Houston: Whimsy, History, and Diversity … In a Week

(Apologies in advance if my side-by-side photos aren’t displaying accurately.  Looks like
some bug got introduced that is causing issues with my posts.  It has impacted my past
postings as well, which frustrates me no end, but no time to fix them now.  Sigh!)

Thursday, 24 March 2016
Advanced RV Resort — Houston, Texas
Temps: Hi 72F (22C) / Lo 57F (14C)

Have just one day left of our 7-night stay at Advanced RV Resort in Houston, Texas.  Time to get caught up before we leave.

Taking advantage of unusually cool temps, we actually ventured out to do some sightseeing this time, and even managed to squeeze in lunch with a fellow-RVing couple, so I do have stuff to write about.

Let’s get started without further ado.

18 March … Onward to Houston: Day 1

We left Monahans Sandhills SP on a foggy Thursday morning … sans our uninvited guest, I might add.  The battery-operated trap did its job overnight and dispatched the critter to ‘mouse heaven’ while we were at the Holiday Inn.  More on that and our MSSP stay here.

The 530+ miles (~850 km) to Houston was more than we wanted to bite off in one day.  So we split the drive into two days.  All started and ended well, but we did have some excitement just after we veered off from TX-18 onto FM-11.  Turns out there was a bridge out ahead!  Luckily we had gone less than a mile when a sign alerted us to the detour.  Mui found a slightly-wider stretch of the road and managed to turn us around without having to unhook the toad.  Soon we were back on TX-18, which also connects to I-10 … but a bit further west than FM-11.  Had the sign been at the junction of the two roads, we would have simply stayed on TX-18.  Oh well, all’s well that ends well.

Our overnight stay was at a rest area off I-10.  This is not your run-of-the-mill parking in the truck area.  Rather, there is a picnic area at the back that is referred to as the RV loop … no hookups, but much quieter.  On this night we were the only ones in the loop … although we did wake up the next morning to see RVs snuggled up to the big rigs in the front parking area.  Not sure if they simply did not know that RV parking is OK in the picnic area, or if they felt more secure being up front.

The RV Loop at this I-10 rest area near Kerrville is back in the picnic area.

19 March … We Wake Up to a Bit of Excitement

This time the excitement happened before we even got on the road.  I woke up at 7:00a to Mui wandering around with a flashlight.  When he said the generator was not powering the coach, I immediately harkened back to our Roughing It Not So Smoothly episode at Pohick Bay Regional Park back before we began fulltiming.  Turns out it was nowhere near as bad this time … we apparently just tripped a breaker after Mui started up the generator this morning.  Once he reset it, all was well … but that didn’t happen until later in the morning since it was too cold and too dark outside to try and diagnose the problem while we were still at the rest area.  Again, all’s well that ends well.

We pulled into Advanced shortly before 2:00p.  We’d been assigned one of our favorite sites — 802 for its easy in-and-out location.  Since the site was available, we were able to go right in and get settled.

20 March … A Menagerie and an Old Market

When we first arrived in Texas in December 2013, I glimpsed a roadside attraction on our way to Advanced.  It was a collection of sculptures that we’ve been meaning to check out ever since.  Well, today was the day … even though it was downright chilly when winds gusting to 30 mph (48 kph) reduced the warming effect of the sun shining brightly in the blue sky.  The GPS had a bit of difficulty finding where we wanted to go, but we eventually got there.

The Eclectic Menagerie Park might be described as a museum of whimsical creatures.  The collection started with a concrete hippo and grew from there after Snoopy was added.  You can read more about it at the link I provided above.  It’s a fun place that made us smile and is worth a quickie stop.

Our next stop took us to Market Square Park in the historic district of Houston.  I didn’t know much about the park … except what Marsha and Paul (of Where’s Weaver fame) had written.  Mui lucked out with free on-street parking across the park.  Of course the first thing that caught my eye was a very colorful mural.

A colorful mural signed “Gonzo247.”

Beautiful ceramic murals decorate the bench seating and the fountain face.

I know he’s cute, Mui, but you can’t take that doggie home with you.

One of the highlights of Market Square Park is Lauren’s Garden, which is named for a Houstonian who was a passenger on United 93 on that fateful day of 11 September 2001.  I don’t think there is a single person in the world who is unfamiliar with the significance of the date, but some may not remember that United 93 was the flight that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania … as a result of the efforts of the passengers and crew to fight off the terrorists.  More on the story is here.

The garden is dedicated to all of the victims of 9/11, and elements of the design are inherently symbolic … as described in the sign that stands to one side …

… The three granite walls represent the three crash sites, New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

Each smooth stone in the fountain represents a life lost.  Water gently flows around 40 large stones for those on United Flight 93.  2,753 small pebbles line the front of the fountain for those who died at the World Trade Center, along with 184 larger pebbles for those who died at the Pentagon. …

There’s more … which you can read at this link, if you are moved to do so.

Lauren’s Garden is dedicated to the victims of the September 11 attacks.

We wrapped up our time at Market Square with a nice lunch.  Several of the restaurants on the neighboring streets offer al fresco dining.  We hoped we’d be able to eat at a patio table when we chose to dine at Batanga, but the breeze was too cold … the temp was only 61F (16C) … without the wind chill factored in.  Nonetheless, the tapas selection inspired by Latin American dishes was quite good, and we enjoyed our meal.

22 March … San Jacinto Battleground & Battleship Texas

Yesterday was a productive day at home.  Mui found a couple of good sized holes to plug behind the control panel in the cockpit.  We think the critter that disturbed our peace at Monahans got in that way.  Could it be that we finally have all the ingress points sealed?  Keeping fingers crossed.

Anyway, today’s outing was a two-fer … by that I mean that we found two interesting places to check out within steps of each other.  Our day started out by taking an elevator to the observation deck of the memorial at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.  The executive summary for the decisive 1836 battle of the Texas Revolution goes something like …. “Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s Mexican Army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes.”  You can read more about it at the link provided above.

Built of Texas Cordova shellstone , the 570-foot tall monument sits where Santa
Anna’s army camped before the battle that won Texas its Independence.  At the
time of its dedication in 1939, it was the world’s tallest masonry structure.

From the observation deck we enjoy an expansive view of the San Jacinto Battleground
state historic site with the Houston Ship Channel in the background.  We also catch
a tiny glimpse of the next place we will be visiting today: BB35 Battleship Texas.

By the time we took the elevator back down, several busloads of the expected school groups had arrived.  So we skipped some of attractions and returned to check them out after lunch, which we ate at the Monument Inn … would have enjoyed a packed al fresco meal more.  In any event, when we came back, we watched the documentary movie “Texas Forever! The Battle of San Jacinto”, browsed the small (free) museum, and wandered around the display of paintings featuring scenes from the documentary.  Admission is charged for the movie, elevator, and special exhibit gallery, but Mui’s military discount gained us free admission today.

The Texas Camp Before the Battle: Shortly before the Texas Army reached the plains of San Jacinto, Erastus "Deaf" Smith forged a stream on horseback and captured a Mexican courier carrying valuable dispatches concerning Santa Anna's troop strength and movements.

BB35 — aka Battleship Texas or USS Texas — is described as the “Last of the World’s Dreadnoughts” … a type of naval vessel introduced in the early 20th century.  It was larger and faster than its predecessors, and it was equipped entirely with large-caliber guns.  In other words, a force to be “dreaded.”  She served in both WWI and WWII, and was retired in Baltimore in 1946.  BB35 was to have been used as a target for bombing practice, but escaped that fate when the people of Texas raised sufficient funds to tow her to Houston.  Once in place here, the ship was converted into the first permanent memorial battleship of the US.

BB 35 … the last of the world’s dreadnoughts.  The ship is painted a color that is referred to as “Measure 21,” which was what she was painted when she served in the Pacific during WWII.

The school buses were still in the parking lot, but the kids were starting to stream off the ship.  So we took advantage of Mui’s free military admission to go aboard to explore a bit of history.  From the main deck, to below decks, to the foremast, we had free reign to wander around pretty much at will, and even got to climb into one of the forward gun turrets to see what it was like inside … cramped, and I bet very noisy during battle with those big guns booming.

From the big guns, to the crew quarters, to the captain’s suite … we see it all.

I play around with one of the guns before we …

… climb into the cramped space of the #1 gun turret to check it out.
This turret operates the guns seen in the photo on the left.

From the tippy-top of the foremast we enjoy views that include the San Jacinto Monument.

A very good day of sightseeing is the way I would describe this day.

23 March … Diversity in Houston and Meeting the Weavers

My only regret about today is that the sun stayed behind clouds for most of the time … except for a brief showing … which was better than nothing.

Our day started out at an Indian mandir [temple] that the brochure described as a “place of love, peace, and harmony.”  Officially named BAPS Shri Swaminarayan, the mandir is the first traditional Hindu temple of its kind in North America.  It represents a worldwide religious and civic organization that dates its roots back to 1907.  I have to say … my jaw dropped when I glimpsed it for the first time.  There were WOW moments in every nook and cranny … and that was before the sun came out for a few minutes and the whole temple glowed.  Luckily I happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture a shot or two.

Inaugurated in 2004, it took 16 months to construct the mandir … an equivalent of 1.3 million volunteer hours.  Turkish limestone was used on the exterior; Italian Carrara marble inside.

We knew the temple would be closing to visitors soon after we arrived, so we made going inside a priority … shoes off before climbing the steps up to the terrace of the mandir.  From our guide, we learned murtis [sacred images of deities and gurus] have a daily ritual not unlike ours.  They eat, sleep, and so forth.  Food is provided in the form of offerings, their clothes are changed throughout the day … and this routine is maintained 7/24/365.  Hence, temple visitation revolves around the murtis’ schedules.

The murtis maintain a daily ritual of activities not unlike ours.
[Photos not allowed in the mandir; collage created from photos from the website.]

As he walked us around the temple, our guide regaled us with tidbits of information.  We found it fascinating that the stone material used in the construction, Turkish limestone and Italian carrara marble, was shipped from their respective countries to India.  Artisans in that country hand-carved this material into over 33,000 pieces.  These pieces were then shipped to the US where they were put together like a giant 3-D jigsaw puzzle.  And what an amazing puzzle indeed!

The interior of the mandir is a cornucopia of amazing hand-carved marble.
[Photos not allowed in the mandir; collage created from photos from the website.]

Hand-carved stone details continue outside the temple and are quite a WOW factor.

Thanking our guide, we left the temple and resumed our exploration of the grounds.  We checked out the elaborately carved gate standing across from the mandir, and went into the museum where there was an overwhelming amount of information about Hinduism and more.

The mandir viewed through the gate.

When the sun peeks out briefly, the limestone mandir shines brilliantly.

I was so enthralled with all the carved details that I could have stayed at the mandir all day.  But we had other plans, so I reluctantly gave into Mui when he said it was time to move on to check out the Cao Đài Temple established by the Vietnamese community of Houston.

The Cao Đài Temple of Houston is the largest of its kind outside Vietnam.

From what I understand, Caodaism combines elements of ancient Asian mysticism with other faiths … such as Buddhism and Christianity … and it stresses one creator.  Of course that is way oversimplified, so those interested can read more here.  A description I read in an online Houston Chronicle article struck me quite strongly … especially nowadays when there is so much strife amongst the believers of various religions:

… The truth can be seen from different beliefs.  God is like a river.  We all stand in different places on the bank.  We all see God in different ways, but it’s still one God. …

I had no expectation of being able to go inside the temple since it is closed on weekdays.  But just as we were leaving people dressed in white started arriving in ones and twos.  Turns out there was a special prayer meeting for a fellow-worshipper who had been hospitalized with a serious illness.  Noticing us taking photographs, one of the women invited me inside before the service started and showed me around, taking me up to an upstairs gallery also for a different perspective.  WOW is all I can say … in a very different way from the all-white Indian mandir where the only color came from the brilliantly-attired murtis.  The inside of this temple was a riot of colors.  Quite dazzling.

A riot of color … best description I can come up with.

A great day of diversity continued with a very special lunch engagement.  I started following Marsha and Paul, whose blog I referred to earlier, before we became fulltimers.  At the time, they were driving a Phaeton, so that’s what drew me to their blog.  Later, I continued reading their RVing adventures because I simply enjoyed their “online friendship.”  Our paths had crossed in Houston before, but the timing had not worked out to meet in person.  That changed today when we met for lunch at Turquoise Grill and Bar at the Sugar Land Town Square.

Arriving early, we have a chance to chat with Yılmaz Cem, the Turkish owner of Turquoise.
[Collage of photos downloaded from the website.]

Yılmaz, the owner, guided us in making our selections, suggesting a family-style eating experience to share various dishes.  As Turkish food was a first for Marsha and Paul, this worked out quite well.  It was after peak dining hours on a weekday, so the four of us pretty much had the place to ourselves and stayed long after the food was gone to continue chatting.  As others who have met fellow RVers/bloggers well know, the conversation flowed easily as it does when people with common interests get together.  We had a grand time with Marsha and Paul … here’s to meeting up again when our paths next cross.

The obligatory “we met” photo op with Marsha and Paul before we go our separate ways.

Back to Today … Visiting a Travel Clinic

We’ve been traveling quite extensively for the past 30+ years without feeling the need to consult a travel clinic.  Well, that changed for us today.  We have plans for 2017 that will take us to places for which we felt some precautionary measures would not go amiss.  So, earlier this year we scheduled an appointment to visit a travel clinic that is operated under the umbrella of the Baylor College of Medicine.  The good news … our yellow fever vaccines from 2004 are still good and we just need to repeat the oral typhoid fever vaccine.  We also got an Rx for antimalarials, and another one for antibiotics we will carry in case of GI problems.

This appointment was the primary reason for our extended stay in Houston.  With that taken care of this morning, we’re ready to head to our home base in Port A where we will sit still for a couple of months.  I will be working on plans for this year’s Europe trip, so I don’t anticipate doing anything really exciting while we’re there.  But who knows … time will tell.

[If you would like to see more of the photos from our Houston stay, click here for my online gallery.]

© 2004-2016 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.

Sand Dunes of a Different Color

Thursday, 17 March 2016
Monahans Sandhills State Park — Monahans, Texas
Temps: Hi 80F (27C) / Lo 44F (7C)

I’m actually writing this from the Holiday Inn in Monahans … about 5 miles (8 km) from where we are camping.  Why?  Well, even though I know some of you will laugh or tsk-tsk my reason, I’ll tell you about it anyway … but a bit later.

El Paso: Bringing It to a Close

Sunday, 14 March 2016
Fort Bliss RV Park — El Paso, Texas
Temps: Hi 79F (26C) / Lo 53F (12C)

We were supposed to head out of El Paso yesterday.  It didn’t happen. There was another high winds warning in the forecast for our planned travel day, so we extended for two more nights.  This sure has been one ‘jiggly’ Phaeton trip.

Part of a mural we came across on our way to the International Art Museum.  It covers the façade of La Fe Centro de Salud Familiar (Faith Family Health Center).

Tomorrow’s weather forecast looks good, however, so we should finally be able to move on … fingers crossed.  Not that we have minded our extended stay in El Paso.  On the contrary, we’ve been enjoying all that the area has to offer.

The Land of Shifting Snow-Sand

Thursday, 10 March 2016
Fort Bliss RV Park — El Paso, Texas
Temps: Hi 73F (23C) / Lo 38F (3C)

A single-topic post today … with all the photos I want to share, I am having trouble with the weekly summary style posts I intended to do on this trip ;-)

Besides, we were off exploring in another state.  I know, I know … a bald-faced excuse to write about what we did today in a standalone post.

Is that snow?  Well, it was almost cold enough overnight that it definitely could have been snow!

El Paso: A Few More Days

Wednesday, 9 March 2016
Fort Bliss RV Park — El Paso, Texas
Temps: Hi 71F (22C) / Lo 45F (7C)

Time’s a-flyin’ … as usual.  We are doing our best to make the most of our time before we leave on Sunday.  El Paso gets short shrift from most RVers, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when we decided to use it as a base for our explorations.  I’m here to tell you there is a lot to keep visitors busy.  I covered some of what we did since arriving at the Fort Bliss RV Park on 28 February in the previous post.  Here’s what has kept us busy these past three days.

El Paso: A Week in Review

Sunday, 6 March 2016
Fort Bliss RV Park — El Paso, Texas
Temps: Hi 80F (27C) / Lo 59F (15C)

And a busy week it has been!  We stayed home on just two of the days since arriving in El Paso on the 28th of February — the 29th to do chores; and March 3 so that Mui could replace the Phaeton’s broken door handle … nice to have a working handle again and not fear being inadvertently locked out!  The remaining days we were out and about, exploring sights near and far to make the most of our short stay in El Paso … that was before we had to jiggle our plans and extend our stay due to high winds in the forecast for today.

February 28 … Our Wheels Roll to El Paso

After deciding to cut short our Balmorhea State Park stay (post here) due to forecasted high winds, we left the park bright and early for the 195-mile (312 km) drive to El Paso … mostly on I-10.  If there is a description to be applied to this stretch of the interstate, it would be “16-wheelers’ highway.”  I don’t think we saw anything but trucks until we got fairly close to El Paso and other vehicles started to join the traffic … and this was in addition to the long, long, long trains that chugged past us, carrying hundreds of cargo containers that would otherwise be on the backs of flatbeds wheeling down the road.

Thanks to our early departure, we arrived at the Fort Bliss RV Park early enough to grab one of the three available spots.  This is a fairly big campground with 133 very decently-spaced wide sites located outside the post.  They don’t take reservations, which was a bit stressful for us since we had our hearts set on staying here, but it did make extending for an additional week easier.

Our site — #124 is next to a picnic pavilion; so far no one has used it.

Once settled, we drove to Fort Bliss to get a quick bite to eat.  The Exchange area has the ambiance of a town square, with shops and restaurants lining both sides of the street — very different from other military installations we’ve been to thus far.  We ended up eating at the Texas Roadhouse … except for the number of people wandering around in uniform, it sure didn’t feel like we were at a restaurant on the post.

29 March … Chores and Errands

Nothing exciting about laundry and grocery shopping, so moving right along.

1 March … Blazing the Mission Trail

Several years ago, when Mui was on temporary duty with Customs and Border Patrol in El Paso, some of the agents he was working with took him to a ranch for lunch.  Since then, Mui’s been promising to take me there someday.  So, when the El Paso Guide suggested combining a meal at the restaurant on the ranch with sightseeing on the El Paso Mission Trail the plan for today was set.

The trail dates back to when the semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer Manso and Suma people occupied the area.  When the Spanish arrived, they brought with them the missionaries … their goal to convert the Indians.  To that end, they built several missions, the oldest of which was in El Paso del Norte … present day Ciudad Juárez.  We didn’t cross the border to visit that mission, focusing on the ones on our side of the border instead.

First was the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.  This is a federally-recognized Native American tribe and sovereign nation that was established by the Tigua in 1682.  The original mission was damaged by Rio Grande floods at least three times, and the current building from the 1850s, also saw damage — this time from a fire in 1907.  In each instance, the people persevered, repairing the building to serve their community.

Le Misión de Corpus Christi de San Antonio de la Ysleta del Sur

Unfortunately for us, the mission church is undergoing restoration inside, so I had to make do with just an exterior shot or two.  But I did get to see some murals — first here at the mission complex, and later at the Corn Village of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo a little ways down the trail.

Part of a mural at the mission complex.	Central mural at the Corn Village.

A surprise find en route are the Tile murals that decorate all four of the
on- and off-ramps where the mission trail intersects the highway.

From here we continued onto the next mission — La Purisima in Socorro.  The area was named by the Piro Indian and Spanish refugees for the homeland they left behind in New Mexico during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  The first permanent church was built in 1691, but like the one in Ysleta, it fell to Rio Grande floods.

Behind the mission church, which is said to be the third and last one to be constructed by European colonists alongside Christianized Piro and Tigua Indians, is an outdoor prayer chapel.

With the church open to visitation, we take a peek inside.

Legend has it that in 1838 the statue of San Miguel Arcángel (Archangel Michael) [right] was
being transported from a church in Mexico to one in New Mexico.  The oxen cart got bogged
down in mud, and no matter what was done to free it, the cart remained mired.  Thus the people
took it as a sign that San Miguel wanted the shrine to be built in Socorro in his honor.

The cemetery was established in 1846.  The B&W treatment hides the state of
disrepair, and allows the color of the flowers — mostly silk ones — to pop.

Continuing down the road, we arrived at the small town of San Elizario.  The church here is not really a mission, but a small presidio chapel built when San Eli was founded as a military post to protect Spain’s newly colonized region.  It was intended as a place of worship for the soldiers stationed at the presidio, and thus was named after “San Elceario,” the patron saint of the military.

The original chapel, built in 1770, was destroyed by the Rio Grande’s infamous
flood of 1829.  The current church, built in 1877, replaced the second church
constructed on the site after it became too small to serve the congregation.

The chapel has angelic murals, a lovely tin ceiling, and exquisite stained class windows.

The town has a historic trail that one can walk to see historic adobe buildings, including the Old El Paso County Jail.  Then there is Los Portales — an old family residence turned schoolhouse turned museum … small, but well done exhibits about the history of the area.  Across the street from the chapel is a town square where one can take a load off — especially nice when the trees leaf out and provide shade I imagine.  And last, but certainly not least for mural lovers … public art can be found in nooks and crannies.

Legend has it that William H Bonney — better known as Billy the Kid — broke
into the Old El Paso County Jail to free the only man to ever escape from here.

A quiet town square sits across the street from the Presidio Chapel of San Elceario.

From San Elizario, we moved on to the final stop of our day’s adventure —the Indian Cliffs Ranch … a working ranch in a lovely scenic setting that has been the scene of TV shows and movies — such as Courage Under Fire and The Day After Tomorrow.  The property is also home to the Cattleman’s Steakhouse.  Those who are dining at the restaurant are welcome to wander around the property and meet some of the animals — including the ones sculpted out of bronze.  And that’s exactly what we did on arrival.

Bronze animals that welcome us to the ranch …

… lead us to live animals that are raised on the ranch.
Top row: young llama suckling from mama.
Middle Row: Ostrich and Bison.
Bottom Row: Goat Kids.

At 6:00p our name was called over the P/A system that broadcasts across the ranch.  Our table was ready.  So, I reluctantly left the animals behind and followed Mui to the restaurant.  I’ll admit that I am not much of a beef-eater … in fact, if I am going to eat meat, it needs to be cooked until there is a no pinkness — ‘killed’ by most people’s standards.  There were K-bobs on the menu — shrimp skewers with a side of two small pieces of steak — so I didn’t go hungry.  Mui said the top sirloin he ordered was perfection.

The ranch gets its name from the Indian Cliffs nearby.  These cliffs are said to glow when the rays of the setting sun wash over them.  Not today, I’m afraid.  But we did have a gorgeous sunset anyway with the sky turning into an artist’s palate of colors.

A colorful sunset wraps up our day.

This was one terrific day that was thoroughly satisfying to both of us … and I don’t just mean the food.

[For more photos from this day, click here for my online gallery.]

2 March … A Hop Over to New Mexico and Stepping Back in History

One of the other things Mui had enjoyed in El Paso when he was seconded to the CBP for a few weeks was a trip to La Mesilla.  This small town in New Mexico is described as the “epitome of small town charm at its finest.”  I’m afraid I am going to have to disagree.  It might have been charming under different circumstances, but it was nearly dead as a doornail today … even the church was locked up tight.  If we were shoppers, we might have had some fun … but we aren’t, so we didn’t.  So, we wandered around a bit, had lunch, and then high-tailed back to El Paso.  Looking back on the trip, we decided that perhaps the reason Mui had enjoyed Mesilla so much the first time was because stopping there in the middle of a workday to have lunch probably felt a bit like playing hooky.

We take the scenic TransMountain Road over the Franklin Mountains to go to La Mesilla.

Left: La Mesilla Town Square and San Albino Basilica.  The “M” and the “54” painted on the Band-
stand commemorate the signing of the Gadsden Purchase, the last major territorial acquisition
within the contiguous U.S. in 1854.  Prior to that, La Mesilla was a Mexican holding.

Right: Josefina’s Old Gate is one of the most popular photo ops in La Mesilla.  Wish I could
say that the food at the restaurant hidden behind the gate held a candle to the photo op.

But the day was not a bust entirely.  On the way back to the campground, we stopped to visit two museums in El Paso — or rather, we each visited a different museum.  Mui went to the National Border Patrol Museum.  With his background working for Homeland Security, he enjoyed it and said it was well done.  But he didn’t take any photos for me to share with you.  Instead, here are two photos from the nature trail at the museum I visited.

Early Bloomer	Mexican Golden Poppies

I went next door to the Museum of Archaeology (EPMA), which I enjoyed tremendously.  This is not a big museum, but it has two galleries filled with exhibits.  In one are dioramas about the native peoples of the region, and a wall exhibit documenting the “Settlement Legacy: Native Americans of the Pass of the North.”  This exhibit tells the story of the foundation of today’s El Paso/Ciudad Juárez region, originating with the Manso, Suma, Piro, and Tigua Indians.

Diorama of the Olla Cliff Dwelling, a Casas Grandes pueblo in the Sierra Madres in Mexico.

In the second gallery I found artifacts from the many different cultures of the American Southwest and Mexico.  There were baskets, ceramics, wood carvings, tools, textiles, and much more.  One of the things I really enjoyed was a series of graphics depicting the Pueblo Ideology of the Mimbres Twins as representations of the Mesoamerican creation saga.

Top Left: Kiaha (Burden Basket); Tohono O’odham
Top Right: Frog Effigy Bowl

Bottom left: Silver, Turquoise, and Bear Claw Necklace; Navajo
Bottom Center: Human Effigy Vessel
Bottom Right: Woven Pine Needle Pendant

The first two of a series of graphics depicting the Mesoamerican creation saga.
Click the first image to see the icons in sequence and read the story captured in the captions.

This small, but really fun museum ‘saved the day’ after our disappointing visit to Mesilla.  Mui joined me here and had time to wander through the exhibits as well, so he really got a two-fer on museums today.

[To see more photos from today, click here for my online gallery.]

3 March … Replacing the Door Handle

No photos … I didn’t want to distract Mui from the work at hand.  Suffice it to say that he had to tape down the bolt lock, remove the cover panel on the inside of the door to get to the handle and lock mechanisms; pop out the old handle; pop in the new handle; replace the cover panel.  Everything working A-OK again.

4 March … You Want Murals?  I Got Murals

After spending the morning jiggling our plans due to the wind forecast for our departure day, we headed into downtown El Paso to check out something that is near and dear to my heart — murals.  Our destination was the Segundo Barrio [Second Ward] Mural Trail.

This 26 by 22 foot (8x7 m) mural features two Aztec gods that represent La Leyenda de los
Volcanes [the legend of the volcanoes], which is a Nahua myth of the gods who fell in love and
were punished for visiting earth.  In the Nahuatl tongue she is called Iztaccíhuatl, meaning
“the woman of snow or sleeping woman;” and Popocatépetl means “the smoking mountain.”

The Second Ward has a distinctly south-of-the-border vibe … from the Mexican music blaring out of loudspeakers, to people smiling and calling out greetings of ¡Hola! and ¿Cómo estás? as we walked by … we definitely felt like we had crossed the border to visit our southern neighbors.

El Chuco y Qué [El Paso So What?] (1991): “El Chuco” is local slang for the city of El Paso.
This mural reflects how the world generally views the entire state of Texas as cowboy
country, and that this stereotype does not represent the city of El Paso.  Muralist Carlos
Callejo states: “We are much more than just cowboys — we are a unique blend of cultures.”

The brochure I had picked up at the visitor center described the murals I was seeking as “masterfully illustrated murals that embrace the neighborhood’s Chicano cultural ties, displaying the artistic talent that is evident among its people.”  Apt description I would say.  That the people take pride in these public works of art is evident in that they were all in quite good shape … some even recently restored.

Sections of a continuous mural that covers all the walls of a single building.  The section on
the right replicates a photo taken of a Chicano boy playing with a toy truck in a sandbox.

It took us over two hours to prowl the hot streets of Barrio Segundo and find the murals in the brochure — what a great treasure hunt.  And our reward at the end of it was a late lunch at Tabla, a tapas restaurant recommended to us by Marjie and Bill, friends who used to live in El Paso.  We shared several small dishes, including yummy bacon-wrapped dates, papas bravas [spicy potatoes], and prawns with rice.  The chocolate mousse cake that we wrapped up our meal with was topped with poached pear, and served with vanilla ice cream drizzled with a red wine reduction … oh my, was it ever so good!

[To see more of the murals, click here for my online gallery.]

5 March … Fort Bliss Museums

We decided to hide out at Fort Bliss today and check out the two museums on the post instead of joining the weekend crowds in El Paso and the nearby state parks. I don’t think I mentioned before that this Army installation is the second largest in the US, so there is plenty of space in which to lose yourself ;-)  (The largest installation, by the way, is the adjacent White Sands Missile Range.)

Our first stop was at Old Fort Bliss — a replica of the post as it appeared between 1854-1868.  Turns out that not only is this a cultural center and not a museum per se, but it was closed — no explanatory signage, so I don’t know whether permanently or for the season.

So, we moved on to check out the Fort Bliss and Old Ironsides Museums.  At first we thought we had struck out.  There was construction out front and the museum gave every appearance of being closed.  But when we walked up to the door, it miraculously opened to let us in ;-)

A Miniature model representing the Axis Surrender of Italy in 1945.  The unconditional
surrender of the German troops ended the bitterly fought Italian Campaign of WWII.

Left: Diorama showing an M16A1 Halftrack at the Bridge at Remagen and a historic photo of the men whose story is recounted here in part.  On 7 March 1945, American troops seized the Ludendorff bridge over the Rhine.  German troop attempts to destroy it had failed.  The Americans rapidly concentrated antiaircraft units to defend the bridgehead.  It was one of the most intensive tactical grouping of antiaircraft weapons in the European theater during the course of the war.  Despite later attempts by the enemy to destroy the bridge, it was never hit, but it collapsed on 17 March.  By that time, however, the US troops were east of the Rhine.

Left: The signing of the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri ended the war in the Pacific Theater.  This photo always reminds me of our visit to that grand dame of the US Navy when she was moored in Bremerton, Washington.  A plaque on the deck marks the spot of the surrender.

Right: Victory in the WWII European Theater of War.

I’d have to describe this museum as a work-in-progress.  This was borne out by the young man at the front desk who told us that once the exterior construction work is completed, they are going to work on the interior and the exhibits.  That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty to see here … but this museum is probably best appreciated by those who have an interest in military history and the artifacts that go along with it.

[More photos from our Fort Bliss museum visits are in this online gallery.]

Back to Today … Bridging the Divide and Defining the Course

When we left the Phaeton today, we had an entirely different destination in mind.  But the GPS wasn’t cooperating and the Google Maps app on the iPhone was doing no better … so we got lost.  Turned out to be a good thing as we ended up going to Chamizal National Memorial instead.

I have to admit that the reason I told Mui to take the exit for Chamizal was because I caught a tiny glimpse of color that could only be a mural.  And I was right, but this ‘peace park’ turned out to be so much more that I categorize it as a gem.

The American and Mexican Heritage panels of the Carlos Flores Mural …
Nuestra Herencia (Our Heritage).

This panel of Nuestra Herencia shows the blending of cultures between the US and Mexico.  The panel on the far right depicts the Spanish and their impact on the Southwestern cultures.

We knew nothing about Chamizal before today … had no idea of how it improved relations with our neighbor to the south through cooperation and dialogue … and how, as a result, “immediate and long-term consequences emerged that would be felt for generations to come.”  The gist of the story is that after the Rio Grande was designated the border between the two countries in 1848, the river continued to meander.  It was essentially a flowing border that flooded and retreated, and never remained the same.  As the Rio Grande changed, so did maps … not to mention lives.  Central in this was a piece of land known as Chamizal.  With one meander of the river is was on the Mexican side of the border; with the next meander it was on the US side of the border.  Thus began the dispute … until finally, in 1964, with mutual cooperation, the river was shifted into a man-made canal, paid for jointly by the two countries.

Having fun adding ourselves to historic photos.

Left: Hands across the border – Presidents marking the formal transfer of lands.
Right: Aerial image showing the west section of Chamizal and the relocated Rio Grande.

The bottom left image is from the 1940s; it shows the fence posts on Paisano Drive that surrounded Chamizal (Cordova Island).  The photo on the left is some of the remaining posts from that time; in the distance is the exit one would take off Paisano Drive to cross into Mexico.

Noticing my interest in the Nuestra Herencia mural earlier, the ranger on duty stopped us as we were leaving the visitor center and asked if we’d like to see more paintings by the same artist.  The special exhibit was closed, but “I will be happy to unlock the door,” she offered.  How nice … and that’s how we got to wander around Carlos Flores’ La Revolución exhibit.

Refugiados [Refugees]

La Siesta [The Nap]

The unexpected twists and turns of life — in this case a day of sightseeing — often yield unexpected pleasures.  Today was one such day … even if it was windy.  Yes, the forecasted high winds did arrive — good thing we changed our plans to leave as it would not have been a pleasant day for driving the Phaeton.

[For more photos from today’s outing, click here for my online gallery.]

What does next week hold in store for us?  We have to wait and see, but we have a lot planned.

© 2004-2016 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.