The US 90 Waltz

"A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." - John Steinbeck After a rather unproductive morning, it was time to take one of the last road trips in the Houston area. For the first few years in Houston, I took random drives to places like Shreveport, LA and Dallas. However, this time felt different. I needed to get away and this time, the heck with just driving, it was time to explore. Although I looked at a map, I really wanted to venture on my own, so I drove across TX 288 to Farm Road 2234 and US 90A, an alternate along the historic Old Spanish Trail. The drive first took me through Sugar Land, which has become a wealthy suburbia with four lanes and to be honest, looked like a true Levittown except for the fact there were mom and pop shops decorating the side the of the road. In less than 20 minutes, I reached Richmond, not the capital of Virginia, but one of the 19 towns incorporated by the Republic of Texas. It was a pleasant surprise as I found some diamonds in the rough, including: Jaime's Dairy Treat

and this former Enco (related to Esso) gas station with the tiger still there!

At which point, I traversed through towns like East Bernard before hitting Eagle Lake where I visited a depot museum.

After enjoying a conversation ranging from tourism to classic advertisements featuring black draught, it was time to hit the road some more. I continued staying on a pre-1940 alignment of the Old Spanish Trail by heading up Farm Road 102.

A few miles later, I passed through the town of Alleyton, which was the key point along the Confederate supply line. It was the beginning and end of Cotton Road, which lead to the Confederacy.

At which point, I traveled along I-10, where it ran parallel with US 90 and then stopped over for some delicious brisket and beans at Jerry Mikeskas Bar-B-Q outside Columbus.

Finally, I was hell bent on going on Old Highway 90 that the gentleman at the Eagle Lake Train Depot told me about. After driving west a minute or two, I detoured onto the old highway. Boy, did it bring me back to the 1920's when drivers had to becareful when traffic picked up.

The experience riled me up so much that I drove along the narrow road, which was surrounded by tall grass. I got out of the truck, climbed up to the railroad tracks and found this gem, the railroad bridge over the Colorado River.

I got back into the truck and drove along the East River Bridge outside Columbus.

I proceeded into Columbus for a bit where I found a couple of more delights.

What a great ride, but it was time to head back and enjoy the rest of my afternoon.