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High Plains Drifter

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Posts posted by High Plains Drifter

  1. 17 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

    Looking at taking the family for a short trip in June. Wife and 3 daughters between 14-8. We are thinking of traveling in on a Thursday morning and spending Thursday afternoon and Friday at the park with an AIRBNB in Terilingua. Saturday morning heading over to Alpine and Ft. Davis (lodging suggestions?) with the Star Party that evening. Heading home Sunday after lunch. 

    Only have a short window so nothing too long. Thoughts? What parts of the park should we see during our window? Having younger girls we are thinking easier hikes. Appreciate any feedback y'all can give. Wife wants to see Santa Elena Canyon for sure.

    Also, any experience carrying a handgun in the park? I’m planning to take a pistol given the remote nature of parts of the trip but not sure about inside the park.

     

    Nice short hike to the mouth of Boquillas Canyon: 

    https://www.nps.gov/places/boquillas-canyon-trail.htm

     

    Slightly longer hike along Santa Elena Canyon: 

    https://www.nps.gov/places/santa-elena-canyon-trail.htm

     

    Cattail falls trail, slightly longer, but not too bad. If the falls are running (doubtful, but possible), you can wade in the water at the end of the trail: 

    http://www.texashiking.com/Locations/ShowLocation.aspx?LocationID=16852

     

    It will be brutally hot in June. Go at the ass crack of dawn, and get done early. People die there every few years from the heat. 

     

    After a hike, consider crossing the river/border over to Boquillas, Mexico. Couple of bucks to get rowed across, couple more bucks to rent donkeys for the kids to ride the short but hot and dusty mile to Boquillas. If you know how to ride, the last time I was there, they had a few horses you could rent also. Kids will like the donkey ride, adults will like the margaritas and food at one of the couple of restaurants in Boquillas. Buy some tourist shit, or just walk around, shop, drink, eat. Hot, dusty but worth it. Just make sure you leave in time to get back across before the border closes. You will need passports. 

    https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/visiting-boquillas.htm

     

    There is a nice little nature center about five miles south of ft davis on the road between alpine and fort davis. Shortish hikes, nice garden, educational crap for the kids. Probably a few degrees cooler than Big Bend Park. 

    https://www.cdri.org/

     

    And for god sakes, take the kids to Balmorhea Park for swimming. Think Barton Springs in the desert with mountains in the distance. My favorite place in Texas. You will have to get reservations in advance. From Fort Davis, the drive to Balmorhea is only about 35 miles away. The road from Fort Davis to Balmorhea is one of the most scenic drives in Texas, imo. Going to Balmorhea, when you cross Wild Rose Pass, the view is orgasmic.  

    https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/balmorhea

     

    Good BBQ place in Marathon with adjacent micro-brewery: 

    https://gagehotel.com/dining/brick-vault-brewery-barbecue/

     

    Might consider staying at the Gage hotel in Marathon. Kind of pricey but nice. 

    There are air BnB's all over the place in Alpine. A shitty hotel or two in Fort Davis. Fairly nice hotel in downtown Fort Davis: https://www.hotellimpia.com/

    The old Indian Lodge in Fort Davis State Park is also an option. 

     

    There is also the old fort in Fort Davis if you are a history buff: 

    https://www.nps.gov/foda/index.htm

     

    Finally check out the Caboose ice Cream joint in Fort Davis. Inside an actual caboose, right across from the historic fort: 

    https://bigbendtimes.com/2023/10/26/19-year-old-takes-charge-iconic-fort-davis-ice-cream-shop-reopens/

     

     

    I don't think you'll need a gun. Too hot for bandits, and any animals are too smart to be out and about during daytime hours in June. But I think its legal to have a gun in the national parks now (better check on that). Definitely NOT legal to take it into Mexico if you go to Boquillas. 

     

    • Hook 'Em 7
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  2. 2 hours ago, Iceman said:

    If they were just incompetent, they would be low as often as they are high.

     

    2 hours ago, bluto said:

    I’d say they are low more often across the board. There’s certainly some yrs or pockets of property types or areas where the market stalls or falls and they’re on the high side, but i can tell you first hand the vast majority of property is undervalued across this state. 

     

    My local school district had to sue the appraisal office because they were so undervaluing property in the district so badly it was costing the school district significant amounts of money. 

    I have no doubt the undervaluation was being done deliberately. 

     

    • Like 1
  3. 57 minutes ago, 'stache said:

    Still not familiar with how it functions but wouldn't it take at least that many words to prompt it to say what seems pretty straight forward to just type yourself?

     

    Not really, also you don't have to follow any sort of grammar rules or spelling when you prompt. You can also use chat to text. Minimal effort. 

     

    Every post I've made in the last year or so has been chat to text into a AI prompt. Soon, I'll have AI answering all my emails, disciplining my kids, and ordering my curb side pick up groceries. 

     

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  4. Don't leave fully charged batteries plugged in. Unplug as soon as its full, if at all possible. 

    Same for cell phones, laptops, etc. 

     

     

    Came to bitch: Some asshole at my local muni has a speaker on his cart. Blasts Tejano so loud you can hear it from the tee box to the green. I'm about ready to take a 7 iron to the fucking thing. 

     

     

    • Like 1
  5. On 4/29/2025 at 5:37 PM, Willfully Horn said:

    Nutlick: Serfitude is the new American dream.

     

     

     

    lol @ Nutlick. Stealing and using that. 

     

     

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  6. On 4/30/2025 at 1:04 PM, miguelito said:

    That means the tariffs are responsible for a 3.3% drop.

     

    Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of finance?

     

    • Haha 1
  7. 18 hours ago, Da Fino said:

    A handful of billionaires flew in this morning to yell at bribe him. He will probably tone shit down tomorrow until he forgets the conversation, eats a hamberder and then doubles down again. This guy is a fucking moron.  

     

     

    Fixy for reality

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  8. On 4/29/2025 at 5:51 PM, SubliminalHorn said:

    So a robot can do the work of multiple people. I imagine that’s correct. Maybe takes a couple maintenance people to keep it running. Sounds like there are still a whole lot of people out of jobs

     

    Well, before Nutlick et al, we had historically low unemployment and declining birth rates, so that shouldn't have been TOO big a problem.

     

    But hey, lets fire lots and lots of people, work to replace the ones who still have jobs with robots, and vilify childless women. What could go wrong?

     

    • Fuck Around and Find Out 3
  9. 10 hours ago, BearSchlong said:

    Sigh. I served on student government with this guy, and he was my next door neighbor for a few years. I was too busy drinking Bill Clinton’s liquor to really notice his wackiness, but in hindsight I am not surprised.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/LeopardsAteMyFace/s/xYfrDVt7Pn

    Edit - my opposite side neighbor was David Crowder.

     

    Gay Republicans: Gay, but hate minorities and poors. 

     

     

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  10. On 4/28/2025 at 11:50 AM, Eskimohorn said:


    Like I implied, it was an uneventful trip, probably took several weeks. They would have looked like warmed over shit wearing the clothes on their back. 

     

    Seems like I remember somebody telling me you can't really go more than about 20 miles per day on horseback without killing your horse. (Horse people correct me if I'm wrong). 

    So 850 miles at lets be generous and say 25 miles per day = 34 days of travel. Add in extra days getting over the Cascades, foraging, whatever. 

    25 miles a day,  for 34 days straight, even on horseback for most of it, will ruin a person. 

     

     

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  11. On 4/28/2025 at 6:45 PM, Gatorubet said:

    And crawfish Louisiana does not operate as smoothly as lobster Maine.

    Despite all of my city’s misgivings, this quote from a gentleman living in New Orleans in the 1870s is as accurate an assessment of my opinion and feelings as I could write.

     

     

    New Orleans is a comfortable metropolis which has a certain apathy and stagnation which I find inoffensive. 

    -I.J. Riley

     

     

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  12. 3 hours ago, royiv said:

    Because people don’t want to get picked up four hours before their flight to be taken on a tour of the city picking up strangers on their way to the airport.

     

    many years ago I took a supershuttle from cascade locks oregon to the portland airport. This is a perfect description of that journey. 

    But it was only like 15 dollars for the ride. 

    6 hours ago, HenryJames said:

    Probably around the same time Surly was stanning for a drunken asshole pitmaster and an anti-tow truck rock thrower.

     

    I don't remember the pitmaster thing. Cliff notes?

     

     

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  13. 1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

    I haven't seen this mentioned yet, granted I skipped the arguing back and forth crap.

    Didn't a requirement go into effect for the 2017 model year and beyond which required backup cameras in all vehicles? Did I miss something on that front after that time? I haven't kept up on that aspect of vehicles since I last purchased one.

     

     

     

    Not sure it was all vehicles. 

    If it applies to the slate, then it will have one. When it says "no screen" they aren't referring to the little camera screen. And it definitively isn't a touch screen, which has got to be the most regarded, unsafe thing you can put in a car. 

     

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