Recommended Rides
done this ride before. It just takes a
second of looking at the scenery
and the road will have changed
direction on you. This is also where
you should make sure you have
plenty of water with you. You will
travel by ghost towns and be taken
back to a simpler time. On my first
trip, on this road it took me double
the time to traverse it. I was stop-
ping every few miles to take pic-
tures. Two stops worth mentioning
are, Dom Rock and the rest area
that has teepees for shade. At the
intersection of TX-170 and TX-118
there is a gas station if you need
fuel. Turn north toward Alpine for a
quarter mile and you will find a
favorite little stop for bikers called
the Chili Pepper Cafe. If you missed
Sr’s stop, then you are surely ready
for a snack now. 78 miles further
north will find you at the town of
Alpine with plenty of gas stations
and small shops to look around in. If
you think this ride is done after
Alpine I have good news for you,
there is one more section of moun-
tains to go through as you head
north on TX-118 into Fort Davis.
I’m sure you’re ready to stop for
a bit and get a drink. The Fort Davis
drug store is just the place to do
that with the old-time soda foun-
tain and ice cream that are icing on
the cake. One point to note, the
drug store is closed on Saturday. If
you want some nightlife, I suggest
you head down to Marfa and check
out the Marfa lights, it’s a good
place to kill time and see the stars.
Just make sure it’s pitch black and a
clear night so you have the best
chance of seeing the lights. The his-
tory of the Marfa lights is interest-
ing if you want to look it up. There is
no explanation for the lights and
your mind will play tricks on you as
you search for what they are. I had
convinced myself that it was cars
coming down a mountain way off in
the distance. The next day I went
back to verify my belief, and there is
not a hill or road in sight. Before you
leave Fort Davis in the morning,
head over to Lupita’s place and
have some breakfast. I eat there
every time I come through. CMA
John Jr and Holly Ogden over-
see the South Central Region as
National Evangelist.
ferred direction of travel is to go
south out of Fort Davis to Texas
166, head west until you come to
the intersection of 118 and keep
right. 118 will join 17; keep right
toward Fort Davis.
For the main ride you will cover
250 miles with roads varying from
straight and flat to curvy and steep.
From Fort Davis, head south on TX-
17 for 23 miles and you will arrive at
Marfa. At the intersection of TX-17
and US-90, continue south onto
US-67 for 57 miles to Presidio,
Texas, a border town where you can
cross into Mexico. Just 36 miles
south of Marfa is Shafter, it’s a
ghost town where the film “The
Andromeda Strain” was filmed in
1971. If you’ve watched the film,
then the church will be just as you
remembered it. From US-67, head
east onto TX-170. This is a good
time to stop at El Patio for a bite of
Mexican food (that’s the Chairman
of the Board’s favorite place). They
have a Mexican buffet at times; if
you visit when they do not offer the
buffet, Sr’s favorite plate is the chile
rellenos.
From here you will travel 67 miles
on TX-170. This road starts out
tame and turns into a roller coaster
ride as you follow the Rio Grande
River on the Mexican border. It’s
best to take it easy through this
section especially if you haven’t