This map tells you why Texas sucks for us. (1 Viewer)

[chris777]

Federal land, BLM Land, gives us all a reason to invest our time, money and experience, into driving our trucks and camping in the beautiful widerness. All we have in Texas is State parks, one tame national park, and canned off road parks. I hate being so far away from the BLM land in all the states portrayed in this map:

http://thefederalistpapers.integratedmarket.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/FedLandMap.jpg

 

[1911]

It could always be worse; Kansas for instance.

 

[forksinthetrail]

It took me a while to figure out what bugged me about wandering around Texas in a Land Cruiser, coming from Oregon. You can't just swing off the asphalt practically anywhere you want to. It is frustrating isn't?

 

[chris777]

Yea! You got it! That is what I am talking about.

 

[KOWBOY]

Wyomin' sure is lookin' good on that map.

 

[chris777]

I'm going to be viewing the total solar eclipse from wyoming BLM land on Aug21

 

[warpdriv]

From what I was told, Texas sold off most of it's land to pay for Civil War Debt. Anyone know if that was true?

 

[chris777]

Yes! You are correct! although it wasnt Civil War debt, it was debt that caused it. It all came down before the civil war. read all about it here...

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/public-land-texas-brief-history/

 

[Flank]

I learned this early on, in my pre LC days. It is practically impossible to "Get Lost" in Texas, or to get to an area where you know for a fact there there is not another human within 20 miles... I do miss Nevada for that. But I do love Texas.

 

[1911]

It is practically impossible to "Get Lost" in Texas, or to get to an area where you know for a fact there there is not another human within 20 miles...

I think that you must not have been to west Texas.

 

[snobdds]

Wyomin' sure is lookin' good on that map.

Yea, then consider we only have 500,000 people in the entire state with the largest city at 65K. It's a secret that we keep tight to the vest. In fact I have a cabin that borders the Medicine Bow National Forest. So my 10 acres is really like 75 square miles of land. I never have to worry about a sassy or trashy neighbor moving in next to me...

 

[chris777]

I think that you must not have been to west Texas.

I've been to west Texas a lot. Big Bend Ranch State Park, Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe National Park, Marfa, Terlingua, Fort Davis, the Christmas mountains, Presidio, Del Rio. But it is very restricted, very organized, regulated, regimented, commercialized. Look at the map I started with this thread. Read the article that I posted that explains why there is so little public land in Texas. In all the western states, you have the freedom to explore wilderness areas and camp where you want. I would move there in a second, if not much works for commercial photographers. I will though, one day.

 

[geanes]

Yup. Searching out gravel roads for driving in Texas has been an exercise in futility. What roads show up on Google Earth or on maps often have been recently paved and/or closed as private roads. Very, very frustrating. I'm aware of only 70 total miles of public gravel roads within 2.5 hours of Austin. In Colorado, I could drive almost anywhere exclusively on gravel. Every single gravel road I used to drive between Austin and Blanco has been paved or closed as private road.

 

[chris777]

there is a new fad in the mountain biking community. they have events called "Growlers". its usually a 4 to 6 hour mountain bike ride on gravel road. Google Growler rides in your area and maybe glean some info from them.

 

[KOWBOY]

Yea, then consider we only have 500,000 people in the entire state with the largest city at 65K.

I'm one of those 65k ... PM sent.

 

[Flight2k5]

oh BLM is not the godsend you think it is.

 

[KOWBOY]

I'm going to be viewing the total solar eclipse from wyoming BLM land on Aug21

You and about a million of your closest friends. Our humble state is preparin' for an all out invasion and concerns are high. We just ain't geared up to handle such a thang. Heard on the radio last time I was home that the state's talkin' 'bout mobilizin' our National Guard troops for traffic control and emergency response assistance. Lots of concern on the news 'bout MAJOR traffic jams on our lil' roads, tourists camped ev'rywhere, and cell phones not going to work due to over usage by a million tourists all tryin' to post pics on facebook and the like. I only have two wishes for the event:

1) I hope the tourists spend a lot of money here, then leave quickly and quietly ... and pack out their own garbage.

and

2) I hope I'm workin' on the East Coast that day. I hate tourists.

oh BLM is not the godsend you think it is.

Without gettin' into a discussion 'bout the political management ... or mis-management ... of the BLM lands, I love 'em. When I lived down the road from you in Minden, I loved headin' a few blocks East of my driveway and blastin' out into the open lands with a cooler fulla beer. Then take the back way on into Gardnerville and hit the casino.

I think in order to truly 'preciate what the West has to offer, a fella needs to spend time on the East Coast.

 

[mypancreasbroke]

My first trip to Wyoming was to visit a buddy who had graduated college and was making more money in oil than he knew what to do with. Got to his house, and didn't even unpack before we hopped in his iron pig and he just started driving us out into the middle of nowhere. I was shocked. I couldn't believe there was all this beautiful land, and you could just drive on out through it and camp. I was 21, and immediately fell in love with the west, and toyotas. Because of his friendship and that trip, I decided to buy an 80, and while it took another 5 years for everything to work out, I did just that. I love Texas, but being able to get out into 'wild' real nature is something that definitely changed my life and leaves me longing for more all the time. The north end of Broken Bow has to do it for me most the time these days, but I do dream of packing up and moving to Wyoming some day.

 

[chris777]

oh BLM is not the godsend you think it is.

Why do you say that? If you lived in texas, and your only options were the verey restrictive state parks, national parks, and a few canned off road parks, i think you would miss the freedom of BLM lands to explore.

 

[chris777]

You and about a million of your closest friends. Our humble state is preparin' for an all out invasion and concerns are high. We just ain't geared up to handle such a thang. Heard on the radio last time I was home that the state's talkin' 'bout mobilizin' our National Guard troops for traffic control and emergency response assistance. Lots of concern on the news 'bout MAJOR traffic jams on our lil' roads, tourists camped ev'rywhere, and cell phones not going to work due to over usage by a million tourists all tryin' to post pics on facebook and the like. I only have two wishes for the event:

1) I hope the tourists spend a lot of money here, then leave quickly and quietly ... and pack out their own garbage.

and

2) I hope I'm workin' on the East Coast that day. I hate tourists.



Without gettin' into a discussion 'bout the political management ... or mis-management ... of the BLM lands, I love 'em. When I lived down the road from you in Minden, I loved headin' a few blocks East of my driveway and blastin' out into the open lands with a cooler fulla beer. Then take the back way on into Gardnerville and hit the casino.

I think in order to truly 'preciate what the West has to offer, a fella needs to spend time on the East Coast.

I am not too worried about traffic jams. It is one of the least populated states. The eclipse only lasts for 2 minutes. Most people are too lazy. I have scouted out a location far from anything of interest. The eclipse is happening from Washington to Georgia. Itjs not just in Wyoming! I am willing to deal with whatever i have to deal with to see my first total eclipse. Not all tourists deserve your hatred. There are good ones, and bad ones. Just like everything else in life. If you never are a tourist, in life, you have missed out on a lot of the great things to see in this world. That would be a pity.