Once past Midland and Odessa, say goodbye to the last real 'cities' we will encounter until El Paso.  We are out in the open range of Texas now with nothing but oil and cattle and miles upon miles of open skies for company.  But in a way, I loved this part of the state.  There is quite a bit of history out here...stories of gunslingers, cowboys and the railroad still float in the air while ol' 80 wove its way through the midst of it all...

  
     Head my advice and leave Odessa westbound on the old Bankhead Highway and original 80-Murphy St. west on the south side of the railroad tracks.  Though not much of interest remains near the town and the old rail stop of Douro is now basically a chemical plant, once past these, relish the old road.  Zipping along the railway (note the 1927 rail bed culverts) and the old pole line, you will eventually curve north towards the I-20 railroad overpass.  Park the car under the overpass and hoof it a 1/4 mile to view a terrific stretch of old 1930's concrete down below you.  Though now cut off, original 80 and the Bankhead Highway continue onward along the tracks on the other side.  We'll visit this segment again in the next paragraph.  In fact, on my return trip, I came through this area with an eerie thunderstorm brewing at sunset.  This ghostly pic was taken from this same vantage point looking northwest along the rails.  Spooky!  Continue on the south frontage to one of the best places to explore in west Texas: Penwell.

     Named for the Penn oil well (a 'gusher' at 375 barrels a day), the Penwell area today is a terrific place to explore.  Relics from the early days of road travel and oil exploration abound such as the old wooden storage barrels south of the interstate to the old station that still states 'lubrication' on Penwell's main north south drag-ranch road 1601.  On the eastern edge of 'town', check out this group of oil pumps at the Rhode's Welding facility.  They remind me of a family of small T-rex dinosaurs!

     Better yet, three generations of 80 cross the area.  The third (and last) is the least interesting- the north frontage road.  This road heads east to dead end at the new I-20 rail overpass and heads west to eventually merge with older 80 along the tracks.  But if you take Ranch Road 1601 north to the tracks then east, a real treat awaits at this junction-the 1st incarnation of old 80 (and a portion of the Bankhead Highway) on the left along the tracks or a pristine section of 1930's 80 on the right (on private property).  See pic. 

     Taking the 1st incarnation of 80, the old Bankhead Highway routing, is a real challenge.  The 1st three quarters of a mile almost requires a 4-wheel drive, but I picked my way through.  An interesting and sad piece of history occurred along this stretch while the railroad was being built; an explosion killed 5 nameless Chinese workers who were buried in an unusual manner-head to toe (see pic).  The railroad still respectfully maintains this grave, and the old marker can be found at 7/10ths of a mile between the road and the rail.  Look for the 3/4 railroad marker.  Continuing on, old asphalt resumes as you approach the sweeping curve, but the road is rough.  Around the bend, one can bulldoze their way through windshield high weeds in a low spot to eventually get close to where we previously saw the 1930's 80 from the other side, but I'd suggest a foot reconnoiter first as the low, old weed covered culvert may someday give out.  This is a good place for train watching too as they still come chugging through every 30-40 minutes.

     Even though the second incarnation of 80 through this area is on private property, great photo ops can be had from the gate.  I asked (and received) permission to drive this stretch, and verified that this road is a direct tie-in to the road glimpsed from the railroad overpass earlier.  Though becoming overgrown, the remnants of the old solid center  stripe is clearly evident in this great pic that is a good representation of the area.

     The next major stop along the way is Monahans.  Monahans continues to see some action from the nearby Sand Hills State Park-a fun place for families in the winter where kids slide down sand dunes just as their northern kin slide down snow covered hills!  Monahans has a unique stop worth taking out for...be sure to drop in and say hi to curator Mike Nickels at the Million Barrel Museum on the east side of Monahans.  Originally constructed by Shell Oil as a huge temporary oil holding tank, the open pit leaked too much to be practical and was eventually drained.  Entrepreneurs throughout the years have tried various gimmicks including turning it into a pond (see pic) to no avail.  Today, it resides as part of a museum portraying just one zany aspect of Monahans oil and railway past.  Monahans also has a couple of great examples of 60's era motels on the eastern edge of town such as the Sunset Motel along with a couple of unknown old stone courts closer in to town-now used as permanent rentals.

     West on the north frontage past the sprawling metropolis of Wickett (abandoned Stuckeys here), one comes to sleepy little Pyote.  Though quiet today, Pyote was once home to thousands of roaring B-17 bombers.  The Rattlesnake Bomber Base was one of the main training schools for the Flying Fortress in WW2.  Not much remains today of the base except the old wall out by the front security gate, but the memories of those who served and trained here is not forgotten to this writer who thanks them for all of their sacrifices so that we may pursue our lives as we see fit.

     Past Pyote, I saw at least one patriotic rancher this summer along the north frontage!  And just a moment later, the junction of Barstow comes along.  Not much here but a couple of relics on the SW corner and the red sandstone Ward County Bank a block north.  Westward still, the Pecos River comes into a view with a billboard surprise!  I wonder how long this advertisement has been promoting an establishment on a highway that no longer officially exists?  Once over the river, be sure to slow up as the town of Pecos deserves a look see with a couple of vintage gas stations on the strip, the old Orient Hotel-now a museum up near the tracks and a terrific theatre sign, The State, just one block south of Main.  But the real kicker is of course..."The Law West of the Pecos"...a good replica of Judge Roy Bean's hangout.  Made famous by the Paul Newman movie, be sure to check out the Judge's quarters right next to the Orient Hotel Museum.  Word has it that the old rail depot is also to be renovated and converted into either a museum or some city offices.  Locals have also been at work with some nifty and talented paint brushes.  

     Once past the Pecos River, the land changes yet again.  Sandier and rockier, the oil fields give way to pure open rangeland...not much good for anything else.  In the midst of this territory, Toyah was once a small town at a crossroads but is virtually a ghost town today.  I slowly cruised the area, checking out the old bank with its huge columns (see pic), the old High School, an old cemetery and a couple of more modern businesses up along the interstate.  I saw no one, and no movement.  Almost like a Twilight Zone movie.  The only sign of life was this brightly colored windmill.  I understand that just a couple of weeks after I snapped this picture, the town of Toyah suffered a tragedy when a severe storm blew down the old bank.  It apparently had recently been purchased with hopes of restoration.

     Once past Toyah, not much remains.  Follow the west frontage down to exit 13, then cross over to the east frontage south.  By the time you get down to exits 9, 7 and 3, the presence of an abandoned bridge and several 1941 culverts attest to the fact that old 80 was indeed on the east side of I-20 through here.  Another interesting dead end segment can be reached by crossing to the west side of the road at exit 3 (Stock Road) and heading south for 1.6 miles.  Two more 1941 culverts once again prove the old road.  Back on I-20, we approach an important intersection.  Where today interstates I-10 & I-20 meet, two great U.S. highways once met-U.S. 80 & U.S. 90.  Old 80, known variously as the Bankhead Highway, the Broadway of America and /or the Ocean to Ocean Highway through these parts  merged here with the Old Spanish Trail for the run west to San Diego.

     As if on cue, once we get on I-10, the landscape becomes more hilly.  Bits of probable original 80 can be glimpsed on the north side and the north frontage is, I'm pretty sure, newer 80 at exit 186.  At exit 184, old 80 crosses to the south side for a short run as Spring Hill Road, then picks up again as the north frontage at exit 181 for the run to Kent.  Markers at the county line and a 1956 culvert prove the north frontage here.  Be sure to stop at the Kent Mercantile to support this vintage business, and be sure to check out the almost Roman ruin looking remains of the Kent school on the south side of the interstate.  From exit 176 (Kent), to exit 159 (Plateau), neither road work or web research with Terraserver can find any evidence of abandoned segments in this area.  The old road must have been subsumed by I-10 in here.  I did stop at exit 173 (Hurd's Draw Road) to snap this pic of a developing thunderstorm over the nearby small mountains.  This type of landscape is typical of this segment of the road.

     Aaargh!  I'm running out of room...these web pages just get too big too fast!  I have so much I want to share!     Next up for grabs is Van Horn.  With all amenities, Van Horn is your last chance for most services until you get much closer to El Paso, so stretch the legs here.  It's worthwhile to do so as there is plenty to see.  The old Clark Hotel is now the Culberson County Museum and is well worth a stop.  Early pics inside verify that Aster St. by the tracks was once the Bankhead Highway.  There are quite a few old courts and gas stations (see pic) to be found in Van Horn, and thankfully, many have found a new lease on life as another business.  For example, right across from the Clark, the Van Horn State Bank was once the grand Hotel Capitan.  Thank heavens the new owners have kept the heritage alive. 

  Leaving, Van Horn, look for the large rock cut and the county line.  A terrific stretch of vintage 80 can be seen shooting off from under I-10 westbound.  This road can be glimpsed again at exit 133(westbound traffic only).  This tantalizing segment of roadway can be viewed in greater detail by taking the Allamoore exit (exit 129).  Head north to the tracks, then east to the dead end.  A pristine segment of 80 awaits!  Though on private property, a great photo op still exists from the gate (see pic).  Head back west past the I-10 turn off, and follow the the road until it once again becomes the I-10 north frontage.  You'll cross a couple of those neat old concrete girder bridges, then the road will open up once again.  Watch for trains paralleling you off to the north.  This frontage will drop you right into another almost ghost town, Sierra Blanca.

     Hit hard by it passing, Sierra Blanca just does not have the population base to support businesses on its own.  The almost abandoned old 80 strip certainly attests to that fact.  However, the abundance of gas stations, truck stops and cafes are sure fire indicators that this quiet road was once a bustling thoroughfare.  Do be sure to check out the awesome stonework on the Sierra Lodge.  This looks like it was a nice place to stay, and I'm glad that the owners are keeping it up.  Oh and by the way, after talking to some locals, apparently the Best Cafe...wasn't.

     After Sierra Vista, I've got to be honest...there is squat of interest on the newer (late 1930's) highway 80 routing.  Overlaid by I-10 from the Lasca Branch Road exit (exit 99) on in to exit 74,  the interstate has obliterated any items of historical interest.   However, our journey is not quite over yet.  For those intrepid roadies that are willing to take a little risk and aren't afraid to get their car dirty, Lasca Branch Road north from this exit was part of the Bankhead Highway and was old 80 until bypassed in the late 1930's.   Apparently not maintained except by local ranchers, I've tried to explore the road twice and found greatly differing roads.  See my West Texas Driving Directions for greater detail.  I would certainly advise 4-wheel drive and/or extreme caution.  The 1st time I attempted to explore the area was in May of '04 and the weather had been dry.  As such, I was able to pick my way in over 8 miles which took me past the rail checkpoint of Finlay where I found several segments of old asphalt before a broken bridge and a too wide & too sandy wash denied any further exploration (see pic).  Of course, this figures because from what I could tell from the binoculars, the road beyond this point went up into higher ground and the road appeared to be in better condition than the sandy and rocky ruts I had been bumping through.  The second time I came through in July of '04, I could barely drive two miles due to the recent rains having deposited quite a bit of sand across the roadways and washes.  Be sure to pay attention to the road as there are often NO shoulders...just a nice three foot drop off (see pic)!

     So if you've survived the Lasca Branch Road exploration and want to mosey on westward, just click on the rider below, or of course, if you want to cheat and jump to another state, just click on one of the states below.  See ya at the next page!