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ROUTE 90 |
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| LEAVING MARFA: See
that pointed peak off to the right? That's Cathedral Mountain and it's really a long, long
way off. On this road a slight hill or bend in the road is cause for celebration.
Nevertheless, along this route are some very attractive communities.
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 kay, so Highway 90 is straight an an
arrow, longer than daylight and you can even see the curvature of the Earth. Just
remember, your map is your friend even if you aren't making any turns. Remember all
that coffee early in the morning and the noon sodas? Trust me, if there are women
folk in the car it will be handy to know just how far up the road it is to the next
convenience store. Not too bad in this case. Only 35 miles to Alpine. We didn't linger there although I'm sure there was plenty to take in we wanted to put some miles behind us. After all San Antonio was over 350 miles away and stopping at all those Historic Markers really slows down the progress.
Next stop, Marathon. But first, a Historical Marker: "Fort Pena Colorado, the last active fort in this area, on the Old Comanche Trail, about 4 miles to the southwest of was established in 1879."
(Whew, this article is kinda like Highway 90, it just goes on and on. So let's keep on truckin'. Next stop: Langtry.
PAGE 1: VAN HORN TO SAN ANTONE (INTRODUCTION) |
Texas Hill Country Wine: Torrie de Pietra Vineyards and Winery near Fredericksburg Texas |
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TOURIN' TEXAS A
FREE MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 3
Marathon was founded in 1881 named by an old sea
captain A.E. Shepard, for the plain of Marathon, in Greece, of which the hills here
reminded him. The cradle of the West Texas cattle industry, among the first noted ranchers
here were Mayer M. Halff and brother, owners of the famous Circle Dot Brand. This is the
gateway to the Big Bend National Park and if you're ever headed for Big Bend -- and you
have to go there at least once if you want to lay any claim to being Texan at all, natural
or naturalized..
This high class place has it all
including "elegant accommodations furnished with authentic period decor, fine dining
that will delight your senses and a pool perfect for an evening swim - all in a rustic
West Texas setting surrounded by the mountains of Big Bend National Park." That's
from their website and trust me they're tellin' the truth. If you've had your fill
of the "Country Clutter" esthetic that is rampant in Texas you'll find the Gage
a welcomed relief.
In Marathon there is a cantina named Cantina and just a
few doors down is Shirley's Burt Biscuit Bakery. (Don't say folks don't have a sense of
humor in these parts.) While exploring the sidestreets of this little town we found
an old fashioned wooden windmill. They're aren't many of these left standing and even
fewer in working order.
