Fort Stockton in Seven Pictures

I spent the night last night in Fort Stockton, Texas. If you look on a map, you’ll see it’s pretty much in the middle of west Texas, with very little anywhere near it. It is the site of a spring (Comanche Springs), and has been a stop for travelers for many, many years. The spring no longer produces water all year long, thanks to the pressures on the aquifer from Fort Stockton and the surrounding area. In fact, when Comanche Springs began to dry up, it became the subject of a lawsuit that established the water laws in Texas.

(Note: The information in that previous paragraph comes to you entirely from the helpful signs at the Fort Stockton Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce. Learning! Though as you will see shortly, they don’t always have their information entirely straight).

Thanks to the very helpful Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce, I was given a brochure outlining some interesting Fort Stockton information, and which also directed me on a driving tour of town (in related news, Texas knows one way to my heart: never requiring me to leave the comfort of my car, and when I have to do so, providing me with many, many parking spots at my destination from which to choose). And, as it is unlikely everyone who reads this will eventually get to Fort Stockton, I decided to provide you with some pictures from said driving tour, though admittedly, several (OK, most) of these were not included in the brochure as sights to see while on the driving tour.

Not technically Fort Stockton, but on the way to Fort Stockton via I-10. And here I thought going 75 was a wonderful treat. Also, I love that I can be on a random, two-lane highway in Texas and the speed limit is 75. That just doesn’t seem safe. Probably on a related note, on my way into El Paso tonight, a highway sign informed me that 211 people have died in Texas due to car accidents this year.

Right in the middle of Fort Stockton, there is a giant statute of a roadrunner. His name is Paisano Pete. As the Fort Stockton brochure informs me, “Paisano Pete, was erected in 1980 and declared the largest roadrunner in the world, at 11 feet tall and 22 feet long. Since that time a larger replica of a roadrunner has been constructed of recycled materials in New Mexico.” Remember this information, as it is important when looking at the next picture.

So, the picture is a little dark, but as you can see, it says “Take a picture with the World’s Largest Roadrunner.” False advertising! I know from the very material given to me in the pamphlet that Paisano Pete is not the largest roadrunner in the world! Relatedly, I need to get more hobbies or something, so that I don’t get so caught up in absolutely harmless errors such as this.

This is the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Drive-Thru Liquor Store. Note the picture of Paisano Pete on the sign. It’s right across from him. If ever you visit Fort Stockton, you can take a picture with Paisano Pete and get drinks within mere seconds. I approve of everything about this.

The bottom sign says “Please Pray for Rain.” First, I like that they are polite about asking for your prayers. Second, considering that Terre Haute is nearly always under a flood watch or warning, seeing signs regarding a lack of rain is rather unique for me. So I put it here.

This is a picture from the brochure, depicting Old Fort Days, which I hope is a time when Fort Stockton reenacts life at Fort Stockton at some past date. Otherwise, I can only assume that all the women in town are hookers based on the brochure.