We met for breakfast at a Denny's near my hotel. The place was busy! So was the Whataburger hamburger joint next door to my hotel, and I drove past three more very busy Whataburgers before the day was over for me. (Whataburger originated in Corpus Christi in 1950
https://stories.whataburger.com/since-1950 ) We ate our breakfast but didn't talk much; Eric too busy on his phone and I rather anxious about the upcoming drive in the wind. All I know is that he can't wait to get out of the Air Force so that he can work on his passion, writing.
"Do you have a blog, a portfolio?" I asked him.
"No."
Well, that's a good start...
I dropped him off at the airport by 9:30am and I drove off. There was nothing else to keep me in Wichita Falls, and a slight sadness overcame me, knowing I'll most likely never come to this town again. Well, the town has some great restaurants and a very good brewery, so there's something for the wayward traveler, but my time in Wichita Falls has come to an end.
I drove west on US82 toward Lubbock, driving past a few familiar places like the Backporch Taphouse and Sam's Club. Everything was closed. Traffic was light, but the wind picked up once I was on the open, flat plains of north Texas and its many (damp) cotton fields and cattle ranches. My next goal was stopping at the Silver Falls rest area, perhaps one of the nicest rest areas for explorers as it's along White Creek and a waterfall, with stone walls and a picnic area across the creek that encourages people to explore the area. It's just east of Crosbyton, and the Crosbyton city website lists Silver Falls as a "park." It's worth a stop. The stone walls were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. I first discovered this rest area on my first drive to Wichita Falls in 2015. I always enjoy stopping here with the dogs so that they can enjoy the creek
http://www.cityofcrosbyton.org/site/city/silver-falls-park/
The trail and banks along the creek were very muddy from the rain, but we made it to the falls. The trail to the falls and back is only a half-mile, as the property all around the rest area is private property. Minnie dove into the water right away, not even giving me a chance to find a stick to throw to her. I stopped here with her in mind, though, and this was her chance to get some exercise in. We were on Minnie Time! I had to be careful not to slip into the creek.
I let the dogs frolic in the water for a half hour, then resumed my drive on US82, past desolate small towns and lots of historical markers.
There are now over 16,000 historical markers across Texas, according to the Texas Historical Commission's website. I like to stop and read the markers, but sometimes there are multiple markers at one street corner. Texans think anything that happens in Texas is worth mentioning. I enjoy reading about battlesites and pioneer settlements, but sometimes a marker designates the location of a building that once stood on the ground but not anymore, or the plaque is about a town founder whose descendants may still be in the area. No one can argue that nothing happened in Texas. Its state history is rather colorful (and contentious).
It's a pretty drive on US82 west toward Lubbock, but fog got dense at times. Roads converged from all directions, then disappeared into the fading horizon. I enjoy the many stone buildings still standing, and painted advertisements on buildings from long-ago products once sold in those buildings. I never saw one person in any of the towns, even when I got to Lubbock. I should have driven straight to Big Springs, but instead wasted a good hour looking for an open restaurant. When I found an open eatery, it was --surprise!-- a Whataburger with a very long line of cars in the drive-through.
Fog got dense again south of Lubbock on US87, now driving south toward I-20. Flat cotton fields, wind turbines, sheep farms and more cattle dotted the landscape. I even spotted a flock of cranes resting in a spent cotton field.
The closer I got to I-20, the more the air smelled of oil refineries. I was now in the Permian Basin, one of the most oil-rich regions in the Lower 48. Oil derricks and gas burn-offs dominate the horizons, and it's the one area in Texas I don't mind driving through at night because there's nothing scenic here (because of the refineries). I wanted to get to Big Springs before it got too dark. The burning gas helps keep the temperatures higher here than the surrounding plains, but the fog also accentuates the smell. Big Springs, TX smells like Whiting, IN!
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-spring/park_history
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-spring/nature
Big Springs was once a Comanche gathering place. I'm not sure where the springs are now. The one redeeming thing about Big Springs is its state park. I first discovered this area in 2005 while driving to South Carolina with dog Sara to see my daughter Erin. The park is a three-mile loop drive above a 200' limestone luff dotted with scrub oaks and prickly pear, from which one can see the burning gas from above. It's a nice deviation from a long drive, although there isn't much else to do here.
I got to the park with just 30 minutes of good day light, and Minnie let me know she was not feeling up to a walk. I took her back to the car and powerwalked with Zeke to the scenic overlook, then cut across the park via the nature trail. I managed two miles before it got too dark. Three other people had the same plan as I do: to walk the road before dark. There is no entrance fee for this small park, but the city still closes the road at sunset. Luckily the parking lot is outside the gate.
My day was now coming to a close. And what did I do? I had my Thanksgiving Day dinner at a Whataburger in town, ordering a chicken sandwich with fries! I was thankful to all the hard-working service personnel working to feed travelers like me. Then I drove another 100 miles west and spent the night in Monahans, just to get away from the stink of Odessa and Midland.
It's a pretty drive on US82 west toward Lubbock, but fog got dense at times. Roads converged from all directions, then disappeared into the fading horizon. I enjoy the many stone buildings still standing, and painted advertisements on buildings from long-ago products once sold in those buildings. I never saw one person in any of the towns, even when I got to Lubbock. I should have driven straight to Big Springs, but instead wasted a good hour looking for an open restaurant. When I found an open eatery, it was --surprise!-- a Whataburger with a very long line of cars in the drive-through.
Fog got dense again south of Lubbock on US87, now driving south toward I-20. Flat cotton fields, wind turbines, sheep farms and more cattle dotted the landscape. I even spotted a flock of cranes resting in a spent cotton field.
The closer I got to I-20, the more the air smelled of oil refineries. I was now in the Permian Basin, one of the most oil-rich regions in the Lower 48. Oil derricks and gas burn-offs dominate the horizons, and it's the one area in Texas I don't mind driving through at night because there's nothing scenic here (because of the refineries). I wanted to get to Big Springs before it got too dark. The burning gas helps keep the temperatures higher here than the surrounding plains, but the fog also accentuates the smell. Big Springs, TX smells like Whiting, IN!
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-spring/park_history
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-spring/nature
Big Springs was once a Comanche gathering place. I'm not sure where the springs are now. The one redeeming thing about Big Springs is its state park. I first discovered this area in 2005 while driving to South Carolina with dog Sara to see my daughter Erin. The park is a three-mile loop drive above a 200' limestone luff dotted with scrub oaks and prickly pear, from which one can see the burning gas from above. It's a nice deviation from a long drive, although there isn't much else to do here.
I got to the park with just 30 minutes of good day light, and Minnie let me know she was not feeling up to a walk. I took her back to the car and powerwalked with Zeke to the scenic overlook, then cut across the park via the nature trail. I managed two miles before it got too dark. Three other people had the same plan as I do: to walk the road before dark. There is no entrance fee for this small park, but the city still closes the road at sunset. Luckily the parking lot is outside the gate.
My day was now coming to a close. And what did I do? I had my Thanksgiving Day dinner at a Whataburger in town, ordering a chicken sandwich with fries! I was thankful to all the hard-working service personnel working to feed travelers like me. Then I drove another 100 miles west and spent the night in Monahans, just to get away from the stink of Odessa and Midland.
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