July 30 – Fort Stockton to Johnson City, Texas

Leaving Fort Stockton early this morning …under a nearly full moon,

the Texas landscape was pretty non-descript, although with more vegetarion than many of the areas west of the city.  However, the morning sun made some initial photography a bit challenging.

One of many groups of wind turbines located on flat-topped mesas

There is a clear deliiation between the limestone on the bottom and sandstone laid down at a later date.

All along I-10, we see isoolated homes, miles and miles from neighbors, stores, medical facilities or even gas stations

A pair of white cattle

Winds were out of the southeast at up to 12 MPH

While sheltered when driving through cuts in the rocks to make way for the road, when leaving such sheltered areas we often get "slammed" from the side making driving a challenge, particularly if there is a semi trying to pass at the same time.

Our dogs would never have stayed put in the back of any open truck!

Horses, of course … and of different colors

A long stretch of paving limited travel to a single lane

More roadwork, this time to repair a damage guard rail

We were by this couple before we had a chance to stop to see what type of trouble they might be experiencing

Nineteen miles beyond Junction, TX (where we'd originally planned to stay before changing our travel plans) we eixted I-10 for the first time since leaving California on on to US-290, a pretty and surprisingly better road than we'd aticipated.

Passing through Harper, a Lutheran church steeple dominated the skyline

and a Baptist church was notable by its lack of a steeple

while most ot the rest of the town had a distinctly "western" ambience.

 Daily, we continue to pass dozens, and sometimes hundreds of RVs … Class As, Class Bs, Class Cs, Fifth-wheels, Travel Trailers, Truck Campers and Pop-up campers (below).

We found a great spot to pull off for lunch, which Debbie makes before we leave each morning.

Back on the road, we drove through the town of

Yes, this is the city's hospital

Leaving the town, we passed a monument to the Texas Rangers

We also passed dozens of ranches … with only their entrance gates visible

amd many of the 53 wineries

in Texas Hill Country …

most offering "free tastings".

Other items of interest …

Entering Johnson City, most notable as the location of LBJ's Ranch

We considered taking a tour of the Johnson Ranch but we have had three long days on the road and after visiting the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library adn Museum tomorrow, we've another 1,200 miles we'd like to cover in just four days.