On 02/01/2006 we drove to Parkview RV Park in Fort Stockton, TX. During our week there we visited the downtown area on 02/02/2006 and saw Paisano Pete the Road Runner.
Then on 02/04/2006 we visited the Historic Fort Stockton. Military presence began here with the establishment of Camp Stockton in 1858 by troops of the 1st and 8th Infantry, US Army. The post protected travelers and settlers on the numerous roads and trails that made use of the abundant water supply of Comanche Springs. It was here that these trails crossed the Comanche War Trail. The US Army withdrew from Texas during the Civil War and abandoned Camp Stockton in 1861. Confederate troops briefly occupied the site until they too, withdrew. By the end of the war little remained of this first post. In July 1867, Colonel Edward Hatch, Commander of the 9th Cavalry, re-established Fort Stockton at its present location. The new fort was garrisoned by four companies of the 9th Cavalry, one of the new regiments created for the black men who sought security in the US Army after the Civil War. These black enlisted men, called “buffalo soldiers” by the Indians, were commanded by white officers. The picture is of reconstructed Barracks 2.
On 02/08/2006 we decided to leave TX and headed for Windmill RV Park in Carlsbad, NM. While there we visited the Carlsbad Caverns National Park on 02/11/2006. The basic tour through Carlsbad Cavern is the Big Room Route, a one mile, self guiding, underground stroll around the perimeter of the largest room in the cave, the Big Room. Taking approximately one hour, this circular route passes many large and famous features including Bottomless Pit, Giant Dome, Rock of Ages and Painted Grotto. Highly decorated and immense, the 14 acre Big Room is a “must see” tour for all visitors to the park. The picture is taken in the Big Room of the Chinese Theater.
Then on 02/12/2006 we visited the Guadalupe Mountains National Park located near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Guadalupe Mountains National Park safeguards the world’s finest example of a fossilized reef, a surprisingly complex and unique assemblage of flora and fauna, and West Texas’ only legally designated wilderness. Here, one can experience solitude, tranquility, and the joy of finding plants and animals whose mastery of survival renews our sense of wonder. The picture was taken near a rest area.
