Desert Grave, Chisos Mtns., Santa Elena Canyon

A Desert Grave

The grave site of Nina Hannolds

Nina Hannolds read to children on this bluff overlooking
a spring with cottonwood trees around it.
Now it is mostly desert with mountains in the distance.
This is where she wanted to be buried.

The Chisos Mountains in the distance.

Various cacti covering the desert floor.

The Chisos Mountains

Driving into the Chisos Mountains

The Window

Looking through "the window" one can see the desert floor below.

The hike to look through the window is about 2.5 miles.
It is not too difficult a hike but even in winter the hiker
must take lots of water.

Terrain near the trail head to The Window

Visiting the Santa Elena Canyon

Santa Elena Canyon from about a mile away

(double click on the images to enlarge them)

Rio Grande looking eastward.
The cliffs to the right are Mexico territory.

On the edge of the Rio Grande looking into the canyon.

Santa Elena Canyon
The Rio Grande as it empties out of the canyon.

Cliffs on the right are in Texas/US; on the left is Mexico.
There is a trail along the Texas side of the cliffs that leads into the canyon.

Above are people walking up the trail & into the canyon.

Information about the Santa Elena

Christmas in Marathon

The Gage Hotel
Link here.

The old hotel where we stayed in Marathon.
The hotel was built in 1928.

"Alfred Gage came to Texas from Vermont in 1878, his enthusiasm for Texas fueled by a vast land that offered the opportunity to make his fortune as a rancher, banker and businessman. In 1927, Gage commissioned El Paso architects Trost and Trost to design The Gage as a hotel and ranch headquarters for his 500,000-acre ranch. Sadly, Gage died in 1928, only one year after construction was completed."

Lobby

The rooms are very quaint and well appointed, but small.
Some have attached bathrooms, but for those
that don't there is a central bathroom on each floor.
Kind of fun if you are game for it.
Fifteen years ago I stayed in a room & used the central bath.

One of the great fireplaces in and around the Gage.
Great for sitting & sipping a little vino on a chilly evening.

Great use of the dead ocotillo plant.
It is used to as a visual break
between the patio & the air conditioning unit.

Los Portales

This time, the first night we stayed in the historic hotel with a private bath.
The second and third nights were spent in Los Portales
where everything is must more contemporary & convenient.

This new area has larger rooms that are much
more modern and convenient.

Beautiful pool.

Marathon Coffee

We love to go next door to the coffee shop in the mornings for breakfast.
An older woman who is a native of Marathon owns the establishment.
The hotel offers breakfast but we ate here except on Christmas morning.

The G-man took this sweet photo of Gertie & me on Christmas Eve
at the Marathon Coffee Shop.


Early Morning Walk Around Town

Eve's Garden

A little outdoor peek at a bed and breakfast called Eve's Garden.
It is an unusual place, very colorful.
It is an organic bed & breakfast and ecology resource center.
The architecture is green.
Check out the link here.

Sweet cat at Eve's Garden in early morning light.

Captain Shepard's Inn B & B
Link here

Street scenes.

Wooden walkway into town.
Very quaint.

Mountains in the distance.

Famous Burro

A fun place to have dinner is the Famous Burro.
They also have a nice bar.

Interesting decor in the Famous Burro.
Remains of a century plant wrapped with Christmas lights.

Five miles out of town is the County Park.
Usually it's a nice place to look at birds.
We saw about 20 wild turkeys and
a beautiful doe and buck with lots of antlers.

Reflections

This is a spring fed swimming and fishing area.
Pretty, clear water and resident ducks.

The Old Maverick Road & Luna's Jacal

The Old Maverick Road

This dirt road is touted to be an improved dirt road,
but I am here to tell you it is rough as an old washboard.
Once again it was slow going on this 13-mile drive
from the Santa Elena Canyon to the Study Butte
entrance to the park.

It was a drive the G-man wanted to take;
before it was over he was rattled to bits
and suffered from motion sickness.



Alamo Wash



A Cultural History of the area

Luna's Jacal
(pronounced hah-KAHL)

Gilberto Luna lived all of his life along
Alamo Creek where he raised a large family.
He farmed in the dry Alamo Creek drainage using
the technique of floodplain farming.

I am 5 ft. 2 in. tall so it is interesting to see the scale of the jacal.

Here again it would be hard for even a chigger to make a living,
yet Glberto Luna survived & even thrived.

The area in which Luna built his jacal, farmed, and raised a family
was part of the Comanche War Trail.
Somehow Luna maintained peaceful relations with
these warriors and with the Apaches who also resided in the area.

(Click on photo below for link to Luna's Jacal.)

Gilberto Luna in the 1930s

Gilberto Luna died in 1947 at the age of 108.


The Badlands
This area is other worldly in appearance.

Truly I don't know why a person who grew up in a state
where tall trees abound would fall for a place like this.
I expect it is the climate, the altitude, the vastness of the area.
One does not have to try hard to see for miles.
On a good day, when the air is clear, visibility can be 50 to 60 miles.

After I had been in Texas for a year and returned to my native
Georgia for a visit I felt very claustrophobic.
I was surrounded by tall trees that don't allow
much in the way of vistas.
Of course, I now live in the piney woods of Bastrop County
but I only have to drive a few miles to enjoy the wide open spaces.