WINDING DOWN

 BIG BEND SUNRISE



Before leaving Big Bend National Park we took a short hike up Santa Elena Canyon.  The Rio Grande flows through this narrow canyon and is very popular with river runners when the water level is up in the spring and summer.  The trail up the canyon only goes for about a mile, before the river stretches between the canyon walls preventing further exploration.

 SANTA ELENA CANYON

 JEFF DAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE

One thing we noticed in our travels in the Midwest and especially in Texas is that many rural counties have very large and imposing courthouses.  Most of these buildings were build in the early 1900's or before.  Jeff Davis County only has a population of 2300 souls but the courthouse looks like it could be from a much larger county.  About 1000 of those live in the county seat, Fort Davis.



 TEXAS BACK ROAD

The city of Fort Davis takes it's name from, you guessed it, Fort Davis  a National Historic Site.  Fort Davis was founded in 1854 and was named for then Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War.  During the Civil War the fort was abandoned by the Union Army, but reoccupied after the Civil War in 1867.  By that time travel on the San Antonio-El Paso Road increased and so did raiding by Comanches and Apaches, prompting the Army in re-establishing Fort Davis.  Today many of the original buildings have been restored and furnished to the period when Fort Davis was an active Fort. 

 OFFICER QUARTERS

 ENLISTED MENS BARRACKS

 CHANGING COLORS

The Cottonwoods in West Texas are turning gold and for us that is a signal to head for home.  We've been on the road  just shy of 3 months and it was time to head home.  Besides, Cathie can hardly wait to see the grandkids.  As we crossed from Arizona into California Cathie said to me that next time she would be willing to stay gone for four months.  I guess I better start planning.

GOOD TO BE HOME

This morning when I got up, the first morning after getting home, this is what greeted me.