Terlingua Dreams

Terlingua Dreams
Governors Landing Campground - Lake Amistad - Del Rio, Texas

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Reminiscing along historic Sourth Del Rio - Part I

It has been a long time since I have had the chance to go riding around.  I decided to drive to historic south Del Rio.  This is where we lived when we first moved here. Though the house no longer exists..it was nice to see the other homes with new owners as their original owners passed away a long time ago.


When I first started this blog I often mentioned our "ex-mechanic"...well I used to call him something else but I can no longer do that, as we just learned he passed away two months ago. His shop closed down a couple of years ago, he blamed the federal government as they constructed the new International bridge offices and cut him off from his customers and the old road to Mexico.

Behind this fence, it is still US soil for about a third to a half mile.
 That is how far the RIo Grande River and Mexico are located

This is the border fence across from his shop.  It is not even a mile long along this stretch of Frontera Road.


Here you can see the International Bridge in the area reserved for the inspection of 18 wheelers and commercial vehicles.


Even though we are in December the trees are still holding on to their leaves.  There was this big grayish truck with blue and red lights on this now cul-de-sac.  I, of course did not take a picture of it...though it surprised me as this area is usually patrolled by official Border Patrol and not undercover vehicles...but what do I know?


One of the churches that was most impacted by the street closing was Faith Mission.  Their church goers would simply clear customs and walk half a block  In my day there was no Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries (there still isn't) or other charity to donate to.  If you had something to donate you brought it to Faith Mission and many including myself still do.


When we moved here from Austin, Texas in the late 60's there was only one Border Patrol Headquarters located along Hudson Drive which is now called Qualia Drive in honor of the owners of the oldest winery in the state of Texas...more on a future post.


It now sits empty on some prime real estate.  Though there were two vehicles parked here, they were not official Border Patrol vehicles.

In some ways it makes me feel old, as I remember landmarks and people we knew that lived along this stretch that are no longer with us.  Like the Arranaga's, the Urby's, the Gonzalez's, the Cantu's and the Lira's.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tour of where you used to live. I went back a few years ago to a class reunion and was really surprised at how many of my classmates have passed on. Of course, we are all getting old. We graduated from the only year in many, many years that you could turn upside down and it read the same.

    If you guessed 1961, you are correct. People and things had really changed in my old neighborhood the last time I was back there.

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    1. Unfortunately life goes on, things change and people die.

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  2. I always feel so nostalgic when I go back to an area that was once so familiar to me.

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    1. Nostalgic is the perfect word to describe it Gypsy.

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  3. Really interesting post. This area sounds beautiful. I'm sure you have a lot of great memories.


    Mike

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