Driving a Few Miles in Texas

This week, for a number of good reasons, I was involved in driving from near Perryville to the tip 'o Texas at Port Isabel/Padre Island, from there to Dallas, from there to Lubbock, and back home via Dallas. That was accomplished in three days, and covered some 1,778 miles. The route I use south from home travels through the heart of some of the best ranch land in the state and the cities most associated with the war for independence from Mexico in 1836. Bastrop, Gonzalez, Goliad, San Patricio were all important centers for the revolution, and cites of important events in Texas History. That route also covers some famous indian fight locations, notably the battle of Plum Creek.

The route I chose from Lubbock was slightly out of the way, I dropped down to Lamesa to show my companion the city and then took Texas 180 east from there. That road is a county seat tour that demonstrates the very geometric layout of those counties. I think they were all established about the same time in a big effort to organize the political subdivisions of that vast area. It is was a beautiful route through interesting counties some with last names of early Texas heroes for the county and their first name for the county seat. For instance the county seat of Borden county is Gail honoring Gail Borden, and the seat of Jones county is Anson for Anson Jones. In addition, some of the courthouses along this route are among the more attractive in the state (not to knock some of those on the route south mentioned above). Here are a couple of notable ones along that route:

the Shackleford County Courthouse in Albany











& the Parker County Courthouse in Weatherford

















The drive through North Central Texas was beautiful as the wildflowers are still in full bloom up that way. Down here and on South they have fairly well played out.

The trip was long and fast, but a nice getaway. The recovery of my sleep cycle is, however, taking longer than I expected.