We headed today into Edwards County on the way to Del Rio, through some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve seen in Texas. On the way we stopped in Rocksprings. There are only two towns in Edwards County: Rock Springs, the county seat with about 1300 people, and Barksdale, where about 100 people live.
The Historic Rocksprings Hotel looked interesting so we walked over and went inside.
The hotel owner greeted us and told us a bit about its history. She and her husband, originally from Houston, bought some acreage in Rocksprings in 2004 and later bought and renovated the hotel. There are 11 rooms available for rent.
The owner said that since the pandemic there has been a land rush in the county. Out-of-towners are paying $3,000/acre or more for parcels of land to build homes. Ranch owners are cashing in.
There were a lot of DPS troopers visible all over town. The hotel owner told us that there is significant illegal immigrant criminal activity in the county, with theft, break-ins and scary encounters, so the troopers are there to help.
We had lunch at the Old Jail Grill and Bar, and seated nearby were four DPS troopers.
As we got closer to Del Rio, the hills gave way to flat, sparsely vegetated land with long vistas to the horizon. We passed an ICE checkpoint.
Del Rio is in Val Verde County and borders Mexico and the Rio Grande. It’s a fairly large city of over 30,000. We drove along the river via Verde Vista Street. The miles of riverfront are lined on the US side by houses in various states of repair. Some are new, others are obviously long-abandoned.
Directly across the street from the riverfront homes is a long section of chainlink fencing with razor wire on top. Sections of the fence are complete, while other sections are still under construction.
At one point along the street adjacent to an empty lot we saw a man sitting in the grass along the roadside in front of a parked DPS cruiser. Further along the fence was an open area where we saw several parked DPS cruisers with officers talking to a few individuals.
Governor Abbott has sent thousands of DPS troopers here and to the Valley to help with the increase in illegal border crossings and to help allay the concerns of residents living on isolated ranches.