Some of My Favorite Roads in Texas

It's been a while since my last posting. To be honest, we've just not done anything worth writing about. So, I thought I would dig into my bag of material to see what I could find.

Donna and I have been fortunate to travel all over Texas. It is such a vast state, a land of contrasts, with each corner of the state offering something different.

Below are some of my favorite drives in Texas. These are drives that we have made at least twice; some we have made many, many times.

• I love Texas 21 between Alto and Crockett in East Texas. I wrote about this road over 4 years ago in "Favorite Drives: Old San Antonio Road from Crockett to Alto" so I'll not repeat myself here.
• Texas 207 from Silverton north to Claude passes through Tule Canyon and Palo Duro Canyon. I wrote about this road earlier this year in "On the Road: San Angelo to Amarillo." 
• Ranch Road 337 from Leakey to Vanderpool is a beautiful drive as it crosses the divide between the Frio and Sabinal Rivers. Highway 1050 from Garner State Park east to Utopia is also a beautiful drive linking those two river valleys.
• Texas 17 from Balmorhea to Ft. Davis provides some unique mountain scenery for Texas. The best part of the drive, at least for me, is on the south side of Wild Rose Pass, where the road begins to follow Limpia Creek and the mountains begin to close in more.
• Texas 118 from Alpine through Ft. Davis all the way its intersection with Interstate 10 is another great mountain drive. My favorite stretches are those just south of Ft. Davis, and the drive north from Ft. Davis past McDonald Observatory to the intersection with Highway 166.
• US 67 from Marfa to Presidio is interesting. It starts with some high plateau country where you can often see pronghorns in large herds. As you near Shafter, the country gets a bit rougher, and the old mining town of Shafter is an interesting detour for those who enjoy history and this rugged country. From Shafter south, the road is rather straight and in a long, downward slope as it heads for the Rio Grande.
• Another interesting drive involving Presidio is the River Road (Highway 170) that follows the Rio Grande from Presidio to Terlingua, Study Butte, Lajitas, and the Big Bend area. Near Presidio, the road has gentle rolls as it hugs the river. About midway, there is a steep climb (known locally as "the Big Hill") where the highway veers away from the river temporarily. From there, it is a short way to the park (Big Bend National Park).
• Back in the Hill Country, Texas 16 from Kerrville south to Medina defines Hill Country drives. There are some pretty sharp turns on this road and some gorgeous country. As you near Medina, you pick up Wallace Creek, which later feeds into the North Prong of the Medina River. Both streams provide some pretty ranch settings.
• If you like something less remote, take Texas 27 west from Kerrville along the beautiful Guadalupe River. For the first several miles, there are quite a few resorts and other developments. At Ingram, be sure to veer left onto Highway 39. Eventually, the resorts give away, as does the river.
• Years ago, I always enjoyed the drive along US 290 from Johnson City west to Fredericksburg. However, that stretch -- especially from Stonewall west -- has gotten so developed that it has lost its allure for me. Still, you can detour off US 290 just west of Hye and follow Highway 1 as it winds along the south bank of the Pedernales River, offering views of the river as well as the former "Texas White House" occupied by President and Lady Bird Johnson. It will eventually rejoin US 290 on the western edge of Stonewall.

There are countless other drives worth making, especially along the many back roads of Texas, but those above are some of my favorites.