April 14, 2011

We drove out of Del Rio and passed lots of water, part of the Amistad National Recreation Area. It contains 64,860 acres and 851 feet of shoreline along the Rio Grande.

Entered Seminole Canyon State Park. After looking at all the displays and video in the Visitors' Center, John went on a guided walk to see some of the Indian pictographs. They are believed to be the oldest in the U.S., dated at 8,000 years ago.

I went bird watching at the campground. There was a nature trail to a seep area behind one of the campsites. Great birds, including Northern Bobwhite, Scaled Quail, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, Cactus Wren, Rock Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon Towhee, Black Phoebe, Bell's Vireo, Blue Grosbeak and others. John hiked up to the campground after his tour, and we walked back out to the seep for a short while.

We then stopped down the road at Pecos National Recreation Area and the Pecos River, where it empties into the Rio Grande. Black-chinned Hummingbirds on the Ocotillo.

Stopped at the Visitors' Center in Langtry, supposedly named after Miss Lily Langtry, the actress, by Judge Roy Bean, known as "The Law West of the Pecos."

Drove through some areas that had been burned by the recent wildfires that started near Fort Davis. One of the areas was still burning.

We hope to see some of Fort Davis tomorrow as well as the McDonald Observatory near there, but we will have to wait and see what roads are open and what businesses are open in the area.