Friday, February 2 – We've experienced great weather here at Seminole Canyon State Park on the Mexico border in Southern Texas. Day highs have been in the upper 70's with nightly lows in the 40's. Great weather for the many outdoor activities available here in the park. We certainly hope this weather continues for our visit to Big Bend National Park.
We started the day’s adventure at the Visitor Center to see the introductory movie which we missed on our first day here. It is a nice overview of the history behind Seminole Canyon and the native Americans that inhabited this area 4,000-12,000 years ago. Seminole Canyon received its name in honor of the U.S. Army’s Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts, garrisoned at Fort Clark. The scouts protected the West Texas frontier from marauding Apache and Comanche bands between 1872-1941. No scout was ever wounded or killed in combat.
We then walked through the small but very well done museum included as part of the Visitor Center. It included artifacts and displays of not only the first people that passed through this area in search of food but a very well-done history of the significant impact the railroad had in the late 19th century. We certainly recommended this museum to all passing through the area.
Two items in upper-left corner are shoes, other items are pieces of mats.
A scene from the rock shelter.
An excellent job explaining how the railroad was built through this area.
We then exited the Visitor Center through the rear door and took the Fate Bell Shelter Trail for 1/3 or a mile to the Windmill Nature Trail. This is a short trail of about a mile that skirts along the rim of the canyon to an old windmill used to pump water during the time the railroad was being built. Many of the plants along the trail are identified by small signs at their base. We really enjoyed reading and identifying the many plants growing in this dry rocky environment.
A bit of a rocky trail.
Pretty scenery.
What is left of the windmill.
Narrow leaf Yucca.
Agave.
Sotol.
Cenizo.
Huisache tree (We Sach tree)
We had a nice surprise while on the trail. As we approached a group of trees, two very large deer ran out and up the rocky hill across from us. Marsha quickly turned the camera on and was able to get a snapshot of one of the beauties.
Earlier in the day, we actually looked out our back window and saw several deer playing about 500 feet from our backyard.
We returned to the Visitor Center via a short walk on the park road from the end of the Windmill Trail. We jumped in the truck and headed a couple miles west to the Pecos River High Bridge viewing area. This is really something to see! The river gorge was a huge barrier to anyone or anything wishing to continue moving West. Not only is it a pretty significant sized river, but it is nearly impossible to reach the river's edge because of the deep canyon it is in. The Pecos River is considered the beginning of the famous “Wild West.” Of course, this was a tremendous roadblock to the railroad as it was heading West. If traveling along US-90, be sure to pull over to the Pecos Viewing area to see this amazing river gorge.
Can you see how the river has gone dry?
We have another adventure planned for tomorrow, so stop back and and see what we get into.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day.
It is so hard to sometimes wrap my head around the history that began 4,000 to 12,000 years ago!!!! How amazing that no scout was killed either!! Quite an accomplishment!!
ReplyDeleteThis really looks like an amazing place!! So glad to hear the weather has been good!! We've had a lot of rain with a few good days thrown in!!
Love the deer pics!! The Pecos River is so pretty!!!
While that's the area most of us think of as the Wild West, mostly due to cowboy movies, I think, the original Wild West was anything west of the Mississippi River. That's where Jesse James and his band raised havoc. They still hold Jesse James Days celebrations in Northfield, Minnesota, the place that foiled his gang's attempt to rob their bank.
ReplyDeleteGlad not to have lived there 12,000 years ago. Those shoes don't look very comfortable!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures . Looks like amazing country . look forward to your next adventure . Vern in Boise Id.
ReplyDeleteFamiliar sceneries ;-). I loved the museum ... really well done. The Rio Grande was dry after a point when we were there too. In fact a boat tour that usually goes out to a cave shelter was unable to get to it so service had been suspended.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a very nice museum. National and state parks always do such a great job with their background information. I really enjoy trails with plant markers. I like knowing what I am hiking through. Yes, that river would put a stop to all forward travel! So glad your weather is holding:) Looking forward to the next adventure!
ReplyDeleteWe stopped at the bridge overlook also. I agree, a must see. We never saw any deer on our vist, I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are experiencing such good weather. Hope it holds for your time in Big Bend. It was pretty chilly when we were there but it is a beautiful NP. LuAnn
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy trails with botanical markers...but then it takes me forever to move along the trail because I have to read everything! So funny about the deer -- at home in southern Oregon, the deer almost drove us crazy eating everything in our yard and garden. But now we like seeing them in the wild. :-) That last photo of you two is great!
ReplyDeleteI love the rugged Texas countryside. Looks like a great place to spend time.
ReplyDeleteTired just reading all that you two are doing :-)
ReplyDeleteThat big buck you got a pic of is gorgeous, and looks very healthy.
ReplyDeleteAren't the Huisache trees beautiful when they are in bloom. . .otherwise they just look like a scrub brush. They are pretty common in the College Station and Columbus TX areas, gorgeous during spring bloom.