Westward Ho!

As we continued our journey west, we got off the beaten path (I-10) to explore Fort Lancaster Texas Historical Site.  The fort is located off Texas 290 near Sheffield. Yes, there aren't many roads heading due west in west Texas, but we found the road to Fort Lancaster. This fort is the only one in Texas that was attacked by Native Americans in the 1800s.

 I think we were the only visitors to the site that day. The historian in the visitor center said the site gets between 0 and 25 visitors a day. The total for the year is around 3200.

 As with most old forts, the buildings were torn apart by locals who used the materials to build their own homes. Some buildings still have their foundations, but some are completely gone.

 Behind the visitor center we found a stage coach. The steps were wobbly and it was hard for me to imagine a woman traveling in a long dress getting in and out easily.

After a picnic lunch and grabbing the geocache at the entrance, we continued west. The interstate doesn't offer many good places to stop as you travel west so we decided on Fort Stockton---home of the large roadrunner. There was a Wal-Mart where most travelers spend the night, but we chose Pizza Hut. There was a large lot behind the restaurant where RVers could park. Guess what we had for dinner? Pizza, of course!

The next day we were headed toward El Paso with the intention of stopping at Hueco Tanks State Park. As we traveled, I tried to call to find out if there were sites open and how large a vehicle they could accommodate. I kept getting a recording so we kept driving.

It was time to feed Sol so we had to find a diesel station where Bob could easily maneuver in and out. We didn't find one until we were at the base of the mountain on the east side. When Bob got out to feed Sol, the wind was really strong.

After filling the tank we continued over the mountain pass. The wind was really whipping tumbleweeds across the road and the dust was getting thicker. Sol began to be buffeted by the wind and we knew we wanted to find a safe place to stop. Luckily, as we came down off the mountain the road led directly to the outlet mall which has a huge parking lot. Several semis were already pulled over and we joined them. The wind warning was for gusts up to 65 miles per hour. We decided to stay put and relax until the winds died down.

Later that evening, we decided to leave to drive the short distance to Anthony, New Mexico, where we stopped at the Welcome Center. Our trip across west Texas didn't take as long as expected...

Next stop---Arizona!