The Swiss Alps of Texas...

Good morning, Kalo Pascha and Kali Anastasi!

(Happy Greek Easter!!)

On Wednesday we went on our tour of the "Swiss Alps of Texas", which included driving through Bandera, "The Cowboy Capital of the World" and Medina, "The Apple Capital of the World". What a gorgeous ride!! Here are some highlights and important facts I learned.

Texas doesn’t do scenic drives as well as New Hampshire…

In the nearly 100 miles we drove round trip – there was not a single “Scenic Vista”! That may seem like, “whatever, those things are a pain anyway” to you, but growing up in NH with the White Mountains just a quick trip away, Mike and I both grew up riding in the back seat of the family car, being dragged out of our comic books (or whatever we were enjoying back there) on the regular to get out and pose for a family pic at one of the many scenic vistas throughout the White Mountain National Park… Cathedral Ledge, The Flume, The Old Man of the Mountain (Yes, he really did used to exist and we went to see him annually…). It is part of our history, our genetic make-up even, that we intended to torment our teenager with as well. But alas… that was not to be.

In Texas, where the speed limit on a normal road (like Rt 108 in Somersworth/Rochester… or 202 in Lebanon THROUGH Sanford and all the way to Biddeford) is 70 mph, you don’t get to stop and appreciate what is around you without the “scenic vista” pull off. The driver of the vehicle is so intent on keeping the car on the road and not being run down by a cattle rancher, they don’t get to see much of the Swiss Alps of Texas. That was a disappointment. I had my selfie stick ready and everything.

Take your sports car on this ride if you can, it’ll be worth it…

I mentioned the typical Texas speed limit is 70 mph, right? Well, the trek through the “Alps” is a twisty, curvy, up and down rollercoaster ride. You can judge the intensity of the curve ahead by the speed limit “suggestion” you see as you approach. First the signs indicated 55 mph on the curves, and there were yellow arrow signs as you took the turn (Mike kept it as close to 70 as he could manage, in the beginning anyway, probably imagining he was in Eleanor, his 1985 Corvette, that sadly is not with us on this trip…).

A bit later, the speed suggestion drops to 50 mph, then 40 mph, and then eventually, when you get to the heart of the “Alps” there are places where the speed limit is 35 mph on a turn, with flashing yellow arrow signs on the turn. The Escalade handled well, but it was nothing like the “dig into your seat and go” that Eleanor has. It didn’t feel like the Escalade was holding on tight to the pavement like Eleanor would have. That would have been a great ride to take in Eleanor!

Speed “Suggestions” in Texas are not just suggestions…

When you see a yellow sign here that says “55mph” under a curvy road image – it’s not really a suggestion. It’s not “Live Free or Die” and it’s not “Vacationland” here in Texas. Apparently, that speed reduction is law and you can be charged with speeding if you are caught not in compliance. (Luckily, we were not caught). The speed reduction is also not there for no reason. In our tour of the “Alps” we found that often the curves included steep grades into and out of the turn. Some turns were enclosed by the ledge of the mountain itself, where the Texans blasted through the “Alp” to put the road in. Those were some of my favorite (aka terrifying) moments. Again, I think our speed was above the suggestion, but you’d have to ask Mike.

Some thoughts on Texas ranches and their animals…

On our trip, as we zoomed by at 70 mph, we saw ranches with longhorn cattle, regular cattle, donkeys, goats, and horses. There were also a few odd balls along the way… One ranch had herds of deer being held in its pastures, another had zebras grazing, and Callie even saw a real live buffalo! (On our way to our campground two weeks ago, we also saw a ranch full of camels.) So, if your dream is to own a farm or ranch, and you are partial to zoo animals – it appears Texas is the state for you!

The ranches themselves went from simple and “small” to massive and ornate. You could tell that the gate to the ranch was the rancher’s pride and joy. Some had their ranch name carved into a simple wood sign, surrounded by a fence made of debarked tree trunks. Others were cut out of sheet metal with ornate designs cut in around the name and simple metal fencing surrounding their land. Others went on for miles and miles, with a main gate elaborately decorated with gold and anchored by statues of lions. You can drive along the road and see the same gate design eight to fifteen times at each mile mark, each labeled with a gate number. Massive ranches. And beautiful, from the landscaping around their main home to the mountain views surrounding their homesteads. Just breathtaking. My snap shots from the car don’t do anything justice.

The actual Swiss Alps of Texas...

Another point where New Hampshire does the scenic drive better – there were no signs to indicate we were entering the “Alps” region, that we had reached the pinnacle of the trip, or that we were exiting the “Alps”. We did get very high at one point and were on a straightaway where I saw glimpses of the canyons below. However, the trees along the highway’s edge blocked the view, which I imagine was stunning. New Hampshire never would have allowed a stunning view to be blocked by trees!

The mountains in general here in Texas are more like giant mounds with trees covering them. There are no snowy or rocky peaks to these mountains. They don’t extend into the clouds. They are more like giant hills. Even at the peak of the ride, where we knew we were on the top, the only ledge we really saw was when they cut through to insert the road. There are a few spots where there is a ledge covering the side of the mountain, and it’s definitely all worth seeing, but we didn’t really feel like we were in the “mountains”. However, our preconceived notion that Texas was flat and desert-like was definitely proved wrong.

All in all, the ride was fantastic, the views were stunning, and we came home feeling refreshed.

Today is Greek Easter, as I mentioned above, so I am preparing one of Mike’s family recipes handed down to me by his sister Melanie… Lamb Pilafe. It’s my first time cooking it and will only be the second time (leftovers not included) I’ve eaten it, so fingers crossed!

I hope you all are doing well, staying healthy, and washing your hands 😊 Until next time…

Val