Borderlands: Along the Mexican Border
Journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip following the Mexican Border from the Pacific to the Gulf from September 28 - October 8, 2014. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2014.
Borderlands: Along the Mexican Border September 28—October 8, 2014 The 1,954-mile boundary between the United States and Mexico is the most frequently crossed international border in the world. Annually, there are more than 350,000 million legal crossings. Since 1853, when border that we know today was determined, the relationship between the two countries has been conflicted. Until thirty years ago, Mexico was primarily a vacation getaway for Americans. But the growing demand for drugs in the US and the resultant violence in Mexico has slowly changed that. Although the border was first fortified in the early 20th century, it was not until the 1990s that border protection really took off. Under the Clinton administration, both the length of border fence and the number of Border Patrol agents doubled. Since 9/11, the US has been increasingly intent on guarding the border against terrorists. We are spending billions of dollars annually and employing tens of thousands of armed personnel to secure a border that is nonetheless being illegally breached by hundreds of thousands of people each year who, for the most part, want only a chance at the American dream. The US / Mexican border has become a platform for political conflict with border threats inflated or diminished depending on the views espoused. With this background and many questions, Jake and I followed the Mexican border from the Pacific to the Gulf, a driving distance of 2,296 miles. Of the 47 legal crossings between the two countries, we stopped at fourteen, crossing twice into Mexico. We learned that only a third of the border is actually fenced, mostly in populated areas. Mountains, deserts and other rough terrain make it unnecessary to fortify much of the rest. The Rio Grande is a natural barrier too, although in some places one can wade across. The fencing takes many forms and has numerous openings for farming and grazing. We saw barriers that were both high and low: some to bar people, others, only vehicles. Some fencing has art painted on it, some is solid, and some has slats that one can look through. In certain places we were not permitted to get within 50 feet of the fence while at others, we were able to touch it. We talked to several members of the Border Patrol, whom we found to be uniformly courteous and informative. We had a sense that those we spoke with took their jobs very seriously, to guard and protect United States citizens.
1
Sunday, September 28
to San Juan Capistrano, California
After the completion of our 2,828-mile journey exploring Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, Jake and I turned south. We drove along the oceanfront from Santa Monica through Venice Beach and Marina del Rey, to the Port of Los Angeles, where we saw the USS Iowa in her new position as a museum at Berth 87. The RMS Queen Mary, now a full-service Long Beach hotel, was docked nearby. Highway 1 took us past Huntington and Newport Beaches; everyone was out enjoying the perfect Southern California fall weather—sailing, flying kites, sunbathing. We got as far as San Juan Capistrano, stopping at a Best Western near the Mission, which we will visit in the morning. This evening we are relaxing. We walked though Capistrano’s historic area and were intrigued to find several bridal parties and perhaps a dozen professional photographers doing photo shoots of couples and families. We wondered what was going on, but everyone we asked seemed to think that streets full of photographers were the most natural thing in the world. We had dinner in the pleasant bar at El Adobe de Capistrano. This historic restaurant was built in 1797 as a private home and was a favorite of President Richard Nixon.
2
Monday, September 29
to Chula Vista, California
We were at the door of Mission San Juan Capistrano when it opened at 9:00. The Mission was founded in 1776; the 1782 Serra’s Chapel is the oldest continuously occupied building in California. The buildings are nicely restored and are framed by gardens filled with succulents and interesting flowers.
3
4
6
By 10:00 we were driving south on I-5. We exited at La Jolla to get a taste of this upscale community and continued to San Diego. With a population of 1.3 million, it is the second largest city in California. After circling Balboa Park and the famous zoo, we explored the Gaslamp Quarter, comprising several blocks of exquisite buildings dating from the mid 1860s.
7
We crossed the bay to Coronado, passing the Hotel del Coronado, opened in 1888 and the second largest wooden structure in the US.
We continued south along the causeway, trying to stay close to the border. When we reached Border Field State Park, we were at the southwestern most point of the contiguous United States. The park was closed and there was a barrier across the road, which meant that we had to proceed by foot along an unpaved path, and then continue along the beach for about a mile and a half to the ocean. There was no one else in sight. We could see the border fence off to the south as we walked; we noted the contrast between the protected wetland on the US side and the highly developed borough of Playas de Tijuana on the Mexican side. The fence, marking the start of the 1,954-mile US-Mexican border, stretches out into the ocean at this point, and is under “High Intensity� 24-hour surveillance by the US Border Patrol. 9
10
Border Field State Park Imperial Beach
Border Field State Park Imperial Beach
As we neared the fence, an officer in a nearby patrol vehicle honked the horn, warning us to keep our distance. This turned out to be good for us, for Jake went up to ask him if there were an easier return route, and he offered to drive us to our car. Although I sat in the passenger seat, he packed Jake into the prisoner cage in the back. 14
Returning to the highway, we proceeded four miles to the San Ysidro Port of Entry to Tijuana. We wanted to see what it was like to make the crossing there. Port Ysidro is the busiest land crossing in world. It has been estimated that over 300,000 people cross here every day. We parked behind a McDonalds for Eight Dollars and made the threeminute walk along an outdoor passageway into Mexico. No documentation was required and there was no delay. Signs pointed to downtown or to the casino; there were ample taxis and pedicabs to take us wherever we might want to go, but we were only interested in the crossing experience. After taking some pictures of the people and cars waiting to come into the US, we got at the end of an impossibly long line to return. Immediately, a woman approached and offered us the opportunity to jump the line for Five Dollars each. Not knowing how this was going to work, we followed her to a small tourist office where we paid the fee and were loaded into a van waiting in the back that was already crammed with passengers. The driver drove a mile or so, taking a series of left turns in spite of the No Left Turn signs, and through several barriers to a lane of similar vans near the front of the line. As one group of people was allowed to proceed though to US Immigration, the US Customs official would motion one of the van loads to move into the line. It appeared to be a very organized procedure. Before long, we had gone through and were back in the US. 15
Crossing to Tijuana 16
In Tijuana 17
Returning to the US 18
We spent the night in nearby Chula Vista, a city of nearly 250,000; almost 60 percent are Latino. I chatted with the manager of the Best Western where we are staying, and asked him about the border culture. He told me about the amazing number of people whose lives depend on crossing back and forth from Mexico to the US each day. I asked him how he felt about it. He believes that it is only right to become an American. It is not fair to work in the US or have one’s children in US schools but not live here and pay a fair share of taxes. He resents his children being in overcrowded classrooms when the parents who live across the border do not help to pay for more teachers or better schools. Jake and I had an early dinner at Karina’s Mexican Seafood on Main Street, where we were the only non-Latinos. We are quickly realizing that the issues of immigration are complex, and that we have a lot to learn as we make our way east.
19
Tuesday, September 30
to Tucson, Arizona
We followed Otay Lakes Road out of town, a desolate stretch of highway through the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge that connects with CA 94. We passed a covered mobile Border Patrol checkpoint that was armed with cameras and surveillance electronics. We turned off at CA 188 to see the small border crossing at Tecate. It was interesting to compare this sleepy little crossing with the chaos of Tijuana. A currency exchange, a bus stop, and a parking lot were just about all that were there.
20
21
After a few miles on I-8 we cleared the mountains and descended 3000 feet, following CA 98 through the Yuma Desert. We saw a number of Border Patrol vehicles, but otherwise there was little traffic. Blue emergency water containers, marked by tattered flags, dotted the desert. I got out to take a closer look at one, and read the posted label: EMERGENCY WATER: VANDALISM MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE. A Border Patrol saw us off to the side of the road and approached to see what we were doing. We asked her about the containers, and she told us that although they were set out by volunteers with good intentions, the water became so hot in the desert that it was undrinkable.
22
23
We asked her where we might see the barrier fence in this area, and she offered to lead us to a place where we could get close to it. We followed her vehicle down a dusty, unpaved road for a mile or so, stopping in front of a section of Normandy fencing: X-shaped barricades that were designed in WWII to impede vehicles. Officer A. told us that it was fine with her for us to go up to the fence. She pointed out a small building on the top of a nearby hill on the Mexican side, explaining that lookouts were up there, waiting for any breach in US surveillance. She said that once immigrants had crossed, they would usually just sit in front of the barrier and wait for the authorities to pick them up, rather than risk their lives trying to cross the desert. There were two such deaths only last week. Officer A. was forthcoming in telling us about herself, her job, and her thoughts about immigration. She has been with the Border Patrol since 1999, and has reached a supervisory level in spite of having only a high school education. She is the daughter of immigrants herself, and understands the people with whom she is in contact. In describing the area, she said that the land that had once been so heavily agricultural is giving way to fields of solar panels that bring energy to San Diego rather than doing anything for the local economy. Unemployment is among the highest in the country. In addition, the maquiladoras, factories that operate on the other side of the border on a duty free basis, contribute to economic and environmental problems. She told us that she is committed to the security of the United States and the wellbeing of those who try to come here. It is not an easy job, but she feels satisfaction that she is doing what she can. She herself crosses the border often to Mexico, seeing the dentist and going shopping, as well as visiting relatives. 24
25
Before leaving us, she told us about an area, ten miles down the road, where we could see landing mat fencing, named for the portable touchdown pads used by helicopters operating in Vietnam. Following her directions, we located a section of fence that we could get close to, across from an irrigation canal (with a sign indicating that it was “All-American�).
28
In Calexico, we saw another type of fence behind a large outlet mall. This section consisted of solid sheets of metal welded together. When this solid wall was erected as part of President Clinton’s Operation Gatekeeper, it caused outrage on both sides of the border. A bi-national organization of volunteers painted a twomile-long mural on the fence that depicted the ancient Olmec symbol of communication. The “friendship bracelet,� however, has not replaced the camaraderie once felt between kids on both sides of the border, who at one time were able to see, talk to, and tease each other through a chain-link fence that separated them during less complicated times. When I walked up close to take a picture, another Border Patrol officer drove up out of nowhere and asked us to back away.
At the border crossing at Calexico, we noted that it catered primarily to trucks. Large signs warned that transporting arms and ammunition was illegal; of course, the arming of Mexico is only half of an unsolvable problem of securing the border. The other half is the drugging of the United States. And as long as there is a market for either, there will be suppliers. 30
Calexico, California
Outside Yuma, we had to slow at a checkpoint as sniffer dogs checked for drugs. I am not sure how they would sense anything in a moving vehicle, but they did look daunting.
As we neared Tucson, we enjoyed the drive though Organ Pipe National Monument, the only place in the US where that species of cactus grows wild. This evening we are staying at the Peppertrees Bed and Breakfast in the historic heart of Tucson near the University of Arizona. It is an eccentric place. We have our own little cottage with a sitting room and porch. The kitchen has an old Tappan Range and a Northstar fridge from the 1950’s. I feel a little like Ethel Mertz here, but it is fun. After a cocktail on the porch, we walked down for an al fresco dinner at Pasco Kitchen, recommended by Jill McCormick, our innkeeper.
33
Wednesday, October 1
to Douglas, Arizona
We were served an amazing breakfast on the terrace this morning; the colorful arrangement was such a work of art that I should have taken a picture of it. We walked to the campus of the University of Arizona to see the Center for Creative Photography. The Center maintains a major collection of North America’s most important modern photographers, including Edward Weston, Walker Evans, and Ansel Adams. We saw the current exhibition, “Performance: Contemporary Photography from the Douglas Nielsen Collection.” Nielsen is a choreographer and professor at the University of Arizona School of Dance, and the images in this show reflect his eye for the form and movement of the human body.
34
35
We also visited the Arizona State Museum where we saw a collection of Indian images by controversial photographer Edward Curtis. We were impressed by the Museum’s stunning Southwestern American pottery collection, the largest in the world.
36
Southwest Native Pottery
37
By 11:00, we were heading south on I-19 towards the border town of Nogales. We passed another checkpoint set up northbound near Tubac, where we saw a long line of vehicles waiting to be inspected. I learned that this checkpoint has an X-ray truck, radio room, and detention cell. At Nogales, we made a U-turn at the border crossing, which is the point of entry for more than 75 percent of the winter fruits and vegetables shipped throughout the US and Canada. We drove up a steep hill to see the border fence from above. Here the fence is constructed of vertical steel rods 18 feet high. It is interesting to note that while all the activity is going on at the border crossing, the fence can be breached by a man with a rope in under a minute.
38
Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Mexico
Driving northeast, we visited historic Tombstone, best known for its famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Many of the original buildings still stand and although understandably touristy, it is an attractive town.
40
41
We continued southeast on AZ 80 to Bisbee, a lonely 25-mile drive that passes through the Mule Mountains. Founded as a copper, gold, and silver mining town in 1880, Bisbee is now a quirky artists’ colony, with narrow streets that wind up and down its hills, and murals decorating its buildings. A massive open pit copper mine, the Lavender Pit, lies just outside of town.
Bisbee, Arizona 42
43
Another 30 miles on AZ 80 brought us to the border town of Douglas, founded in 1905 to treat the copper mined in Bisbee. When we drove into town, the first thing we noticed was the wide main street. The second thing we saw was the five-story Gadsden Hotel, built in 1907 and catering to wealthy ranchers and miners. The building is exquisite, with a 40-foot Tiffany mural across the front of the lobby, a sweeping marble staircase, and gold-embellished marble columns. We enjoyed drinks in the adjacent Saddle and Spur Tavern and decided to stay and have dinner at the hotel. We agreed that it was probably the worst restaurant meal we have ever had. We decided not to stay there, and instead have a comfortable room at the Best Western.
44
Thursday, October 2 to El Paso, Texas Before leaving Douglas, we crossed for the second time into Mexico at Agua Prieta, a seemingly sleepy village that actually has a population of 80,000 and has had its share of violence within the last few months, primarily related to the drug cartel activity throughout the Mexican state of Sonora. We saw no evidence of security as we walked across the border. On both of our border crossings, we have encountered no checks or questions coming into Mexico. The steel post fences that we walked beside were impressive, however.
45
Agua Prieta, Mexico
47
Returning to the US, the process was almost as easy, except for a short wait because we requested that our passports be stamped. The only difference for us between going and coming was that our passports were scanned. It seemed to be an easy process for everyone. I noticed a number of women being dropped off who crossed to the US for work. I can imagine that their wages are far better across the border, and there may not be any problem of taxes.
We took AZ 80 north to Rodeo, New Mexico and then east on NM 9 though a vast open range. With few opportunities to refuel, we had to buy lower octane gas at a small station/general store in Animas.
49
We reached Columbus, New Mexico, a town best known for a series of dramatic events that transformed the US at the turn of the 19th century. Pancho Villa’s 1916 attack on the town was the last time that the Continental United States has been invaded by a foreign military force.
50
We turned south to the border crossing at Palomas. A prominent billboard advertised the services of the Baron Dental Clinic. I thought of our Border Patrol friend, Officer A., who told us that she goes to the dentist in Mexico because it is less expensive. But reading about the clinic later, I discovered that it had lost 50 percent of its business after seven people were gunned down in 2008 in this town of 8,000, providing another example of the ruthless power struggles between drug cartels in Mexican border towns. We encountered numerous trucks crossing to the US; a good number appeared to be carrying loads of onions. We learned that most of the drugs that come into the United States are transported in trucks that enter legally; it is impossible to check more than a small percentage of the cargo that enters the country.
51
As we neared El Paso, we turned off to take a look at the double-span Cordova Bridge, or Bridge of the Americas, one of the four bridges that connect El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, the world’s largest international border metroplex.
52
As soon as we got into town, we headed straight for the H&H Carwash and Café. Although the car was carefully hand washed, we were too late for a meal at the legendary café. After settling into our room at the Doubletree, we walked down to the El Camino Real, El Paso’s landmark hotel since 1912. Designed by Trost & Trost, it boasts a beautiful Tiffany glass dome in what is now the bar. We stopped for dinner at Anson Eleven in the recently renovated Mills Building, also designed by Trost & Trost. The city appears to be undergoing a major makeover, with evidence of construction everywhere.
El Paso, Texas 53
54
Friday, October 3
to Marfa, Texas Since we missed the chance to eat at H&H yesterday, we went there for breakfast this morning. I am so glad we did. The Friday Special was enchiladas, and they were fantastic: the flavors were just spicy enough, the tortillas had the right amount of “tooth,” and the onions added a light crunch. It was fun to sit at the original 1950s counter and watch the four Latino women move together in perfect choreography in the small space, taking orders, cooking, assembling, and washing up. Owner Maynard Haddad opened the café in 1958 with his father and two brothers. He runs things now, and has a gregarious personality that immediately makes one feel like a regular. He is also a no-nonsense kind of guy. When he told me his name, I mentioned a framed tribute to Maynard “Joey” Haddad that was part of a grouping on the wall by the booths. “Was he your brother?” I asked. “No, he was my son. He died four years ago,” answered Maynard. I said how sorry I was. His answer deserves to be recorded here. “Well,” he said, “I kept telling him that he needed to do something to take care of himself; that he was killing himself. And in the end, that is what he did. When the funeral home called me to tell me that he would not fit into a normal coffin and that I needed to get a larger one, I asked how much. They said, another 1500 Dollars. So I told them, he’s dead. Cut off his arms. So that is what they did.” 55
We drove along Scenic Drive to Murchison Park for a view of El Paso, with the boundary bridges and Ciudad Juarez off in the distance. In 2007, the four bridges connecting the two cities allowed almost 23 million crossings. There are more than 300 maquiladoras operating in Juarez as a result of this movement.
56
We followed US 180 east, ascending to Guadalupe National Park, the most remote of the US National Parks. Guadalupe Peak, at 8,749 feet, is the highest point in Texas. El Capitan was used as a landmark by people traveling the old Butterfield Overland Mail route. 57
By noon we were on TX 54 south to Van Horn, passing only one car in 55 miles. We continued to Fort Davis, a preserved fort dating from 1854 that was established to protect travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road. The town adjacent to the fort has some great old buildings.
Fort Davis National Historic Park 58
We had another lonely drive to the high desert town of Marfa, winding our way though the Chihuachuan Desert. When we got into town, we poked around Marfa’s main street, talking pictures and browsing in the Marfa Book Shop. We are staying at the Paisano Hotel, a Trost & Trost building that opened in 1930. The hotel is best known as the location headquarters for the cast and crew of the 1956 film Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. It is a funky place, with mismatched furniture and the air conditioning controls in the hallway. I guess we can duke it out with our neighbors later. We had dinner outside in the hotel courtyard. The jalapeno-infused margaritas were great, but our pistachio-encrusted chicken fried steak was a mess; we were grateful that our waiter had suggested that we share one order. It was fun to sit and watch the assortment of guests who filtered in and out; we tried to determine those who are local and those who were not. After dinner we stepped into an artist’s reception in the hotel ballroom. Reflection was a showing of paintings by Bonita Barlow. The artist enthusiastically waved us in to see her work. The centerpiece of the show was A Tribute to Boris that was made with oil, glass, gold leaf, and funerary ashes that glistened eerily under a spotlight. 59
60
Saturday, October 4
to Terlingua, Texas
Apparently Marfa likes to sleep late; we saw only morning joggers out on the road as we looked for a place that was open for breakfast. We had Mexican omelets at Mando’s about a mile out of town. US 67 took us south to Presidio, passing Donald Judd’s concrete boxes at the site of a former army post; it is one of the world’s largest permanent installations of minimalist art. It was Judd who put Marfa on the art-world map in the early 1980s. We approached the border crossing from Presidio to Ojinaga; it appeared to be a quiet crossing; the Mexican city has a population of nearly 23,000.
61
We followed Texas Farm Road 170 to Terlingua. National Geographic rates it as one of the most beautiful drives in the United States. The roller coaster road parallels the Rio Grande for much of the way; numerous rises and dips accommodate dry wash areas. We stopped for views of the surrounding mountains and a series of Hoodoos, their topknot rocks balancing precariously overhead. We passed the faux village of Crontabando Creek, used as a movie set for numerous Westerns, and the town of Lajitas with its luxury golf resort that has endured several rounds of bankruptcy. Little did we know at the time, but we also drove by the site of the killing of Esequiel Hernandez, an 18 year old goat herder—and US citizen—who was gunned down by a member of the US Marine Corps in 1997 near his home in Redford. We arrived at the old mining town of Terlingua in the early afternoon. The discovery of cinnabar (from which mercury is extracted) in the mid-1880s brought miners to the area who created a city of 2,000 people. Today, it is a ghost town.
63
We checked into La Posada Milagro, built on the ruins of those miners’ houses. Although we were not able to get one of the regular rooms, the owner, Mimi Webb Miller, put us up in the guesthouse that is part of her own quarters. We are staying in a small adobe building with a straw and timber roof. On the wall hangs a haunting work by Mexican-American artist Luis Jimenez. El Buen Pastor memorializes young Esequiel Hernandez by depicting him as a Christ figure. Our bathroom is comprised of various separate buildings that are up and down stone steps. Mimi greeted us like old friends and as she showed us around, she told is about herself. She lives part of the year here, and part in LA where she works as a casting director. At the moment, she works for the CDC on its anti-smoking campaign; work that she says is demanding and depressing. She finds rejuvenation in the beauty of the high desert. Mimi grew up in south Texas and has had quite a life, as she says, going with “some good boys, and bad boys too,” some of whom later became involved in the Mexican drug trade. She told us that the FBI had warned that her affiliation with some of these men made her a target for kidnapping, so she left western Texas for a few years. But her family on both sides of the border and her love for the area eventually brought her back, and she built her intriguing homestead on the ruins of the old mining buildings.
64
We took a late afternoon drive though Big Bend National Park, an area larger than Rhode Island that extends into two Mexican states. Big Bend combines the dramatic beauty of the desert, the mountains, and the Rio Grande. Our drive took us through the desert up into the Chisos Basin where 7,000-foot mountains towered above. We followed the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive down to the river and to an overlook of Santa Elena Canyon. We have made plans to raft the canyon tomorrow.
65
66
Back in Terlingua, we joined a friendly group of locals, visitors, and a wedding party on the porch of the Trading Company, where we sat on a well-worn wooden bench and sipped Los Muertos DOA IPA and waited for the sunset. A lively game of hacky-sack, a duel that involved giant flexible tube hula hoops and handicapped by beer, old men talking together, a guitar and tin can band, and a fashion show of West Tex formal wear were among the sights that we enjoyed. People were friendly and we felt at home in this gathering of locals and visitors. Just before sunset, I walked down to the old cemetery. The sun shone golden on graves marked with weathered crosses and outlined with uneven rocks. We stopped for dinner at High Sierra, a bar and grill by the highway, but the place was mobbed and we gave up and were about to drive away until the waitress tapped on the window and told us that our order was ready. Preparing for bed, we crept around the complex with our flashlights, trying to find the bathroom without falling down stairs that seemed to appear out of nowhere. 67
68
69
Sunday, October 5
to Marathon, Texas We set the alarm for six, and morning came early. Our sleep had been interrupted at 1:00 am by a sound that I thought was gunshots. I woke with a start, thinking of Mimi’s description of the Mexican cartels. But Jake realized immediately that it was the sound of fireworks concluding the wedding celebration that we had seen earlier. By 7:30 am we were on our way to Far Flung Outdoor Center where we loaded up for a daylong rafting trip on the Rio Grande, through the remarkable Santa Elena Canyon. It was nearing the end of the season but we were lucky to be able to do the trip, since the water level was still high enough. The outfitters took us by van to Lajitas, where we struggled though ankle-deep mud and got into the rafts. Our 20-mile trip on the river took us between the dramatic 1500-foot sandstone walls of the canyon. When we were not nearing a rapids, the haunting call of swallows echoing off the sides of the canyon was the only sound. We stopped for a picnic lunch on the Mexican side, and then went through Rock Slide, today a Class IV rapids. It is interesting that there is no need for the Border Patrol along this section of the border, since the terrain is far too rugged to make illicit activity lucrative. We were dirty and tired by the time the driver brought us back to the outfitters’ headquarters at 5:00. 71
72
Santa Elena Canyon
We left for Marathon, driving north by way of Alpine. We are staying at the Gage, a Trost-designed hotel built in 1927. The rooms are decorated with Indian blankets in high-cowboy style. We did not feel up to a full dinner at the award-winning 12 Gage Restaurant, but instead had margaritas and tacos in the White Buffalo Bar, selected by Texas Monthly as the best hotel bar in Texas. It was just what we needed after a long day of dust and sun.
76
Monday, October 6 to Laredo, Texas It felt great to sleep in and have time to wash my hair after yesterday’s trip on the river. Before getting out on those long, empty highways again, we gassed up. Today we left the High Mountain country, descending nearly 4,000 feet to the Pecos Trail region of Texas, from Marathon to Laredo.
77
The Pecos River
Trading cacti for palm trees, we followed US 90 through Sanderson and Langtry (home of legendary saloon-keeper and lawman Judge Roy Bean) to Del Rio. We stopped to talk to a Border Patrol officer whom we saw towing an airboat behind his vehicle. He confirmed what we had surmised at Big Bend: the area is so rugged that there is no additional security needed. Further south, however, the river becomes more accessible and must be patrolled, as criminals probe for weak points to smuggle drugs and illegal immigrants. Against this threat, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has organized a riverine force that adds a layer of protection from airboats and other vessels.
79
North of Del Rio, we passed the first of several checkpoints in the area, with sniffer dogs and cameras. At Lake Amistad Dam, we turned off to see the causeway bridge that connects Del Rio and Ciudad AcuĂąa, Coahuila, the fastest growing city in Mexico. There is second and larger crossing south of Del Rio, also leading to AcuĂąa. We saw more billboards advertising orthodontics and plastic surgery that are much cheaper south of the border. 80
We took US 277, hugging the border from Del Rio to Eagle Pass. We passed another CBP highway check before getting on US 83 to Laredo. There are three international bridges and a railway bridge connecting Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. Nuevo Laredo is the largest inland port in Mexico and is known for the turf wars in which drug cartels compete for control of the drug trade into United States. It is a lucrative corridor because of the large volume of trucks that pass through the area and the multiple exploitable ports of entry. We were interested to see the large number of unattached tractors heading south into Mexico and the corresponding number of tractor-trailer rigs heading north. One can well imagine the impossibility of checking all of these vehicles. This evening we are staying at La Posada, a hacienda-style hotel, parts of which date from 1916. It in the San Agustin de Laredo Historic District, which we found to be a depressing example of benign neglect. After strolling around the plaza and trying unsuccessfully to see the interior of the Gothic-Revival 1892 church, we retired to our room for cocktails followed by dinner at the hotel restaurant.
81
Laredo, Texas 82
Tuesday, October 7
to South Padre Island, Texas
Today was the first overcast morning we’ve had in days. Leaving Laredo, we passed a beautiful old residence; it must have once been amazing but is now boarded up, covered with vines, and in disrepair. One could only imagine the story that must go along with such a place.
83
We took US 83 south along the border to Roma, where we overlooked the suspension bridge that spans the crossing and marveled at the shallow (apparently) unguarded river just a few yards away. We drove through Roma’s historic area with its decrepit and evocative buildings. 84
Rio Grande River at Roma, Texas
86
Roma, Texas
87
Further south, Rio Grande City is at the heart of Border Patrol efforts to stem drug trafficking and smuggling. The Rio Grande Valley is much wetter than the arid west, due to the moisture-laden winds off the Gulf of Mexico. This environment, though uncomfortable, is perfect for farming, and we saw green fields of melons and orchards of citrus, along with crews of laborers working them. Side roads appeared to trail off near the river, where the water seemed shallow and slow moving; we wondered what would prevent someone from just wading across and getting lost in the crowds in the border towns.
88
As we neared La Joya, we noticed a group of unmarked cars driving slowly; they appeared to be goading another car to pass them. When it did, they flashed blue lights and pulled the vehicle over. The road was swarming with state troopers who were posted at virtually every turnoff. Near Mission, I looked up and saw a balloon hovering over the border area. These aerostats, as they are called, carry a payload of high-tech cameras and surveillance equipment. The Border Patrol has been using them in this highly active area for a couple of years, after their proven success in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the more than 26 official border crossings in Texas, ten of them are between Roma and Brownsville, a distance of about 112 miles. However, there appears to be an unlimited number of unofficial ways to cross.
89
At Donna, we turned south to US 281 and continued east to the crossing at Progreso, where we were fascinated by the number of lurid billboards advertising everything from breast implants to gall bladder removal at bargain rates.
90
We reached Brownsville in the early afternoon and negotiated a series of oneway streets that were in direct opposition to the driving tour map provided by the Historical Association. Most buildings dated from 1848, and although most were in a state of disrepair, they did exude a faded beauty. The jewel of the area, however, is the Historic Brownsville Museum, located within the former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, built in 1928. The building is a magnificent example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and has been impeccably restored. We also visited the old city cemetery, consecrated in 1850.
91
92
We thought our trip along the border was nearing a close as we drove out on TX 4 to Boca Chica, where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf. However, by the time we got to the beach, the tide was coming in fast. We started driving along the sand toward the river, passing flocks of plovers and an occasional egret. But the tide finally sent us back, as waves started splashing on the sides of the car. The conclusion of our border journey was not to be today. Backtracking to the road to South Padre Island, we drove through Port Isabel, pausing to see its lighthouse, and continuing over the causeway. This evening we are staying at a Hilton Gardens, one of the countless hotels that line this narrow stretch of land. It is obviously the off-season, and the streets were empty. We had fish tacos at Pier 19, with a gulf view and excellent margarita martinis.
Wednesday, October 8
Boca Chica, Texas
After checking the tide chart, we set the alarm and were on our way back to Boca Chica by 7:30. Returning through South Padre Island, we commented that the place is totally lacking in charm. Giant emporia decorated with fading paint and plaster sharks sold tee shirts and cheap beach gear (“Nothing over $6!”). A depressing number of retail establishments were for sale. By 8:30 we were at the end of the road at Boca Chica Beach. The tide was indeed out, so we were able to drive the three miles along the sand to the mouth of the Rio Grande where the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. We could see the current of the river running into the waves of the Gulf. A lighthouse across the water marked the Mexican side; I saw pelicans and avocets on a sandbar that appeared to be a dividing line. We learned from the Border Patrol agent on our way back that this sand bar had, at one time, built up enough silt to become a natural bridge. A few fishermen were out, as they had been yesterday evening; otherwise, we were the only ones around. There seemed to be no border protection here, but was it necessary? One thing that we have determined from the 2,296 miles we have driven along the border is the impossibility of making it totally secure. The Border Patrol does its job well: surveillance is critical and intelligence is crucial. But there is no way that a 1,954-mile wall can be built that will keep out those who intend to breach it. Looking out as the waters merged and the birds sailed gracefully overhead, I wished that this peaceful scene could be representative of the entire border.
The Rio Grande meets the Gulf of Mexico …
95
Itinerary Sunday
28
Breakfast: Hampton Inn and Suites Route: Pacific Ave. and Lincoln Blvd. to CA 1; CA 1 and Del Obispo St. to San Juan Capistrano. Sites: Venice Beach; Marina del Rey; Port of Los Angeles: USS Iowa; Long Beach: RMS Queen Mary; Huntington Beach; Newport Beach; San Juan Capistrano: Los Rios District. Dinner: El Adobe de Capistrano Best Western Capistrano Inn: Room 311 27174 Ortega Highway SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA
Monday
29
232 miles
Breakfast: Best Western Capistrano Inn Route: I-5 from Exit 82 to Exit 28; Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla Blvd. and Grand Ave. to I-5 Exit 26; I-5 to Exit 15 (San Diego); CA 75 to I-5 Exit 5; I-5 to Exit 3 (Imperial Beach); Tocayo Ave. and Hollister St. to Border Field State Park; Monument Rd. to I-5 Exit 2; I-5 to Exit 1 (San Ysidro Port of Entry); I-805 from Exit 1 to CA 905; CA 905 and CA 125 to Chula Vista. Sites: San Juan Capistrano: Mission San Juan Capistrano; La Jolla; San Diego: Balboa Park, Gaslamp Quarter; Coronado: Hotel del Coronado; Border Field State Park: Imperial Beach, international border fence; San Ysidro Port of Entry: border crossing facility to Tijuana; entry into Tijuana, Mexico; Chula Vista. Dinner: Karina’s Mexican Seafood Best Western Plus Otay Valley: Room 242 4450 Main Street
CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA Tuesday
30
122 miles
Breakfast: Best Western Plus Route: Telegraph Canyon Rd. and Otay Lakes Rd. to CA 94; CA 94 to I-8 Exit 73; I-8 to Exit 89; CA 98 to I-8 Exit 143; I-8 to AZ Exit 257 (Tucson). Sites: San Diego National Wildlife Refuge; Tecate: border crossing facility to Tecate, Mexico; Calexico: border crossing facility to Mexicali; Yuma Desert: Normandy Barrier, Barrier Fence, All American Canal; Organ Pipe National Monument; Tucson. Dinner: Pasco Kitchen & Lounge
OCTOBER Wednesday
1
Breakfast: Peppertrees B & B Inn Route: I-8 from Exit 257 to I-19 Exit 101; I-19 to Exit 1 (Nogales); AZ 82 and AZ 80 to Tombstone; AZ 80 to Bisbee and to Douglas. Sites: University of Arizona campus: Center For Creative Photography, Arizona State Museum; Nogales: border crossing facility for Hermosillo; Tombstone: O.K. Corral, Historic Downtown: Bisbee: Historic Downtown, Lavender Pit; Douglas: Gadsden Hotel: Tiffany-style Skylight. Drinks: Saddle and Spur Tavern, Gadsden Hotel Dinner: El Conquistador Dining Room, Gadsden Hotel Best Western Douglas Inn and Suites: Room 221 199 East 7th Street DOUGLAS, ARIZONA
196 miles
Thursday
2
Breakfast: Best Western Douglas Inn Route: AZ 80 and NM 9 to Columbus and to I-10 TX Exit 8; I-10 to Exit 19 Sites: Douglas: border crossing facility to Agua Prieto; entry into Agua Prieto, Mexico; Chihuachuan Desert; Columbus: border crossing facility to Palomas, Pancho Villa Raid monument; El Paso: border crossing facility to Ciudad Juarez, El Camino Hotel: Dome Bar, Mills Building. Activities: H & H Car Wash and Café: car wash Drinks: Dome Bar, Camino Real Hotel Dinner: Anson Eleven DoubleTree by Hilton El Paso Downtown: Room 1606 600 North El Paso Street EL PASO, TEXAS
Friday
3
252 miles
Breakfast: H & H Car Wash and Cafe Route: US 180 to Guadalupe NP; TX 54 to I-10 Exit 140 (Van Horn); I-10 to Exit 176 (Kent); TX 118 to Fort Davis; TX 17 to Marfa. Sites: El Paso: Murchison Park Scenic Drive; Guadalupe National Park: Visitor Center; Van Horn; Kent; Davis Mountain Scenic Drive; McDonald Observatory; Fort Davis National Historic Site: Visitor Center and Museum; Fort Davis: Fort Davis State Bank, Limpia Hotel; Marfa: Chinati Foundation; Marfa Book Company, Presidio County Courthouse. Hotel Paisano. Dinner: Jett’s Grill, Hotel Paisano Hotel Paisano: Room 255 207 North Highland Avenue MARFA, TEXAS
Saturday
4
301 miles
Breakfast: Mando’s Restaurant Route:US 67 to Presidio; TX 170 to Study Butte; TX 118 to Big Bend NP and return; TX 170 to Terlingua Ghost Town. Sites: Marfa: Fort D. A. Russell: Donald Judd Markers of Marfa; Presidio: border crossing facility to Ojinaga; El Camino del Rio (Presidio to Lajitas); Big Bend Ranch State Park; Redford; Lajitas; Big Bend
National
Park: Chisos Basin, Visitor Center, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Castolon, Santa Elena Canyon Overlook; Terlingua Ghost Town: Terlingua Trading Company, Starlight Theater, cemetery. Drinks: Terlingua Trading Company porch Dinner: High Sierra Bar & Grill, El Dorado Hotel La Posada Milagro: Owner’s Guesthouse 100 Milagro Road TERLINGUA GHOST TOWN, TEXAS
Sunday
5
252 miles
Route: TX 170 to Study Butte; TX 118 to Alpine; TX 90 to Marathon. Sites: Lajitas; Rio Grande River; Big Bend National Park: Santa Elena Canyon; Alpine; Marathon: Gage Hotel. Activities: Far Flung Outdoor Center: Santa Elena Canyon raft trip: Lajitas to ramp downstream of Terlingua Creek, Rock Slide Rapids (Class IV). Dinner: White Buffalo Bar, Gage Hotel Gage Hotel: Room 5 102 NW 1st Street MARATHON, TEXAS
123 miles
Monday
6
Route: US 90 to Del Rio; US 277 to Carrizo Springs; US 83 to Laredo. Sites: Marathon; Pecos Trail; Sanderson; Langtry; Lake Amistad Dam; Del Rio: border crossing facility to Ciudad Acuna; Eagle Pass; Laredo: St Agustin de Laredo Historic District, border crossing facility to Nuevo Laredo, La Posada Hotel. Dinner: Zaragoza Grill, La Posada Hotel La Posada Hotel: Room 133 1000 Zaragoza Street LAREDO, TEXAS
Tuesday
7
362 miles
Breakfast: Taco Palenque Route: US 83 to McAllen; TX 115 and US 281 to Brownsville; TX 4 to Boca Chica; TX 48 to South Padre Island. Sites: Roma: border crossing facility to Ciudad Miguel Aleman, Historic District; Rio Grande City; La Joya; Mission; McAllen: border crossing facility to Reynosa; Donna; Progreso: border crossing facility to Nuevo Progreso; Brownsville: border crossing facility to Matamoros, Historic Brownsville Museum (former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot), Historic District, Old City Cemetery; Boca Chica State Park: Boca Chica beach (high tide: three miles round trip south); Port Isabel: lighthouse; South Padre Island. Dinner: Pier 19 Restaurant and Bar Hilton Garden Inn: Room 208 7010 Padre Boulevard SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS
Wednesday
8
303 miles
Breakfast: Hilton Garden Inn Route: TX 48 and TX 4 to Boca Chica Sites: Boca Chica State Park: Boca Chica beach (low tide: five miles round trip south), mouth of Rio Grande River
MEXICAN BORDER MILEAGE (OCEAN TO GULF): 2,296
98
99
Journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip following the Mexican Border from the Pacific to the Gulf from September 28 - October 8, 2014. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2014.
100