Bend Region - Rio Grande River Road - By Guest

Spend a night at the motorcycle-friendly Prude Guest Ranch just outside of Ft. Davis, have dinner at the Black Bear Lodge in the Ft. Davis State Park almost across the road from the ranch before going up to McDonald Observatory for a tour of the night skies using a number of telescopes on Tuesday & Saturday evenings. When touring the old fort at Ft. Davis, be sure to sit on the porch of the Commander's House during the fort-wide presentation of "Retreat". I would suggest you NOT go into Ojinaga Mexico- you might come back without a motorcycle unless you want to pay a substantial bribe to the border guards (theirs, not ours). The ride up "Panther Hill" between Terlingua (site of the World Chili Cookoff) and Presidio is a sight you'll never forget. Terlingua was at one time the largest cinnibar mine in the country (that's the ore they get mercury from). The ghost town of Shafter is worth a stop - at one time it was "The richest hole in the world", a huge silver mine going over a thousand feet deep. Visit the cemetery there where there are hundreds of miners buried, and a great historical montage. A very historical town. Overall, an unbelievably good ride that I've made many times. HINT: Take at least three times the water you think you'll need! YOU'RE IN THE VERY HOT DESERT!!!! General rule: If you're not urinating frequently, you're not drinking enough fluids. I lived there for years - believe it! Drink a lot of water.