A planned day trip in SW Texas (also posted to FB Extra-Miler)

[brianreynolds]

Planning a day trip to pick up some SW Texas counties tomorrow. Houston to San Antonio by the obvious route, then I-35 SW through a small corner of Atascosa and a bigger corner of Frio into Medina County, then US-57 west to TX- (Farm? Ranch?) 140. WNW through a corner of Zavala and into Uvalde at the town of the same name. WSW on (Farm? Ranch?) 481 through another corner of Zavala into Maverick County. US-57 again into Eagle Pass.

US-277 north through Kinney County into Val Verde. To US-377 north of Del Rio, then east on US-377 and TX-41 through Edwards and Real counties to US-83. North on US-83 to I-10 in Kimble County. East on I-10 through Kerr, a corner of Gillespie, then back into Kerr to TX-16. South on TX-16 (and TX-173?) through Bandera to TX-46. TX-46 into Kendall back to I-10 at Boerne. I-10 (or some combination) back to Houston. 13-1/2± hours of travel according to Google.

Questions for anyone who might know. Is there a short-cut from US-57 to US-277 that bypasses Eagle Pass? From Kerrville to Bandera TX-173 appears to be shorter. Is TX-16 better? From Bourne to I-10 east of San Antonio, it seems to be shorter via TX-46. Is it a better alternative? Does the answer to that depend on the time of day?

Fourteen new Texas counties, if it goes as planned.

[SquonkHunter]

Kerrville to Bandera via TX 173 is the most direct route BUT via TX16 is the scenic route with twisting hairpin turns and switchbacks galore. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart!   

[brianreynolds]

Well, the trip went almost exactly as planned.  On the road North of Houston at 3 AM, early daylight on I-35 SW of San Antonio.

US-57 seemed very odd to me, signed North and South.  I just dropped in on Robert Droz's webiite for some background.  When viewed as a part of a much longer highway with MX-57 it makes sense.

Border Patrol is very conspicuous.  Approaching Eagle Pass, I was the only vehicle for a very long stretch, then very suddenly I had a Border Patrol car appear behind me out of nowhere.  He seemed to be intensely interested in me for about 5 minutes, then passed me.

Interesting wildlife.  Lots of birds.  Saw hawks, roadrunners.  A bird I could not identify, about the size of a hawk, behaves like a hawk sitting atop fence posts, but has notable red markings around the head or neck.  Saw five or six javalinas in the ditch on the roadside, digging (presumably for food), not at all concerned about the nearby traffic. 

Got a brief glimpse of a very large deer, big antlers.  I am most familiar with the white-tail deer in Michigan.  This one looked like a white-tail on steroids, bigger, more muscular.  It certainly was not a mule deer. 

The new loop road by-pass of Del Rio does not show up on my GPS.

I know that US-50 seems to have a trademark for the "Lonliest Road" (yes, I've been there), but US-377 couldah been a contendah.

I enjoyed a short stretch of I-10 posted at 80 MPH.  Most of Texas (there are exceptions) is quite rational about speed limits.

Acting on advice, I took TX-16 from Kerrville through Bandera.  I had high expectations, was not disappointed.  Fun road, beautiful scenery.  I want to return here in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom.

Dodged a big traffic mess in to loop freeway North of San Antonio.  The ramp was backed up out onto I-10.  I stayed on I-10 through town, did better than I expected at 4 :30 PM.

(Also posted to FB Extra Miler page)

[US81]

Wonder if that was a turkey vulture, also called a turkey buzzard.

Wildflower season can be gorgeous in the hill country, definitely worth a return visit.

Sounds like a sweet trip.