El Camino Real Tour Update - October 22, 2005

El Indio to Crystal City
We left El Indio on Saturday morning headed east toward Carrizo Springs and the Triple R RV Park on the Nueces River near Crystal City. The weather was beautiful – sunny and mild. The picture of the five of us in the road at El Indio (our little “Abbey Road” interpretive shot from yesterday) was shot at the swale of Cuervo Creek, i.e. “Creek of the Crows.” This place shows up in most of the Spanish journals as a camping spot for the traveling parties the first day after they crossed the Rio Grande from the mission sites near present day Guerrero on the Mexican Side. Weather conditions determined whether they worked their way northeasterly, as Ramon did in 1716 due to dry conditions or easterly as Alacon did in 1718 under wet conditions. Alacon reported wonderful fields of wildflowers.

We now head east across the chaparral on FM 2644. We pass within a couple miles by some accounts of the Old Spanish campsite Rosas de San Juan – the Roses of Saint John. This was a regular stop for many of the parties. The “rose” may have been a willow button that can still be seen in the area. From the road, we see nothing but mesquite – only a little previous research tells us that there was anything of significance here. It was significant to the Spanish traveling 15-20 miles/day on foot and horseback. You don’t feel anything driving through the area at 60 mph. Even cycling at 10 mph on a paved road, we have to stop to ponder what it must have been like back then to be out there truly on your own.

Lunch on the Court House lawn in Carrizo Springs and a conversation with a friendly judge on his way in to marry a couple, and then we are off to the Triple R RV Park. From Carrizo Springs, we are now in the plain of the Nueces River. At this point, the Nueces actually has multiple channels at one point. At Espintoza Lake on Espintoza Creek (a channel) on FM1433 about two miles west of US 83 and about 5 miles north of Carrizo Springs, we stop to see the historical marker for the “Presidio Road,” as this section was once called. Folks are fishing from the banks of the lake – after all, it’s Saturday afternoon.

We then pull into the Triple R with owner Barbara Rice and Manager Linda greeting and photographing us. The Triple R is on SH 65 about 4 miles southeast of Crystal City and on the Nueces. You must go experience the Triple R for yourself. A complete menagerie of animals in pastures and pens. I was not aware of the existence of “zedonks.” That’s right, folks, one zebra + one donkey and a little bit of magic and there you have it, a perfect blend of parents!

We get settled in our cabins and meet Ken Rice, Barbara’s husband. They give us a tour of the place including RV sites and pavilion, and then off to their house, i.e. lodge, for a “happy hour.” First off, its BIG, hence the designation “lodge.” And there is beautiful multi-hued stonework all across the outside and inside. The sprawling back patio looks out over a dammed section of the Nueces that covers at least 20 acres in the main body. Plenty of birds in the area. Barbara says this is on one of the main bird migration routes as it is a significant water source.

They are working with Fermata in developing a good nature tourism business because of this. Fermata is an Austin outfit that helps ranchers and others promote nature tourism. See their site. Different groups are also invited hold business and other meetings-seminars-workshops at Barbara and Ken’s home.

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