Good Morning From Alpine, Texas

Sunset in San Angelo State Park from site # 12

It's a chilly morning here in Alpine on this Presidents' Day holiday.  After spending a week in San Angelo State Park, we're currently located in Lost Alaskan RV Park just north of town in Alpine, Texas, home of Sul Ross State University which also is the site for  Museum of the Big Bend.
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San Angelo, Texas

Our stay outside of San Angelo, Texas was pleasant. San Angelo State Park is just a few miles outside San Angelo making for easy day trips into the city. San Angelo sits on the Concho River and, like many cities, it developed a scenic river walk along the Concho in downtown.  The visitor's center seems relatively new and is well designed. The volunteer ladies at the Visitor Center were helpful and had good information to share about San Angelo and the surrounding area. We spend some time at the San Angelo Museum of fine art where we took in the current exhibit, Inside Out, An exploration of women's status and roles in American society as reflected in fashion from foundation to silhouette.

San Angelo River Walk along the Concho River

San Angelo Visitor's Center and Sheep

San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts

Downtown San Angelo

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Fort Stockton, Texas

We traveled from San Angelo to Fort Stockton, Texas. The trip was windy which brings to mind conversations we've had with folks in Texas about the somewhat ever present wind. When you mention the high winds in Texas you will sometimes get an explanation from residents that goes something like this, "The reason for the high wind in Texas is there's nothing between the North Pole and us except barbed wire." And I heard, "There's not so much as a hill between us and the North Pole."

That's just fine, fine, fine, but doesn't explain the damned southernly winds that blew Miranda around all day between San Angelo and Fort Stockton. Whatever. I've about had enough of the  Texas winds for a while, but it'll be a while before we leave this great state and the accompanying wide open spaces and said high winds, so I prolly should just shut up about it.

Fort Stockton was only a stop over spot on the way to Alpine and Marfa and Big Bend. Fort Stockton felt like a town catering to the oil industry, kinda rough around the edges and not much at which one need spend too much time pondering or looking for. I'm probably wrong somehow, but maybe not. Maybe the damned wind was affecting my perception.

Much of Fort Stockton looks like this road side attraction, Texas Discounts

On the way to Fort Stockton it occurred to me the skunk is just like the possum and the armadillo in the southeast. Just another creature caught in the headlights with no where to go but under someone's tires. The result is the same, many a carcass in and along the roadside. You'd think with as much wide open space and sight distances, they'd be able to navigate away with oncoming 80 mile an hour (speed limit) vehicles. But no. The only difference between them and the 'possums is the immediate smell. That lovely fragrance of skunk permeating my senses and Miranda. Skunk may be the Texas state fragrance. I should contact Governor Abbot about making it official.

Please don't write me to explain how great is Texas. By now I have a very good understanding, some of it from locals, from flags hanging from every available space and the star embedded in the rest of the available space. I get it. Texas is special, about like Alabama is special, just bigger and dryer. Bigger. Big.

There are skunks out there awaiting your arrival