Biggest Pool Ever

Having strayed from our planned route while tilting at windmills, we opened a map of Texas to find somewhere to sleep. What we discovered was a little place called Balmorhea State Park, which is just outside a sleepy town of the same name. As a camping site the park is lacking. We arrived to a vicious wind and a full on desert campground without trees. But the view was nice, and by the following morning the wind had let up enough for us to enjoy the main attraction: a spring-fed swimming pool covering nearly two full acres of desert – the picture doesn’t show half of it.

The Wind State

Uh-oh, Gwen’s letting her eco-geekiness show again. (sorry)

We only spent two nights in Texas, and we didn’t really have any plans for the state except for one thing: visit a wind farm. I had learned a while back that the state produces more wind energy than any other in the US, and I hadn’t ever seen a wind farm first-hand before, so on our first morning there we headed out to the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center – currently the world’s largest wind farm.

To call this wind farm huge would be an understatement. It wasn’t really even a place, but more like an uncountable number of wind turbines scattered across a vast landscape. The tall spiky turbines stretched literally as far as the eye can see (and probably farther). I found it quite stunning and I would even use the term “beautiful” to describe it, but it turns out that the locals have not taken so kindly to this green energy wonderland. In fact, they sued the farm shortly after it was completed, declaring it a “private nuisance”. They lost the suit.

Christopher and I wanted to get some footage of locals talking about the farm and giving their opinion about the 300-plus turbines that decorate the landscape around their ranches. But we failed (mainly out of laziness resulting from the hot Texas sun), so instead you get to watch me stuttering into the camera instead. Enjoy!

Breakfast in Buffalo Gap

After a long night of driving and then a few hours of sleep in the car, Christopher and I found ourselves at Lola’s Mexican Cafe in Buffalo Gap, TX. Lola herself fixed us up some breakfast, which consisted of beans, eggs scrambled with chorizo and veggies, a tortilla and homemade indian frybread, which was sweet and delicious.

Welcome to Texas

We did the first truly long-haul drive of our trip across Arkansas and the eastern half of Texas. And by long-haul standards it wasn’t much, 14 or 15 hours at most. But those of you who have driven through the night know just how whacked-out your head gets around 2 in the morning. Personally, I find the zombie-zen driving state kind of nice. At least until I start swerving – then it’s time for another cup of coffee. It was during one of those truck stop breaks that Texas decided to say hello…

And by the way… I may be a little vain, but I’m not choosing the still images for all these video posts. YouTube seems to have a strange affinity for my face at its most awkward moments.