US 90

Ed Clark

Next time you are in San Antonio between Thanksgiving and New Year's be sure to check out Ed Clark's Christmas House. I met Ed waiting to pick up a prescription at the BX pharmacy at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. I asked him if I could take a picture of him in his hat. He was happy to oblige and told me all about his hats (he has created 65 so far) and his Christmas house which he does as a memorial to his deceased wife. The house is permanently decorated and is  constantly enhanced. Had the timing been right, I would have loved to see Ed's masterpiece.

Mission Concepcion

Another must see in San Antonio are the Franciscan missions. In addition to the Alamo, there are four others in various states of repair. Mission San Jose has been fully restored. But my favorites were Mission Concepcion and Mission Espada. I put an album of photos on my Facebook page and on Smugmug.

A real cowboy

Next morning, after a false start, I left San Antonio and headed toward Las Cruces, New Mexico by way of US 90. Interstate 10 would have been faster, but I was curious to see some of rural south Texas. It is a great drive. It takes you through Last Picture Show Texas towns like Hondo, Uvalde, Bracketsville, Marathon, and Marfa. You can also stop in Langtry, Texas and see Judge Roy Bean's Courthouse and the Lily Langtry Saloon. That's where I snapped the photo of a real cowboy. When I asked if I could take his photo he introduced himself as "the last of the worn out cowboys." I never got his name. There are spectacular desert landscapes in Amistad National Park and Big Bend National Park. I had a great lunch at Julio's in Del Rio and am spending the night in Van Horn, Texas. Tomorrow I'm off to Columbus, New Mexico and then on to Las Cruces.

P.S. Watch out for a really nasty speed trap in Sanderson. I think it's the major source of revenue for the town.