Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte

**Martha** · 04-15-2006, 10:12 AM

We traveled to southwest Texas to visit Big Bend National Park. We took our rv and dirt bikes. Our first night in Texas, outside of Lubbuck:

From Amarillo to Study Butte, our destination, there were endless oil rigs and the smell of oil in the air.

Taco stands, blowing dust, corroded buildings, picnic areas where no one would picnic.

Big Bend was beautiful but hot. Miles of road to ride our dirt bikes. Interesting places to hike. A couple miles from our campground was an interesting site with many petroglyphs and pictographs. Met an archeologist who has worked for the park service since the 70s and followed along as he was training newer park personnel. All about fertility and puberty.

Boots and roadrunner on picnic table:

Texas Bluebonnet:

Coming up on the Rio Grande:

**REWahoo** · 04-15-2006, 10:56 AM

Martha,

Thanks for posting the TX photos.* That should eliminate any misconceptions anyone might have about retiring here.

One question:* Is the 'fear and loathing' directed toward the scenery, the people you met, or your travelling companion? 8)

lazygood4nothinbum · 04-15-2006, 11:02 AM

beautiful pics. love the roadrunner. beep beep

**Martha** · 04-15-2006, 01:54 PM

Flock of white pelicans encountered in Iowa on the way home:

[img width=750 height=520]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/martham/whitepelicans.jpg[/img]

Iowa is the most developed state in the United States with the least amount of land in its natural state. Corn, corn everywhere. Our food system is a corn based system.

LOL! · 04-15-2006, 02:49 PM

Ah, reminded me of last year's vacation in the same area. Nice photos!

It's pronounced Stoo-dee butte. A one-ATM town.

audreyh1 · 04-15-2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

Martha,

Thanks for posting the TX photos.* That should eliminate any misconceptions anyone might have about retiring here.

Ha! Only West Texas looks like that!

Did you get up into the Chisos Basin? Woulda been a lot cooler up there.

Audrey

**REWahoo** · 04-15-2006, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1

Ha!* Only West Texas looks like that!

Audrey, ssssssssssshhhhhh!

* *

Outtahere · 04-16-2006, 06:45 AM

Great pics Martha!

Nords · 04-16-2006, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1

Ha! Only West Texas looks like that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo!

Audrey, ssssssssssshhhhhh!

* *

Here, REW, let me help.

"West" Texas?!? Where is the line drawn and, more importantly, how do you tell when you've crossed it?

**Martha** · 04-16-2006, 10:55 AM

Note that I was very careful to say that we traveled in west Texas, given the number of people here from east Texas.

Edited to add the omitted "wink".

audreyh1 · 04-16-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

"West" Texas?!?* Where is the line drawn and, more importantly, how do you tell when you've crossed it?

The Pecos River is traditionally the West Texas boundary - easy to tell when you've crossed the river!

Martha - that Lazy Daze of yours – very high quality brand of Class C! We have friends who are very proud of theirs. They are even fulltiming in it.

Audrey

dex · 04-16-2006, 06:36 PM

I grew up in NYC and I don't know what is but the west with its big sky just calls to me. I can not wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HFWR · 04-16-2006, 09:14 PM

The sky has to be big, to hold all those tornadoes... :P

audreyh1 · 04-16-2006, 11:23 PM

Yep, the skies are HUGE out here! The wester you go, the bigger the skies get!

Audrey

**Martha** · 04-17-2006, 07:58 AM

The drive through big sky country: Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma was incredibly windy and a day or two after we pasted through Kansas and Nebraska had numerous tornadoes. I heard 17 in Kansas. I also heard that a motorhome had hail the size of baseballs break through its roof.

It was a little uncomfortable to see rest areas along the highway advertise their tornado shelters.

astromeria · 04-17-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex

I grew up in NYC and I don't know what is but the west with its big sky just calls to me.* I can not wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I grew up just outside NYC, and one of the most memorable events of my life was watching the Rockies grow on the horizon as I drove from NY to Wyoming. Not to mention the Badlands, the Black Hills, and Devil's Tower along the way. You can't possibly overestimate how wonderful it is, the West of your imagination made real

Non sequitur · 04-17-2006, 04:28 PM

Just so everyone is informed, East Texas is actually a small town in Pennsylvania.

bow-tie · 04-18-2006, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha

The drive through big sky country: Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma was incredibly windy and a day or two after we pasted through Kansas and Nebraska had numerous tornadoes.* I heard 17 in Kansas.* I also heard that a motorhome had hail the size of baseballs break through its roof.

It was a little uncomfortable to see rest areas along the highway advertise their tornado shelters.

Eastern Iowa got beat up last week with hail and tornados (18 of 'em I heard)... a lot of broken siding, broken windshields, dented vehicles, and beat-up buildings.* Needless to say, we were not impressed with Kansas trying to pawn it's weather off on us this early in the spring

....and thanks for the pics.

LEX · 04-25-2006, 10:31 PM

You know you are west of the Pecos when you can see one of these.

04-15-2006, 10:12 AM	#1
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte We traveled to southwest Texas to visit Big Bend National Park. We took our rv and dirt bikes. Our first night in Texas, outside of Lubbuck: From Amarillo to Study Butte, our destination, there were endless oil rigs and the smell of oil in the air. Taco stands, blowing dust, corroded buildings, picnic areas where no one would picnic. Big Bend was beautiful but hot. Miles of road to ride our dirt bikes. Interesting places to hike. A couple miles from our campground was an interesting site with many petroglyphs and pictographs. Met an archeologist who has worked for the park service since the 70s and followed along as he was training newer park personnel. All about fertility and puberty. Boots and roadrunner on picnic table: Texas Bluebonnet: Coming up on the Rio Grande: __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

04-15-2006, 10:56 AM	#2
REWahoo Administrator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 11,606	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Martha, Thanks for posting the TX photos.* That should eliminate any misconceptions anyone might have about retiring here. One question:* Is the 'fear and loathing' directed toward the scenery, the people you met, or your travelling companion? 8) __________________ [Closed for renovation]

04-15-2006, 11:02 AM	#3
lazygood4nothinbum Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,783	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte beautiful pics. love the roadrunner. beep beep __________________ "off with their heads"~~dr. joseph-ignace guillotin "life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901

04-15-2006, 01:54 PM	#4
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Flock of white pelicans encountered in Iowa on the way home: [img width=750 height=520]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y73/martham/whitepelicans.jpg[/img] Iowa is the most developed state in the United States with the least amount of land in its natural state. Corn, corn everywhere. Our food system is a corn based system. __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

04-15-2006, 02:49 PM	#5
LOL! Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,298	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Ah, reminded me of last year's vacation in the same area. Nice photos! It's pronounced Stoo-dee butte. A one-ATM town.

04-16-2006, 06:45 AM	#8
Outtahere Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,677	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Great pics Martha! __________________ Dogs aren't our whole lives, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras

04-16-2006, 10:55 AM	#10
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Note that I was very careful to say that we traveled in west Texas, given the number of people here from east Texas. Edited to add the omitted "wink". __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

04-16-2006, 06:36 PM	#12
dex Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 3,046	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte I grew up in NYC and I don't know what is but the west with its big sky just calls to me. I can not wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ Sometimes death is not as tragic as not knowing how to live. This man knew how to live--and how to make others glad they were living. - Jack Benny at Nat King Cole's funeral

04-16-2006, 11:23 PM	#14
audreyh1 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,203	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Yep, the skies are HUGE out here! The wester you go, the bigger the skies get! Audrey

04-17-2006, 07:58 AM	#15
Martha Administrator Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 9,848	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte The drive through big sky country: Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma was incredibly windy and a day or two after we pasted through Kansas and Nebraska had numerous tornadoes. I heard 17 in Kansas. I also heard that a motorhome had hail the size of baseballs break through its roof. It was a little uncomfortable to see rest areas along the highway advertise their tornado shelters. __________________ . Do not rely on the information provided--my posts are not to be taken as legal advice. Needless to say you must consult with your legal representative. I am not responsible for errors. If I offended you with cya I apologize. If I did not, I tried.

04-17-2006, 04:28 PM	#17
Non sequitur Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 152	Re: Fear and Loathing on the Road to Study Butte Just so everyone is informed, East Texas is actually a small town in Pennsylvania.

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