Well I know you're dying to know if I made it to Dryden. I had reduced my speed to 40, I know if you drive slow you burn less fuel right? A little history about Dryden. Dryden is here due to the Railroads being built through this area. In 1882 when the San Antonio Railroad was built in Terrell County, they built a post office, a general store, and a couple of Adobe homes for the Pecos Land and Cattle Co. owner and then later in the early 1900's a hotel, school, church.
In 1912 Ben Kilpatrick ,who ran with the likes of Butch Cassidy, along with Ole Hobek decided to hold up the #9 train between Dryden and Sanderson. David Trousdale, a Wells Fargo Express Agent, was onboard. When Kilpatrick took $60,000 from the safe Trousdale hit him in the head killing him and later he shot his partner Hobek with Kilpatrick's gun... SO the 2 outlaw bandits were killed in Dryden and their bodies were hauled to Sanderson on the #9, where they ended up being buried!!
Center o f Dryden.
Wish I had known all that when I drove into Dryden, population of 13 souls.... a GHOST TOWN!! SO as the towns along the highway in NV's loneliest highway dried up when the mines went bust, the towns along the TX RR went bust when the trains stopped coming!! Dryden has been dying since the RR closed the depot in the 1930's SO NO GAS!! SO yes I made it to Dryden, but found no gas, I saw the sign for Pumpville, but here was my dilemma , should I use what bit of gas I have to go check out Pumpville, or try to make it to Sanderson, the next dot of a town on the map? What if Sanderson is also a Ghost Town??
Then what? Okay I have roadside assistance so I figured that would be my last ditch effort to keep moving if the need be. Then realized I had not had cell phone service for a couple days checked and yep...NO service!! Great can't call for help. So I slowed even more. I was barely crawling as images of me stranded for days waiting to be rescued in the Chihuahuan Desert slide-showed through my mind. OMG, okay I had enough food and water and had my shelter so really I would have been able to live there for at least a week!! Set up housekeeping right there on Highway 90...just waiting. John Wayne where are you?
So it was when I saw the sign Sanderson 20 miles, that I crossed my fingers and said a prayer. Those were the longest 20 miles I drove on this journey!! My first glimpse of Sanderson was as it appeared from around a curve and it was the prettiest and the most welcomed sight ever. Right there on the right side of the road...a little ALON gas station.
So happy to have gas, I peeled outta there with a squeal and hit the highway!! I hadn't gone 100 ft when I saw a cop do a U-turn and put on his lights...OMG!! This can't be happening...but he was right behind me, the ME who had not driven over the speed limit all these thousands of miles I had driven when the TX road speed limit signs were posted at 75 mph I did 65 mph, I always slow for roadwork, I never speed...NEVER...till now.
So...as I peeled out of the station I crossed the town line, without knowing it...meaning the speed limit had dropped to 30 instantly.... I was doing 40! So deputy Fife (jk) announced as he explained why he pulled me over. I told him I didn't realize I was in the town yet! I did not say that to be derogatory...I was being honest. Sanderson is 2 blocks long!
Goog
Google Maps Photo
SO he gave me my warning and told me to have a nice day...omg--- 20 or so more miles from Sanderson is the town of Marathon. I did NOT have enough gas to make it to Marathon, so I was sooooo thrilled to find gas when I did...Here is the map between the two..
A warning ticket as I said...I have this habit of talking to myself...usually it's Casey but he wasn't there so I was giving myself a little speech....I fear officer Who-ever saw me in my large side mirrors when he handed me my ticket and license he asked...."Are you alone in the vehicle m'am?"
"Yes Sir... I am Alone in the Vehicle"!!
What an afternoon
PEACE
Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.
That must have been a scary few miles wondering if you'd make it.
ReplyDeleteIt really was more than anything I just didn't want to have to deal with it!! With my fretting tho it's almost as if I did deal with it in the end...lol
DeleteI really hate when I forget to get gas, but even worse when you find yourself on these long and empty roads wondering what if.... So glad you found a station in the nick of time and what a nice cop, usually these small towns they aren't that friendly.
ReplyDeleteNice little story about Dryden. That'll learn em not to rob a train
He was a pretty good actor his demeanor right up to the warning was as if I would spend the night in their local jail he just had that scowl on his face. I was happy to NOT get a ticket. It's amazing how there is always a story to go with every little town, more than one Im sure.
DeleteVery interesting history of Dryden. That area isn't the place to run out of fuel. Is it worth carry a can of fuel, for the "justincase" situations like this. I always used to but not now.
ReplyDeleteI do carry a gas container with me, and in these long stretches it wouldnt be a bad idea to fill it. Normally at the 1/2 mark I fill up...it was a wrong turn in Del Rio that put me on this low fuel path...and that is my GPS's fault...so I'm blaming Wilma for the whole incident. Should have told that officer I was speaking to "Wilma" and pointed to my GPS..lol he would probably called EMS to check me out.
DeleteGosh, that's sounds like a bit of a hairy journey, thank goodness you found the station!
ReplyDeleteIt did have me sweating for a while those 20 miles were agonizing.
DeleteOh my gosh -- two narrow escapes there -- but you did get your fuel and Deputy Barney only gave you a warning ticket. Yikes! Running low on gas scares me anywhere, but especially in that country. I'm guessing we may have been through that same area based on the sign there saying you're on your way to Big Bend -- I don't remember those little towns but I sure do remember the National Park. Look forward to your visit.
ReplyDeleteI don't like being in that situation, I was dang lucky...there was not that much traffic either and no cell phone service, so I'd have been at the mercy of strangers.
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