Tecate
We are way up in the mountains. The area is called the Mountain Empire, and the lightly brush covered mountains are everywhere. Their peaks are in the 5,000 foot range, not very big as mountains go, but since you can be at sea level in 50 miles straight west, they are still impressive. So far it has not rained at all here, except for some half hearted spitting, and when the wind blows, sand and dust get everywhere. The landscape is full of ground features that would have washed away or eroded long ago if rain was common. There are embankments and drop offs that haven’t seen any reason to slump, places that would be a serious mud problem but aren’t filled up or drained, and the rocks under the mountains still have a covering of sandy soil and scrubby brush to hold it. Some of the steeper sides have been washed clean down to the tan granite, but most only have rocks showing in a few places.
This area was settled by Texans looking for ranching areas. There are nice flat areas in the dry creek bed areas that might be good grazing if it ever rained. It is pretty drought stricken right now, although there are supposed to be winter rains. The sage brush is everywhere, and its pungent smell, as dry as the plants are, is released by even a good wind. In the bottomlands there are live oak trees, and a few other shorter weedier trees, but the rocky hills have only low brush that is a sort of dark olive green right now. There are also Manzanita trees, well shrubs as they rarely get taller than 5’ They have red trunks and branches like bonzai and have so far kept their leaves. I don’t seem to have much interest in identifying the plants, partly because we haven’t gone geocaching and I haven’t walked in the wilds. The standard yard here is just dirt, grass would be hopeless. We stopped off at a store in San Diego and walked across a strip of grass, and I actually paused like a horse before stepping on it, what is THIS?
We took the standard train ride that goes just to the tunnel that is the border with Mexico and returns. Nice views of the mountains, and glimpses of peoples’ yards. Adults pay $15 to take this 2 hour ride, I won’t pay that, but then I have done a lot of riding on trains so it isn’t a treat. We also went on the train to Tecate, Mexico , a trip they do once a month or so.
Tecate has suffered from the “closed” border, it used to be a more tourist oriented place. The train depot itself is very spiffy, and the town is a quiet shopping location for the outlying areas. It was a Saturday when we went, so everyone was in town. We walked to a place that supposedly had arts and crafts for sale, but it only had one rather sad store, and then we walked back up to the main square for lunch. There are vendors here selling things for the locals, and several outside restaurants. We sat and ate and watched as people visited with their friends and the kids ran all over. We are on the border, but this town would more likely be somewhere in southern Europe than on the edge of the US. The size of the stores, the size of the vehicles, the whole scale of the place is different, and charming. But poor, we can see prosperous houses up on the hills around town, but along the RR tracks, it is pretty desperate. We are cautioned not to buy candies to throw from the train at the children lest they fall under the train.
One must do stop in Tecate is the bakery. I wouldn’t have believed there were enough people within driving distance to make this place stay alive. There was a mob scene inside, some of which were the people from our train, maybe 100 of us, but the locals were in there too, buying cakes they had ordered and stocking up on an astonishing variety of cakes, buns and breakfast pastries. Perhaps this only happens on Saturday and all this fabulous stuff is for Sunday brunch. There were literally 100s of types of pastry and sweet breads, and 100’s of each kind all lined up on racks ready to fly out the door. We stood in a long slow line and bought a sampling to tide us over on the way home. In general, the goodies were not as sugary as in a US bakery, less frosting, less gooey fillings, but yummy all the same. Waistlines aside, it would be nice to make a trip here every Saturday and have a long continental breakfast of strong coffee and these very tasty confections.
The big thing to do in Tecate is to take the brewery tour where they make Tecate Beer. We passed on that, but most of the other passengers went on it, and one young group clearly went on the tour two or more times for the free beer. They were very rowdy and loud.
The shopping was a little disappointing, Don did buy a large black cowboy hat that makes him look very dashing. I am hunting for something made of the primitive punched tin that is so Mexican. So far what I have seen is cast or very ornate and upscale, not the simple quaint look I’m after. Don says, wait until we get to Tijuana. There is a lot of lively pottery in bold patterns and colors, which is tempting, but I worry a bit about the glazes having lead in them. In any case, collecting heavy terra cotta ware is not a sensible RV’er hobby.
The border crossing business consists of the train stopping on the way in to pick up a Mexican train crew, who are let off again on the way back. When we get to the depot at the museum, 6 border patrol agents get on and we are funneled through the baggage car where we declare our purchases and show photo ID. The baggage car is pretty spare and run down, so the whole affair has a spy movie quality to it.
This area was settled by Texans looking for ranching areas. There are nice flat areas in the dry creek bed areas that might be good grazing if it ever rained. It is pretty drought stricken right now, although there are supposed to be winter rains. The sage brush is everywhere, and its pungent smell, as dry as the plants are, is released by even a good wind. In the bottomlands there are live oak trees, and a few other shorter weedier trees, but the rocky hills have only low brush that is a sort of dark olive green right now. There are also Manzanita trees, well shrubs as they rarely get taller than 5’ They have red trunks and branches like bonzai and have so far kept their leaves. I don’t seem to have much interest in identifying the plants, partly because we haven’t gone geocaching and I haven’t walked in the wilds. The standard yard here is just dirt, grass would be hopeless. We stopped off at a store in San Diego and walked across a strip of grass, and I actually paused like a horse before stepping on it, what is THIS?
We took the standard train ride that goes just to the tunnel that is the border with Mexico and returns. Nice views of the mountains, and glimpses of peoples’ yards. Adults pay $15 to take this 2 hour ride, I won’t pay that, but then I have done a lot of riding on trains so it isn’t a treat. We also went on the train to Tecate, Mexico , a trip they do once a month or so.
Tecate has suffered from the “closed” border, it used to be a more tourist oriented place. The train depot itself is very spiffy, and the town is a quiet shopping location for the outlying areas. It was a Saturday when we went, so everyone was in town. We walked to a place that supposedly had arts and crafts for sale, but it only had one rather sad store, and then we walked back up to the main square for lunch. There are vendors here selling things for the locals, and several outside restaurants. We sat and ate and watched as people visited with their friends and the kids ran all over. We are on the border, but this town would more likely be somewhere in southern Europe than on the edge of the US. The size of the stores, the size of the vehicles, the whole scale of the place is different, and charming. But poor, we can see prosperous houses up on the hills around town, but along the RR tracks, it is pretty desperate. We are cautioned not to buy candies to throw from the train at the children lest they fall under the train.
One must do stop in Tecate is the bakery. I wouldn’t have believed there were enough people within driving distance to make this place stay alive. There was a mob scene inside, some of which were the people from our train, maybe 100 of us, but the locals were in there too, buying cakes they had ordered and stocking up on an astonishing variety of cakes, buns and breakfast pastries. Perhaps this only happens on Saturday and all this fabulous stuff is for Sunday brunch. There were literally 100s of types of pastry and sweet breads, and 100’s of each kind all lined up on racks ready to fly out the door. We stood in a long slow line and bought a sampling to tide us over on the way home. In general, the goodies were not as sugary as in a US bakery, less frosting, less gooey fillings, but yummy all the same. Waistlines aside, it would be nice to make a trip here every Saturday and have a long continental breakfast of strong coffee and these very tasty confections.
The big thing to do in Tecate is to take the brewery tour where they make Tecate Beer. We passed on that, but most of the other passengers went on it, and one young group clearly went on the tour two or more times for the free beer. They were very rowdy and loud.
The shopping was a little disappointing, Don did buy a large black cowboy hat that makes him look very dashing. I am hunting for something made of the primitive punched tin that is so Mexican. So far what I have seen is cast or very ornate and upscale, not the simple quaint look I’m after. Don says, wait until we get to Tijuana. There is a lot of lively pottery in bold patterns and colors, which is tempting, but I worry a bit about the glazes having lead in them. In any case, collecting heavy terra cotta ware is not a sensible RV’er hobby.
The border crossing business consists of the train stopping on the way in to pick up a Mexican train crew, who are let off again on the way back. When we get to the depot at the museum, 6 border patrol agents get on and we are funneled through the baggage car where we declare our purchases and show photo ID. The baggage car is pretty spare and run down, so the whole affair has a spy movie quality to it.
posted by Thistledown24 at 10:06 AM
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