Texas. Nothing like that portrayed by the Bobby Ewing gang.

I entered Texas at El Paso and immediately realised that it was nothing like the Texas potrayed in the 80s TV programme Dallas.  No big blonde hair, false breasts or stupid suits.  I am sure that if you looked hard enough then you would find them.  There was definitely a good smattering of Stetson wearing cowboys.

Stayed in a Motel 6 in El Paso.  As I climbed into bed at 2330 I was greeted by 4 or 5 black hairs and some crusty Kleenex.  Yuk.  I told the desk and they wanted to move me to a room round the corner and upstairs.  Too much hassle with all my kit and my bike so I slept on the floor.  No more Motel 6 since they refused to offer any type of compensation.

Came across a check point and had to provide my passport for a tobacco chewing Border Patrol Agent.  By the time I had finished there the area around my feet was covered in blobs of brown coloured spit.  What a great image he portrayed  Not!!!!

A bit further down the road I pulled in to the Salt Flat Cafe.  Not another building in sight and run by Shirley who said that the cafe had been in her family for 85 years.  She also advised me that the gravel roads I intended to take from the cafe were created by oil companies, went through private land and were barred by locked gates.  Very glad that I stopped for a BLT.

The alternative route she suggested was the no.54.  It was paved but in 45 miles I did not see a single person.

I am sure there are stranger things to be found in the middle of the desert but this must be close to the top of the list.

Pulled up to read this sign and was about to ride off when I thought 'what a great place to camp'

Pulled into the complex of over 800 cabins and set up my tent next to what appeared to be a cook house.  I was greeted by a friendly dog who led me to a building with caretaker above the door.  On knocking I met Virgil who explained that every August 3000-4000 people get together for a religious camp.

Texas State observatory

Marathon.  Named by a sea captain who thought that it reminded him of Marathon in Greece.  Clearly a vivid imagination.

I though it was a space ship!!

The Alamo in San Antonio.  The Texans are very proud of their history.  It is written into their constitution that if the Texan flag and US flag are flown together they are to be at the same height and that Texas has the right to leave the US and any time.

All the sites below are to be seen on the river walk that is below the level of the city and a good place to socialise.

The first hotel where each room is made as a module and then craned up the building where it was bolted to its neighbours

Quite a large Marriott

'Bloke and Baby'

'Train and no Baby'

Riding along the beach outside Corpus Christi

I liked Corpus Christi so stayed there for 2 nights.  People really friendly and got chatting with people on both nights.  End result was that on each nigh somebody paid for my food and drink.  Happy with that!!  

USS Lexington

Mosquito hell near Galveston

The toilets were air conditioned, bug free and made a great gym

All the buildings on the Gulf Coast are on stilts to avoid storm surges

A mushroom garden

and time to breath before riding on without Camilla and New Mexico for the second time

After Antelope Wells we headed NE for Phoenix where Camilla was going to ship her bike back to Halifax and fly herself back to work and I was hoping to stay with friends who I met in Tombstone during my RTW trip.

We actually had some of the best riding since leaving Colorado.

At this location, though it does not seem possible, we both got daylight beneath our tyres :-))

My home for a week in Scottsdale.  A really nice chilled out time with my friends Mark and Cathy.  I was really well looked after and it was hard to leave.

Little things please little minds :-)

This road was stunning.  Very twisty turny and was parallel to one of the roads we had followed on the trail.  Once the rain had stopped it was great fun.

A bloody huge open cast copper mine at Morenci as I made my way through New Mexico

Once I had set up my tent in the State Park at Mule Creek I looked skywards and realised I was in for a lot of rain.  I checked my tent again and saw what appeared to be a hastily made but shallow drainage ditch around the area my tent was pitched.  I remember on my last trip helping Alex dig a drainage ditch as the torrential rain threatened to swamp hi tent as it made its way down the slope.  Had I inadvertently and despite careful checks pitched my tent in an area at risk of flooding?  Better not the the risk so in the pitch dark I relocated.

This garage was advertised for sale.  I would not think there is much call for stage coach garages.

Bit if Deja Vue creeping in since I was riding exactly the same route as I had done 2 weeks before.  Decided to ride a section that we had avoided on the previous occasion due to thunder storms.  It was now looking much better and this piece of 'dirt' was really good.

I came within spitting distance of Antelope Wells again and was able to take a photo of the divide sign that I had missed last time

Hachita is a town that used to rely on the nearby copper smelting plant.  When that closed Hachita died.  Even the church was boarded up.

The no 9 road ran parallel with the border and in places on a hundred metres or so from it.  As you would expect it was crawling with 'agents' from the Border Patrol.   

Columbus lies on the 9 and it was the site of the last hostile action by foreign troops in the Continental Unite

Apparently the Martians from 'The War of the Worlds' were also there.