West Texas: Where America’s Legends and Reality Meet
West Texas is, in many ways, a microcosm of the U.S. itself. It’s a place where our history and myth collide with our contemporary identity, where our ideal of ourselves as a nation contrasts with the reality of everyday life.
With big skies, wide-open spaces, and long roads, there is no better way to experience this land of contrasts than on two wheels. Motorcycling immerses you in the landscape and puts you at its mercy, much in the same way as the people who have been living on this land for thousands of years.
As a launch pad for my two-up West Texas tour with photographer Holly Marcus, we chose El Paso, the region’s de facto capital. Sitting in the shadow of the Franklin Mountains, El Paso is a town that is older than nations, a place literally in the borderlands between two worlds. With a population of just over half a million, it’s the sixth-largest city in Texas, but it butts up against Ciudad Juarez south of the border to form a combined metro area of 2.5 million people.
From downtown El Paso, it’s a short ride to Scenic Drive, a two-mile stretch that clings precariously to the cliffside as it winds through the city’s foothills. Two overlooks afford awe-inspiring views to the south. For a closer view of the border, US 375 runs right along the jumble of railroad tracks, warehouses, and high fences that mark the international boundary.
Before leaving El Paso, we get a grounding in West Texas culture and history by visiting several of the city’s free museums. The downtown El Paso Museum of History highlights the area’s story from colonial days to the present day. The Museum of Archaeology, situated beside the Border Patrol Museum on the northern edge of town, gives insight into the lives of the region’s earliest inhabitants.
Motorcycle & Gear
2024 Honda Gold Wing Tour
Helmets: Schuberth S3
Jackets: Klim Altitude, Joe Rocket Revolution
Pants: Klim Altitude, Klim Latitude
Boots: Cortech Apex RR, Altama Aboottabad Trail
Gloves: Tourmaster Switchback, Icon Sub
Comm System: Schuberth SC2
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mk II, GoPro Hero 11
Afterward, we start our tour heading east on US 62, crossing the Hueco Mountains before descending into the high desert plain. About 75 miles outside of town, just as we’re catching our first glimpses of the Guadalupe Mountains, we pass through a surreal salt flat on both sides of the road. Our pearl white Honda Gold Wing blends into the surrounding moonscape.
The Guadalupe Mountains
The Guadalupe Mountains run for 65 miles through Texas and New Mexico. Most of the range is within the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, including the 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak, which is the highest point in Texas.
The majority of the roads within the park are four-wheel drive only, so street bikes are limited to the views along US 62. The exception is the easy half-mile ride down a dirt road leading to the Frijole Ranch Museum—a restored ranch house from the 1870s whose exhibits detail survival in this rugged environment.