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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Carrizo Springs and early voters in Texas












It wasn’t a bad drive at all once I calmed down after the aircraft incident. There was enough to see along the way. Carrizo Springs was only 64 miles away, but the small ghost town before that, Catarina, had an Indian Trading Post and, more interesting, an abandoned luxury hotel with a palm grove in its small alcove which had dead pronds falling in the court yard. No one stops here now, but this was one of the cross overs of the Camino Royal under the Spaniards (even the Spaniards avoided Laredo!) There were no historical markers on this hotel although there should have been as the hotel was still in good shape foundation wise. Now Highway 83 runs right in front of its front doors.

Carrizo Springs was a small county seat on a hilltop, with gasoline selling for $3.09, the highest yet on my trip but gasoline which I couldn’t refuse. Up at the courthouse early voting and registration was taking place, and the many candidate supporters were lined up around the courthouse hoping for last-minute voters. By law none of the supporters were allowed to solicit brochures inside the courthouse or near the voting booths—police made sure of that—but there were many lunch time BBQs going on around the square by the various supporters. Texas Early voting lasts from 19-26 February.

My next stop was Quemodo and finally Eagle Pass which I got to at 1:15pm. Again it was quiet, and most shops were closed today. There wasn’t much to see besides the pretty palm-lined orange courthouse, and I went right into the Mexican town of Piedras Negras. I spent four hours here walking around and eating an affordable Mexican buffet at Sam’s Restaurant.

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