Texas, along Interstate 10, is over 800 miles from New Mexico to Louisiana.

Our first NPS site in Texas was Chamizal (Peace Park) National Memorial in El Paso. The park is located west of the Bridge of the Americas, very close to the Mexican border. The Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate the Chamizal treaty of 1963. This treaty ended a long-standing border dispute between the U.S. and Mexico. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo established the Rio Grande/Río Bravo as the international boundary between the U.S. and Mexico. Because of the river’s meandering, the loss of land by Mexico caused tension between the U.S. and Mexico for more than 100-years. In 1963 U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos met to discuss the "Chamizal Issue" and through diplomatic negotiations, they solved the Chamizal Issue with the signing of the Chamizal Treaty, with firing a shot.

Our second NPS site visited was the Lyn B. Johnson (LBJ) NHP. This is LBJ's ranch and the site is located about 60 miles north of San Antonio. During his term, his ranch was often referred to as “The Western White House”. LBJ loved his ranch and conducted some “affairs of state” there.

The third and last NPS site visited was The Big Thicket N. Pres. located in east Texas, about 30 miles north of Beaumont. The Big Thicket is not one large tract of contiguous lands but smaller units connected by streams and riparian areas called corridors. In 1981 The Big Thicket National Preserve was added by UNESCO to the list of International Biosphere Reserves. The United States Man and the Biosphere (USMAB) program, a voluntary program, requires no special programs, management techniques, obligations, or changes in ownership. Program support comes through the U.S. Department of State.

Our first significant food event (sfe) occurred after driving about 750 miles, in the town of Junction, TX. Remember the name, LUMS. Exit 456 on I-10. It is the best barbeque we have eaten. It looked like an old small truck stop with a huge smoker on the side with a giant pile of mesquite stack alongside the smoker. The aroma alone is enough to cause you to drool. Joy had ribs, I had brisket and on the way out we got about 2 pounds of sausage to take in the car, which we ate while driving. I can almost smell it now.

After LBJ, we stayed in Beaumont, near the Louisiana border. Here our thoughts (almost visions) were of barbequed crabs, a dish we had in this area more than 20 years ago. Sartins was/is the name of the restaurant. It was originally in Sabine Pass until a hurricane destroyed the town and they rebuilt in Nederland, south of Beaumont. We think the photos speak for themselves. Our last point of interest in this area is Sea Rim State Park. The day we were there, there was no else there. The beach is beautiful, with enough flotsam and debris to give it character. The bird watching and photography was very good. Route 87 used to follow the coast all the way to Port Bolivar until a series of hurricanes kept destroying the road when it was finally abandoned. Motorhomes used to park on the beach along this 40 mile stretch of beach.

Now it is time to continue on to Lafayette, Louisiana.