March 3, 2009 temp 75

This is Santa Ana National Wildlife reserve. It is about 5 mi South of Alamo, Tx. It is our intention to take the wildlife tram that takes visitors around the park for about 7 mi. This is our second attempt at this trip. On Sun Feb 21 we bought tickets for this tram and proceeded to the cemetery and the river view. Problem was that we got off the tram with 2 other couples and went to the right. Everyone else went to the left. After walking about a mile out and back we determined that we must have gone the wrong way. When we returned to the main road the tram had left. Mind you we are 3 miles from the visitor center, it was the last tram of the day and we had already walked 1 mile which was pretty good for 2 old couples and 1 young couple with a girl wearing at least 3 inch high heels. In a confused transmittal from the tram driver to the rangers he tried to convey that he had left passengers but the ranger thought they had seen illegals. After walking back a little over a mile the rangers finally found us and sent a van to pick us up. They did give us free tickets to ride the tram at another date. One important lesson learned here--follow the guide.


This is some of the forest in the reserve. Some of it is drying up other parts were very much the way it was 100 years ago.

This is a birding area where it is set up to attract some of the birds

One of the trails that are available to either bike or hike.

Beautiful Spanish moss that grows in the trees.

This is a bench placed near the cemetery for old people to rest.

Yucca plants here are in full bloom now and this our guide. She is a volunteer camper here and also THE ONE THAT LEFT US!

The entry to the cemeterium. If they are just graves it is a cemetery, but if the have a mausoleum they are cemeterio.

The Rio Grande river. The other side of the River is Mexico. They say that even tho the river begins in Colorado that by the time it runs through New Mexico and part of Texas, at El Paso it has no Colorado water let in it. It is all Mexican.

Trees looking down on the Rio Grande. All in all it was a pretty good trip and a way to spend an afternoon. When we do our river canoe trip we will be in this same area but get a different perspective from the river.