Click photos to enlarge.

Danny Masters and I left Rainsboro on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 with the only planned destination being Huntsville, Texas to sample the barbecue of 88 year old, Annie May Ward. Ward was featured a couple of years ago on CBS's Sunday Morning and her smoked ribs and brisket are reputed to be the, "best in Texas." That's one heck of a claim and I needed to give it, and Texas BBQ in general, a try.

After a night spent in Tunica, Mississippi and a stop over at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, we crossed over into Arkansas sometime after noon on Thursday, stopping in Tallulah, LA for lunch and in Shreveport for a visit to a new Bass Pro Outdoor World store. That night we stayed across the Texas border in Marshall, TX.

The timing on Friday was perfect. We stopped a Texas highway crew outside Huntsville for directions and with their help, found Annie May's with no trouble. We pulled into the parking lot at exactly noon and primed for the feast. The restaurant turned out to be exactly as I had imagined and I immediately recognized Annie May behind the counter. 

It was a great experience, and I'm glad I made the trip. However, as far as the BBQ went, personally I was disappointed. The brisket and smoked sausage were marginally okay but the ribs were greasy old spare ribs instead of back ribs. The sides included shelly beans and a horrible mashed potato salad. Besides the ribs, the thing I objected to the most was the sauce. The meat was served on a large communal platter and was smothered in a dark, smoky sauce that lacked both sweetness and zest. I found a lack of zest or tang to be common in all the BBQ sauces I had throughout the southwest.  

That afternoon we got back on the super slab and drove south to Houston. Turning west, we ended up spending the night in San Antonio. Had a wonderful Mexican meal at a place called Tejas and drove by the Alamo the next morning. San Antonio has an interesting downtown area and would be a great city to spend a few days in. The Alamo, however, wasn't too impressive but don't tell a Texan that!

Leaving San Antonio, we took US 90 west towards Del Rio. The further you go the more desert like the land becomes. Driving through Uvalde County we stopped at a small flea market and picked up some local jellies, jewelry and wooden items. The major form of agriculture in Uvalde County seemed to be large game preserves specializing in exotic animals from Europe, Africa and Asia. In addition, lots of land is given over to hunting local white tail and mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, rabbits, quail and wild hogs. Just about every ranch you passed billed itself as a hunting preserve and was surrounded by a high woven fence capped with a strand of barbed wire. 

Del Rio, Texas is on the border with Acuna, Mexico and other than wanting to scope out Acuna there's no reason to go there. We parked on the US side and took a cab over. Another American waiting for a cab advised us to try Ma Crosby's for Mexican food and it proved to be good advice. We had the sample plate which consisted of a beef taco, an enchilada, a tamale, chili con carne, refried beans, Spanish rice, fresh guacamole, chips and the best Pico de Gallo I've ever had. All this and a waiter in formal attire for $4.75.

The locals in Acuna long ago caught on that their junk was priced too cheap. You can still barter but don't expect any really great deals. Acuna is a typical bustling and dirty Mexican border town but the high pressure sales tactics aren't as great as Tijuana or Cozumel. The big attraction for Americans seems to be low-cost medicines and cheap medical-dental care. Expect the trip back over the bridge to take some time since the US Customs check every vehicle. Also, make sure you have a photo ID and a second form of ID. You don't need a passport unless you're planning to stay more than 72 hours. 

Back stateside, we got back on US 90 and headed for Langtry, TX. Langtry is the town made famous by the legendary Judge Roy Bean. The town was founded in the 1800's as a stop on the railroad which long ago abandoned it. Besides a museum that keeps the legend of the judge alive, there is a post office, a small store/gift shop and a RV park. Today's population is listed at 30. Small as it is, however, Langtry is the only place you can buy a soft drink for 120 miles. 

I can't prove it but I think the drive between Langtry and Sanderson, TX is the most desolate stretch in America. You can't purchase a drink of water or a gallon of gasoline for almost 100 miles. It was dark and in the entire trip we only saw two dim lights; one inside a rickety mobile home and the other in a broken down shack. They were lights but they may have been candles or kerosene lamps. And, unlike Ohio, there were absolutely zero farm night lights dotting the landscape. 

Sanderson, TX bills itself as the Cactus Capital of Texas.

Sanderson, TX is the county seat of Terrell County and serves as the entrance of the Big Bend country of SW Texas. Less than 900 folks inhabit Sanderson and there appears to be zero manufacturing in the region. All the businesses are small and the nearest large grocery store is an hour away in Fort Stockton. The town's history is tied to providing roundhouse services to the railroad but that activity was moved further west a number of years ago. Besides a couple of small motels, restaurants and bars the principle employment is in the school system, country government and animal ranching. 

We spent a great evening in Johnny D's Bar & BBQ rubbing elbows with the locals and tossing back long-necked bottles of Lone Star beer. 51% of Sanderson's population is Hispanic and 98% of the music on Johnny's jukebox is Mexican Tejano. The locals were friendly, generous and except for an incident where one dude was going to give another an, "old fashion Texas ass whuppin'," peaceful. Danny said that if he had to spend more than a day in Sanderson he'd ask for an ass whuppin' just for something to do!

The Big Bend Country

Met a fellow named Irving who ran a 38,000 acre ranch about 25 miles west of town. Irving had long ago, like most locals, given up cattle ranching and was in the business of raising sheep and goats. I was amazed at the number of goats raised in west Texas. They are perfect for the native vegetation so it only makes sense. Irving said that it takes 50 acres to support one cow or three goats. The only reason he keeps any horses is to hunt predators which consist of mountain lions, bears and coyotes. To protect their herds the ranchers let donkeys or llamas graze with their animals. These animals bond with the herd and will attack a predator if one approaches. Irving also said that the area ranchers make nearly as much from hunting permits as they do from ranching.

Ranch land around Sanderson commonly goes for $40 an acre and the average home price in the community is $26,000. Even if you own thousands of acres you still don't have much in dollars.

About the only good news in Sanderson was that the US Immigration Service was building a new US Border Patrol headquarters near the town and over 80 agents would be stationed there. Hopefully, the town will get back some of its lost population and tax base.

Sanderson is only 16 miles from the Mexican border and the only law enforcement people we saw in the area were border patrol agents. We also had to drive through an immigration check point both coming into and leaving Del Rio. 

This is typical Texas ground near Ft. Stocktonl and Pecos.

Sunday morning, after a breakfast at Jeanie's Country Kitchen and more discussions with the local coffee drinkers, we headed north towards Fort Stockton, Pecos and into New Mexico. Fort Stockton was the site of an old Calvary fort originally built following the Mexican-American War in the 1850s. Some of the original fort still remains but most of what exist are reconstructions. Further north on  US route 285 is Pecos, TX. Pecos bills itself as the home of the world's first rodeo and the famous Sweet Pecos Cantaloupe.

The first town we stopped in after entering NM was Roswell. As you probably know, Roswell is widely known for the reported crash landing of a UFO over 50 years ago. While the government and the scientific community has long ago poo-pooed the claims, it is apparent that several Roswell businesses depend on the perpetuation of the legend. In the middle of town there is a UFO museum along with the "Of Another Planet Restaurant," etc. We stopped only long enough for fuel and coffee then headed west towards the Mescalero Apache Reservation near Ruidoso, NM.

Ruidoso is in the mountains near 12,003 foot White Mountain. It is an alpine town and the center of a thriving ski business. The Mescalero Apaches run a couple of large casinos in the town and there is lots of shopping, motels, restaurants and all the trappings of a tourist town. Being Super Bowl Sunday, we stopped in a western saloon in Ruidoso, swilled down a Coors and watched the opening quarter of the game.

Trinity, NM. Where the bomb named Jumbo was detonated and the atomic age ushered in.

It was beginning to get dark when we left Ruidoso but we had decided to drive on to Socorro before finding a motel. The drive took us down the mountain and into the Valley of the Fires. I don't know the history of the name but this is the location of today's White Sands Missile Test Site and yesterday's Trinity Site where the world's first atomic bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945. It was pitch dark when we passed by but the site is only open to visitors two days each year.

The only thing remarkable about Socorro was some pretty tasty Mexican food, a sports bar where we watched the last minutes of the Super Bowl, and the absolute worst motel I have ever tried to sleep in. It was cold, ready to fall down, dimly lit and in the morning there was no hot water for a shower. Even worse, it cost what a decent motel would have cost someplace else. 

The next day we drove up I-25 to where it meets Historic Route 66 and headed west on 66 through the Laguna Indian Reservation. An hour later we merged into I-40 and paid a brief visit to the Pueblo of Laguna. Back on the Interstate we drove a little further west and spent about three hours touring the Acoma Pueblo and Sky City. Sky City, sitting atop a 400 foot mesa, is the oldest constantly inhabited community in America. The church dates back to 1629 and several of the building are dated to the mid-12th century. You can freely drive around the vast reservation but only guided tours are given of Sky City. The cost is $10 plus a photo permit if desired. 

The Acoma, like most tribes, have a casino that has brought the tribe newfound revenues. Wisely, however, they do not directly distribute the proceeds to tribal members like the Seminoles in Florida. The monies go towards improving overall reservation life with improved schools, hospital, senior citizen care, modern housing, libraries, roads, etc. The casino provides lots of jobs while other tribal members are employed in various public improvement projects, basic services and tourist activities.

While life on the reservation is modern just the opposite is true of that on top the mesa. There, life is just as it has been for centuries. No modern sewer system, no running water, no telephone or electricity and the residents still heat with wood. Many of their traditional homes have been somewhat modernized, but life is mainly as it always has been. 

After several hours driving around the Acoma Reservation and talking to locals we got back onto I-40 and headed east. We stopped in Albuquerque, NM and walked around Old Town for a while and had an excellent Mexican meal at Casa de Fiesta on the square. The meal was a carne adovada burrito (pork marinated in red chili), rice, beans, chips and salsa, and all topped off with Mexican fried bread (sopaipilla) and honey. One of the best Mexican meals I've ever had, especially the burrito. Like San Antonio, Albuquerque is one of those cities that deserves spending some time in. 

We spent the night in Santa Rosa and topped off the day with several bottles of Mexican beer.

The next day our goal was to make it into Oklahoma. We were running from a winter storm and had to make some time. Plans got changed because we simply underestimated the distance we needed to travel. The New Mexico border was further than we thought and the Texas panhandle wider. 

Great lunch special with lots of western stuff hanging on the walls.

We stopped over in Amarillo, TX and ate one of the best meals of the trip at the Country Barn which is east of the city next to I-40. The lunch special was brisket, potato salad, excellent Cole slaw, onion rings, brown beans, Texas toast with fresh apricot chutney. All for $5.95. We highly recommend, but again, the brisket was just brisket and the sauce lacked pizzazz. 

Through the states of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma, Historic Route 66 parallels much of I-40. In places it simply comes to an abrupt end in the dirt. In others it is covered over by the Interstate. In most towns Business I-40 is the old road. Don't expect much to remain of the Nation's Main Street of the 1950's. Little remains along the road and in the towns much is in decay. Old service stations, motels and restaurants are falling in on themselves or entirely missing. There exist a few examples of attempts to restore but they are far, few and facing uncertain futures. 

The next evening we stayed in Tulsa, OK and remained ahead of the storm. Into western Missouri we were making good time but suffered a minor breakdown near Mt. Vernon, MO. The bearing on the idler pulley went south and we had to be towed into Springfield, MO. The PEP Boys had us back on the road in little over an hour and we spent about an hour checking out the "Granddaddy of Outdoor Stores," Bass Pro Shop. Hard to believe it could be any bigger than their Cincinnati store but it certainly was. Picked up a couple of good bargains in their catalog outlet but otherwise, most of my money stayed in my pocket. 

Before leaving Springfield we stopped off at PFI. It is billed as Missouri's largest western store and Danny is into horses and related tack. Largest selection of saddles, boots, jeans and cowboy hats I've ever seen. Yippee pardner!

Back on the road with the storm getting nearer, we headed for St. Louis. Once there, we dropped off the Interstate long enough to drive by the base of the Gateway Arch but failed at getting any photos. It wasn't lit bright enough for our cameras. 

We spent the last night out in Illinois and the storm caught us by Thursday morning. Luckily for us, however, we missed the bulk of the ice and snow and the Interstate was clear. It rained all day and even harder as we neared Ohio. With a few stops in Cincinnati we finally made it home about 8 p.m. on Thursday evening. 

The trip was 3983 miles long, covered parts of 11 states, 1 foreign nation and numerous Indian reservations. What started out to be a journey to explore Texas BBQ turned into a major tour of a large chunk of America's Southwest. 

Barbecue wise, the trip was a failure. I ate BBQ four times in Texas and Oklahoma and once each in Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri. I realize this isn't enough to be a conclusive sample, but from it, the only conclusion I can reach is that Texans don't have a clue about que! I remain convinced that only Carolinians have truly mastered the art of smoking meat. And, nowhere did I taste a half-way decent sauce. They were lacking in flavor and any good sauce should remind you of where you ate at least a half-hour down the road. 

On the other hand, the Mexican food was simply outstanding. The best was in Mexico and the better were as close to the border as possible. Everything tasted fresh and nothing appeared to come out of a can. 

The one thing that stood out every place we went was the friendliness of the people. Regardless of region, race, language, etc. the welcome mat was out and the people ready and willing to smile, shake your hand, and engage in conversation. 

Don't know what's inside but there is absolutely no parking provided. If you have some time to spend in San Antonio, be sure to spend some on the City Walk. Lots of restaurants, bars and shops. Click photos to enlarge.

These scenes were taken in and around Ruidoso, NM.  Mule in a creek bottom, views of 12,003 foot White Mountain and the carvings of a local artisan. Click photos to enlarge.

These are photos of the Acoma Reservation. The mountain in the distance is Taylor Mountain and is considered sacred to the various tribes of the area. The reservation is open range land so you have to be careful when driving around. The Acoma gave up sheep ranching several years ago and now raise cattle and horses. Click photos to enlarge.