Road Trip West 1, Westward Bound

Richard Rathe, April 2026 (Birds, Flowers, History)

I was called to California for a family wedding. The first part of my journey took me through several southern states, the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona. I left about two in the afternoon so I arrived in Pitcher Plant territory after dark. Fortunately I knew where there was a patch just off the shoulder of a county road.

I slept in my car that night so I could get up early to visit one old site that had been closed and one new site in Mississippi.

I was well into Texas when I finally found the Blue Bonnets. As I moved west and south I started seeing red flowers along the roadside, which looked like Paintbrush. Then patches of blue started appearing north of Austin.

There were large pink flowers (Evening Primrose) growing along the ground between the other flowers. At one point a Hawk Moth swooped in to have a drink!

I made my way west on small roads in the Texas Hill Country—a very pleasant drive. At one point I thought I saw a gazelle in the distance. I stopped but it ran over the horizon before I could take a photo. A few miles later I did a double take when I passed two Zebras grazing by the side of the road!

I had apparently found the infamous exotic animal game ranches.