Amistad National Recreation Area - 3/13

Today we visited Amistad NRA on the Rio Grande. The recreation area is a large reservoir created at the confluence of three Rivers just north of the Amistad Dam. The visitor center was a funny stop because the ranger basically said, "If you don't have a boat, there's nothing to do here." We chose to watch a movie at the visitor center and then visit the dam.

The dam was a joint project between Mexico and the U.S.

It runs across the Rio Grande which is the international border. We had to have our passports to explore - because we left the U.S. while still on the dam.

Lots of fun facts about the joint venture including: 

1. The dam is over 6 miles wide. 1.8 miles on the U.S. side and 4.25 miles on the Mexican side. 

2. Mexico controls 44% of the water and USA is allocated 56% so we each paid that percentage of the dam construction in the 1960s.  

3. Each country installed their own hydroelectric plant in the dam in the early 1980s. 

Our kids have heard about building a wall along the southern U.S. border and we chatted about the unique challenges of building a wall when this river is most of the border. 

On our drive through this border region, we have seen many border patrol vehicles and passed through several checkpoints. The checkpoints are easy, but we do actually come to a stop and talk to someone - not like the one were used to on the 5 in CA where you just drive through like it's not there.

This picture is so telling of our current adventure. We are in the middle of NOWHERE. The only thing discernible on the map is not the road - it's a dry riverbed. We have "No Service". Yet, were following the map to find a geocache. 

Turns out it was located on the fence line behind these late buildings. 

And we found a scorpion. (: