A geographic description of the Texas Pecos Trail Region states: “Twenty-two counties covering 35,000 square miles and comprised of an ecological transition zone at the junction of the Plains to the north, Edwards Plateau in the east, Chihuahua Desert in the west, and the Brush Country in the south.” Here the wild Pecos River enters from New Mexico and flows down across West Texas before emptying into the Rio Grande.
For the person not familiar with some of those geographic terms or designations, this area includes MIdland, Odessa, Pecos, Fort Stockton, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Junction and Sonora. In this region, visitors can experience a rich Western heritage that includes Native American rock art, cowboys and ranching, military forts, Hispanic culture, the Permian Basin Oil Boom of the 20th century, World War II training bases and artifacts, and a variety of unique and spectacular natural wonders and outdoor recreation.
Inspired by the unique characteristics of the region, the following poem was penned by Mitzi Johnson, a retired educator from Monahans.
The Texas Pecos Trail drive,
Is surely a great sight to see,
Covering hundreds and hundreds of miles,
A uniqueness in history.
Tabletop mesas will rise up,
From wide open prairies below.
Springs will arise from under the ground,
Giving water that flows and flows.
In the coolness of every morning,
You start your day with a smile,
As you travel along the great highways,
Seeing new sights mile after mile.
Your day will soon turn to nighttime,
And the stars will cover the sky,
As you drive that long lonely highway,
The stars you can touch if you try.
As you travel this West Texas roadway,
Here are some sights you will see,
Museums in each and every town,
Sharing multitudes of history.
The wild winds will move all the sand dunes
Making new shapes every day.
When you climb to the top of the tallest,
You can feel the sun’s warming rays.
You can go to some of the state parks,
That have many fun things to do.
You can travel deep into caverns,
And see stalactites and stalagmites, too.
You can visit forts that tell of our past,
Where Buffalo Soldiers stood guard,
Protecting our settlers as they passed through,
Heading to a life new and hard.
There’s also a place where many bats live,
Way down deep they abound.
At dusk you can watch and see them,
Emerge from t their home underground.
As you walk in the footsteps before us,
Many places you’ll visit and see,
Taking you back to long ago times,
Showing how life used to be.
These are some wonderful places
You’ll see on the great trail you’ll ride,
Traveling the highways of Texas,
In the big open lands far and wide.
