The day started out reasonably cool with light clouds and minimal wind. Leaving Uvalde we headed west on US-90 to Del Rio. US-90. Like US-2 it is a major east-west artery, but differs in that, while US-2 is the northern most route, US-90 is the southernmost. It begins in Jacksonville Beach Florida and runs 2628 km west to Van Horn Texas.
Light traffic and high posted speeds led to a rapid traverse to Del Rio, after which the terrain and road both became more interesting. Crossing the Amistad Reservoir we had to make a short stop at a Border Control point. This was not a border crossing point; rather it appeared to be a control point along US-90 to monitor movements along that stretch of the US-Mexican border. We simply declared our Canadian citizenship and were ushered through.
Train Bridges
From there wound through sandstone hills, with great views on each corner. The canyon cut by the Pecos river was particularly stunning. The road ran close to the meandering Rio Grande at points, offering a few fleeting views of the canyon formed by the river. It was a great stretch of road. Some windfarms were located just south of the road; so it was not a surprise to see to see several wide load transports moving blades for new wind generators on the road.
The road straightened through Dryden, but then started to get curvy again as we entered Sanderson Canyon. Stopping to fuel in Sanderson itself, we met a local resident – a tarantula resting on the window at the Stripes Service Station.
A quick jaunt down to Marathon and we stopped for a coffee break at the V6 Coffee Bar- a reference to a local ranch (who’s ownership included the coffee shop) and not to an automotive engine.
The approach to Alpine revealed a series of peaks and hills on the horizon; a suitable name given the backdrop for our destination today. We arrived at the hotel avoiding rain
