. We returned to other places we visited as kids, including The Alamo in San Antonio.
Some photos are here, if you have a few minutes to waste:
http://nelsonchenkin.zenfolio.com/p132881014
Photographing the Texas plains in winter is a different challenge than photographing Rocky Mountain scenery.
In lieu of a real trip report, here is a list some of the places we visited:
Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo - We are mostly vegetarians so were not tempted by the 72 oz steak (no tofu substitute available), but since we are approaching pecan country, I left with a couple liters of their excellent pecan porter beer. (We had our usual baked potato, baked sweet potato, salad, and grilled or steamed veggies dinner - or some variation on that theme - that we typically get in steak houses).
Donley County Gin, Memphis - We pulled into there, never having seen a cotton gin before. We stopped in the office and asked the owner if we could look at the bales that were stacked near the road. He said, "You are the first folks to ever ask, everyone else just goes over there and takes pictures. Jump in my truck, I'll give you a tour!". This was really fascinating and we got a nice introduction to the cotton industry and how a gin works.
Clarenden - we went inside the 1890 Romanesque revival courthouse, beautiful building.
Quanah - my wife knew of this town since she recently read a couple of books about Cynthia Ann Parker. (One was about the making of the move "The Searchers", very loosely based on the Parker episode). We could / should have lingered longer in these evocative little towns, but it was cold and windy, and we wanted to put some miles on to meet my brother.
Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes, Decatur, right on the courthouse square - First of many excellent slices of homemade pecan pies we were to sample in the coming weeks.
Amon Carter and Sid Richardson Museums, Fort Worth - classic art of the American West. Life was tough back then, and Remington and Russell show it without pulling any punches (no pun intended). The Carter museum had a great George Caleb Bingham exhibition, and the people in his paintings could have stepped out of the audiobook we were listening to on the trip, A.B. Guthrie's "The Way West". Or maybe the other way around.
Fort Worth Zoo - excellent small zoo, open on Christmas Day. Ever see a rhinoceros play with a large and heavy ball? Pretty neat!
Fort Worth Stockyards - touristy but fun.
Joe T. Garcia Mexican Food, Fort Worth - decent (though not great) food and a fun vibe, helped by excellent margaritas.
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Fort Worth - great beer selection and good pub food.
Creation Evidence Museum, Glen Rose - well, we had to check it out.
Hico - interesting shopping at Blue Star Trading, nice homemade pecan pie at the Koffee Kup diner.
Johnson City - the Christmas lights at courthouse and Pedernales Electric Co-op were fantastic. We had a good meal and superb beer (a holiday ale) at the Pecan Street Brewing Company. We went back a couple of days later, but they were closed on Monday, so we settled at the East Main Grill. (Slow service, but they were busy, about the only show in town that night. Food was quite good and they were very accommodating to our weird vegetarian requests).
LBJ Ranch - one of our good weather days, so we enjoyed strolling around outdoors, picking up pecans that had fallen out of the trees near the Pedernales River. Tour of the Texas White House was interesting but too rushed, we both could have spent a lot more time in there. (Before the trip I started Robert Caro's excellent biography of Johnson, brought volume II with me to read at night. I'm into the third volume now. Never thought I could read that much about LBJ, but Caro makes it exciting and fascinating). One woman commented what a stylish dresser Lady Bird was, but my wife and I thought she had rather frumpy taste in clothes.
Pacific War Museum, Fredericksburg - this is worth an entire day, even more for World War II buffs. They know this, so tickets are good for two days, which is nice. A few years ago we donated an artifact to the museum (a porthole from a Japanese ship sunk at Kwajalein). It was not on display when we were there, but we spent a better part of a day in the museum and still only saw half of it. They have a lot to read if you choose to, or you can go through more quickly and just hit the major displays.
Stonehenge II, Ingram - we wanted to see Stonehenge in England years ago, but couldn't get there due to a foot and mouth disease epidemic at the time. So we went to a replica in Texas, on a cold, cloudy, wet day, just like England.
San Antonio Riverwalk - crowded but fun. Weather could have been better for us, it was in the 30's and windy, but nice to wander around nonetheless.
The Alamo - we remembered it as kids when we were about the only people inside. Very different now, a bit too crowded for our tastes, but you have to go there.
San Antonio Missions - a big thumbs up, and it was a nice warm day when we were there so we enjoyed walking around the grounds. We did a guided tour which was good and then spent a few hours on our own.
County Line BBQ, Riverwalk - we'll eat chicken/fish on occasion so had to have a meal at a BBQ joint. They have grilled veggie skewers here too. Also the BEST pecan pie of the trip!
Green Vegetarian, San Antonio - one of the best vegetarian restaurants we have ever eaten in. Meat eaters will love it too, guaranteed.
We were a bit disappointed in the Tex-Mex food we had in San Antonio, but maybe this was because we had high expectations and stuck to the touristy restaurants at Market Square, Mi Tierra and La Margarita. Both were fun atmosphere for sure, and the food was OK, but we've had better.
Holland Hotel, Alpine - we were supposed to go to Big Bend but got cancelled there due to a power outage from an ice storm. Our hotel in Marathon was also blacked out, so we wound up at the Holland after some frantic phone calls, power had just been restored in Alpine. (Glad we filled up the gas tank in del Rio). We enjoyed a night in this classic old hotel.
Reata Restaurant, Alpine - A bit pricy for what you get but some tasty food and nice ambiance.
Fort Davis - 1880's Fort on the San Antonio-El Paso road, great exhibits in the visitor center and restored buildings.
Balmorhea State Park - a surprising bit of beautiful blue water in the middle of the plains.
Monohans Sandhills State Park - a surprising bit of sand hill desert in the middle of the plains! (Purchasing admission to one Texas State Park gets you into another on the same day).
Permian Basin Stonehenge, Odessa - why see only one Stonehenge replica in Texas when you can see two? This one is made from real stone and closer in size to the actual site than the one in Ingram. We stopped by at sunset, kind of magical in spite of Home Depot and Walmart located across the road.
Panhandle Plains Museum, Canyon - a world class museum in this little town south of Amarillo, fascinating exhibits on paleontology, agriculture, petroleum, history, geology. Great art gallery. Highly recommended.
Rock 'N Roll Soda Shoppe, Canyon - Blue Bell ice cream banana splits in an old style soda fountain. My wife had two in one sitting! I had one, plus a scoop of pumpkin pecan ice cream.
Palo Duro Canyon - we spent a delightful afternoon hiking some trails there (we had a few hours of no wind and sunny 60 degrees), definitely on the "would like to return" list.
Honeys Diner, Brownfield - pecan pie, baked potatoes, steamed veggies of the day (broccoli). The big rancher sitting next to us with his chicken fired steak said "Damn, that's what I should have ordered!"
Cowgirl Cafe, Channing - our last slice of pecan pie of the trip. Beans, baked potato, a salad. See, vegetarians can do fine in small town Texas!
XIT Museum, Dalhart - interesting historical displays of what was once the largest ranch in the world that financed building state capital in Austin.
Overall, a very nice trip. The weather could have been better, we had more cloudy and windy 40 degree days than sunny 60's. It could have gone either way.
But that said, on three occasions we were one day from really nasty weather, but we never had even one day of bad driving in three weeks in winter. No complaints.
We definitely plan to do another trip down there, probably in spring sometime. Hopefully we'll make it to Big Bend then.
We really enjoyed the small funky towns, a bit run down and past their heyday perhaps, but interesting to wander around in.
Jan 22nd, 2015, 12:54 PM
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GREAT report, thanks, Nelson! I live in the Hill Country and you've added some spots to visit to my running list.
Photos are also beautiful - I love the cotton bale solo in the field.
Looks like you got the best of some of the many worlds of Texas - that drive from Ft. Worth to SA is one of my favorites. So much to see there.
Photos are also beautiful - I love the cotton bale solo in the field.
Looks like you got the best of some of the many worlds of Texas - that drive from Ft. Worth to SA is one of my favorites. So much to see there.
Jan 23rd, 2015, 08:10 AM
#3
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Thanks ceb1222, much appreciated. The cotton bale was a case where it was convenient and safe to pull over, but we passed by other scenes that I later wished I had stopped at. Lots of neat stuff to be seen.
As mentioned in the report we hope to get down there in the spring sometime, possibly next year. I imagine the Hill Country is really beautiful then.
Thanks again.
As mentioned in the report we hope to get down there in the spring sometime, possibly next year. I imagine the Hill Country is really beautiful then.
Thanks again.
Jan 23rd, 2015, 01:21 PM
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Thanks nelson for your trip report to this fascinating part of the States!
I too had cold or cold/wet weather visiting San Antonio and Austin this past Christmas/New Years period. I'm sorry I didn't get to see things in better weather as I'm sure the energy would be different. (I want to see those bats in Austin next time!) I've been in San Antonio the same time of year and gotten 70+ degree weather, so I know things can be quite different!
In a way though, the cold might have helped for getting on boats and into restaurants in the Riverwalk, as I was able to get seats easily at popular Casa Rio and on a barge. I truly find the Riverwalk one of urban America's most beautiful showpieces.
Best wishes, Daniel
I too had cold or cold/wet weather visiting San Antonio and Austin this past Christmas/New Years period. I'm sorry I didn't get to see things in better weather as I'm sure the energy would be different. (I want to see those bats in Austin next time!) I've been in San Antonio the same time of year and gotten 70+ degree weather, so I know things can be quite different!
In a way though, the cold might have helped for getting on boats and into restaurants in the Riverwalk, as I was able to get seats easily at popular Casa Rio and on a barge. I truly find the Riverwalk one of urban America's most beautiful showpieces.
Best wishes, Daniel
Jan 23rd, 2015, 02:46 PM
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We were in Ft Worth right after Christmas. My husband is from there and still has many relatives living in the area. What part of Ft. Worth did you live in? My husband grew up in the Seminary South area. It has really gone thru a transformation from when he was a child and I don't mean that in a good way unfortunately.
I'm ashamed to say you saw more of Texas on this trip than I have in years. I guess it's time for us to hit the road!
I'm ashamed to say you saw more of Texas on this trip than I have in years. I guess it's time for us to hit the road!
Jan 24th, 2015, 06:40 AM
#7
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Daniel, we were hoping for the 60-70 degree weather, but as you know we got the 30-40's instead. Plus that wind. In nicer weather we would have walked a lot more on the Riverwalk, like up to Pearl Brewery. Still, what we did see exceeded expectations and we'll return. I guess we got to experience a Texas Norther!
bettyk, I guess we were in the Seminary South area as well, or close to it. We went to South Hills Elementary School and played in Kellis Park. The trees were bigger but we thought the neighborhood had changed less than we thought it might have. (Our old neighborhood in Brooklyn has really changed by comparison). We lived in a couple different houses over the five years. My dad worked on the navigation system of the B-58, which was being built and tested at Carswell AFB, as it was called at the time. Hearing sonic booms was a semi-regular occurrence back then.
AnnaR, yes that is Judge Roy Bean's Langtry. His Jersey Lilly Saloon is now part of a display at the Texas Visitor Center.
http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Te...gtry_Texas.htm
The history plaques give the several version of how the town might have been named Langtry
Thanks for having a look.
bettyk, I guess we were in the Seminary South area as well, or close to it. We went to South Hills Elementary School and played in Kellis Park. The trees were bigger but we thought the neighborhood had changed less than we thought it might have. (Our old neighborhood in Brooklyn has really changed by comparison). We lived in a couple different houses over the five years. My dad worked on the navigation system of the B-58, which was being built and tested at Carswell AFB, as it was called at the time. Hearing sonic booms was a semi-regular occurrence back then.
AnnaR, yes that is Judge Roy Bean's Langtry. His Jersey Lilly Saloon is now part of a display at the Texas Visitor Center.
http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Te...gtry_Texas.htm
The history plaques give the several version of how the town might have been named Langtry
Thanks for having a look.
Jan 25th, 2015, 05:10 AM
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Excellent report, sounds like a great trip! Loved your pictures. If you make it back to Texas in the spring consider including East Texas in your road trip, it's beautiful in a completely different way.
Jan 25th, 2015, 07:40 AM
#9
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Thanks travelerfromtx! Since our trip was straddling the 98-100th meridians, we could already feel the huge difference between East and West Texas. I'm sure it gets more pronounced farther east. Will keep it in mind next time we are down there.
Jan 26th, 2015, 05:55 AM
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Loved the photos! I had never seen that petrified wood thing in Glen Rose. I grew up near that cotton bale site! haha
Texas definitely has different cultures and charms/quirks depending on what part of the state you visit.
Thanks for posting.
Texas definitely has different cultures and charms/quirks depending on what part of the state you visit.
Thanks for posting.
Jan 26th, 2015, 06:32 AM
#11
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Thanks jayne, glad you liked the photos!
I used these two websites, plus just searching Google to find places like the petrified building, the two Stonehenges (a friend of mine remarked he didn't realize there were druids all over Texas), the Keystone Hotel, the courthouses, and some other quirky sites that didn't make it into the online album.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
http://www.texasescapes.com/
Our iPad's GPS always got us there.
Thanks again.
I used these two websites, plus just searching Google to find places like the petrified building, the two Stonehenges (a friend of mine remarked he didn't realize there were druids all over Texas), the Keystone Hotel, the courthouses, and some other quirky sites that didn't make it into the online album.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/
http://www.texasescapes.com/
Our iPad's GPS always got us there.
Thanks again.
Jan 26th, 2015, 03:47 PM
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I love Roadside America so much, and I bet Texas Escapes was a good complement to that.
Never heard of the Odessa Stonehenge-- but come to think of it some of those Odessa boys I dated could have been Druids...haha We did find the one in Ingram on a back road excursion.
Next time I go out there I will have check out Honey's in Brownfield.
Looks like you had a fun, funky Texas trip with a good variety of sites and experiences. Long live road trips!
Never heard of the Odessa Stonehenge-- but come to think of it some of those Odessa boys I dated could have been Druids...haha We did find the one in Ingram on a back road excursion.
Next time I go out there I will have check out Honey's in Brownfield.
Looks like you had a fun, funky Texas trip with a good variety of sites and experiences. Long live road trips!
Jan 27th, 2015, 07:29 AM
#14
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jayne, I'll use that Roadside America site for all our future road trips. Lots of interesting stuff to be found there. I used it for the first time last spring when we traveled through Arizona and New Mexico.
>come to think of it some of those Odessa boys I dated could have been Druids
Funny!
Thanks josephrichie, much appreciated.
>come to think of it some of those Odessa boys I dated could have been Druids
Funny!
Thanks josephrichie, much appreciated.
Jan 29th, 2015, 08:31 AM
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Great report. We've been debating a springtime road trip in the area you mention, Nelson. And your predilection for offbeat sights is right up our alley, too. I hadn't heard of either of the websites you mention and will be sure to check them out while making our plans.
Just what would you generalize to be the difference between east and west Texas?
Just what would you generalize to be the difference between east and west Texas?
Jan 29th, 2015, 12:36 PM
#16
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Thanks Nepheline!
The difference I was referring to was in climate / ecology. The 100th meridian (the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle) is regarded as the approximate boundary between the humid tall-grass prairie of the East and the arid short-grass prairie of the West.
For example there was a lot of green grass and oak trees to be seen when we were generally east of that line, but mostly dry brown colors and scattered cottonwood trees to the west.
I can't help with other demographics such as population or economy.
Have a great trip! Those two website were really helpful.
The difference I was referring to was in climate / ecology. The 100th meridian (the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle) is regarded as the approximate boundary between the humid tall-grass prairie of the East and the arid short-grass prairie of the West.
For example there was a lot of green grass and oak trees to be seen when we were generally east of that line, but mostly dry brown colors and scattered cottonwood trees to the west.
I can't help with other demographics such as population or economy.
Have a great trip! Those two website were really helpful.
Jan 29th, 2015, 02:41 PM
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I am from West Texas, so know that neck of (non)woods pretty well. Even West Texas varies a lot in landscape and scenery. For example, theLubbock/Midland/Odessa area is flat as a pancake and you can see the sky 360 degrees on the horizon. But if you get down closer to Big Bend/Alpine/Fort Davis, you find mountains. The people are friendly and easy going, and overall there seems to be less pretention than you find in cities like Dallas.
When you get into true East Texas cities like Tyler, there are some beautiful piney woods, and the culture is a little more southern. Go far enough east--like around Caddo Lake-- and it begins to feel like Louisiana.
When you get into true East Texas cities like Tyler, there are some beautiful piney woods, and the culture is a little more southern. Go far enough east--like around Caddo Lake-- and it begins to feel like Louisiana.
Jan 30th, 2015, 06:03 AM
#18
Beautiful pictures, Nelson! Made me start missing TX. TX in the winter can be so stark, but you captured the beauty that remains in the starkness. I have about umpteen photos of Mission San Jose...those arches just beg for a camera don't they?! You covered a lot of territory, and much of it territory I've never seen...never done west TX, but perhaps we need to. Loved the moon rise shot. Simply beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Jan 30th, 2015, 11:04 AM
#19
Original Poster
Thanks much for the comments OO, really appreciate it!
I happened to stumble upon this book at the library about a week before we left on our trip: West of Last Chance, a collaboration between photographer Peter Brown and author Kent Haruf. Brown's photos are extremely evocative of the high plains.
Early in the book Haruf has this to say:
“You have to know how to look at this country. You have to slow down. It isn’t pretty, but it’s beautiful."
I think that states states it perfectly.
I happened to stumble upon this book at the library about a week before we left on our trip: West of Last Chance, a collaboration between photographer Peter Brown and author Kent Haruf. Brown's photos are extremely evocative of the high plains.
Early in the book Haruf has this to say:
“You have to know how to look at this country. You have to slow down. It isn’t pretty, but it’s beautiful."
I think that states states it perfectly.
Feb 1st, 2015, 06:21 AM
#20
“You have to know how to look at this country. You have to slow down. It isn’t pretty, but it’s beautiful."
Absolutely! I get it. My husband had not seen your photos so we just enjoyed them together, me still finding some new aspects in the second viewing. The cotton gin and truck, windmills old and new. Everything so stark, but cool enough to turn into a coffee table book.
Our son went to school in Lubbock when we still lived in Dallas, and we'd been warned about the long, ugly, boring drive. We went in 2 cars getting him out there freshman year: DH and oh-so-sophisticated A&M junior daughter in lead car, son and I following in his car. We reached the Caprock escarpment just as the sun was setting, highlignting the range. Suddenly DD's torso pops up through the moonroof of DH's car, camera in hand, to capture the beauty of the moment. That scene is still etched in my mind! So stark, but stunnung beauty.
Absolutely! I get it. My husband had not seen your photos so we just enjoyed them together, me still finding some new aspects in the second viewing. The cotton gin and truck, windmills old and new. Everything so stark, but cool enough to turn into a coffee table book.
Our son went to school in Lubbock when we still lived in Dallas, and we'd been warned about the long, ugly, boring drive. We went in 2 cars getting him out there freshman year: DH and oh-so-sophisticated A&M junior daughter in lead car, son and I following in his car. We reached the Caprock escarpment just as the sun was setting, highlignting the range. Suddenly DD's torso pops up through the moonroof of DH's car, camera in hand, to capture the beauty of the moment. That scene is still etched in my mind! So stark, but stunnung beauty.
