Driving to El Paso

This long weekend's destination had been planned for a while.  I wanted to hike around the Franklin Mountains, the treeless range north of El Paso that once held the only tin mines in the United States.  The mines are now closed and the roads leading to the mines are now hiking trails.  The mountains are managed by the Texas State Parks system.  I wanted to hike the trails I couldn't hike last December: Mundy's Gap, North Franklin Peal, the tin mines.  Because of any lack of trees or water, these trails are best done in the winter, or on cool, overcast days.  My four-day weekend for President's day was my last chance this year to explore these mountains.

But then I realized that Friday was Valentine's Day.  I couldn't just take off without recognizing Kevin, so after my sunrise  hike with the dogs, we ate breakfast at the Chuckwagon.  This time I had a Patty Melt and Diet Coke.  I didn't leave until 12:30pm, enough time to drive the border route in daylight.

I wanted to take Sadie as well, but by the time I left, she was napping by Kevin's feet on the bed.  She looked so relaxed and I didn't have the heart to wake her up and take her.  I ended up taking just Zeke.

It was a nice day for a drive along the border. Today's high along the route was in the low 60s and partly cloudy.  I took the southern route: AZ 90 to Bisbee, AZ80 through Douglas, AZ and then NM9, a 150-mile stretch along the New Mexico-Chihuahua border  that take one through the border-ranching communities of Animas, Hachita, Columbus, Hermanas, where the US Border Patrol is busy erecting the 20-foot iron wall that is replacing the 5' hedgehogs.  It's a desolate road all along the border.  The only food stop along this stretch is a small cafe in Columbus, the Borderlands Cafe.  One of these days I'll stop in there.

Construction crews are digging the trenches stirring up dust here.  One car had just rolled off the road and down an embankment east of Columbus, NM where the construction crew is most busy.  Perhaps the driver  took his eyes off the road to look south at the border, then drove off the road when the road took a curve to the left.  Rescue teams were still racing to the scene as I drove by here, MM 110 east of Columbus,  NM. USBP agents were directing traffic while waiting for sheriff deputies to take over.  The dark Mercury was heavily dented, the windshield shattered, and both front air bags had been deployed.

I made it to the outskirts of El Paso at the height of rush hour, with cars now lined up densely at every traffic light.  The sun was now low.  Was this congestion going to last me for the next few hours?  Impatient with the lack of moving forward, I pulled into a Sam's Club off Country Club road to get needed items like dog food, advertised on sale and which I needed for the pack back home.  I also had a slice of pizza  at the Sam's Club cafe to carry me over.  I'm glad I got the shopping done then, as the rest of the weekend I was to busy hiking the Franklins to worry about shopping.

It was now 7pm before I resumed my trip.  Too late to hike anywhere, I stopped briefly in Old Town.  Construction of a parking garage and renovations to the 1930 Plaza Hotel is still on-going, blocking access to San Antonio and El Paso Streets.  This project was supposed to be finished last August! We walked around the San Jacinto Plaza which was guarded by a city cop, then drove east on I-10 to the Bricktown Tap House and Kitchen.  I had a gift card for that place and wanted to use it (I ended up forgetting to use it!).  The Bricktown Tap House and Kitchen originated in Oklahoma City, OK, and serves local craft beer. with the usual pub fare.  I've been to the one in Fort Smith, AK; Tulsa, OK; Wichita Falls, TX; Springfield, MO and now this location.

I walked in at 9:30pm, right in their late night happy hour where all drafts are $3.50 and several food items are reduced.  I had a spicy chicken sandwich with fries with a Deadbeach brewery Chihefeweizen.  It was a very tasty meal for a mere $8.50!

The Bricktown Tap House and Kitchen is in a new location that wasn't built the last time I spent any time in El Paso (2006), the linear outdoor mall called "The Fountains," with views into El Paso and Juarez right off the Interstate 10.  People were outside walking the center foot path, throwing footballs in the small community park that is in the middle of the narrow walking area.  I walked Zeke up and down this shopping and dining district.  Even past 11pm there were many people here, despite the chilled 55F temperatures. The noise from the interstate doesn't seem to bother anyone.  The lights from Juarez are mesmerizing.

I stopped for the night at the nearby Walmart off Gateway East Blvd.  Uniformed police and security personnel roam inside and outside the building.  Broanan Security provides parking lot security as well.  All this security seemed overkill.  Does this Walmart have a high theft rate? I learned later that this was the location of the mass shooting deaths last August 3rd.  Twenty-one-year-old Patrick Crusius drove seven hours from Allen, TX just to kill Latinos at this location.  Twenty-two people were killed, another 24 were injured.  There are 18 Walmarts in the greater El Paso area, and Crusius chose this location because of its easy and quick access off the interstate.

The monument constructed in memory of the fallen victims, The Grand Candela, is on the far end of the parking lot.  This way the lights are visible from Juarez. I stopped here to gaze at the lights and to watch others come and go.  No one stayed long, but many, like me, touched the metal encasings and circled around the lighted structure.  The lights at the base of the structure flicker like candles, but one thing I noticed is that none of the victims' names is mentioned anywhere.