Borger, TX, June 1-3, 2012

Why Borger Texas you say, well back in 1969, Bob worked here for two months at Phillips Petroleum Company’s carbon black plant while I was living in Akron, Ohio.   He has many fond memories of eating at this restaurant, Old Sutphens BBQ, so we had to eat here.  Great BBQ, both beef and pork, we even bought some pork BBQ to bring back to the coach.

We are staying at Huber Park here in Borger, it is their city park with ten RV spaces with water and 30 amp, all for the price of a donation.  They do request you limit your stay to three nights.

Saturday morning we drove about 15 miles to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument to take their 10 am tour to view a quarry.  We first drove two miles then walked about a half mile up a trail with 150 feet elevation, even stopped at some shade structures.

This is a basket flower, quite striking.  Our guide told us for some reason this year’s crop was exceptional.  Hardly any bloomed last year.

It is hard to visualize, but this is a flint quarry. Time, wind and vegetation have filled in the possible 6 foot quarry.

’Researchers don’t have all the answers, but this type of Alibates flint only formed in the 10 square mile area at the now 3100’ elevation.

It was prized for its colors.  This flint was also quarried by the ancestral Indians for their own use as well as for trade.   “Tools made from Alibates Flint have been found in many places across the Great Plains and Southwest. Its use dates from 13,000 years ago to about 1870”.

 

Some wildlife along the trail.  Horned toad.

Collared lizard.

And a huge grasshopper, at least 2-1/2” long.

Here is the Hotel Borger, long since abandoned, where Bob stayed in 1969.

The Historical Museum had some nice Phillips 66 displays.

Right in the center of this radar map is Borger, thankfully only the tip of the red/purple area got us.  Just a little rain and a few strong wind gusts.

Took a drive Sunday afternoon to the carbon black plant Bob worked at in 1969.  Forty three years later, same product different owner.  Bob tells stories of going to the tower top to collect carbon back samples, today it was in the mid 90’s, then it was in January and really cold.