Bike trip Nov 1st to Los Ebanos, TX

Last Sunday morning was our 3rd Sunday Bike ride exploring the area. We traveled about 130 miles total. The weather was beautiful again and below is a map of the trip:

View Harley Ride to La Gloria, Rio Grande City and Los Ebanos Ferry, Nov 1st, 2009 in a larger map

When we left our RV home in Retama Village in Mission, TX, we rode straight North on Texas Farm Road #651 to McCook, then up to Hwy 1017 and over to La Gloria. These are all very small towns with very few people. The picture below was our first stop at the junction in La Gloria at an old Service Station.

It was around 9:00am and we were about 40 miles into our trip....nice time for a short break and walk around. As you can see, at this time of the day on Sunday morning, there is very little traffic....a wonderful time for a ride in the country. This was again very, flat and wide open country. Not much to see but lots of fresh air and it's nice to get away from the "Concrete Jungle" around Mission.  From La Gloria we headed South on State Road 755 to Rio Grande City where we stopped and filled the Harley with gas. From there we headed east on busy highway 83 towards home.

On our way home, we had one more stop we wanted to make. We had heard about the "hand drawn" Ferry that crosses the Rio Grande River at Los Ebanos, TX.   Los Ebanos is about 16 miles West of Mission on Hwy 83 and 2-3 miles South, right on the Texas-Mexico border.  We wanted to see this famous Ferry Crossing....the only one left in existence.  A lot of Winter Texans take their bicycles down, load them on the Ferry and ride them around the little town of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz.

It was starting to warm up and the sun was beating down, so we found a nice shade tree to park under and proceeded down to the Ferry.  This is a legitimate border crossing and there is a customs booth.  Walking down to the edge of the Rio Grande River border cost a mere 50 cents per person.  We didn't want to cross.... just walk down and watch the "muscle powered" Ferry   It was busy going back and forth across the river carrying 3 vehicles and several walking passengers.

The Ferry was loading from the U.S. side as we approached.  Soon the vehicles and a few pedestrains were loaded and headed across....

It dropped those off, picked up a load on the Mexican side and here they come back.  I would say the river is no more than 90-100 yards wide here.  They say it is about 15 ft deep in the middle.

(click on all pictures to enlarge)

Here is a picture of the MUSCLE powering the Ferry....

The owners then drive their vehicles off the Ferry and the passengers walk off and up to this little customs immigration check point. We didn't have to stop since we didn't cross. They were watching us very close tho!

This is a neat little attraction tucked way off the beaten path and would be hard to find if it were not for the "Historical Marker" signs on the winding streets of Los Ebanos.   Someday we will come back and take the Ferry over into Mexico and walk or ride our bicycles around the little border town.  I understand there is a good restaurant there, but I can't go the language barrier.  Oh, if I could only speak Spanish,,,,,I wish!!!

As we got ready to head on back home, I got a kick out of this Bumper Sticker I saw in the parking lot...LOL

We rode the last leg of our 3rd Sunday morning ride. This was the best ride so far.  Now today we're  planning another ride if the weather is good and it looks like it is.  Tune in next week to see if we made it and where we went. We've been, East, then West and last week North, where next? South is all that is left,,,,,,,NO WAY!!!! HOSEA!! (Jose).....?.

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!

Remember to tell your kids you love them, they may not be around forever......

God Bless you all.

Mike

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