From Waco to Hico to Abliene
This blog post title has a ring do it, no!? We traveled mighty far in Texas, a grand total of 16+ hours or something like that. Can't even count the miles! But we started in Dallas, ended up in Fort Davis, and Waco, Hico, Alpine and Abilene were some of our most memorable stops. My mom and I are good travelers together; we've shared many road trips. And they come with bizarre stories, they truly do!
Many of the miles we traversed were in the heart of oil country. Man, it's so foreign to me. Seeing all of the pumpjacks, rigs and drills made me sad. I just thought of all of the millions (billions?) of dollars that come from exploiting the earth, and the companies that profit. Oil country is located in the heart of the Permian basis, an ancient layer of earth that used to be underwater, home to many reefs that have since broken down into rich deposits of oil. Once we were out of oil country and near the mountains, my heart grew lighter.
If you're ever driving that way and want to find a cool frontier town, I have two great options for you: Hico and Alpine. They are both so western, so Texas. Everything is old, yet not that old (early 20th century? for this history teacher, that's new). The dusty highways, the rolling freight trains, and the prickly pear cacti make it seem like something out of a western flick. Hico is particularly authentic, and if you go, make sure to stop at Jersey Lilly's for great nachos!