Va-Va-Visalia Video
Casey moves inexorably to the Butterfield's finish in San Francisco.
Here's the video report from Fort Tejon and Visalia!
January 02, 2009
December 29, 2008
A Taste of Visalia
About 85 miles from Los Angeles the stage route reaches the Tejon pass near Fort Tejon State Historic Park 
. My first of just two stops today, Ft. Tejon is a peaceful little spot surrounded by velvety smooth hills. When Ormsby arrived, Ft. Tejon was an active fort with "some very fine adobe buildings" and "few settlers." Today Ft. Tejon is a state park with recreated and original buildings from the old fort. With Juan and the boys, I arrived after closing time.
Turns out we were not exactly alone — a family of deer was taking advantage of the open space in the closed park. I spent nearly an hour walking around, videoing, and sharing the space with them. It really added to the tranquil feeling of the place and helped transport me to another time when I'm sure wildlife was abundant here.
Tranquility aside, I had to be off. Further up Highway 99 is another town I'd never heard of, but will never forget: Visalia, California . When I arrived, it was already dark out and I was getting quite hungry. After locating the KOA in Visalia and registering for the night, I headed into town. Being a weeknight, I was worried there would be nothing open in such a small town this late.
Boy, was I surprised! As I approached downtown, I was greeted by a huge party. Not in my honor, of course, but that night just happened to be the 15th Annual Taste of Downtown Visalia .
I was amazed. There was live music. The streets and restaurants and bars were filled to the brim with people enjoying all that downtown Visalia has to offer.
And does it have something to offer! Nearly every kind of cuisine you can imagine was available. Juan and I settled on steak, and soon found the Double LL Steakhouse. I have to say, I've had steak a few times on this journey (when there was no catfish available), and this was hands down the best steak of the trip. In fact, I would venture to say one of the best steaks I've ever had. And the mashed potatoes were to die for! (And you will if you eat all that they put on your plate!)
Unfortunately, the next morning was to be an early one, so I wasn't able to take part in the festivities. After stuffing myself, I headed back to the KOA. Before hitting the hay, I grabbed my copy of Ormsby's book to research for the next day's visit and filming in Visalia and had another "Ormsby moment"....
November 21, 2008
Retrieving Ormsby
I awoke this morning in beautiful Borrego Springs to my normal routine of walking the boys, having breakfast, and preparing for the days videoing and site-seeing. First I consult my notebook to see which cities and sites are on the agenda for the day. Then I consult Ormsby via his book, The Butterfield Overland Mail Route.
Notebook, check. Ormsby...uh oh...I couldn't find Ormsby! I searched in all the usual spots but with only 24 feet of space there aren't that many spots to look in. No luck. Ormsby was nowhere to be found.
So, I thought back to the last time I had seen the book, Box Canyon. While filming at Box Canyon I laid the book on top of the site marker. Oh, man! Without Ormsby I had no guide. I wouldn't know what had happened on that first historic journey.
I had to make a decision, continue without him or go back. No brainer. I had to go back and retrieve Ormsby.
I feared that I wouldn't find the book because the wind had been blowing so hard the past 24 hours. I just knew the book had blown off the marker, and I would have to search the vast canyon.
The trip back to Box Canyon took nearly an hour. As I hiked to the marker, I strained my eyes in anticipation of seeing the book atop the marker undisturbed. It wasn't there.
But, as I approached the marker I discovered to my joy and amazement that the book was indeed there — it had been placed sacrificially below the marker. Not only that, but some kind soul (Ormsby's perhaps) had placed stones on top of it to keep it from blowing away!
Ormsby, I think, must be watching over my journey.
November 07, 2008
A Genuine Plug for Premier Transmissions
After not sleeping especially well, worrying about making it to the grand opening event in Yuma today, I awoke early. First on the agenda was coffee. Next I put in a call to Bill over at Premier Transmissions for an update on the RV.
What I was hoping to hear was that the RV was fixed and ready to go so we could make our event. The folks in Yuma were really excited about adding the RV and the story of our journey to their event and had lined up press to cover it. They were all expecting the RV and me to be there along with the stagecoach to celebrate the grand opening.
On a personal note, I knew that Marge Rice had really been instrumental in setting this up, and I really didn't want to let her down. Marge is "the bomb" and has been a great partner helping with all things marketing for this great adventure. I had no control over the RV's mechanical problems, obviously. But, not making the event would have been the first failure of the journey. And because I had become so personally staked out of necessity in its fortunes, its failure was my failure.
There is no way I could pull this trip off with all the long hours of research and planning and finally all the hours put in on the road up to this point unless I had embraced it completely and utterly. And I have. This has become a labor of love and to use another tired cliché, my baby. And not to be able to share my "baby" with all those folks in Yuma was terribly disappointing.
Luckily, Ormsby never had Transmissions trouble. The biggest delays his historic trip suffered were at the hands of unruly and uncooperative wild mules. And here I was with all my modern technology delayed and behind schedule. But I held out hope.
Unfortunately the call to Bill did not go as I had hoped. Despite all the hard work and extra hours his men put into fixing the old clunker (and they stayed late last night trying to fix it), an unexpected problem delayed the works completion. He tried to explain what the problem was, but he may has well been speaking Latin. As I stated before, mechanics is not my thing and all I heard was, "Blah blah blah Transmissions blah blah case blah blah blah I'll have it done by 2:00pm."
Well 2:00pm was too late. Now, I had the unfortunate task of calling Marge and Teresa Mosley of the new Yuma store and delivering the bad news. They were both disappointed but very understanding and for that I was grateful.
Soon Bill and the team at Premier Transmissions completed their work. I have to tell you, mechanics sometimes get a bad rap but Premier Transmissions is first rate. Bill kept me up to speed on what was going on, and, understanding and appreciating the nature of my journey, worked really hard to get us back on the road as soon as possible. Before we found them our options had been bad and worse. But Bill saw to it that the work was done quickly at a very reasonable price, always with my safety and the success of the rest of the trip in mind.
I can't thank him enough, but I can say that if you are in Phoenix and need some work done, you can't make a better choice than Premier Transmissions.
With the RV fixed and the mail safe and secure, I was on my way again. Destination, Yuma, Arizona!
November 05, 2008
Trading the RV for a Spring Wagon
Although I had to be up early, it was nice that Eddie let me sleep as long as I could. Seems he knew the RV was in the shop and decided not to even check on it this morning.
We had a bit of a drive on our hands to meet up with Daryl Hatch at the Butterfield Trail near Gila Bend . Daryl is a driver for our Stagecoach Appearance Program and owns lots of horses and wagons. Turns out he's also a really nice guy and yet another "real" cowboy (see Day 7 of trip journal) I've had the pleasure of meeting on this trip.
We arrived a bit late — Daryl was waiting patiently with his horses out and spring wagon ready to go. It was a very warm and dry day out in the Arizona desert, but I was looking forward to the ride. Just before we were set up to go, I received a call from the RV rental company. They informed me they had located a place in Phoenix that would fix the transmission and that it would be done possibly by the end of the day.
They gave me the number of Premier Transmissions and told me to speak to Bill. Well, turns out Bill is not only a first-rate mechanic but also a real pro and a great guy. He assured me he would do everything he could to have the RV up and running as soon as possible. I felt much better after talking to him and looked forward to making the event in Yuma the next day.
Feeling as though we were back on track, I loaded up the boys in the spring wagon and we headed to the trail. While I've had the opportunity to ride on the parts of the actual Butterfield Trail, this was the first time I was doing it in an actual horse-drawn wagon! The ride was very bumpy as you can imagine. Unlike the Concord coaches, which have a suspension system of leather thoroughbraces that create a rocking motion, this wagon had next to no suspension system and created a jerking motion.
While Charlie quickly lay down, I was a little worried about Eddie. He likes to be where the action is and doesn't sit still. So I held on tight.
October 30, 2008
Transmission Trouble
Well, for the first time in 20 days I spent the night outside the RV.
No, I wasn't sleeping in the street — I was enjoying the hospitality in the beautiful and cozy home of Bill and Connie Whalen. I had met Bill briefly when we rendezvoused with him and Connie in Flagstaff, Arizona on the way to St. Louis, Missouri. He had been very helpful with figuring out how to get the RV's pilot light lit for the fridge and a few other things I was having difficulties with. After spending a few hours last night with him and Connie, I soon found him to be a great guy, and I appreciate the hospitality he and Connie showed me and the boys while in Phoenix.
I was awakened very early by my youngest pup Eddie. He was whining by the bedroom door, apparently wanting out. Not wanting an accident in Connie's house, I thought I better get up and oblige. He led me straight to the front door, then bolted outside and went straight for the RV. I opened it up for him, and he jumped in, sniffed around, and looked at me like, "Okay, let's go!"
I couldn't believe it. Apparently he had grown so accustomed to the RV and traveling that he felt more at home there than in the house. I, however, had other ideas — I picked him up, reassured him that we would be back on the road soon, and headed back for the guest bed inside the house. Although the boys and I have been on cross-country journeys of three days before, I wasn't exactly sure how they would react to this extended road trip.
But apparently Eddie is a born traveler!
The event at the Wells Fargo History Museum was to take place in the late morning, so before heading to downtown Phoenix, I dropped the RV off at Bell Ford for advisor Joe Hough to take a look. Along with all the other before mentioned problems I'd had with the RV, over the last day and a half it had started to shake and sputter a bit when I accelerated. By the time I got to Phoenix, the problem had become very noticeable, and I knew it would not be safe to continue without it being checked out.
I hoped it would be something a good oil change and fuel line cleaning could resolve. However, not knowing anything about the mysterious workings of a motor I was wrong.
Way wrong.
October 29, 2008
Picacho Peak and the Giant Saguaro
After a night at the Benson KOA and with Connie all bandaged up, I headed to Tucson. I was meeting with team members and customers in downtown Tucson.
I have to say, the trip into Tucson was a bit nerve-wracking. The city is undergoing a lot of road construction, and on top of it some of the streets around the store were very narrow. But with some newfound RV skill I made it and had a great event. The team members and customers I met seemed very interested in the journey and history. I really enjoyed my time there.
Outside Tucson is Picacho Peak State Park . Unfortunately, the park was closed by the time I arrived, but the peak never closes. In fact, it has been used as a beacon for many weary travelers on their way West. From an 18th century Jesuit priest named Father Kino to the Mormon Battalion to the Butterfield Overland Mail Company , Picacho Peak or pass has guided travelers' ways for centuries.
Today the road that led those early travelers west is occupied by the transcontinental railroad.
The area surrounding the peak is very beautiful and typical for this part of Arizona. The Giant Saguaro Cacti — some reaching as high as thirty feet — dot the land around the peak. If you've never seen one of these cacti, they are amazing plants that can live as long as 200 years. Their shape is candelabra-like with arms spread welcomingly outward (but watch out for those needles!), while others reach high into the sky.
It was very hot, especially since I was still in my 19th century costume, so I stood under the shade of one of those giant green fleshed candelabras. I looked out into the distance over Interstate 10 as the cars flew by and wondered how many people in them knew they were passing beside an ancient beacon. Or was the site of the towering Dairy Queen sign on the other side of the road too much of a distraction?
When Ormsby passed this peak he himself said very little about it. His journal only mentions that the first fresh water to be found for 40 miles outside of Tucson was to be found at the pass — although thanks to some recent rain along the way, they had apparently scooped water from puddles along the road for the horses. There is no longer a station, but luckily for the I-10 traveler there's always the DQ for refreshment.
With the mail safe and sound and the peak in the rearview mirror, I headed to Phoenix and another event. I am excited because this one is taking place tomorrow at Connie's museum, and I have never visited this one before!
October 22, 2008
The Overland Mail Route — Where Should it Go?
Casey Gill has been recreating the Butterfield Overland Mail Route for some four weeks now. He's following the journey of Waterman Ormsby, a correspondent from the New York Herald who was the only through-passenger on the first westbound Butterfield stagecoach.
Ormsby departed St. Louis on September 16, 1858, and his correspondence on the overland route to San Francisco described in great detail the politics behind where to place the stagecoach line.
Ormsby's record reveals a strong sense of regionalism prior to the Civil War. This is not too different from any 21st century public works project to improve America's transportation infrastructure in which settlement, access, and profit are involved. Ormsby even hinted at the boosterism that would come with the railroad: "If the overland mail succeeds, the railroad and the telegraph will soon follow its course; the settlements along the line will be built up with rapidity..."
To obtain that first overland contract with the US Mail, John Butterfield , William G. Fargo, and a group of entrepreneurs submitted three bids to deliver the semi-weekly mail:
A stagecoach route between St. Louis, Missouri and San Francisco, California;
A stagecoach route between Memphis, Tennessee and San Francisco, California; and a
A stagecoach route from both St. Louis and Memphis that met at the best point, then proceeded on a common line to San Francisco.
According to Ormsby, Northern interests sought to establish a vast network of railroads, and a stagecoach route would lay the groundwork for the future.
On the other hand, Southerners hoped the route would improve trade, but also had their eyes on California in the event of a "dissolution of the union," as Ormsby mentioned in 1858. Ormsby's correspondence described the various players and highlighted the regional arguments for establishing a stagecoach route:The northern papers poured hot shot into their ears [Butterfield, Fargo, et. al.] to compel the location at St. Louis, or at least further north; while the southern papers fired bombshells on behalf of the termini at New Orleans or Memphis, and the extreme southern route...commencing at San Antonio, Texas...Columns upon columns were written to show the superiority of either or both termini.
In the end, the third option of a "bifurcated route" was selected.
The idea of a bifurcated route (which I believe, originated with Mr. John Butterfield, the president of the company) seemed to meet all the difficulty at once. It gave termini to both the North and the South, and no advantage to either.
The enormity of establishing a stagecoach route required the "superhuman energy" of the Overland Mail Company's leaders. Butterfield, Fargo and the others had the wherewithal to establish a route that took eight months to survey, traversed 2,800 miles, required 200 stations, employed 800 people, and required the purchase of 1,500 horses!
Although, perhaps planning and running the stagecoach route was probably not as hard as handling the other "difficulties" that Orsmby described:
The adoption of this route was...attended with no ordinary difficulties, comprising as they did, all the conflicting interests in the Pacific railroad. The schemes of speculating contractors and land jobbers, the jealousies of the various sections of the union, the clashing views of the railroad companies, and the machinations of politicians, all had to be met, conciliated, or overthrown....
October 16, 2008
Down (But Not Out!) at Apache Pass
Connie Whalen is the Curator at Wells Fargo's Phoenix History Museum. She joined up with Casey in Texas for the second part of his journey, following the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. About a week into the trip, Connie injured herself on a hike. (She's fine.) Here, she reflects on her own historical significance. (CR)
"Living in Arizona all my life, I’ve looked forward to visiting the Apache Pass Butterfield Stage stop for many years. It’s one of the few places in stagecoach history where ruins still remain. I was really looking forward to visiting Apache Pass with Casey. After about a mile hike in for photos and to examine the ruins, we were on our way out. Just 50 yards from the RV, I caught my hiking boot on a rock and fell forward. Protecting all of the camera equipment must have been my main objective, because it was the only thing I didn’t hurt!
I ended up banging up my knees and cutting the palm of my hand. After getting a closer look, and removing a few small boulders from the wound, I realized I needed some stitches. This made me wonder what would they have done on that first run of Butterfield, 150 years ago, if someone got hurt? People were often asked to get off the coach and walk in rough areas, and up steep hills. What if someone then fell and was injured? Out in "the middle of nowhere"?
In that era people were just becoming aware of what are today considered common medical practices. The idea of closing a wound with stitches was known. Sewing needles were often used to perform the task, along with small pieces of thread. Each stitch would be set in a criss-cross and tied off. They would be left for a few weeks and removed by clipping the knots off the ends of each stitch.
Additionally, pain remedies were very limited: Chloroform was used to render people unconscious, but opium and quinine were standard pain reliving drugs of the day. (I believe the former has a much stronger effect then the latter.)
The ideas of keeping wounds clean and dry was known, but the concept then of "clean" was very different from ours today. Infections would often set in. Antiseptics were not discovered until 1865 by Joseph Lister , along with proof of germ theory. Antibiotics were not yet known. In 1858 the best cure for an infected limb was amputation. This may seem extremely severe but during the Civil War the most common surgery performed was amputation.
Knowing all this, I can honestly say that I'm pretty happy I fell while retracing the trail, as opposed to being on the first run 150 years ago. If this had happened in 1858, I might be learning how to write with my left hand.
October 13, 2008
Apache Pass
Another morning, another campground. This one was the KOA Las Cruces . After a restful night I was off to historic Mesilla, New Mexico . The town of Mesilla, and the local Wells Fargo team led by Pat Lamb, really put together a great event for me to participate in.
The morning event began on the town square, where 120 local elementary students showed up to learn about the Butterfield Overland Mail Route and Wells Fargo history. While I did my presentation to one group of students, other groups were treated to a ride on the Wells Fargo stagecoach around the town square.
The students were really involved, and despite the challenge of holding the attention of 30 or so fourth and fifth graders while so much excitement was going on around them, they were great listeners and seemed to enjoy my stories.
After the great event with the students, I was invited to speak to a group of community leaders and team members at a luncheon held at La Posta de Mesilla Restaurant. Some of the attendees included State Senator Mary Kay Papen , and Mayor Michael Cadena of Mesilla . Several Wells Fargo team members were there, as well as the owners of La Posta, Tom (a.k.a. "Hutch") and Jerean Camunez Hutchinson.
I must admit that I was a bit nervous to start, what with all the important people in attendance. However, once I began talking and they laughed at my first joke, I was completely at ease. They were all so great and responsive, and I appreciate the opportunity to have had a few minutes to talk to them about Wells Fargo history and my personal experiences retracing the Butterfield.
Although I didn't get to eat until well after my lunch was delivered, it was still really great. But while La Posta is a great restaurant, it is also an important historic landmark. It is one of the few remaining stage stops still in existence. According to Jerean and Hutch, the building is actually several old adobes that have been joined. In fact, the section of the restaurant in which the luncheon was held was the actual stage stop. The Hutchinsons gave us a tour of the building and shared with us some of its special history . This is a must stop for anyone traveling through the Mesilla/Las Cruces area....
October 09, 2008
Thank You, Texas!
September 29:
Morning found me at the Roadrunner RV Park in El Paso, TX. After a quick bowl of grits and a walk with the boys, I headed for Hueco Tanks State Park . What a special place this is! If you are ever in this area you must make a stop here. You will not be sorry!
The 860-acre park is named for the large natural rock basins or huecos. These "tanks" have provided water in this arid region for thousands of years. From Paleo-Americans to Native Americans, from weary Butterfield passengers to their horses, these tanks were a vital source of water.
As I approached the mountains, I was amazed at how alien they seemed — unlike the surrounding land or the Franklin Mountains in the distance. As one Native American visitor to the park said recently, "It's as if when the gods were finished with the world they had some left over rock and decided to just store it here." And that is a pretty good description. It looks like someone has just piled massive boulders of all shapes and sizes on top of one another in the desert. It is spectacular.
From 150 year-old "graffiti," to Native American pictographs , this park is filled with reminders of the people who sought shelter and liquid sustenance amid these mountains. Because it is such a special place and such a fragile environment, the park is guarded well, with limited access. There is a maximum number of people allowed into the park each day, and everyone entering must watch an orientation video describing what a special place it is and how to protect it.
So after watching the informative 15 minute video, I was off to the Interpretive Center to visit with Park Superintendent Wanda Olszewski. Not only is Wanda knowledgeable, she is also very passionate about her job and this special place.
Did I mention that this place was special?
October 08, 2008
Unforgettable.
After a day of bats and caverns, I headed for the Guadalupe Mountains and Pinery station . Ormsby wrote, "The Guadalupe Mountains loomed before us all day in the most aggravating manner." The peak is so high and can be seen for some distance so I can imagine, if I had been traveling five miles an hour, that I too would have been aggravated by their "looming." Thankfully, it didn't take long to get to them.
And what a site they are. The peak is a massive presence that seems to be, as Ormsby rightly described, as "if any moment to fall, while huge boulders hang as if ready, with the weight of a rain drop, to be loosened from their fastening and descend with lumbering swiftness to the bottom, carrying destruction in their path."
Unfortunately, I missed the big Butterfield celebration they were having over the weekend. However, I did run in to a ranger who shared with me the secret to finding the Butterfield trail. So after a quick visit to the Pinery Station ruins (partial stone walls and piles of stone), I headed for Guadalupe Canyon.
Through this canyon are remnants of a 1930's-era road. On this road, overgrown with foliage and cacti, I headed up the canyon toward the peak. After going through two rusted old turnstiles, I found a path that led me high above the modern Highway 62/180 , and the older road. From this vantage point I could see three generations of road — the smooth new highway, the 1930's asphalt with all its cracks, and most exciting, traces of the Butterfield stage route.
What a spectacular sight! Behind me was the great Guadalupe peak, around me were rainwater washes that can create, I imagine, quite a torrent rushing around the peak and down the canyon.
And in front of me, the Butterfield route.
October 07, 2008
The Mail Will Get Through!
You've seen Casey's regular mentions of the mail being safe and sound. I'm going to give Casey a break (or have Charles do more work, not sure which) and give some background.
When planning began for this adventure Casey wanted to include an educational component. He devised a lesson plan for school kids that would emphasize the mail delivery aspect of the Butterfield Overland Mail Company. Kids from a school at his starting point of St. Louis would be matched with a correspondent school near his final destination of San Francisco. The St. Louis students would write letters and Casey would deliver them in "stagecoach" time — the San Francisco area kids would reply and send the letters by United States Postal Service .
What really makes this fun is that all the kids can follow along via the Guided By History blog, track what Casey is up to, and imagine how difficult it was 150 years ago for a letter (and any news at all) to make its way across the country.
As Casey was researching for the trip, he also connected with the amazing Ms. Hansen of Lowell Elementary in Arkansas. Adding letters from her students worked especially well since Arkansas was historically a major mail connection point.
So now Casey has two bags in the RV full of inquiring letters that he is carefully transporting. (I wonder how the mail bags compare in size to the dogs?)
October 06, 2008
Carlsbad Caverns
Well, today was my first day off since I left San Diego over two weeks ago. I began with my first real breakfast of the trip: pancakes, eggs and sausage, courtesy of KOA Carlsbad, New Mexico , and hosted by Scott Bacher. He was kind enough to hook me up with a big breakfast despite my arrival 20 minutes after the kitchen closed.
After a big meal, I was really looking forward to doing something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and watched the flight of the bats .
When I was first planning this journey, my intention was to stop at all sorts of sites along the route — even cool places that had nothing to do with the Butterfield. However, reality had other plans. I have found that the rigors of doing a trip like this are much more than I anticipated. I find myself running out of time everyday, so that most everything I'm doing is Butterfield related. Don't get me wrong — it's been amazing, and there are more Butterfield sites than I could have ever imagined. But with the time constraints, I really had to focus my energy. I hope I've been able to create an interesting, albeit incomplete, log of Butterfield sites from St. Louis to San Francisco . There are still many more sites out there to be discovered and I wish I could have seen them all.
But today, it was all about the caverns and the bats! The trip to the National Park is a beautiful drive up a winding mountain road. The visit began in the Visitor's Center, where I found out it was my lucky day. The tickets to the caverns were — free!
October 04, 2008
Fort Chadbourne, the Richards & Big Daddy
(Casey wrote this post last week and sent it to me with lots of good video. I wanted to keep it all together, as one piece, because the story is richer with words and video together. Also, Casey insists the whole story, in one place, represents our deep thanks to Garland and Lana Richards for their genuine friendship to Casey and our Butterfield Overland journey. —CR)
September 23:
Being a little behind on editing and downloading and uploading and sending video, I worked most of the morning. I finally emerged from the RV just before lunch. While I was busy working, Garland and Lana Richards' had one of their ranch hands take my flat spare tire — or as it turns out, shredded! — and replace it. Thank you again, Garland and Lana. I was truly overwhelmed by your generosity and concern for my safety.
After meeting in the Richards' office for a quick show-and-tell of the incredible research they have done on Fort Chadbourne and the Butterfield stop that's located on the grounds, we decided lunch was necessary before we began our tour....
Continue reading "Fort Chadbourne, the Richards & Big Daddy" »
October 01, 2008
Meanest Rattler This Side of the Pecos
Next morning I was up early for a tour of Fort Concho with Bob Bluthardt. Although Ft. Concho and
San Angelo were not stops on the Butterfield stage route , they are the closest sites to the actual route. The Butterfield route actually passed just north of San Angelo; unfortunately, there are no highways or towns on that stretch of the old route.
Fort Concho has a great interpretive program , and while I was there, I witnessed part of their school tour . The fort is complete with period furnishings and artifacts so that the visitor can really get a sense of what life was like for the average soldier
on the Texas frontier .
After the tour I continued my journey westward for an overnight stay in the Fort Stockton area—again, not on the actual route. And like in the olden days,the RV parks in this area don't seem to have the amenities that this kind of modern operation need, i.e. reliable wi fi. I'm right there with Ormsby!
On the way however, I was able to find Horsehead Crossing . This was the spot where the stagecoach passed over the Pecos River and it was not easy to get to. My path led me about 6 miles down a dusty dirt road where few except a handful of locals probably ever go. Judging from the shell casings littering the area it must be a pretty popular spot for target practice. The river is not as large as the legend that preceded it, but it's still quite beautiful. The old marker is still there—minus a few chinks missing from said target practice.
On my way out, I ran into (almost quite literally!) a rattlesnake , my first live one. (The couple I've seen before were on the losing end of a run-in with the modern highway). This one was in the middle of the road and deploying one of his defense tactics—playing dead or acting like a stick. Not wanting to run him over, I got out and tried throwing things at him to get him to move along. Nothing seemed to work. He was determined to remain a stick and to be quite honest I was starting to get the hee-bee gee-bees from being so close to such an intimidating and dangerous creature. So I proceeded to move the RV around him.
Once the RV advanced toward him, he curled back raising the front half of his body off the ground then headed in the direction from whence he came. It was a very cool run in with Mother Nature, but good riddance all the same.
P.S.: Don't worry Ms. Decker's class and Lowell Elementary! The mail is safe from rattlesnakes and is proceeding on track to San Francisco !
September 30, 2008
Video: Casey in Texas
As Casey has written, there's a tech lag in getting his media to you, dear Reader. So it is with delayed humility that I present to you some vid from Casey on the Road.
(Rumor has it the music is by the Dented Fender Boys.)
September 29, 2008
It's All About Connection!
Although I was graciously offered a night's stay in the officer's quarters at Ft. Concho (another day, another fort) I had to respectfully decline due to my internet needs. One thing I never anticipated about this journey was how challenging the logistics of documenting the experience in real time would be. Without a good internet connection it's even harder.
You may notice a lag time in the blog posts, especially the videos. Well, writing after a long day of traveling and visiting is hard enough — but then to have to download video and photographs from the day, edit them, get them uploaded so they can be reached by folks in the home office far, far away to be published, and to make time to sleep is really more difficult than I ever imagined. Without a good internet connection it's nearly impossible. I've become very envious of the folks at the big news stations with their traveling buses, complete with satellite hook ups, etc.
So, good intentions aside, we really are doing our best to keep these posts up to date. Please bear with us.
But I digress...
September 26, 2008
Rockin' in West Texas
After a good night's sleep I was off again. My first stop was Bridgeport, Texas , home of the elusive toll bridge. In 1860, Colonel W.H. Hunt built a toll bridge that spanned the Trinity River, mainly for the Butterfield Stage. Apparently, the bridge is no more . At least no one at the local gas station has heard of it.
I made a valiant effort to find that bridge, but I could not. However, there are bridges in Bridgeport . In fact, they are darn serious about bridges in Bridgeport. At the park, near downtown, there are no less than three bridges — huge, bright red, through-truss bridges. We also found the largest rocking chair I've ever seen, right on Main Street.
After leaving Bridgeport it was a short ride to Jacksboro, Texas, the county seat of Jack County, Texas . When Waterman Ormsby came through Jacksboro 150 years ago today, on the first Overland trip, Jacksboro was