Family Adventures: Mt Elbert Trip: Summer Rural Scenes along US-287

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Mt Elbert Trip: Summer Rural Scenes along US-287

We drove on US-287 at least two dozen times when we drove to and from Taos Ski Valley, NM, or Wolf Creek Ski Resort for skiing, or visit Panhandles, TX, West NM. It was about 4 years since we last drove on 287. As we drove on it to Mt Elbert, many memories on those road trips, and familiar scenes made me feel like meeting an old friend. It occurred to me that I should record what I saw when Lily took over driving on the way home.

Most of the 287 between Dallas and Amarillo is rural area, dotted with small towns. The land is flat on panhandles and the road is straight into horizon. The most common scenes are cattle, horses, silos, water towers at the small towns, and windmills - simple and pure! Despite some of the man made structures, it feels so close to nature, earth.

into Horizon

Cattle munching

Horses at a ranch

Silos - Abandoned?

Water tower and farm house

Windmill

Electra, a town by US-287, has a special meaning to us. A winter storm in 2009, stranded us near this small town. After avoiding a head-on collision, we went to Electra Bible Baptist Church for shelter and food. The worst experience we had led to the best memory. That's the one and only time we stopped at Electra, but I relive our experience every time we pass this town.

Bible Baptist Church is about 1 mile south from this water tower

A big silo at Electra

Of course there are modernization to the rural area - trains, 18-wheeler trucks/cars on 287 passing by, nodding donkeys, solar farms, large wind turbines. There are fast food chains, hotels and lodges, boutique stores, restaurants, gas stations at towns. There also abandoned houses in the perimeters of the towns and on ranches.

The obsession with Arkansas River headwaters made me on high alert when we passed a red river near town Estelline - it is the source river of the Red River - Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River.

I am sure that we will be on US-287 many more times as we continue to explore Texas panhandle, New Mexico and Colorado.