JoDo Chasing Rainbows
Exploring the US and Canada from our RV
We are on the move, back to Yellowstone
We are excited to be on our way back to Yellowstone. Thus far our trip has been exciting. The trip did not start off as planned. Our first stop was Seminole Canyon State Park which is located a few hours from our home base in Hondo, TX. We decided to stop here so that we could spend a few days off the grid and decompress before heading to New Mexico. Our drive was uneventful (which is good) but while setting up our drivers side slide I heard a loud noise and the slide refused to move. Donna was yelling from outside. I was able to bring the slide half way in. We could tell that one side of the slide topper was bent. We got out the ladder and up I went to see if I could fix it. I realized that there was nothing that I could do. Donna then decided to go to the Welcome Center to see if she could use their phone to call for a mobile RV tech. She could not get a hold of any of the techs via phone. We then decide to drive back toward Del Rio so that we could use our cell phone. At this point I am regretting my off the grid, no cell phone coverage peace in the desert. We finally get a hold of a RV tech. Del Tex RV & Auto Repair stated they could come out the next morning. We had a two night reservation so that worked for us. They come out and take off the topper. Now we extend the entire slide. They went off to research how long it would take to get a new topper. We still had another day at this location so we decided to enjoy the park. We hiked part of the rim trial. During this time we could get a text through. We decided to move closer to Del Rio where we could get coverage. Thanks to the staff at Southwinds Marina (part of Lackland Air Force Base) we got a spot that we could stay in until April 26. This gave us the opportunity to plan.
Seminole Canyon State Park – Rim Trail Hike
Del Tex was doing their research but we also started researching what we could do to expedite this repair. We have Carefree Slide Toppers. The company is based in Colorado. That is when a light bulb went off over our heads. We were going to Colorado after New Mexico to visit my sister. Transwest Truck Trailer RV in Fountain, CO is an authorized Winnebago service center. We spoke with Patrick in parts. He was able to get our parts ordered and we worked with the service department to get an appointment.
On Left – what slide should look like On Right – Slide without the topper
No matter where we were it was going to take 10 days for the parts to be delivered. It was better for us to be in the place where we wanted to be. My sister lives in this town so we got to spend extra time with her. We knew we would feel more comfortable getting closer to our job then sitting around in Texas so we paid Del Tex bill and beat feet for Colorado. This means we cut out visiting Carlsbad Caverns. We went up straight through the panhandle of Texas.
Big Spring Texas – State and City Park
It seemed like forever but after 769.2 miles we made it to New Mexico. That’s when altitude sickness hit us both. We spent one night in Raton, NM. We were both so nauseous that we switched driving 3 times for the 142 miles it took to get to Fountain, CO. We stayed at a KOA which was less than 3 miles to where the RV was going to be serviced and about 5 miles from my sisters house. We also were near Fort Carson which has my favorite commissary in Colorado.
Our original plan was to stay at the Air Force Academy Famcamp (Peregrine Pines). We kept that reservation. Luckily, we got our appointment at Transwest on the day we left KOA to move to Peregrine Pines. My sister let me bring my cat to her house while Donna stayed with the RV. A few hours later we are as good as new and were able to check in to our spot at Peregrine Pines. We are having a great time in the area. We have had all types of weather – one day shorts, next cloudy, next day snow, then warm weather and cold nights. You never know that the day will bring.
Judge Roy Bean and Langtry, TX
Langtry, Texas is a small community located in the western part of the state, near the border with Mexico. If you are a fan of Westerns you have probably heard about this town and antics of Judge Roy Bean. In this post, we will explore some of the facts and fictions surrounding Judge Roy Bean and his connection to Lantry, Texas.
Fact: Langtry, Texas, was a stop on the railroad.
Langtry, Texas, was founded in the late 1800s as a stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The railroad brought new settlers and commerce to the area, and Lantry quickly became a hub for the surrounding ranches and farms. You can still see the impact the railroad had on this area. Old train lines and unused tunnels dot this region. It felt like we had stepped back into the old West. I felt like I should have been riding a horse instead of driving a car. There is a lot of history of the Chinese workers who labored on this part the the railroad expansion. There are some great photos in the museum.
Judge Roy Bean was not a native Texan. He was born in Kentucky. His family moved to Louisiana and it seems after some trouble he moved to Texas. He fought with the Confederates during the Civil War. By the late 1800s, he had already established his own “court” in nearby Langtry, saw an opportunity to expand his influence in the region and moved to Langtry.
Fiction: Judge Roy Bean was the “Law West of the Pecos.”
Judge Roy Bean is often portrayed as a wild and lawless judge who dispensed justice with a six-shooter. However, the reality is somewhat different. While Bean did indeed operate a “court” in Langtry, his jurisdiction was limited, and his legal authority was often questionable. Bean was known for dispensing his own brand of justice, which often included hefty fines and public humiliation, but he was not the sole authority in the region. The docent told us that he never actually hanged anyone. Since he would have to wait for a judge to come from San Antonio that he would chain the prisoner to a tree (loosely) and that person would disappear by morning.
Fact: Judge Roy Bean was a colorful character.
Judge Roy Bean was a larger-than-life figure who captured the imaginations of people across the country. He was known for his flamboyant personality, his colorful language, and his love of alcohol. Bean was also a shrewd businessman, and he capitalized on his notoriety by selling souvenirs and promoting his own brand of “justice.” Bean’s court was a popular tourist attraction, and he often held public trials to entertain visitors. Those public trials were held in his bar where the defendant might have to buy everyone in the bar a round of drinks as part of their sentence.
Fiction: Judge Roy Bean was a hero of the Old West.
He was not a lawman, and he did not fight for justice in the traditional sense. Bean was a showman who capitalized on his notoriety to make a living. While he was certainly a memorable figure, his legacy is more complicated than the simple hero/villain dichotomy often portrayed in popular culture. He seemed to have an eye for the Senoritas. It is rumored that he got himself into trouble more than once with the ladies across the border.
Fact: His love for Lillie Langtry. Fiction: The town is named after her.
Bean had a love for the singer Lillie Langtry. He wrote her letters stating that he name the town after her. It seems that the town probably got its name for one of the railroad executives whose last name but Langtry. She was moved by his letters but by time she came to Langtry the old Judge was dead. She was presented flowers by a young girl in town but she did not disembark.
Langtry, Texas, is still a small community with a rich history, including the legendary figure of Judge Roy Bean. While Bean is often portrayed as a wild and lawless judge, the reality is somewhat different. Bean was a Justice of the Peace. Everything else he created to make money. Nevertheless, Judge Roy Bean remains a colorful and memorable figure in the history of the Old West, and his connection to Langtry, Texas, is an important part of the town’s heritage.
