218 miles via US 67 and US 285. Cumulative distance: 3,093 miles.
GTW Hop 19: San Angelo TX to Pecos TX
I don’t have much to say about San Angelo because we were there for just 20 hours. Because we had difficulty getting the front landing jacks to work, I didn’t unhitch. But I resolved that problem and decided this morning that it would be wise to top off the diesel tanks – there is a lot of nothing in west Texas – and get some oil (I thought the truck was a quart low, though that turned out to be not the case). Jett reminded me that we needed some C-clamps (to keep the clothes in the closet in place when traveling) and, hey, since I was going out, why not get a couple more books on tape (actually, CD)? So I unhitched and went shopping. Then I had to hustle back to beat the noon deadline for getting out of Dodge. Or San Angelo.
Our campground for the night was the San Angelo KOA, a.k.a. the Concho Valley KOA. It is clean and well-maintained, has a pretty nice dog park and is operated by a very friendly couple. Many of the sites were treeless, which might make it very hot. But not last night. The temperature dropped into the 40’s overnight and the forecast high for today was 53. Windy, too. We definitely aren’t in San Antonio anymore.
Patience at KOA San Angelo
The dog park
The trip to Pecos was uneventful. We started seeing cacti growing along the side of the road and also spotted our first windmill farm. The entire route was dotted with oil and natural gas production facilities and when we got to the campground in Pecos it was obvious that some of the long-term residents were oil field workers. It’s nice to know that we aren’t importing it all.
Windmill farm
And it was coolish the entire way. Now – 6pm CDT – it is 58 degrees. There is a light frost warning out for the Pecos area tonight.
I sure hope we can get to the coast without encountering snow.