Isabella Ryan
Back Story It’s been two months since I drove across the country from MD to AZ to visit family for the holidays. While majority of the trip was on 95 and I-10, when we reached San Antonio, Texas, we decided to go off I-10 to visit Big Bend National Park. What we didn’t know when we left San Antonio that we would be on the tail end of Historic Route 90. While not on our itinerary, we became enchanted by this highway and I became intrigued by the small cities which can be found along the highway. This Zine is a travel journal/documentation/and my thoughts on these small towns one can find on the historic highway, curiosities on topics which can relate to year-round tourism, and other urbanist spiel.
Momo’s Coffee (Del Rio, Texas)
The Brew We first realized we were on Historic US 90 when we hit Del Rio, Texas. We camped about 20 minutes north at Amistad Recreation Area, but in desperate need of a morning coffee we drove 20 minutes back the way we came the night before to get a cup of coffee at Momo’s, a local spot. It was located near a train station, which I was in shock there was one due to there not being many train stations across the U.S. (which is disappointing) but after research I found this station is used by Amtrak for their Sunset Limited train from New Orleans to Los Angeles. After looking at the stops it seemed we ourselves where traveling this route with our final destination being Tucson the next day where the train also stops. We saw towns like this all across our road trips with main streets and some local business. There was always a local coffee spot which I enjoy. Coffee shops are a staple business to have on a main street. They are great third spaces for gathering and I believe coffee shops are always the start for a town to create a better local environment. With 66% of the US population being coffee drinkers, I believe from an economic standpoint it’s lucrative, but also allows an outsider get a glimpse of the town and those who live there by doing light people watching from a table with a nice cup of joe in hand.
How can people live out here? This is a question my husband and I ponder quite often whenever we visit a small town. Where do these people work to live in such a remote place. There are no businesses not even major chains to work at. This question popped up when we entered Comstock, TX about 35 minutes leaving Del Rio. This question got stronger as we saw Langtry, and Dryden. It’s a question I’m sure many people ask when they drive through small and more remote places especially places which lack face reliable transit besides auto vehicles which are a hefty payment. One thing I like to do is go on Indeed and see what jobs are offered to people who live there and do background on the towns. Comstock seems to have a lot of commuters to Del Rio based on an Indeed search. Langtry is more of a tourist spot being the home of Judge Roy Bean(I had to google him too) and Dryden appears to be an old railroad town constructed when Galveston, Harrisburg, & San Antonio Railroad was constructed. Whenever I think of towns which are alongside a historic route it brings me back to my time on the Camino De Santiago in Spain, on how can these towns be revitalized especially as tourist spots.
Since we are a car-centric country (at the moment) I believe incorporating road trip host spots (think route 66) across the country could bring a great boom to small towns who reside along them with proper investments and local business, much like the towns in Spain along the camino. Though there are always questions like, Could they be revitalized? Could local business grants flourish this community? Why do towns this small still have sprawl? Is it viable? Small towns are an interesting urban planning topic I hope to explore more in the future, but thinking to USC Professor, Elizabeth CurridHalkett’s book The Overlooked Americans, in the ways rural towns are out performing cities in some regards, but also what do they need to survive and keep thriving. Small towns are great for those who might not want to deal with the big city commotion, but require a bit more effort to keep afloat. Investing in walkability and transport plus marketing for tourism could bring life back into these towns. They don’t lack spirit or identity and using those to the advantage to bring tourists who might be on their way to Big Bend or El Paso could make all the difference. A look into marketing of US 90 could bring need for businesses in these towns and perhaps a drive to even move there for those in the hospitality business.
Ferguson Motors, Sanderson, TX
The Brew 2 “I came here for a seasonal job and I never left” The barista at the Ferguson Motors coffee shop told me and my husband passed when we stopped in. We hadn’t realized the building was a coffee shop and little market. The signage led us to believe that it was a Ford motor company shop (which it formerly was), but we saw an A-Frame which said coffee with an arrow and upon further inspection the sign we thought said Ford actually said Food. The shop enlightened me to the art scene of US 90. I ended up getting a great mocha and buying a print from Yellow Brick Art Co. While there we saw the social events, guest houses, and campgrounds. I couldn’t believe there was a creative space in such a remote area and it filled me with much joy. We also were enlightened by the barista to the fact that a lot of people leave for the summer due to the extreme heat. Leaving with one of the best mochas and the art print we bought, we left pondering how can towns which face extreme weather thrive during relief seasons (though that TX heat was still hot in December) and create a bustling town with seasonal tourism. Ideas flooded through my head, but eventually other things on the side of the road caught my eye.
@YelloBrickArtCo
Art Is Crucial The art culture we discovered while after leaving Sanderson enlightened me to the idea about art bringing people to places. Either as creatives who want to be amongst their peers or those who want to see the art installation themselves. While driving I heard my husband go is that a Buc-ee’s , which had my mouth watering for a cheesesteak burrito, but when turning to see what he meant we saw the tiniest Buc-ee’s. This was the first of desert art installation that we saw. The importance of quirky art like this to draw people who might not go down this highway otherwise. It makes you want to take the slower route and not just hop on I-10 and blast through some of the best parts of the country. Art shows the identity of a place and nothing is more Texas than Buc-ee’s. Art movements can create more creative jobs especially in places like south west Texas which has desolate populations and many similar locations are creative deserts, but art installations like these create spaces for creatives to thrive in a place you wouldn’t Credit: San Antonio Press expect them to.
Nature and Outdoor Access The whole reason for our journey on Historic 90, which we didn’t know was that historic until we started driving on it was to visit Big Bend National Park. I love visiting national parks and collecting stamps on the way. Big Bend isn’t a super popular National park, but also is not a desolate park. It’s right in the middle, much like it’s location between El Paso and San Antonio. While driving I noticed there was an untapped market for those who want to visit Big Bend, but also make the most their journey. There was a lack of transit from the small towns to the park or even amongst each other. If I was in Sanderson, I had no way to getting to Marfa without a car. Even in the small towns it’s hard to get around without a car. This corridor in Texas showcases a need for sustainable transit and untapped tourism. I imagined staying at a hostel in Sanderson or Marathon and being able to take an air conditioned bus down to the park. Though in reality there are no connection to major transit hubs in Texas and even amongst each other. Small towns are stronger together, and I believe a partnership amongst these towns would revitalize the corridor. Partnerships and collaboration are an important part of urbanism that must be utilized. Too much individualism among people and towns will lead to the downfall of many small towns and areas if they do not work together.
Prada: Art is Crucial 2 If you could have heard the screech on my tires when I realized I drove past the abandoned Prada store. I pulled off to shoulder after slowing down from the high Texas Speed limit and made sure no one was coming and reversed on the shoulder to back up to the Prada store in the desert. My Tumblr girl dreams had been fulfilled and I immediately texted all my friends to show them my discovery. My husband was very confused by all of it. The art installation done by Elmgreen & Dragset which originally was suppose to decay into it’s surroundings, but ended up becoming a permanent museum.It was a nice precursor to seeing all the artwork in Marfa, though we didn’t have time to stop and drove through. I’m excited in the future to visit Marfa again with a more in depth visit as we drove passed during twilight. It seemed like a very quaint yet bustling small town. I’m curious to see what the next installation will be which pops up on historic highway 90.
Final Thoughts Highway 90 was transformative and such a surprise. Aren’t those always the journeys that change you the most? The ones you didn’t plan. The art, coffee, and food we found along the way made the journey one for the scrapbooks. The southwest corridor of Texas is truly one of the best parts of the state that we experienced. I believe there could be a small town revival in this corridor with proper investment of time, funds, and transit. One thing small towns in the US could do better is adapting to modern technology and see the power of social media and proper marketing which can flourish their communities (including my current town of Havre De Grace). 2024 is here and adapting is what it will take to survive.
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@agirlnamedizzy Isabella Ryan