|
|
‹ Swimming
to Mexico, Part III
FORT CLARK SPRINGS
Fort Clark is a
former Cavalry Post, which has been turned into a private resort,
owned by its members. Berms have been added to the old parade ground,
which is now a golf course, but the main attraction continues to be
the spacious spring-fed pool. (Las Moras Springs). Rooms are
available at the 38-room hotel which was formerly a barracks. Guests
are allowed the use of the pool for the length of their stay. Rates
are comparable to hotels in Del Rio and Uvalde. The pool is not comparable
to pools in Del
Rio or Uvalde.
When you go, just remember that the pool closes Thursdays for cleaning.
A museum and many well preserved buildings make it easy to imagine
life here in the 1860s. The Post Theater remains as it was in 1946,
the year the Post was decommissioned. |
The pool at Fort
Clark (Las Moras Springs)
TE photo |
BRACKETTVILLE
is named after Oscar Brackett who was a sutler to the Fort. This is
the county seat of Kinney
County and the 1910 beaux-arts Courthouse
will be seen at the intersection of James and Ann streets.
ALAMO VILLAGE -
Now Closed.
If you follow the signs north on Hwy 674 you’ll find Alamo Village,
the movie set built for the 1959 John Wayne movie.
In addition to the Alamo replica (which most tourists prefer to the
real item), there’s a complete western town circa 1880s on one side
and a Mexican village on the other. Lonesome Dove was one of the more
recent productions filmed here. This is the largest movie set built
outside of Hollywood.
As you leave town, follow the signs to the Seminole Scout Cemetery,
just west of town on 90, then south on 693. Continue west on 90 to
Del Rio.
Del
Rio Hotels > Book Hotel Here |
SAN FELIPE
SPRINGS
DEL RIO
Besides Ciudad Acuna, Del
Rio will be the last city on this particular tour. As you enter
Del Rio you’ll
notice a golf course on your right. The road through the course is
San Felipe Springs Road and will take you to the source of San
Felipe Creek. The springs release 90 million gallons of pure water
daily eventually reaching the Gulf of Mexico via the Rio Grande.
Moore City Park with its stone banks offers a safe and shallow
place for kids to play in San Felipe Creek.
The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce is at 1915 Avenue F. 830-775-3551.
Check with them for walking and driving tours of Del
Rio, and information on crossing the border to Ciudad Acuna.
The bridge to Acuna is nearly 3 miles from Del
Rio, but all day parking is available at reasonable rates on the
U.S. side.
Del Rio Hotels
> Book Hotel Here |
LAKE AMISTAD
CIUDAD ACUNA
has a population of nearly 120,000 but is surprisingly clean and tranquil
compared to other border towns. The Dam at Lake Amistad
is a good photo opportunity for the magnificent twin eagle statues
(fraternal not identical). If one is there at dusk, a flag lowering
ceremony takes place on the Mexican side with the Mexican national
anthem provided by a tape on a cassette recorder.
The big attraction of course is Lake Amistad. With 1000 miles of shoreline
and 65,000 acres, this is one lake in Texas (and Mexico) that is not
over-fished. Besides fishing, Lake Amistad offers swimming, boating
and even scuba diving. Managed by the National Park Service, the headquarters
is on Hwy 90 just west of the city limits. The U.S. side has 3 marinas
with one reserved for Air Force personnel. The Mexican side has a
marina and a Mexican fishing license is required if you fish that
side, but it is sold at the U.S. marinas as well.
Every October the two cities have a month long Celebration of Friendship,
with races, beauty pageants and all sorts of festivities, which proves
that U.S.– Mexican relations would fare better without politicians.
Del Rio Hotels
> Book Here |
For The Adventurous:
DEVIL’S RIVER
From Del Rio take Hwy 277 north for about 40 miles to Loma
Alta. Continue north for three and a half miles, left
on Dolan Creek Road for 22 miles. The Devil’s
River State Natural Area has a 12-mile hiking trail. Here the
springs feed the river which empties into Lake Amistad. The Devil’s
River would be river # 10 but due to its remoteness we only mention
it briefly.
Texas' least-known Lover's
Leap is a cliff on the Devil's River... more
Del Rio Hotels
> Book Here
We hope you’ve enjoyed traveling with us and look forward to serving
you in the future. Please remain in your car until it comes to a complete
stop. Look for next July’s feature "Swimming back from Mexico".
"Now, go take on the road." |
GETTING THERE
FROM DALLAS:
For our Dallas
/ Ft. Worth
readers:
If swimming to Mexico doesn’t fit your schedule, get out your compass
and draw a 50-mile radius on your map, using Arlington
as a center. See all those lakes? You can explore on your own or wait
for next summer’s "Swimming around in Circles" article.
In addition to all these lakes, the Brazos and Paluxy Rivers
provide excellent tubing and canoeing.
The two rivers converge just south of Glen
Rose in Somervell
County, a charming county seat that hosts both the Comanche
Peak Nuclear Power Plant (Tours Mon. – Sat. 9-4) and Dinosaur
Valley State Park (254-897-4588). Split atoms and dinosaurs is
a combination second only to alcohol and firearms, as far as we're
concerned.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
Dinosaur footprints are visible in the rock, under the water.
Glen Rose Chamber of Commerce: 254-897-2286.
To pick up the Swimming
to Mexico trail, go south on I-35 to San Marcos and Aquarena
Springs.
Book Hotel Here
Dallas
Hotels | Glen
Rose Hotels | More
Hotels |
SWIMMING
TO MEXICO
Introduction
SWIMMING
TO MEXICO - Part I
Water: McKinney Falls, Aquarena Springs, San Marcos, Blanco
and Pedernales Rivers
Parks: Blanco State Park, Pedernales Falls State Park
Towns: San Marcos, Wimberley and Blanco
SWIMMING
TO MEXICO - Part II
Water: Guadalupe River
Parks: Guadalupe River State Park, Kerrville-Schreiner State
Park
Towns: Boerne, Comfort, Center Point and Kerrville
SWIMMING
TO MEXICO - Part III
Water: Medina, Sabinal, Nueces and Leona Rivers and Rio Frio
Parks: Lost Maples State Park, Garner State Park
Towns:Medina, Vanderpool, Utopia, Concan and Uvalde
SWIMMING
TO MEXICO - Part IV
Water: Fort
Clark and San Felipe Springs, Lake Amistad and Devil’s River
Parks: Devil’s River State Natural Area
Towns: Brackettville, Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna
Getting There from Dallas: Paluxy River, Dinosaur Valley State
Park
Rivers Included in This
Trip
Their Lengths, Sources, and Termination Points
See
Mexico
|
|
|
HOME
