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SWIMMING
TO MEXICO
Part III
by John Troesser
WATER:
Medina River, Sabinal River,
Nueces River, Leona River & Rio Frio
TOWNS: Medina, Vanderpool, Utopia, Concan and Uvalde
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Swimming
to Mexico, part II
MEDINA RIVER
Leaving Kerrville
on Hwy 16 you encounter a rise in elevation until you descend into
the Medina River Valley. The small town of Medina is near the
headwaters of the Medina River which flows past Bandera
and into Medina Lake in Medina County. Today’s word is Medina.
At Medina head west on 337. The
east-and-west route of FM337
is a scenic route not to be missed. It would be best if you had the
sun behind you. Take this road in the early morning if you can. If
not, strong sunglasses would be in order especially in the late afternoon
to navigate the uphill and downhill curves of the road on steep slopes
overlooking cloistered valleys. While on-coming traffic is sparse,
you’ll probably encounter it on a curve. An abundance of Texas mountain
laurel would make this a trip to take again in the spring when they
bloom in profusion. |
SABINAL
RIVER
LOST
MAPLES STATE NATURAL AREA
At Vanderpool
go North on 187 to Lost
Maples State Natural Area. Besides the bigtooth maples there’s
a forest of sycamores thriving on the waters of the Sabinal River.
Fall foliage makes this area a must for return visits when the color
peaks in early November. Because of the crowd, it’s best to come during
weekdays. The Sabinal flows parallel to the Frio and after a dip in
our sixth river, one can now head south on 187 following the course
of the river and detour to Utopia before continuing on 337.
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Lost
Maples State Natural Area
Photo Courtesy TXDoT |
LAND
OF WATER AND HONEY
To Utopia:
you will encounter several places for access to the river and a few
places with rentals right on the river. This is the home of Utopia
Water and the whole area is famous for its Huahillo honey available
in specialty stores in Uvalde.
From Utopia FM1050 will take you west to both the town and river of
Rio Frio.
Since you have come this far, you would not want to miss the rest
of the spectacular drive on 337.
Head back to Vanderpool
and take 337
West to Leakey.
From here head south on 83 through the Frio River Canyon to Garner
State Park. |
RIO
FRIO
GARNER STATE PARK
Garner State Park
is one of the most photographed parks in the state. During the summer
its visitors make it the largest "town" in the county. Besides
the tree lined river, there’s a mountain view that is truly memorable.
It’s a park you won’t confuse with any other.
After visiting Garner
State Park head south on Hwy 83 towards Concan. RR1120
offers several picturesque points of entry. Concan has one of the
most inviting accesses but the parking is limited, so try to arrive
early. Stone steps carved by nature on riverbanks, white pebbles and
clear water makes the Frio River very enticing.
Uvalde
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Uvalde
From Concan head south on Hwy 83 toward Uvalde.
Suggested Motto: "Our name doesn’t mean anything in Spanish either."
Uvalde is a corruption of the surname of Capt. Juan de Ugalde, a Spanish
officer who rid the area of Indians before they became Native Americans.
A SUCCULENT LANDSCAPE
As the road flattens out, you’ll notice an abundance of prickly pear
cactus . Acres of it. Oceans of it. Pioneers used to have to put on
chaps just to go to the outhouse. While we are mentioning cactus,
Uvalde was the home of "Cactus Jack" Garner, namesake of
the state park, and FDR’s Vice President. His nickname comes from
his attempt to have the Cactus Rose declared the State Flower of Texas.
Famous for his pithiness before LBJ, he is most remembered for his
remark: "The Vice Presidency isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit".
Pithy enough for you? Uvalde was also home to The Newton Boys (Willis,
Doc, Isaac, Huey, Fig and Wayne), and in the nineteenth century, King
Fisher. |
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A:
Huey "Kingfish" Long with
B: a Kingfish
C: A Kingfisher
D: Uvalde’s King Fisher |
A dandified bully
who wore leopard skin chaps, silk cumberbunds and ascots (and got
away with it!), Fisher was ambushed in a San
Antonio Vaudeville Theater with Austin
bully and gunfighter Ben
Thompson. Both were killed instantly, Fisher with 9 bullets, Thompson
with 13. As the comedian Jake Johansen said, "Guns don’t kill
people, it’s those darn little bullets."
Uvalde
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LEONA RIVER
The Leona River
flows through a nice town park in Uvalde
on Hwy 90 but swimming is done south of town near the site of historic
Fort Inge, four and a half miles southeast of town off FM 140.
Eventually the Leona meets the Frio (near Dilley) and they flow as
one to Choke Canyon Lake. |
NUECES
RIVER
As we bid farewell to Uvalde,
heading into the sunset, we’ll cross the Nueces River which
reminds us of Mr. Garner’s remark. (The amount, not the viscosity).
The photo here is the river as it was in the middle of the '98
drought. Some moisture (and interesting life forms) can be found by
turning over the larger rocks. If you didn’t get something to drink
in Uvalde, try sucking on a pebble until you get to Brackettville
and Ft. Clark Springs. The distance between them varies from map to
map, but the reality is, Ft. Clark Springs and Brackettville
are separated only by Hwy 90. ..........
Swimming to Mexico - Part IV >
next page
Water: Fort Clark and San Felipe Springs, Lake Amistad and
Devil’s River
Towns: Brackettville, Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna
Getting There from Dallas: Paluxy River
Del
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