Terlingua Dreams

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

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

A day of long lines

We left early this morning for San Antonio, Texas.  It is a good thing that I give myself a little wiggle room for unforeseeable events. There was a long line just before we left Brackettville city limits after all this is Highway 90 East a very heavily traveled highway. I figured there must have been a serious accident and they were waiting to clear the scene.  However, that did not turn out to be the case, the TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) guy said the railroad was fixing their lines and we would have to detour through a country road to reach Uvalde, Texas.

This country road was very narrow and it had far too much traffic for comfort including speeding eighteen wheelers whom you could literally touch if you stuck your hand out the window. There was no shoulder and if you tried to pull over the grass was extremely high and you could possibly start a grass fire.


Then traffic came to a halt and for those that might be worried that our borders would not be secure...well lord and behold Homeland Security and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) had set up a temporary Border Patrol Check Point with at least 20 agents. They did this because the road closure circumvented their permanent facility on Highway 90 East. Had to roll down the passenger window and while I appreciated that they did not question my mother...with a suspicious glance was asked to verbally state the country of my citizenship...so wanted to say "same as yours"...but figured I would probably delay the line even further and possibly risk being arrested. Lordy, lordy, long lines wreak havoc on my nerves and patience!

It takes me one hour and ten minutes to reach Uvalde, today it took two hours and fifteen minutes. We arrived at the doctor's office fifteen minutes before her appointment time.

We left the doctor's office at exactly 5:00 p.m. at the beginning of rush hour. It has been a while since I have been right in the middle of so much traffic. It took us 55 minutes just to get out of San Antonio. I was hauling as I knew I would not be able to reach Del Rio before sundown and my night vision leaves a lot to be desired in particular having to go back down an unfamiliar country road in the dark.


Stopped in Uvalde to gas up at Stripes, while they had plenty of fuel this morning that was not the case this afternoon, but at least some pumps had gasoline and no lines...yeah!!!  Filled up at $2.49 per gallon for regular unleaded.


It only got better, the detour route was no longer in effect so I was able to cruise back to Del Rio at 70 miles per hour versus the 40 to 45 mph we had to endure this morning.  When we got back home we picked up some KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and stuffed our face :D

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

10 comments:

  1. There & back again, you made it! (It's the little things ). We paid $2.45 the day before yesterday for gas but we're in North Dakota.

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    1. Rob, I so envy your lifestyle you get to criss cross the country and now you have a new rig.

      $2.45 per gallon is a good price for North Dakota. In San Antonio gasoline was going for an average of $2.59 to $2.69 but then again it was in the Medical Center and down the freeway.

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  2. Some places use any excuse to raise prices.

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    1. That is very true Dizzy. Wish they are were as good at lowering them as they are at raising them.

      To be fair $2.49 was the average price of the towns along highway 90, prices were much higher in San Antonio.

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  3. California's prices are much higher than yours will ever be!

    Ms. Belinda, you are the only other person I know of besides me who leaves early enough to get stuck in any kind of traffic and still arrive at the destination with time to spare! Way to go!

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    1. It has not always been the case Gypsy. I have mother to thank for yelling at me when we are running late and DPS for issuing me a $260.00 ticket last year on my way to the Cook-off after they closed down the highway due to two jackknifed 18 wheelers and me trying to make up for lost time.

      I don't like to be yelled at and I hate paying fines, so I figured I better changed my ways and it has helped me considerably this year.

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  4. Thanks to your comment "same as yours", I will definitely have Terlingua Dreams tonight!

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  5. Our gas is still sitting at 2.35 and I should have stopped today but it was just to hot already and the poor a/c in the truck was struggling. Lots of road work here to so I try to get out earlier than usual

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    1. Have you all been having gas shortages in your area? Try to fill up before they up the price even more now in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

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