It is a fast clip going down west Texas highways doing 80 mph–and not speeding. I did a double take when I saw the speed signs and realized cars were zipping around me with my piddling 70 mph. Since I somehow left my drivers license at home, I was driving carefully under the posted speed limits until the mail brings my license to our hotel in Phoenix.

West Texas still looks wonderful with its rolling hills and limestone cliffs. Driving through Texas reminded us not only of the vastness of the state but also the variety of geography and culture. Fredericksburg with its German heritage easily visible and the wineries and peach groves are not the same as Austin suburban sprawl into the Texas hills and the area around Sonora as it flattens out into the vast wilderness of far west Texas is different still. One thing remains constant however–the friendly and helpful people that give Texas a home like atmosphere wherever one travels. WEG

The Sutton County Courthouse in Sonora, Texas