Globe Trekker (1994) s15e08 Episode Script
West Texas
1 ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
ZAY HARDING: HOWDY, Y'ALL AND WELCOME TO THE LONE STAR STATE WHERE THEY SAY EVERYTHING'S BIG.
THIS PLACE IS RENOWNED AS THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF THE AMERICAN WILD WEST AND ITS HISTORY IS THE STUFF OF LEGEND.
ADVENTURE AWAITS AROUND EVERY BEND, SO IF WE'RE EVEN GOING TO GET TO A FRACTION OF WHAT THIS GREAT BIG STATE HAS TO OFFER, WE'D BETTER GET A MOVE ON.
READY, TEXAS? THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.
YEEHAW, GET'EM, BOYS! TEXAS IS THE SECOND LARGES STATE IN THE U.
S.
AND BORDERS MEXICO TO THE SOUTH AND THE GULF OF MEXICO TO THE EAST.
MY JOURNEY STARTS IN THE STATE CAPITOL, AUSTIN, I THEN HEAD SOUTH TO SAN ANTONIO, HOME OF THE ALAMO, BEFORE HOPPING A TRAIN TO THE FAR WESTERN CORNER OF THE STATE AND THE BORDER TOWN OF EL PASO.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY TRIP I DRIVE NORTH INTO THE PANHANDLE TO EXPERIENCE THE TEXAS LEG OF ICONIC ROUTE 66.
SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF THE COLORADO RIVER, AUSTIN IS THE CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
THE CITY WAS NAMED AFTER STEPHEN F.
AUSTIN.
KNOWN AS "THE FATHER OF TEXAS," AUSTIN HELPED THOUSANDS OF COLONISTS SETTLE THE REGION BACK IN THE 1820'S.
BY THE MID-19TH CENTURY THE CITY WAS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AND ITS IMPRESSIVE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, COMPLETED IN 1888.
TODAY AUSTIN PRESIDES OVER ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE STATES IN THE U.
S.
, BU THE CITIZENS IN THIS TOWN ARE ANYTHING BUT.
AUSTIN'S REPUTATION FOR LIBERAL THINKING AND ITS OFFBEAT MUSIC AND ARTS SCENE HAS TURNED IT INTO A MECCA FOR THOSE WHO MARCH TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM.
OR AS SOME OF THE LOCALS PROUDLY PUT IT WEIRDOS.
THIS IS SOUTH CONGRESS, OR SOCO, AND IT'S ONE OF AUSTIN'S COOLES NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S GOT A GREAT VIBE TO IT: LOTS OF QUIRKY SHOPS, FRIENDLY CAFÃS, VINTAGE CLOTHING STORES, AND LIVE MUSIC EVERYWHERE.
IT'S KINDA LIKE PEOPLE GO OU OF THEIR WAY TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT AROUND HERE.
EVEN WITH FOOD.
HELLO.
SERVER: HI, HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: GOOD, WHAT DO YOU GUYS SELL HERE AT WORST TEX? SERVER: WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR EXOTIC MEAT SAUSAGES.
ZAY HARDING: INTERESTING.
WHAT IS THE MOS POPULAR DISH HERE? SERVER: PROBABLY THE PREDATOR AND PREY.
ZAY HARDING: WHICH IS WHAT? SERVER: RATTLESNAKE AND RABBIT WITH JALAPEÃO PEPPER.
ZAY HARDING: WHOA, IN A SAUSAGE? SERVER: YEAH, IT COMES SERVED IN A BUN WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAUERKRAUT, GRILLED ONIONS, PEPPERS AND A PICKLE.
ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS DELICIOUS.
SO, YOU GUYS HAVE A LO OF RATTLESNAKES HERE? SERVER: YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH? SERVER: YEAH, THEY'RE IN TEXAS FOR SURE.
ZAY HARDING: SO YOU JUST THOUGHT, LET'S PUT 'EM INSIDE OF A SAUSAGE? SERVER: RIGHT, WHY NOT EAT 'EM? ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS GOOD, I'M GONNA TRY THE RATTLESNAKE.
SERVER: OKAY.
ZAY HARDING: SOMETHING DIFFERENT, NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE.
SERVER: HERE'S THE PREDATOR AND PREY.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION.
MMM, NICE AND WARM.
MMM, I WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING CHEWY.
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN, JUST KIDDING.
TASTES LIKE SNAKE.
CAN'T EVEN HEAR I RATTLING, WEIRD.
'KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD' WAS ORIGINALLY A SLOGAN DRUMMED UP BY THE AUSTIN INDEPENDEN BUSINESS ALLIANCE TO PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT IT'S BEEN EMBRACED ACROSS THE CITY WITH SOME MIND BENDING RESULTS.
AND THE APTLY NAMED CATHEDRAL OF JUNK HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF AUSTIN'S WEIRDEST CREATIONS.
IT ALL BEGAN BACK IN THE 1980'S WHEN VISIONARY AND ARTIST VINCE HANNEMAN STARTED COLLECTING DISCARDED OBJECTS FROM AROUND THE TOWN AND PILING THEM UP IN HIS BACKYARD.
ANY GOODIES IN HERE? NAH, JUST JUNK FOOD.
AS THE STRUCTURE BEGAN TO GROW SO DID ITS REPUTATION UNTIL WHAT WAS ONCE A WHIMSICAL PERSONAL PROJECT BECAME AN AUSTIN LANDMARK ATTRACTING THOUSANDS OF CURIOUS VISITORS EVERY YEAR.
THERE'S SO MUCH JUNK HERE.
I'M LIKING THIS MUSIC ROOM.
THANK YOU, AUSTIN! OVER 30 FEET HIGH AND WEIGHING SOME 60 TONS THE CATHEDRAL IS MADE UP OF IMPROVISED TRUSSES WITH 'THE JUNK' SECURED ON TOP WITH WIRE.
IT MAY LOOK FLIMSY, BU IT'S ACTUALLY VERY SECURE, I HOPE.
I'M STANDING AT THE TOP OF A CATHEDRAL OF JUNK.
JUST GOES TO SHOW, ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE.
AND THE CATHEDRAL IS CONTINUALLY EVOLVING, WITH ITS CREATOR, VINCE, ALWAYS FINDING NEW WAYS TO ENHANCE HIS MASTERPIECE OFTEN WITH ITEMS SENT TO HIM FROM ADMIRERS ACROSS THE WORLD.
VINNIE, YOU'RE BECOMING QUITE THE CELEBRITY AROUND HERE.
HOW DID THIS ALL START? VINNIE: JUS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD, YOU KNOW, JUST PUTTING SOME HUBCAPS ON THE FENCE.
IT JUST KINDA GREW TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE STARTED SAYING, "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" AND THEN IT GOT A NAME, AND THEN IT KINDA GOT A LIFE OF ITS OWN AFTER THAT.
SO I HAD SOME THEMES A FIRST, I LIKED FLAT IRONS, TURBAN FANS, AND SHOPPING CARTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S MULTIPLES OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D HAVE SO MANY BARBIE DOLLS.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
VINNIE: IT'S LIKE, I WAS LOOKING AROUND FOR A KEN DOLL THE OTHER DAY, IT'S LIKE, THERE ARE NO I THINK ALL THE GUYS DESTROY THEIR DOLLS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, THEY DON'T CALL THEM DOLLS.
ZAY HARDING: AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS LOOKS VERY CHAOTIC, BUT YOU'RE ACTUALLY VERY ORGANIZED.
YOU'RE MAKING SENSE OF JUNK RATHER THAN JUS COLLECTING THINGS.
VINNIE: I'M NOT A HOARDER.
ZAY HARDING: RIGHT.
VINNIE: I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT BEFORE.
I'M NOT A HOARDER.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT OFFENSIVE? VINNIE: YEAH, 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOARDERS ARE JUS PILING STUFF UP, I'M NOT JUS PILING IT UP, YOU KNOW, I'M MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
ZAY HARDING: YOU GLADLY ACCEPT SOUVENIRS RIGHT? VINNIE: CERTAINLY.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, I BROUGHT, THIS IS JUST A WATER BOTTLE I USE THAT I BROUGH FROM CALIFORNIA.
BUT I'D LIKE IT TO BE INCLUDED INTO YOUR ARTWORK.
VINNIE: COOL, I LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT SAYS "HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.
" THAT'S QUALITY JUNK.
[LIVE MUSIC.]
ZAY HARDING: AUSTIN'S UNIQUE WAY OF DOING THINGS ISN' LIMITED TO ARTISTS LIKE VINCE.
GINNY'S LITTLE LONGHORN SALOON HERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY MAY LOOK LIKE A TYPICAL TEXAN WATERING HOLE, BUT YOU KNOW THAT OLD SAYING ABOUT A BOOK AND ITS COVER? WELL, EVER SINCE GINNY DECIDED TO SPICE UP HER BINGO SUNDAYS THE PLACE IS PACKED TIGHTER THAN A CHICKEN COOP AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A BOARD FULL OF NUMBERS, SOME CORN FEED, AND ONE HUNGRY HEN.
WELCOME TO CHICKEN BINGO.
AN UNUSUAL VERSION OF THE GAME, WHERE THE BOARDS ARE RIGH HERE IN THE CHICKEN PEN.
FOOD IS LAID OUT, THE CHICKEN IS PUT INSIDE IT, IT EATS SOME FOOD AND POOPS OUT ON DIFFERENT SQUARED NUMBERS.
ANNOUNCER: IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN OVER $100, THAT'S RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.
ZAY HARDING: IF IT LINES UP ON YOUR BINGO CARD, THAT YOU'VE BOUGHT, YOU WIN! 39, LUCKY 39! LET'S GO 39, C'MON, 39.
C'MON, BABY, C'MON, BABY.
C'MON, C'MON, THIS WAY! THIS WAY, RIGH THERE, RIGHT THERE.
29, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SPEND SO MUCH TIME STARING AT A CHICKEN'S BEHIND, BUT WITH PRIZE MONEY SET AT $114, NOBODY'S BLINKING.
OVER HERE, OVER HERE! YOU'RE STANDING ON 39, JUST GO RIGHT NOW.
HERE WE GO, HERE WE GO, YEAH! 39, RIGHT THERE ON 39! UNBELIEVABLE! WE HAVE A WINNER! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE! HOST: ALRIGHT, 39, THAT IS THE WINNING NUMBER.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SIR? ZAY HARDING: ZAY.
HOST: ARE YOU HERE WITH FRIENDS, ZAY? ZAY HARDING: I AM, I'M WITH MY CREW HERE FROM "GLOBE TREKKER" AND I.
HOST: ARE YOU KIDDING? ZAY HARDING: YOU COULD NOT HAVE PLANNED THIS, I PROMISE YOU.
HOST: THERE'S NO WAY TO RIG A CHICKEN.
ZAY HARDING: ASK THE PEOPLE, ASK THE PEOPLE, IS THERE A WAY TO RIG THE CHICKEN? WOMAN: YOU BRIBED THE CHICKEN! HOST: ALRIGHT, WHA DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY? ZAY HARDING: I'D LIKE TO JUST OPEN A TAB FOR $114.
[CROWD CHEERS.]
.
IF GAMBLING ON CHICKENS SENDS YOU A LITTLE CUCKOO, DON'T PANIC, THIS TOWN HAS MANY CALMING ALTERNATIVES.
THE COLORADO RIVER RUNS RIGH THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO COME HANG OUT AND RELAX.
YOU CAN SWIM HERE, GO BOATING HERE, AND EVEN FISH HERE.
BUT PEOPLE AREN'T THE ONLY CREATURES WHO LOVE IT HERE.
EVERY NIGHT AROUND THIS TIME AT SUNSET, OTHER VISITORS COME OUT AND PLAY, AND THEY COME BY THE MILLIONS.
[SINISTER LAUGH.]
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, AS TWILIGHT DESCENDS ON THE CITY, OVER A MILLION AND A HALF MEXICAN FREE TALE BATS AWAKEN FROM THEIR NESTS BENEATH CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE AND SAIL FORTH TO GORGE UPON THE RIVERS PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF INSECTS.
THE BATS MIGRATE HERE FROM MEXICO EVERY SPRING TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG AND CREVICES ON THE BRIDGE'S UNDERSIDE PROVIDE IDEAL ROOSTING SPACES.
IT'S AN AWESOME SIGHT AND THE BRIDGE HAS BECOME SO POPULAR WITH THE BATS THAT AUSTIN IS NOW HOME TO THE LARGEST URBAN BAT COLONY IN THE WORLD.
BUT BATS AREN'T THE ONLY CREATURES TO ENJOY AUSTIN'S NIGHT LIFE.
[INAUDIBLE CROWD.]
.
MAN: AMERICA, AWESOME! ZAY HARDING: THE CITY HAS BEEN DUBBED THE 'LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD' AND ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS IN SEARCH OF GOOD MUSIC AND A GOOD TIME.
THIS IS 6TH STREET! IT'S THE CENTER OF NIGHT LIFE IN AUSTIN, AND IT IS WILD OUT HERE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES TO CHOOSE FROM.
GIRL: AAAAAAAH! ZAY HARDING: IF YOU LIKE GOOD, LIVE MUSIC.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO INSIDE, YOU CAN JUST STAY OUTSIDE.
GIRL 2: THE PARTY'S STARTED! ZAY HARDING: AND SOAK UP THE ATMOSPHERE! WILD AND FREE AUSTIN'S MUSIC SCENE IS LEGENDARY.
EVERYONE FROM JANICE JOPLIN TO WILLIE NELSON MADE THEIR NAME HERE AND THE CITY HOSTS MANY MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVALS, BUT FESTIVAL OR NOT, EVERY WEEKEND IN THIS TOWN ROCKS.
JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT IN AUSTIN! LESS THAN TWO HOURS SOUTH OF AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE STATE'S MOST ICONIC CITIES, THE FORMER SPANISH MISSION TOWN OF SAN ANTONIO.
DESPITE ITS LAID BACK SMALL TOWN FEEL, SAN ANTONIO IS THE 7TH LARGEST CITY IN THE U.
S.
AND ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOS POPULAR CITIES IN TEXAS, ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY EAGER TO EXPLORE ITS RICH HISTORY AND RELAX IN THE MANY BARS AND CAFÃS ALONG ITS TRANQUIL RIVER WALK.
SAN ANTONIO IS ALSO HOME TO THE BIGGEST TOURIS ATTRACTION IN TEXAS.
IT'S A SITE OF LEGENDARY STATUS, AND IT PROBABLY SUMS UP WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TEXAN MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM TEXAS TO REMEMBER THE ALAMO.
IS THIS THE LINE HERE? WOMAN: YES, IT IS.
ZAY HARDING: HOLY MOLY.
THE ALAMO STARTED LIFE AS AN 18TH CENTURY SPANISH MISSION, BUT CATAPULTED TO FAME IN 1836 WHEN A SMALL FORCE OF TEXAN LAND OWNERS TOOK ON THE MIGHTY MEXICAN ARMY.
TEXAS WAS A MEXICAN TERRITORY AT THE TIME, EMBROILED IN A BLOODY WAR FOR ITS INDEPENDENCE.
DESPITE A MEXICAN FORCE OF THOUSANDS, THE TEXANS HELD OUT HERE FOR 13 DAYS BEFORE BEING MERCILESSLY SLAUGHTERED.
NEWS OF THE HEROIC DEFEA SWEPT ACROSS THE LAND AND LESS THAN A YEAR LATER TEXAS WON ITS INDEPENDENCE TO THE BATTLE CRY, "REMEMBER THE ALAMO.
" TODAY, THE ALAMO STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF TEXAN VALOR AND EVERY MONTH ITS COURTYARDS FILL WITH HISTORICAL DISPLAYS, BRINGING THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE BACK TO LIFE.
WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE? RECRUITER: WELL, WE'RE SIGNIN' PEOPLE UP TO HELP DEFEND THE ALAMO.
YA INTERESTED IN SIGNIN' UP? ZAY HARDING: DEPENDS, WHAT, WHAT'S MY INCENTIVE? RECRUITER: A LITTLE TASTE OF WHISKY EVR'DAY.
ZAY HARDING: MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART.
RECRUITER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: AH, FIRE WATER! RECRUITER: PRETTY GOOD THOUGH, RIGHT? ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
RECRUITER: WELL COLONEL TRAVIS MAKES SURE WE GET A LITTLE PORTION OF THIS EVR' AFTERNOON.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT RIGHT? RECRUITER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? BASED ON THAT ALONE, I'M GONNA SIGN UP.
RECRUITER: WELL, COLONEL TRAVIS IS IN THE BARRACKS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
ZAY HARDING: WHA KIND OF GUN IS THAT? SOLDIER: WELL, THIS IS A BRITISH BROWN BESS MUSKET.
THIS WAS THE MAIN WEAPON OF THE DAY.
YOU PUT A LITTLE OF THE GUN POWDER IN HERE TO PRIME IT.
ZAY HARDING: YUP.
SOLDIER: YOU PUT THE RES OF THE GUN POWDER IN THERE, AND MAKE SURE YOU MASH IT DOWN PRETTY GOOD.
ZAY HARDING: YOU HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY TIME YOU FIRE? SOLDIER: EVERY TIME.
AND A TRAINED SOLDIER COULD FIRE THREE ROUNDS A MINUTE, SO EVERY 20 SECONDS.
YOU WANNA GIVE IT A TRY? ZAY HARDING: DO YOU NEED MY HELP? SOLDIER: OF COURSE, WE CAN USE EVERYBODY WE CAN GET.
ZAY HARDING: THEN I WILL HELP YOU.
FIRE IN THE HOLE! WHOA! SOLDIER: NOW YOU'RE PART OF THE REVOLUTION.
ZAY HARDING: WOO, YEAH! MANY WHO FOUGHT AND DIED A THE ALAMO BECAME HEROES IN AMERICAN HISTORY, SYMBOLIZING THE BRAVERY AND INDEPENDEN SPIRIT OF NOT JUST TEXAS BUT THE NATION AS A WHOLE.
NOW, JUDGING FROM YOUR WEAPONRY HERE, I'M GONNA GUESS THAT YOU'RE JIM BOWIE.
JIM BOWIE: THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: INVENTOR OF THE BOWIE KNIFE, WOW.
HOW DOES THIS WORK THEN? IT LOOKS LIKE SWORD, A MINI SWORD.
JIM BOWIE: CORRECT.
ZAY HARDING: BUT KINDA LIKE A BUTCHER'S KNIFE.
JIM BOWIE: MMM-HMM.
ZAY HARDING: SO, LET'S SAY I'M YOUR OPPONENT.
WHAT WOULD I BE COMING AT YOU WITH? JIM BOWIE: ANOTHER KNIFE, LET'S SAY.
TAKE THAT ONE UP.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
JIM BOWIE: NOW, COME AT ME WITH YOUR BLADE, I BLOCK IT DOWN HERE LIKE THIS.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY, ALRIGHT.
JIM BOWIE: AND IF I RIP BACK, I COULD GET YOUR WRIST.
ZAY HARDING: AH, I SEE.
JUST THAT LITTLE BIT A THE END WILL SLICE ME.
JIM BOWIE: RIGHT AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE DISARMED.
PERIOD, THE END.
YOU'RE GONNA GO FOR A BACK ZAY HARDING: LITERALLY DISARMED.
JIM BOWIE: MM-HMM.
ZAY HARDING: WERE YOU USING THIS INSTEAD OF A GUN OR IN ADDITION TO A GUN? JIM BOWIE: BACK THEN, GUNS WERE NOT EFFECTIVE.
THEY WERE VERY UNRELIABLE, AND SO KNIVES WERE, AS THEY SAY, ALWAYS LOADED.
ZAY HARDING: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE HERE WITH ME ALAMO LEGEND AND ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD HEROES, DAVEY CROCKETT.
KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER.
DAVEY CROCKETT: WELL, IT'S GOOD TO MEET YA.
ZAY HARDING: NICE TO MEET YOU TOO.
DAVEY CROCKETT: MOST PEOPLE CALL ME COLONEL CROCKETT.
ZAY HARDING: OH, 'SCUSE ME! DAVEY CROCKETT: BUT MY FRIENDS CAN CALL ME DAVEY, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO COUN YOU AS ONE OF MY FRIENDS.
ZAY HARDING: OH, THANK YOU, DAVEY.
IT'S AN HONOR.
SO, HOW DID YOU GE TO BE SO WELL LIKED? DAVEY CROCKETT: IT REALLY GOT STARTED BACK IN TENNESSEE.
I LIVED ON THE FRONTIER AND I HAD A KNACK FOR HUNTING BEAR.
ONE SEASON, I KILLED 105 BEAR.
ZAY HARDING: JEEZ.
DAVEY CROCKETT: THIS IS THE AGE OF THE COMMON MAN, AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU DON'T GET MORE COMMON THAN ME.
ZAY HARDING: I KNOW YOU'RE A LIVING LEGEND RIGHT NOW, BUT DO YOU REALIZE WHA HAPPENS TO YOU IN THE ALAMO.
DAVEY CROCKETT: I UNDERSTAND THAT I, THAT I DIE HERE.
ORDINARILY, THA MIGHT BOTHER A PERSON, BUT BECAUSE I WAS SO POPULAR, AND MANY PEOPLE CARED ABOU ME, THEY BEGAN TO CARE ABOUT WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO TEXAS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT TEXAS BECOMES INDEPENDENT OF MEXICO FOR 10 YEARS, AND THEN I JOINS THE UNITED STATES, BECOMES THE 28TH STATE.
AND SO, IT MAKES ME PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THAT.
WOMAN: THE ALAMO IS OUR HALLOWED GROUND.
THE PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE, DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS.
WOMAN 2: IT'S KIND OF BEEN INCLUDED AS WHAT'S CALLED A "VICTORIOUS DEFEAT" AND I JUST LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN DO AS A TEXAN IF WE JUS KEEP STRIVING, WE EVENTUALLY FIND VICTORY.
WOMAN 3: MY GREAT-GREAT-GREA GRANDFATHER WAS AN ORIGINAL LANDOWNER OF TEXAS AND HE FOUGHT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, SO I CAN STAND HERE TODAY PROUD TO BE A TEXAN.
ZAY HARDING: JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE ALAMO IS ANOTHER TEXAN LEGEND.
THE MENGER HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1859, JUST 23 YEARS AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BY GERMAN BUSINESSMAN CHARLES MENGER.
THE HOTEL WAS FREQUENTED BY MANY PROMINENT FIGURES IN HISTORY AND OOZES OLD WORLD TEXAN CHARM RECALLING A TIME WHEN HONOR AND DECORUM WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
ERNESTO MALACARA: THERE'S A GORGEOUS CLOCK.
ZAY HARDING: ERNESTO MALACARA HAS BEEN MANAGING THE MENGER FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND HAS SOME STORIES TO TELL.
ERNESTO MALACARA: FABULOUS.
'CAUSE THIS LOBBY WAS RECONFIGURED IN 1908 AND 1909.
THAT INCLUDED THE BRAND NEW MARBLE FLOOR, THE EIGHT CORINTHIAN COLUMNS, THE LEADED SKYLIGHT.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS LIKE A MUSEUM? ERNESTO MALACARA: WELL, IT IS A MUSEUM WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT BECAUSE WE'RE 152 YEARS OLD.
ERNESTO MALACARA: ANYONE WHO WAS ANYBODY WOULD STAY IN THIS HOTEL.
ROBERT E.
LEE, ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT, PAINTERS, POETS, ACTORS, JOHN WAYNE, ROY ROGERS HAS A SUITE THAT'S ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER HIM.
WE HAVE SERVICED 13 U.
S.
PRESIDENTS EITHER BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THEY WERE IN OFFICE.
ZAY HARDING: AND NOW ME.
ERNESTO MALACARA: RIGHT, THERE YOU GO, SEE.
THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, WOOHOO.
WITH SO MUCH HISTORY HERE IT'S NO SURPRISE THE MENGER IS REPUTED TO BE THE MOS HAUNTED HOTEL IN TEXAS.
YOU KNOW, THIS PLACE HAS BEEN HERE SO LONG, AND WITH SO MANY GUESTS, DO YOU EVER GET ANY GUESTS THA DON'T WANT TO CHECK OUT? ERNESTO MALACARA: OH, YES, SIR, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THA TOLD ME YEARS BACK THAT HE SAW A WHOLE PLATOON OF MEXICAN SOLDIERS WALKIN' DOWN THE STREET ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
ZAY HARDING: WOW, THAT'S SPOOKY.
ERNESTO MALACARA: AND, WE HAVE 43 OF THOSE THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
ZAY HARDING: 43 SIGHTINGS? ERNESTO MALACARA: 43, YES OF DIFFERENT EVENTS, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
WE HAVE A FELLA, AN OLDER FELLA THAT APPEARS RIGHT DOWN THE HALL.
HE'S WEARING DATED CLOTHING.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT A WOOLEN SUIT, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHEN HE SEES YOU, HE'LL REACH DOWN INTO HIS COAT POCKET, PULL OUT HIS POCKE WATCH, LOOK AT IT, THEN PUT HIS WATCH BACK UP AND DISAPPEAR.
ZAY HARDING: IF WANDERING SPIRITS MAKE YOU A LITTLE JUMPY WHY NOT TRY THE DRINKING VARIETY IN THE MENGER BAR.
IT'S BEEN A POPULAR HANGOUT FOR OVER A CENTURY.
THE MENGER BAR'S A REAL LANDMARK.
BACK IN 1988, PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT USED TO FREQUEN THIS PLACE WHEN HE WAS IN TOWN RECRUITING FOR ROUGH RIDERS.
A BAND OF ROUGHNECKS AND COWBOYS THAT HE USED AS HIS CAVALRY DURING THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
AND IT'S GOT AN OLD-SCHOOL SALOON FEEL TO IT, WHICH I LOVE.
HI.
GHOST: WHAT'LL IT BE, SIR? ZAY HARDING: I WOULD LIKE A SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE.
AND DO YOU HAVE THE TIME? DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CLOCK AROUND HERE ANYWHERE.
BARTENDER: HI, CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER TODAY, SIR? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, I JUST ORDERED WITH THE OTHER BARTENDER.
BARTENDER: NO, I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE TODAY, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: NO, THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY THAT WAS JUST BARTENDER: NO, I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: I'LL HAVE A SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE.
BARTENDER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: MAKE THAT A DOUBLE.
MORNING! IT'S 5:00.
UP NICE AND EARLY, STILL HOT OUTSIDE.
I'VE GOT A TICKET FROM SAN ANTONIO TO EL PASO.
THIS IS ALWAYS A FUN WAY TO TRAVEL IF YOU CAN.
YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTRYSIDE AND SLEEP TOO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S THIS EARLY.
HELLO.
STEWARDESS: HELLO, SEAT NUMBER SEVEN, SO YOU GO THE RIGHT, UP THE STAIRS, AND GO TO THE REAR OF THE CAR.
ZAY HARDING: DOUBLE-DECKER, HUH? STEWARDESS: YES.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MA'AM.
IT'S UPSTAIRS, FANCY.
OH, SHH, EVERYBODY'S SLEEPING.
17; 13; 11 OKAY, THIS IS ME HERE, BU AS EVERYBODY'S SLEEPIN', I THINK I MIGHT JOIN 'EM.
I'M HEADING 500 MILES ACROSS THE STATE TO ITS FAR WESTERN CORNER AND THE BORDER TOWN OF EL PASO.
THE TRAIN JOURNEY TO EL PASO TAKES A GOOD 12 HOURS AND MUCH OF IT FOLLOWS THE STATE'S 200 MILE BORDERLINE WITH MEXICO.
MAN: I REALLY LIKE THE TRAIN; I THINK BOTH OF US DO.
WE'VE TAKEN SEPARATE TRIPS BEFORE.
IT CAN BE A LITTLE SLOW AT TIMES, BUT IN GENERAL, IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
GET TO MEET A LO OF PEOPLE, SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCENERY.
WOMAN: TEXAS IS A VERY BIG STATE, SO YOU IT'S NICE WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU CAN USE, BUT 'CAUSE WHEN YOU GE IN AREAS LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE NO SERVICE.
SO YOU'RE STUCK WATCHING THE SCENERY, SO, THE SAME SCENERY OVER AND OVER, FOR MILES.
NINETEEN HOURS, RIGHT? MAN 2: AT 5:30 THIS MORNING, A CAMERA MAN CAME IN, AND THEN THIS TALL GENTLEMAN WITH A COWBOY HAT AND A CUP OF COFFEE, AND THE DIRECTOR CALLED TO HIM AND I THOUGH HE SAID "JAKE", AND THE GUY TURNED AND LOOKED, AND I THOUGHT, "GOD, THAT'S A TALL GUY.
" AND HE TURNED AROUND, I THOUGHT, "OH, THAT'S JAKE GYLLENHAAL," I THOUGHT.
"HOW WONDERFUL" I THOUGHT, AND "JAKE, JAKE IS ACTUALLY HOSTING THIS SHOW! IT'S GREAT!" THEN I FOUND OU LATER HIS NAME IS ZAY.
ZAY HARDING: ESTABLISHED BY SPANISH SOLDIERS AND MISSIONARIES IN THE 17TH CENTURY, EL PASO HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEFINED BY ITS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
THE CITY WAS NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT PASSAGE FROM MEXICO TO THE NORTH, AND TODAY SITS JUST STATESIDE OF THE MEXICAN BORDER AND CITY OF JUAREZ.
WITH OVER 80% OF ITS CITIZENS OF MEXICAN DESCENT, EL PASO HAS A DISTINCTLY LATINO FLAVOR HARDLY SURPRISING AS THE ONLY NATURAL DIVISION BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES IS A THIN STRETCH OF RIVER.
SO HERE'S THE BORDER LINE BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES.
UP ON THIS BRIDGE, IT'S EASY TO SEE THE RIVER.
THE RIO GRANDE SEPARATES THE TWO COUNTRIES: MEXICO, U.
S.
THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN EL PASO AND CIUDAD JUAREZ IS ONE OF THE MOS CONTROLLED BORDER CROSSINGS IN THE UNITED STATES.
PASSAGE BETWEEN THE TWO IS HEAVILY GUARDED AND THE ONLY LEGITIMATE WAY TO CROSS IS VIA ONE OF FOUR BRIDGES.
WHILE SECURITY HERE HAS MADE EL PASO ONE OF THE SAFES CITIES OF ITS SIZE IN THE US, CIUDAD JUAREZ HAS BECOME A HOTBED OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WHERE ON AVERAGE 30 PEOPLE A DAY ARE KILLED.
JACOB IS A LOCAL WHO HAS SPENT TIME WORKING WITH EL PASO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
JACOB: UM, I BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
RIGHT HERE IS- THIS IS MEXICO HERE.
THIS IS AS CLOSE AS WE CAN ACTUALLY GET WITHOU ACTUALLY CROSS OVER.
ZAY HARDING: AND THIS IS ALL THAT DIVIDES IT, HUH? JACOB: THIS LITTLE FENCE YOU SEE HERE IS THE LAST PIECE THAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S IN EL PASO THAT EXISTS BECAUSE IF YOU GO TWO BLOCKS UP, IT'S A BIG WALL THAT'S TWENTY FEE HIGH, AND IT GOES ALL THROUGH THE UNITED STATES.
ZAY HARDING: I COULD CLIMB THAT, IT'S BARELY ANY DEFENSE AT ALL.
JACOB: WELL, YOU SEE UP THERE? YOU SEE ALL THOSE CAMERAS? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, OH MY GOSH.
JACOB: THAT PICKS UP SOUND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THERE'S A BORDER PATROL AGEN RIGHT BEHIND US ON THAT SIDE, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE RIGHT OVER HERE.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
JACOB: SO, THE CAMERAS UP OVER THERE, THEY KNOW WE'RE HERE.
AND WE'RE BEING HEARD AS WELL.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH? JACOB: YES, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS EVERYBODY THINKS.
ZAY HARDING: SO WHY DO THEY EVEN NEED THIS FENCE? JACOB: WELL, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE DRUG CARTEL, AND THIS IS THE MAJOR BLOOD VEIN OF TRAFFICKING.
I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S CHECKPOINTS WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING EL PASO, BUT ONCE YOU PASS THOSE YOU CAN TRANSPORT YOUR DRUGS AS FAR NORTH AS YOU WANT.
ZAY HARDING: SO, IT'S NO EVEN AN ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION? JACOB: NO.
ZAY HARDING: OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOU THE DRUGS BEING TRAFFICKED JACOB: EXACTLY.
ZAY HARDING: YOU'VE GOT SO MANY FENCES, YOU'VE GOT ALL THIS BORDER PATROL ON BOTH SIDES, SURELY THEY'RE GONNA GE CAUGHT IF THEY TRY THIS.
HOW ARE THEY SLIPPING THROUGH? JACOB: THEY'LL STUFF DRUGS INSIDE CARS, INSIDE HIDDEN COMPARTMENTS.
KIDS, IN THEIR BACKPACKS, THEY COME TO SCHOOL TO GET EDUCATED AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW THEY GOT A BLOCK OF HEROIN OR, OR COCAINE OR WEED IN 'EM AND THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.
ZAY HARDING: WOW.
JACOB: SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO IN THERE AS A TOURIST, STOP IN A RESTAURANT, THEY'LL ENTERTAIN YOU WHILE YOUR CAR GETS PACKED FULL OF DRUGS, AND THEN YOU CROSS IT YOU WON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE CROSSING.
ZAY HARDING: AND THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU? JACOB: THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU, EXACTLY.
THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU AND THEN THEY'LL GET YOU, TAKE THEIR DRUGS OUT AND THERE YOU GO.
ZAY HARDING: WHY DOESN'T ANYONE REPORT THIS? JACOB: ANYBODY TRYING TO GET INVOLVED, THEY GET EXECUTED.
AND I'M TALKING, THEY'LL CHOP YOUR HEAD OFF, LITERALLY.
I'VE SEEN IT.
ZAY HARDING: IS I DANGEROUS FOR US TO BE STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW? JACOB: YES, YOU COULD GET SHOT BY A DRUG CARTEL RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
THEY JUST SHOT INTO US SOIL A COUPLE MONTHS BACK INTO CITY HALL.
THEY'VE SHOT A BORDER PATROL AGENTS, THEY'VE SHOT A PEOPLE WALKING BY.
JUST TO SPREAD THE FEAR, YOU KNOW.
IT'S A BIG MAFIA-MEXICAN WAR.
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON, AND ALL THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSS-FIRE.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE IN MEXICO, AND NOW THEY CAN'T EVEN LIVE IN THEIR OWN LAND BECAUSE OF THIS WHOLE DRUG WAR.
ZAY HARDING: DESPITE THE DIVIDE, THOUSANDS OF MEXICANS FROM JUAREZ LEGITIMATELY CROSS THE BORDER INTO EL PASO EVERY DAY.
WITH INTERTWINED ECONOMIES AND A SHARED CULTURAL HERITAGE THE TWO CITIES RELY ON EACH OTHER.
BUT MANY WHO MAKE THE COMMUTE THESE DAYS ARE FACED WITH EVER INCREASING OBSTACLES.
HOLA.
WORKER: HOLA.
ZAY HARDING: SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING COMING OVER TO TEXAS? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: HE GOES TO WORK.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, SO YOU GO THROUGH THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR WORK? [TRANSLATES IN SPANISH.]
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WORKER: YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: SO, DO THEY EVER SEARCH YOU, COMING OVER? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: SOMETIMES, YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? [TRANSLATES IN SPANISH.]
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[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT 5 MINUTES, HE SAYS, ON A GOOD DAY.
ZAY HARDING: UH-HUH.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
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JACOB: AND WHEN I WASN'T A GOOD DAY, IT WAS 6 HOURS HE HAD TO WAIT.
ZAY HARDING: JEEZ, 6 HOURS? HELLO.
STUDENT: HI.
ZAY HARDING: DO YOU YOU LIVE IN JUAREZ? STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: AND DO YOU COME OVER EVERY DAY OR JUST TODAY? STUDENT: YES, NO EVERY DAY.
I'M AT SCHOOL AT UTEP.
ZAY HARDING: OH, YOU'RE A STUDENT? OH, WOW.
STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: SO YOU, YOU COMMUTE EACH DAY? STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: DO YOU LOVE JUAREZ? STUDENT: UM, SINCE THREE YEARS FROM NOW, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE.
I HAVE THIS FRIEND THA HER FATHER GOT KILLED, AND WE HEAR SHOTS OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT TIMES AND ALL THAT, BUT.
ZAY HARDING: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CALL THE POLICE? STUDENT: MMM, THEY DON'T DO NOTHING.
ZAY HARDING: HELLO.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
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YOU ACTUALLY NOW RESIDE IN AMERICA? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
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[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: YEAH, HE LIVES HERE.
ZAY HARDING: IN EL PASO? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
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[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: YES.
ZAY HARDING: I SEE AND SO EVERY THIRD DAY YOU GO VISIT YOUR DAUGHTER? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
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[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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FATHER: AH, YEAH, ARE YOU CONCERNED? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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JACOB: YEAH, YEAH.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
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A LOT OF TIMES THEY KILL PEOPLE AND NOBODY EVEN GETS CAUGHT.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
JACOB: ALL THE BAD STUFF IS OVER THERE.
THE UNITED STATES IS VERY CALM, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD COUNTRY JUST ALL THE VIOLENCE AND EVERYTHING IS OVER THERE.
ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE CATCHING SOMEBODY NOW WITH SUCH A STRONG MEXICAN INFLUENCE YOU MIGHT THINK EL PASO DOESN'T BELONG IN TEXAS, BUT YOU'D BE WRONG.
ITS DESERT LANDSCAPE IS STREWN WITH CATTLE RANCHES AND COWBOYS AND ITS HISTORY READS LIKE A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE.
LEGENDS LIKE BILLY THE KID, PONCHO VILLA, AND CALAMITY JANE ALL PASSED THROUGH HERE WHEN SHOOT OUTS, CATTLE DRIVES AND INDIAN BATTLES WERE COMMON PLACE.
WELL, I'M JUST A FEW MILES OUTSIDE OF EL PASO, AND IT FEELS LIKE I'M OU IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, BUT I'VE COME HERE TO MEET UP WITH HISTORIAN AND WILD WES ENTHUSIAST BERNIE SERGEANT, WHO'S GOING TO SHOW ME WHA LIFE WAS LIKE IN THESE PARTS BACK IN THE OLDEN DAYS.
BLOW ME DOWN, IF THAT AIN'T HIM, I'LL EAT MY HAT! DRIVER: WHOA! BERNIE: HOWDY, YOU MUST BE ZAY! ZAY HARDING: YEAH, HEY BERNIE.
BERNIE: WELL, CLIMB ON IN HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THANK YOU IT'S COOL.
ALRIGHT, HELLO, HELLO.
BERNIE: FIRST TRIP? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, YEAH.
BERNIE: IT'LL, IT'LL BE EXCITIN'.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
DRIVER: GIDDY UP OUTTA HERE! YAH, YAH! BERNIE: YEE-HAW! ZAY HARDING: YEE-HAW! IN THE MID 1800'S, STAGECOACH TRAVEL WAS ARGUABLY THE MOS EFFICIENT WAY TO GET ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND EL PASO WAS AN IMPORTANT STOP ON ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ROUTES.
BETWEEN 1858 AND 1861 THE BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH CARRIED PASSENGERS AND MAIL ON A TRAIL STRETCHING FROM ST.
LOUIS MISSOURI TO SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA.
SO TELL ME ABOU THE BUTTERFIELD.
BERNIE: A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD TAKE THE BUTTERFIELD AND HEAD OUT WEST; THEY WERE GOING OU THERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GOLD STRIKES THA WERE TAKING PLACE AND ALL THE NEW BUSINESSES.
ZAY HARDING: I SEE.
BERNIE: SO THEY'D HOP ON THE OLD BUTTERFIELD AND THEY'D LAY DOWN $200.
ZAY HARDING: TWO HUNDRED BUCKS WOULD GET YOU CROSS COUNTRY? BERNIE: YEAH, IT'S ABOU $4,000 IN TODAY'S MONEY.
ZAY HARDING: OH I SEE, RIGHT, YEAH.
BERNIE: IT'S JUST AMAZING WHA PEOPLE WOULD PUT THEMSELVES THROUGH TO GO WEST.
THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE SITTIN' ON THE FLOOR DOWN HERE.
ZAY HARDING: OH YEAH.
BERNIE: THEY'D, THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE SITTIN' ON THE ROOF.
THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE HANGIN' ON THE BACK, AND THEY WOULD JUS BE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
NOT TO MENTION, YOU NEVER KNEW WHEN THERE WAS GOING TO BE A HIGHWAY MAN, A BANDIT, OR AN INDIAN WHO DECIDED THEY NEEDED THAT HORSE MUCH MORE THAN THE STAGECOACH NEEDED IT.
OR THEY NEEDED SOME PRETTY LITTLE PHILLY WHO WAS RIDIN' ON BOARD AND THEY WANTED A NEW WIFE.
ZAY HARDING: WERE THESE INDIANS DANGEROUS LIKE WE SEE IN THE MOVIES? WERE THEY SCALPING THE WHITE GUYS? BERNIE: YEAH, YEAH, THAT DID HAPPEN.
NOT ONLY WHITE GUYS, BUT THE FAMILY, THE WIVES AND THE CHILDREN.
DISMEMBERED, DISEMBOWELLED, THE ATROCITIES WERE INCREDIBLE.
AND SO THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY HAD TO ENCOUNTER WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THAT 25 DAY TRIP CROSS COUNTRY.
ZAY HARDING: TWENTY-FIVE DAYS? BERNIE: TWENTY-FIVE DAYS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL AIR-CONDITIONED COACH.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
BERNIE: SEE, YOU CAN SEE THE WIND? JUST BLOWIN' THROUGH HERE.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT YOU? BERNIE: YEAH.
DRIVER: WHOA! BERNIE: WELL, ZAY, THIS IS WHERE WE GET OFF.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
WOMAN: GODSPEED, GENTLEMEN.
ZAY HARDING: THANK YOU.
BERNIE: THANK YOU, FOLKS.
BERNIE: ZAY, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING OUT HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THE BUTTERFIELD TRAIL COVERED SOME 3000 MILES FROM START TO FINISH AND MADE LESS THAN 30 STOPS.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS HERE AT AN UNUSUAL CLUSTER OF ROCKS KNOWN AS HUECO TANKS.
HA, THIS IS AMAZING.
IT'S LIKE A GIANT MOVIE SET.
BERNIE: I REALLY IS INCREDIBLE.
THIS ALL THESE ROCKS COVERED WITH THE POCKMARKS, THE HOLES, IT'S CALLED HUECO TANKS FOR A REASON.
HUECO MEANING HOLE OR BOWL.
IT CONTAINED RAINWATER WHEN THE RAINS WOULD COME, WHICH ISN'T VERY OFTEN, IT'D FILL THOSE HOLES AND BECAME KIND OF AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHIHUAHUAN DESERT.
ZAY HARDING: SURE, YEAH AND IT'S DRINKABLE, YEAH? BERNIE: ABSOLUTELY DRINKABLE.
THE BUTTERFIELD TRAIL IN FACT, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT CAME THROUGH HERE 'CAUSE THEY KNEW NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THEY'D FIND SOME WATER IN SOME OF THESE HOLES IN THESE ROCKS UP HERE.
ZAY HARDING: NICE.
BERNIE: WELL, ZAY, THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL A NEWSPAPER CAVE.
YOU CAN SEE BY THE WRITING ON THE WALLS HERE AND THE YEARS THAT IT COVERED.
THAT'S A GOOD 150 YEARS' WORTH OF GRAFFITI.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE.
BERNIE: THESE OVER HERE ARE VERY INTERESTING.
LET ME SHOW YOU THESE.
A COUPLE OF NAMES AND SOME FOLKS WITH DATES GOING BACK TO THE 1850S: 1853, 1858, 1858.
WE'RE THINKING THAT PERHAPS A COUPLE OF THESE FOLKS LIKE PINKERTON AND BRADLEY AND SO ON MIGHTA WORKED ON THIS STAGE COACH STOP OR WERE SOME OF THE FIRST PASSENGERS TO COME THROUGH HERE AND WANTED TO LEAVE AN IDENTIFICATION FOR FUTURE TRAVELERS.
ZAY HARDING: SO THEY WOULD'VE WHAT? COME OFF THE TRAIL, COME HERE FOR SOME SHADE OR SOMETHING? BERNIE: WELL THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM THE HEAT.
IT'S GOT WATER AVAILABLE IN THE TANKS ZAY HARDING: PROBABLY SOME FIRES, COOKIN' SOME BEANS, DRINKIN' SOME WHISKEY, AND READING THE NEWS OF WHO ELSE HAS BEEN HERE IN THE PAST.
STAGECOACH PASSENGERS WERE NOT THE FIRST TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF HUECO TANKS.
THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SETTLEMENTS HERE SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES AND INDIAN TRIBES LIKE THE APACHE AND KAIWA HAVE FREQUENTED THIS PLACE FOR CENTURIES.
THEY TOO LEFT THEIR MARK, DECORATING MANY OF ITS CAVES WITH DYE BASED PAINTINGS KNOWN AS PICTOGRAPHS.
BERNIE: THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE KAIWA STAGE PANEL.
WHAT IT INDICATES HERE IS A BATTLE THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THE KAIWA INDIANS AND HUNDREDS OF MEXICAN SOLDIERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY THA ONE PICTOGRAPH UP THERE, KIND OF A SKINNY APPARITION THAT INDICATES THA THEY WERE STARVING.
ZAY HARDING: THE HOURGLASS FIGURE WAS THE HUNGRY KAIWA? BERNIE: SO HUNGRY THA THEY ATE THEIR LIVESTOCK TO STAY ALIVE.
ZAY HARDING: WHO'S THIS GUY HERE? BERNIE: THAT WOULD BE A MEXICAN SOLDIER DEPICTION THA THEY WOULD HAVE PUT UP THERE, SO THIS WHOLE THING DEPICTS THE BATTLE SITE, THE SIEGE, AND COMMEMORATES THE FAC THAT THEY LIVED AFTER MANY, MANY, MANY NIGHTS OF PRAYER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THA WAS REALLY NEAT.
BERNIE: YEAH I THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY THAT.
AND ZAY I GOT A BIG TREAT FOR YA.
I WANT YOU TO RIDE SHOTGUN.
DOC, WHY DON'T YOU HAND HIM THAT PIECE WHEN HE GETS UP THERE ON THE SEAT.
ZAY HARDING: IS THIS WHERE THE TERM SHOTGUN CAME FROM? BERNIE: THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT CAME FROM.
RIDER: HERE WE GO.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGH I'M RIDING SHOTGUN.
DRIVER: SAY, STEP UP! ZAY HARDING: THE BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH ONLY LASTED THREE YEARS BEFORE WELLS FARGO RAN IT OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT IT WAS THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAILROADS IN THE 1880'S THA MARKED THE END OF STAGECOACH TRAVEL AND WITH IT WHAT MANY REGARD AS THE HAY DAYS OF THE WILD WEST.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY JOURNEY I'M HEADING NORTH INTO AN AREA CALLED THE PAN HANDLE TO TRAVEL THE MOST ICONIC HIGHWAY IN THE COUNTRY: ROUTE 66.
MY DRIVE COVERS OVER 500 MILES AND TAKES IN SOME OF THE MOST DRAMATIC SCENERY IN THE STATE INCLUDING, PALO DURO, THE SECOND LARGES CANYON IN THE COUNTRY KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'THE GRAND CANYON OF TEXAS'.
THE TEXAS PAN HANDLE IS A VAS AREA OF FLAT FARMLAND AND FOR DECADES WAS ONE OF THE LEAS POPULATED PARTS OF THE STATE, BUT ALL THAT CHANGED WHEN A LEGENDARY ROAD WAS BUIL ACROSS IT, CALLED ROUTE 66.
MY JOURNEY ON ROUTE 66 STARTS IN MCLEAN TEXAS, KNOWN AS THE UPLIFT TOWN BECAUSE OF A BRASSIERE FACTORY THAT ONCE OPERATED HERE.
CROCODILE LYLE: HOWDY, PARTNER.
HOW YA, DOIN? ZAY HARDING: HOW'S IT GOIN'? CROCODILE LYLE: ALRIGHT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY GAS OUTTA THAT PUMP.
IT HASN'T WORKED SINCE 1955.
ZAY HARDING: YOU'RE KIDDING.
CROCODILE LYLE: NO I'M NOT.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS FUNNY TO YOU, HUH? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH.
AH, THIS WAS THE FIRST FILL-UP STATION IN TEXAS IN 1929.
ZAY HARDING: DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THIS? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A TOURIST STOP FOR ALL THE ROADIES THAT TRAVEL 66.
ZAY HARDING: I'M FEELIN' A LITTLE SILLY.
CROCODILE LYLE: CROCODILE LYLE.
ZAY HARDING: ZAY HARDING NICE NAME.
CROCODILE LYLE: ZAY, I'M SITTIN' HERE WAITIN' ON A BUDDY A MINE TO COME PICK ME UP, I BROKE DOWN ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD.
ZAY HARDING: WHERE YOU HEADED? CROCODILE LYLE: TRYIN'A GET TO AMARILLO.
ZAY HARDING: OH HOP IN, I'M GOIN' THERE.
CROCODILE LYLE: WONDERFUL! ZAY HARDING: WHA ARE YOU LIKE A ROUTE.
66 FANATIC? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, I SELL STUFF UP AND DOWN THE ROAD.
IT'S A NICE RIDE YA GOT.
ZAY HARDING: HEY THANKS, AN OLD FRIEND LEANT THIS TO ME.
CROCODILE LYLE: REALLY? IF I HAD A CAR LIKE THIS I WOULDN'T LOAN IT TO ANYBODY.
ZAY HARDING: SO IS THERE A WORKING PETROL STATION? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, THERE'S ONE A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD.
ZAY HARDING: ROUTE 66 WAS ONE OF THE FIRST INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS IN THE U S AND HAS BEEN AN AMERICAN LEGEND EVER SINCE IT WAS DUBBED 'THE MOTHER ROAD' IN THE CLASSIC NOVEL THE "GRAPES OF WRATH.
" ESTABLISHED IN 1926 ROUTE 66 COVERED SOME TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND MILES ACROSS THE COUNTRY LINKING CHICAGO WITH LOS ANGELES.
THESE DAYS, ONLY STRETCHES OF THE ORIGINAL ROUTE STILL EXIST, BUT FOR ANYONE WILLING TO EXPLORE THEM, A BIG SLICE OF 20TH CENTURY AMERICANA AND THE FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD AWAITS.
CROCODILE LYLE: I JUST LOVE TRAVELLIN' THIS OLD ROAD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, YA MEE SO MANY NEAT PEOPLE AND SEE SO MANY NEAT HISTORIC THINGS.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
CROCODILE LYLE: THA LEANING WATER TOWER PEOPLE THINK IT JUS NATURALLY LEANED OVER, BUT IT DIDN'T.
THESE GUYS HAD A TRUCK STOP THERE AND THEY WANTED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES, SO THEY BUILT THIS TOWER JUST TO CATCH YOUR EYE.
ZAY HARDING: LEANING WATER TOWER OF PIZA.
CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S WHERE THEY GO IT I GUESS.
ZAY HARDING: WHA WAS THE HAY DAY OF RT.
66? CROCODILE LYLE: THE BIG HAY DAY, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER WWII.
AND THE SERVICE MEN GOT OU OF THE ARMY AND THEY HAD MONEY AND BOUGHT NEW CARS.
AND THEY WANTED SOME PLACE TO SEE SO THEY TOOK OFF DOWN THE ROAD WITH THEIR WITH THEIR GIRLFRIEND OR THEIR BUDDY 'CAUSE THEY WANTED TO SEE THE UNITED STATES.
THEY WANTED TO SEE THE HOME THAT THEY JUST DEFENDED.
IT DOES FEEL A BIT LIKE YOU'VE GONE BACK IN TIME, DOESN'T IT? CROCODILE LYLE: IT DOES.
YOU'RE BACK IN THE '40S OR '50S OR '60S, YOU KNOW AND BOB WALMAR SAID IT BEST, "SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE ROAD, YA KNOW? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, YEAH, WOOHOO! THE TEXAN LEG OF ROUTE 66 STRETCHES 178 MILES, FROM THE OKLAHOMA BORDER TO NEW MEXICO AND RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF IT IS THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
KNOWN FOR ITS RAILROAD DEPOTS, BIG STEAKS AND HELIUM, AMARILLO IS WHERE I BID FAREWELL TO CROCODILE AND GO IT ALONE.
OH, IT USED TO A, A GAS STATION? CROCODILE LYLE: USED TO BE AN OLD FILLIN' STATION, YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
CROCODILE LYLE: NOW IT'S A RESTAURANT AND BAR.
ZAY, THANKS FOR THE RIDE.
I APPRECIATE IT, BUDDY.
ZAY HARDING: GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.
CROCODILE LYLE: YOU HAVE A SAFE TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
DON'T FORGET TO STOP ALL THOSE NEAT PLACES I TOLD YA ABOUT.
ALRIGHT? ZAY HARDING: I WILL, DEFINITELY.
CROCODILE LYLE: DRIVE SAFE, THANKS.
ZAY HARDING: GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.
WOMAN: IF YOU REALLY WANNA SEE SMALL TOWN LIFE IN AMERICA'S ABOUT.
WHAT WHAT THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE LIVING, IT'S ALONG ROUTE 66.
WOMAN 2: IT'S OLD AND NOSTALGIC, AND THE SHOPS ON THE STREET ARE ANTIQUES.
THINGS THAT YOU DON'T FIND IN A SHOPPING MALL ANYWHERE.
MAN: AH, IT'S FREEDOM.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.
I GET ON THIS HORSE RIGHT HERE, I'M GONE.
MAN 2: IT'S THE GREATEST RIDE YOU'LL EVER TAKE IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER IT'S TWO-WHEELS OR EIGHTEEN-WHEELS.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT.
MAKES YOUR HEARTBE PROUD.
ZAY HARDING: ROUTE 66 IS CREDITED WITH THE INVENTION OF HIGHWAY ESSENTIALS LIKE THE MOTEL AND ROADSIDE DINER.
WELL, I'M GETTING PRETTY HUNGRY, SO I'M STOPPING A ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS, OR YOU MIGHT SAY, INFAMOUS EATERIES ON THE HIGHWAY.
THEY SAY EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS BUT THIS PLACE TAKES THE CAKE OR SHOULD I SAY 'STEAK' GROUP: HOWDY! ZAY HARDING: HI.
YOU CAN'T COME TO THIS PART OF TEXAS WITHOUT STOPPING HERE.
THIS IS THE BIG TEXAN AND IT'S FAMOUS FOR ITS 72 OZ.
STEAKS THAT YOU GET FREE IF YOU FINISH IT WITHIN AN HOUR.
IF YOU FINISH IT AT ALL IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY AMAZING AND I'M VERY, VERY NERVOUS, EVEN THOUGH I'M A BIG EATER.
HOSTESS: HOWDY! ZAY HARDING: HI.
HOSTESS: HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: I WANT I'M DOIN' GREAT.
CAN I ATTEMPT THE 72? HOSTESS: SURE, RIGHT ON.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, GOOD, GOOD.
THE BIG TEXAN FIRS OPENED ITS DOORS IN 1960, BUT DIDN'T BECOME A ROUTE 66 INSTITUTION UNTIL A FEW YEARS LATER WHEN I INTRODUCED ITS 72 OZ.
STEAK EATING CHALLENGE.
THIS GUY'S BEEN GOIN' AT IT FOR 25 MINUTES.
HOW'S IT GOING? MAN: GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: GOOD, YOU'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD ACTUALLY.
AND YOU ALREADY AT THE POTATO? MAN: AND SHRIMP.
ZAY HARDING: AND SHRIMP? WAITER: HOW YOU DOING? ZAY HARDING: GOOD.
WAITER: WHAT CAN I GET YOU TO EAT, MATE? ZAY HARDING: OH, I'M WANNA TRY THE 72 OUNCE.
WAITER: YOU WANNA TRY OUR BIG STEAK? ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
WAITER: WE'RE OUT OF THE SHRIMP THIS EVENING.
IN PLACE, WE'RE DOIN' ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY, WHAT'S THAT? WAITER: THEY'RE FRIED BULL TESTICLES.
IT'S ACTUALLY A DELICACY IN TEXAS.
ZAY HARDING: PERFECT.
OH, OKAY, ALRIGHT.
SO I LUCKED OUT THEY WERE OUT OF SHRIMP? WAITER: OUTSTANDING.
WE'LL GET YOU SERVED RIGHT UP, MATE.
GREAT, THEY'RE OU OF THE SHRIMP SO I GE BULL'S BALLS INSTEAD.
OH BUBS.
GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN.
WAITER: LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION ON STAGE, PLEASE? THIS POOR MAN HAS EXACTLY ONE HOUR TO PUT DOWN 4.
5 POUNDS OF OUR TEXAN TOP SIRLOIN.
GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND CHEER HIM ON.
[CROWD CHEERS.]
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ZAY HARDING: WHAT IS THAT? OH, MAN.
I COULDN'T EVEN CU IT WITH MY KNIFE.
CROWD: 4, 3, 2, 1, OH! ZAY HARDING: MAN, YOU ALMOST MADE IT.
WELL DONE FOR TRYING, MAN.
MAN: GOOD LUCK.
ZAY HARDING: THAT'S AWESOME.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT OVER 8,000 PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY WON THE CHALLENGE SINCE IT FIRST STARTED, INCLUDING A 65 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER BUT THE RECORD GOES TO JOEY 'JAWS' CHESTNUT WHO MANAGED TO DOWN THE DIABOLICAL DISH IN 8 MINUTES AND 52 SECONDS! LOOKS LIKE I GOT COMPANY.
THESE GUYS ARE REALLY COOL.
THEY DROVE UP THIS MORNING FROM HOUSTON, AND THEY WERE SO HUNGRY BEFORE THEY GOT HERE, THEY EACH HAD A BURGER.
I'M GONNA KEEP WORKIN' AT THIS, BUT I GOTTA START ATTACKIN' THE BULL'S TESTICLES.
THANK GOODNESS THEY'RE DEEP FRIED.
EVERYTHING IN MY BODY IS SAYING IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
20, 23 SECONDS.
THAT'S NOT GOOD.
GIRL: DON'T CHEW, DON'T EVEN CHEW.
GIRLS: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! GIRL 2: C'MON, C'MON, C'MON! ZAY HARDING: AW, C'MON! OH, MAN.
I COULDA DONE IT IF I HAD A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
WAITER: GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR TRYING.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT! [GRUNTS.]
.
WAITER: HERE YA GO, MAN.
ZAY HARDING: LOOK AT THAT! SEE, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A WINNER, YOU'RE A WINNER FOR TRYING.
OH, THINK I MIGHT NEED THIS.
THE TEXAS LEG OF ROUTE 66 IS NOT JUST FAMOUS FOR ITS EATERIES, IT'S ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE MOST VISITED AR INSTALLATIONS IN THE STATE.
CADILLAC RANCH WAS CREATED IN THE 1970'S BY A SAN FRANCISCO ART COLLECTIVE CALLED THE ANT FARM.
CONSISTING OF 10 VINTAGE CADILLAC'S BURIED NOSE DOWN IN THE GROUND IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO MEAN BU SITTING SO CLOSE TO WHERE THE OLD ROUTE 66 RAN IT SOMEHOW SEEMS AN APPROPRIATE LANDMARK.
WHEN THEY FIRS STARTED CADILLAC RANCH, THEY WERE JUS NORMAL CADILLAC'S STUCK INTO THE GROUND.
A BIT LIKE STONEHENGE.
AND OVER TIME EVERYONE'S COME AND LEFT THEIR MARKS.
AND NOW IT'S JUS KINDA THE THING TO DO LEAVE YOUR MARK ON THIS WORK OF ART.
THERE.
LIFE ALONG ROUTE 66 THRIVED FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY, BUT THE ARRIVAL OF MULTI-LANE FREEWAYS IN THE 1970'S AND 80'S SPELLED THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
BY 1985 THE ROUTE WAS BROKEN UP, REPLACED BY SUPER HIGHWAYS OR RELEGATED TO LOCAL THOROUGHFARES BACK ROADS, ON WHICH FEW WISHED TO TRAVEL.
ALONG WITH IT WENT MANY LITTLE TOWNS THAT RELIED ON THE OLD ROUTE FOR BUSINESS, LIKE GLENRIO HERE ON THE BORDER WITH NEW MEXICO.
BACK IN THE HAY DAYS OF ROUTE 66 ITS GAS STATIONS, CAFES AND MOTELS FLOURISHED.
TODAY THE TOWN STANDS AS A GHOSTLY REMINDER OF A GOLDEN ERA, LONG GONE BUT NO FORGOTTEN BY ANYONE WILLING TO 'SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE ROAD'.
SEE THAT OLD SIGN UP THERE? IT USED TO READ THE "FIRST" AND "LAST" MOTEL/CAFÃ IN TEXAS DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY YOU WERE GOING.
FOR ME IT'S THE LAST, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE STATE LINE AND I'M HEADED ABOUT ELEVEN HUNDRED MILES THAT WAY ONWARD TO MY HOME IN LA, BUT I'M SURE GONNA MISS THIS STATE.
FROM IT'S WIDE OPEN SPACES TO THE HOSPITALITY AND THE INDEPENDEN SPIRIT OF ITS PEOPLE.
THE STATE OF TEXAS MAY END HERE, BUT MY MEMORIES OF IT, WON'T.
HAPPY TRAILS, PARTNER.
NARRATOR: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL GLOBE TREKKER EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY, SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
MAN: YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITE.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD AND NOW ON DEMAND FROM GLOBETREKKER.
TV.
MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD, YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW GLOBE TREKKER ANNUAL FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
TO ORDER GLOBE TREKKER PRODUCTS CALL 888-565-0361 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.
GLOBETREKKERTV.
COM ZAY HARDING: A LO OF PEOPLE WANNA KNOW, HOW DO YOU GE FROM CITY TO CITY.
DO YOU GUYS FLY THERE, DO YOU DRIVE THERE, DO YOU WALK THERE, OR WHAT? BUT, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE SIT IN THE CAR FOR HOURS A DAY GOIN' BACK AND FORTH TO DIFFERENT CITIES.
AND THIS IS OUR DRIVER GEORGE.
STEVE: HI, GEORGE! GEORGE: HI.
ZAY HARDING: THE WAYS TO PASS TIME IN THESE LONG JOURNEYS IS TO PLAY SCRABBLE ON THE IPAD.
STEVE: YEAH, BU THERE'S ONE DRAWBACK TO THE SCRABBLE BUSINESS.
ZAY HARDING: WHAT'S THAT? STEVE: ONE PERSON WINS EVERYSINGLETIME.
LISA: SMARTY-PANTS.
MARTIN: I DO ADMIT.
[INAUDIBLE CHATTER.]
.
I DO ADMIT SOME OF THE WORDS, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF.
ZAY HARDING: CAN YOU GIVE ME, SIR, THE MOST HAUNTED ROOM YOU HAVE HERE.
CONCIERGE: THEY'RE ALL HAUNTED NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
USUALLY IF WE COVER A HAUNTED HOTEL WE WON' ACTUALLY STAY THERE 'CAUSE IT'S JUST TOO CREEPY THIS IS OUR THIRD TIME STAYING HERE.
CREW: AHHHH! STEVE: WELCOME TO HAUNTED CENTRAL.
ZAY HARDING: IF YOU DO HEAR KNOCKS, IT'S ONE OF THESE GUYS MOST LIKELY.
MARTIN: REALLY? ZAY HARDING: 'CAUSE AS ORLANDO SAID, GHOSTS WON'T KNOCK WILL THEY? SO JUST KNOW MARTIN: WELL, 'CAUSE THE HAND'LL GO STRAIGHT THROUGH.
STEVE: THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST CREEPY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW? ZAY HARDING: WHERE'S THIRT- THIRT- NO! THIS IS THE ROOM, THIS IS THE STEVE: WAIT, ARE YOU IN THIRTY? ZAY HARDING: NO, NO! THIS IS THE ROOM.
STEVE: ARE YOU IN THIRTY? ZAY HARDING: OH MAN LOOK, THIRTY-FIFTEEN.
YES, THIS IS ME.
STEVE: I STAYED IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S GENERAL WILLIAM T.
SHERMAN'S SUITE.
HE'S A CIVIL WAR AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENERAL.
I THINK HE'S THE GUY THAT BURNT ATLANTA DOWN IF I'M CORRECT.
LOOK AT HIM.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS THE ONE PICTURE THAT ERNESTO, THE GUY THAT'S BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 30 YEARS SAID HE FEELS THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK RAISE EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT IT.
HERE WE GO.
STEVE: BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE.
OH MY, GOSH.
THE ROCKING CHAIR'S ROCKING AND NOBODY'S IN IT.
ZAY HARDING: WHY IS THERE ANOTHER DOOR HERE? STEVE: THAT'S SO THE GHOST CAN GET OUT QUICKLY.
ZAY HARDING: THAT'S SO I CAN GET OUT QUICKLY.
ALRIGHT, COOL.
STEVE: NOW, IF THAT AIN' A CIVIL WAR GENERAL'S BED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
OKAY? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, THAT'S HIM.
DID YOU HEAR THAT? STEVE: DID I HEAR WHAT? ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, I'M STARTIN' TO HEAR STEVE: THE GENERAL'S ALREADY MOVIN' AROUND THE PLACE.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
STEVE: YEAH, IT'S 4:00AM.
NO GHOSTS, NO GHOSTS.
ZAY HARDING: I DIDN'T SEE ANY GHOSTS.
THANK GOODNESS.
MARTIN: NO, NO SPOOKS.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, WE SURVIVED THE HOTEL EVERYONE! OR DID WE? [MENACING LAUGH.]
OUR TRAIN LEAVES AT 5:30, WE'RE TRYIN'A GET ALL THESE BAGS SORTED, I THINK WE HAVE LIKE SEVENTEEN IN TOTAL.
LISA: IT'S JUS TOO EARLY FOR THIS.
ZAY HARDING: WE'RE TAKING ALL THESE ON NOW AND WE HAVE TO FILM A PIECE OF ME TALKING ABOUT THE TRAIN, FOR THE SHOW, WHICH IS GOING TO CUT US DOWN TO THE WIRE.
IT'S GETTIN' VERY STRESSFUL HERE, 'CAUSE IF THE TRAIN LEAVES, IT'S GONE.
STEVE: GET READY TO GO FILM, ZAY.
ZAY HARDING: WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GET ON, UP HERE? GOOD MORNING, IT'S 5:00AM OOH, OW, UGH, I'M ALRIGHT.
STEVE: IT'S SO HOT.
ZAY HARDING: SO BASICALLY, WHAT'S GOIN' ON IS WE'RE FILMIN' THIS 1964 MUSTANG ON ROUTE 66.
STEVE: YOU'LL PROBABLY NOTICE, HOW DO YOU GET HOW DO YOU SEE THESE GUY'S FACES AS THEY'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET A BIG CAMERA IN FRONT OF 'EM, SO WE HAVE TO STICK THE LITTLE MINIATURE CAMERA THERE.
SO WE HAVE TO CAMERAS GOIN' HERE.
WE GOT THE LITTLE ONE ON THE CAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR BIG ONE THAT'S GONNA DRIVE ALONGSIDE, SO WE CAN GET TWO ANGLES WHILE THEY TALK.
ORLANDO: THESE ARE GREAT, THESE LITTLE CAMERAS, 'CAUSE THEY A YOU CAN JUST TUCK THEM AWAY IN LITTLE PLACES AND I GIVES YOU A NICE LITTLE WIDE PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN WE JUST SYNC I UP THE OLD FASHIONED WAY BY GIVING IT A HAND CLAP.
STEVE: IT'S KINDA TRICKY, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S GONNA WORK.
CROCODILE LYLE: SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ZAY HARDING: WOO-HOO!
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
ZAY HARDING: HOWDY, Y'ALL AND WELCOME TO THE LONE STAR STATE WHERE THEY SAY EVERYTHING'S BIG.
THIS PLACE IS RENOWNED AS THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF THE AMERICAN WILD WEST AND ITS HISTORY IS THE STUFF OF LEGEND.
ADVENTURE AWAITS AROUND EVERY BEND, SO IF WE'RE EVEN GOING TO GET TO A FRACTION OF WHAT THIS GREAT BIG STATE HAS TO OFFER, WE'D BETTER GET A MOVE ON.
READY, TEXAS? THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.
YEEHAW, GET'EM, BOYS! TEXAS IS THE SECOND LARGES STATE IN THE U.
S.
AND BORDERS MEXICO TO THE SOUTH AND THE GULF OF MEXICO TO THE EAST.
MY JOURNEY STARTS IN THE STATE CAPITOL, AUSTIN, I THEN HEAD SOUTH TO SAN ANTONIO, HOME OF THE ALAMO, BEFORE HOPPING A TRAIN TO THE FAR WESTERN CORNER OF THE STATE AND THE BORDER TOWN OF EL PASO.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY TRIP I DRIVE NORTH INTO THE PANHANDLE TO EXPERIENCE THE TEXAS LEG OF ICONIC ROUTE 66.
SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF THE COLORADO RIVER, AUSTIN IS THE CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
THE CITY WAS NAMED AFTER STEPHEN F.
AUSTIN.
KNOWN AS "THE FATHER OF TEXAS," AUSTIN HELPED THOUSANDS OF COLONISTS SETTLE THE REGION BACK IN THE 1820'S.
BY THE MID-19TH CENTURY THE CITY WAS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AND ITS IMPRESSIVE STATE CAPITOL BUILDING, THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, COMPLETED IN 1888.
TODAY AUSTIN PRESIDES OVER ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE STATES IN THE U.
S.
, BU THE CITIZENS IN THIS TOWN ARE ANYTHING BUT.
AUSTIN'S REPUTATION FOR LIBERAL THINKING AND ITS OFFBEAT MUSIC AND ARTS SCENE HAS TURNED IT INTO A MECCA FOR THOSE WHO MARCH TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM.
OR AS SOME OF THE LOCALS PROUDLY PUT IT WEIRDOS.
THIS IS SOUTH CONGRESS, OR SOCO, AND IT'S ONE OF AUSTIN'S COOLES NEIGHBORHOODS.
IT'S GOT A GREAT VIBE TO IT: LOTS OF QUIRKY SHOPS, FRIENDLY CAFÃS, VINTAGE CLOTHING STORES, AND LIVE MUSIC EVERYWHERE.
IT'S KINDA LIKE PEOPLE GO OU OF THEIR WAY TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT AROUND HERE.
EVEN WITH FOOD.
HELLO.
SERVER: HI, HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: GOOD, WHAT DO YOU GUYS SELL HERE AT WORST TEX? SERVER: WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR EXOTIC MEAT SAUSAGES.
ZAY HARDING: INTERESTING.
WHAT IS THE MOS POPULAR DISH HERE? SERVER: PROBABLY THE PREDATOR AND PREY.
ZAY HARDING: WHICH IS WHAT? SERVER: RATTLESNAKE AND RABBIT WITH JALAPEÃO PEPPER.
ZAY HARDING: WHOA, IN A SAUSAGE? SERVER: YEAH, IT COMES SERVED IN A BUN WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAUERKRAUT, GRILLED ONIONS, PEPPERS AND A PICKLE.
ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS DELICIOUS.
SO, YOU GUYS HAVE A LO OF RATTLESNAKES HERE? SERVER: YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH? SERVER: YEAH, THEY'RE IN TEXAS FOR SURE.
ZAY HARDING: SO YOU JUST THOUGHT, LET'S PUT 'EM INSIDE OF A SAUSAGE? SERVER: RIGHT, WHY NOT EAT 'EM? ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS GOOD, I'M GONNA TRY THE RATTLESNAKE.
SERVER: OKAY.
ZAY HARDING: SOMETHING DIFFERENT, NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE.
SERVER: HERE'S THE PREDATOR AND PREY.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION.
MMM, NICE AND WARM.
MMM, I WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING CHEWY.
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN, JUST KIDDING.
TASTES LIKE SNAKE.
CAN'T EVEN HEAR I RATTLING, WEIRD.
'KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD' WAS ORIGINALLY A SLOGAN DRUMMED UP BY THE AUSTIN INDEPENDEN BUSINESS ALLIANCE TO PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT IT'S BEEN EMBRACED ACROSS THE CITY WITH SOME MIND BENDING RESULTS.
AND THE APTLY NAMED CATHEDRAL OF JUNK HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF AUSTIN'S WEIRDEST CREATIONS.
IT ALL BEGAN BACK IN THE 1980'S WHEN VISIONARY AND ARTIST VINCE HANNEMAN STARTED COLLECTING DISCARDED OBJECTS FROM AROUND THE TOWN AND PILING THEM UP IN HIS BACKYARD.
ANY GOODIES IN HERE? NAH, JUST JUNK FOOD.
AS THE STRUCTURE BEGAN TO GROW SO DID ITS REPUTATION UNTIL WHAT WAS ONCE A WHIMSICAL PERSONAL PROJECT BECAME AN AUSTIN LANDMARK ATTRACTING THOUSANDS OF CURIOUS VISITORS EVERY YEAR.
THERE'S SO MUCH JUNK HERE.
I'M LIKING THIS MUSIC ROOM.
THANK YOU, AUSTIN! OVER 30 FEET HIGH AND WEIGHING SOME 60 TONS THE CATHEDRAL IS MADE UP OF IMPROVISED TRUSSES WITH 'THE JUNK' SECURED ON TOP WITH WIRE.
IT MAY LOOK FLIMSY, BU IT'S ACTUALLY VERY SECURE, I HOPE.
I'M STANDING AT THE TOP OF A CATHEDRAL OF JUNK.
JUST GOES TO SHOW, ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE.
AND THE CATHEDRAL IS CONTINUALLY EVOLVING, WITH ITS CREATOR, VINCE, ALWAYS FINDING NEW WAYS TO ENHANCE HIS MASTERPIECE OFTEN WITH ITEMS SENT TO HIM FROM ADMIRERS ACROSS THE WORLD.
VINNIE, YOU'RE BECOMING QUITE THE CELEBRITY AROUND HERE.
HOW DID THIS ALL START? VINNIE: JUS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD, YOU KNOW, JUST PUTTING SOME HUBCAPS ON THE FENCE.
IT JUST KINDA GREW TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE STARTED SAYING, "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" AND THEN IT GOT A NAME, AND THEN IT KINDA GOT A LIFE OF ITS OWN AFTER THAT.
SO I HAD SOME THEMES A FIRST, I LIKED FLAT IRONS, TURBAN FANS, AND SHOPPING CARTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S MULTIPLES OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D HAVE SO MANY BARBIE DOLLS.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
VINNIE: IT'S LIKE, I WAS LOOKING AROUND FOR A KEN DOLL THE OTHER DAY, IT'S LIKE, THERE ARE NO I THINK ALL THE GUYS DESTROY THEIR DOLLS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, THEY DON'T CALL THEM DOLLS.
ZAY HARDING: AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS LOOKS VERY CHAOTIC, BUT YOU'RE ACTUALLY VERY ORGANIZED.
YOU'RE MAKING SENSE OF JUNK RATHER THAN JUS COLLECTING THINGS.
VINNIE: I'M NOT A HOARDER.
ZAY HARDING: RIGHT.
VINNIE: I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT BEFORE.
I'M NOT A HOARDER.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT OFFENSIVE? VINNIE: YEAH, 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOARDERS ARE JUS PILING STUFF UP, I'M NOT JUS PILING IT UP, YOU KNOW, I'M MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
ZAY HARDING: YOU GLADLY ACCEPT SOUVENIRS RIGHT? VINNIE: CERTAINLY.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, I BROUGHT, THIS IS JUST A WATER BOTTLE I USE THAT I BROUGH FROM CALIFORNIA.
BUT I'D LIKE IT TO BE INCLUDED INTO YOUR ARTWORK.
VINNIE: COOL, I LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT SAYS "HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.
" THAT'S QUALITY JUNK.
[LIVE MUSIC.]
ZAY HARDING: AUSTIN'S UNIQUE WAY OF DOING THINGS ISN' LIMITED TO ARTISTS LIKE VINCE.
GINNY'S LITTLE LONGHORN SALOON HERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY MAY LOOK LIKE A TYPICAL TEXAN WATERING HOLE, BUT YOU KNOW THAT OLD SAYING ABOUT A BOOK AND ITS COVER? WELL, EVER SINCE GINNY DECIDED TO SPICE UP HER BINGO SUNDAYS THE PLACE IS PACKED TIGHTER THAN A CHICKEN COOP AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A BOARD FULL OF NUMBERS, SOME CORN FEED, AND ONE HUNGRY HEN.
WELCOME TO CHICKEN BINGO.
AN UNUSUAL VERSION OF THE GAME, WHERE THE BOARDS ARE RIGH HERE IN THE CHICKEN PEN.
FOOD IS LAID OUT, THE CHICKEN IS PUT INSIDE IT, IT EATS SOME FOOD AND POOPS OUT ON DIFFERENT SQUARED NUMBERS.
ANNOUNCER: IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN OVER $100, THAT'S RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.
ZAY HARDING: IF IT LINES UP ON YOUR BINGO CARD, THAT YOU'VE BOUGHT, YOU WIN! 39, LUCKY 39! LET'S GO 39, C'MON, 39.
C'MON, BABY, C'MON, BABY.
C'MON, C'MON, THIS WAY! THIS WAY, RIGH THERE, RIGHT THERE.
29, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SPEND SO MUCH TIME STARING AT A CHICKEN'S BEHIND, BUT WITH PRIZE MONEY SET AT $114, NOBODY'S BLINKING.
OVER HERE, OVER HERE! YOU'RE STANDING ON 39, JUST GO RIGHT NOW.
HERE WE GO, HERE WE GO, YEAH! 39, RIGHT THERE ON 39! UNBELIEVABLE! WE HAVE A WINNER! I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE! HOST: ALRIGHT, 39, THAT IS THE WINNING NUMBER.
WHAT IS YOUR NAME, SIR? ZAY HARDING: ZAY.
HOST: ARE YOU HERE WITH FRIENDS, ZAY? ZAY HARDING: I AM, I'M WITH MY CREW HERE FROM "GLOBE TREKKER" AND I.
HOST: ARE YOU KIDDING? ZAY HARDING: YOU COULD NOT HAVE PLANNED THIS, I PROMISE YOU.
HOST: THERE'S NO WAY TO RIG A CHICKEN.
ZAY HARDING: ASK THE PEOPLE, ASK THE PEOPLE, IS THERE A WAY TO RIG THE CHICKEN? WOMAN: YOU BRIBED THE CHICKEN! HOST: ALRIGHT, WHA DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY? ZAY HARDING: I'D LIKE TO JUST OPEN A TAB FOR $114.
[CROWD CHEERS.]
.
IF GAMBLING ON CHICKENS SENDS YOU A LITTLE CUCKOO, DON'T PANIC, THIS TOWN HAS MANY CALMING ALTERNATIVES.
THE COLORADO RIVER RUNS RIGH THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO COME HANG OUT AND RELAX.
YOU CAN SWIM HERE, GO BOATING HERE, AND EVEN FISH HERE.
BUT PEOPLE AREN'T THE ONLY CREATURES WHO LOVE IT HERE.
EVERY NIGHT AROUND THIS TIME AT SUNSET, OTHER VISITORS COME OUT AND PLAY, AND THEY COME BY THE MILLIONS.
[SINISTER LAUGH.]
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, AS TWILIGHT DESCENDS ON THE CITY, OVER A MILLION AND A HALF MEXICAN FREE TALE BATS AWAKEN FROM THEIR NESTS BENEATH CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE AND SAIL FORTH TO GORGE UPON THE RIVERS PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF INSECTS.
THE BATS MIGRATE HERE FROM MEXICO EVERY SPRING TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG AND CREVICES ON THE BRIDGE'S UNDERSIDE PROVIDE IDEAL ROOSTING SPACES.
IT'S AN AWESOME SIGHT AND THE BRIDGE HAS BECOME SO POPULAR WITH THE BATS THAT AUSTIN IS NOW HOME TO THE LARGEST URBAN BAT COLONY IN THE WORLD.
BUT BATS AREN'T THE ONLY CREATURES TO ENJOY AUSTIN'S NIGHT LIFE.
[INAUDIBLE CROWD.]
.
MAN: AMERICA, AWESOME! ZAY HARDING: THE CITY HAS BEEN DUBBED THE 'LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD' AND ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS IN SEARCH OF GOOD MUSIC AND A GOOD TIME.
THIS IS 6TH STREET! IT'S THE CENTER OF NIGHT LIFE IN AUSTIN, AND IT IS WILD OUT HERE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES TO CHOOSE FROM.
GIRL: AAAAAAAH! ZAY HARDING: IF YOU LIKE GOOD, LIVE MUSIC.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO INSIDE, YOU CAN JUST STAY OUTSIDE.
GIRL 2: THE PARTY'S STARTED! ZAY HARDING: AND SOAK UP THE ATMOSPHERE! WILD AND FREE AUSTIN'S MUSIC SCENE IS LEGENDARY.
EVERYONE FROM JANICE JOPLIN TO WILLIE NELSON MADE THEIR NAME HERE AND THE CITY HOSTS MANY MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVALS, BUT FESTIVAL OR NOT, EVERY WEEKEND IN THIS TOWN ROCKS.
JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT IN AUSTIN! LESS THAN TWO HOURS SOUTH OF AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE STATE'S MOST ICONIC CITIES, THE FORMER SPANISH MISSION TOWN OF SAN ANTONIO.
DESPITE ITS LAID BACK SMALL TOWN FEEL, SAN ANTONIO IS THE 7TH LARGEST CITY IN THE U.
S.
AND ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOS POPULAR CITIES IN TEXAS, ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY EAGER TO EXPLORE ITS RICH HISTORY AND RELAX IN THE MANY BARS AND CAFÃS ALONG ITS TRANQUIL RIVER WALK.
SAN ANTONIO IS ALSO HOME TO THE BIGGEST TOURIS ATTRACTION IN TEXAS.
IT'S A SITE OF LEGENDARY STATUS, AND IT PROBABLY SUMS UP WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TEXAN MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM TEXAS TO REMEMBER THE ALAMO.
IS THIS THE LINE HERE? WOMAN: YES, IT IS.
ZAY HARDING: HOLY MOLY.
THE ALAMO STARTED LIFE AS AN 18TH CENTURY SPANISH MISSION, BUT CATAPULTED TO FAME IN 1836 WHEN A SMALL FORCE OF TEXAN LAND OWNERS TOOK ON THE MIGHTY MEXICAN ARMY.
TEXAS WAS A MEXICAN TERRITORY AT THE TIME, EMBROILED IN A BLOODY WAR FOR ITS INDEPENDENCE.
DESPITE A MEXICAN FORCE OF THOUSANDS, THE TEXANS HELD OUT HERE FOR 13 DAYS BEFORE BEING MERCILESSLY SLAUGHTERED.
NEWS OF THE HEROIC DEFEA SWEPT ACROSS THE LAND AND LESS THAN A YEAR LATER TEXAS WON ITS INDEPENDENCE TO THE BATTLE CRY, "REMEMBER THE ALAMO.
" TODAY, THE ALAMO STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF TEXAN VALOR AND EVERY MONTH ITS COURTYARDS FILL WITH HISTORICAL DISPLAYS, BRINGING THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE BACK TO LIFE.
WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE? RECRUITER: WELL, WE'RE SIGNIN' PEOPLE UP TO HELP DEFEND THE ALAMO.
YA INTERESTED IN SIGNIN' UP? ZAY HARDING: DEPENDS, WHAT, WHAT'S MY INCENTIVE? RECRUITER: A LITTLE TASTE OF WHISKY EVR'DAY.
ZAY HARDING: MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART.
RECRUITER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: AH, FIRE WATER! RECRUITER: PRETTY GOOD THOUGH, RIGHT? ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
RECRUITER: WELL COLONEL TRAVIS MAKES SURE WE GET A LITTLE PORTION OF THIS EVR' AFTERNOON.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT RIGHT? RECRUITER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? BASED ON THAT ALONE, I'M GONNA SIGN UP.
RECRUITER: WELL, COLONEL TRAVIS IS IN THE BARRACKS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
ZAY HARDING: WHA KIND OF GUN IS THAT? SOLDIER: WELL, THIS IS A BRITISH BROWN BESS MUSKET.
THIS WAS THE MAIN WEAPON OF THE DAY.
YOU PUT A LITTLE OF THE GUN POWDER IN HERE TO PRIME IT.
ZAY HARDING: YUP.
SOLDIER: YOU PUT THE RES OF THE GUN POWDER IN THERE, AND MAKE SURE YOU MASH IT DOWN PRETTY GOOD.
ZAY HARDING: YOU HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY TIME YOU FIRE? SOLDIER: EVERY TIME.
AND A TRAINED SOLDIER COULD FIRE THREE ROUNDS A MINUTE, SO EVERY 20 SECONDS.
YOU WANNA GIVE IT A TRY? ZAY HARDING: DO YOU NEED MY HELP? SOLDIER: OF COURSE, WE CAN USE EVERYBODY WE CAN GET.
ZAY HARDING: THEN I WILL HELP YOU.
FIRE IN THE HOLE! WHOA! SOLDIER: NOW YOU'RE PART OF THE REVOLUTION.
ZAY HARDING: WOO, YEAH! MANY WHO FOUGHT AND DIED A THE ALAMO BECAME HEROES IN AMERICAN HISTORY, SYMBOLIZING THE BRAVERY AND INDEPENDEN SPIRIT OF NOT JUST TEXAS BUT THE NATION AS A WHOLE.
NOW, JUDGING FROM YOUR WEAPONRY HERE, I'M GONNA GUESS THAT YOU'RE JIM BOWIE.
JIM BOWIE: THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: INVENTOR OF THE BOWIE KNIFE, WOW.
HOW DOES THIS WORK THEN? IT LOOKS LIKE SWORD, A MINI SWORD.
JIM BOWIE: CORRECT.
ZAY HARDING: BUT KINDA LIKE A BUTCHER'S KNIFE.
JIM BOWIE: MMM-HMM.
ZAY HARDING: SO, LET'S SAY I'M YOUR OPPONENT.
WHAT WOULD I BE COMING AT YOU WITH? JIM BOWIE: ANOTHER KNIFE, LET'S SAY.
TAKE THAT ONE UP.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
JIM BOWIE: NOW, COME AT ME WITH YOUR BLADE, I BLOCK IT DOWN HERE LIKE THIS.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY, ALRIGHT.
JIM BOWIE: AND IF I RIP BACK, I COULD GET YOUR WRIST.
ZAY HARDING: AH, I SEE.
JUST THAT LITTLE BIT A THE END WILL SLICE ME.
JIM BOWIE: RIGHT AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE DISARMED.
PERIOD, THE END.
YOU'RE GONNA GO FOR A BACK ZAY HARDING: LITERALLY DISARMED.
JIM BOWIE: MM-HMM.
ZAY HARDING: WERE YOU USING THIS INSTEAD OF A GUN OR IN ADDITION TO A GUN? JIM BOWIE: BACK THEN, GUNS WERE NOT EFFECTIVE.
THEY WERE VERY UNRELIABLE, AND SO KNIVES WERE, AS THEY SAY, ALWAYS LOADED.
ZAY HARDING: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE HERE WITH ME ALAMO LEGEND AND ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD HEROES, DAVEY CROCKETT.
KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER.
DAVEY CROCKETT: WELL, IT'S GOOD TO MEET YA.
ZAY HARDING: NICE TO MEET YOU TOO.
DAVEY CROCKETT: MOST PEOPLE CALL ME COLONEL CROCKETT.
ZAY HARDING: OH, 'SCUSE ME! DAVEY CROCKETT: BUT MY FRIENDS CAN CALL ME DAVEY, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO COUN YOU AS ONE OF MY FRIENDS.
ZAY HARDING: OH, THANK YOU, DAVEY.
IT'S AN HONOR.
SO, HOW DID YOU GE TO BE SO WELL LIKED? DAVEY CROCKETT: IT REALLY GOT STARTED BACK IN TENNESSEE.
I LIVED ON THE FRONTIER AND I HAD A KNACK FOR HUNTING BEAR.
ONE SEASON, I KILLED 105 BEAR.
ZAY HARDING: JEEZ.
DAVEY CROCKETT: THIS IS THE AGE OF THE COMMON MAN, AND I HAVE TO SAY, YOU DON'T GET MORE COMMON THAN ME.
ZAY HARDING: I KNOW YOU'RE A LIVING LEGEND RIGHT NOW, BUT DO YOU REALIZE WHA HAPPENS TO YOU IN THE ALAMO.
DAVEY CROCKETT: I UNDERSTAND THAT I, THAT I DIE HERE.
ORDINARILY, THA MIGHT BOTHER A PERSON, BUT BECAUSE I WAS SO POPULAR, AND MANY PEOPLE CARED ABOU ME, THEY BEGAN TO CARE ABOUT WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO TEXAS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT TEXAS BECOMES INDEPENDENT OF MEXICO FOR 10 YEARS, AND THEN I JOINS THE UNITED STATES, BECOMES THE 28TH STATE.
AND SO, IT MAKES ME PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THAT.
WOMAN: THE ALAMO IS OUR HALLOWED GROUND.
THE PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE, DIED FOR OUR RIGHTS.
WOMAN 2: IT'S KIND OF BEEN INCLUDED AS WHAT'S CALLED A "VICTORIOUS DEFEAT" AND I JUST LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN DO AS A TEXAN IF WE JUS KEEP STRIVING, WE EVENTUALLY FIND VICTORY.
WOMAN 3: MY GREAT-GREAT-GREA GRANDFATHER WAS AN ORIGINAL LANDOWNER OF TEXAS AND HE FOUGHT FOR THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, SO I CAN STAND HERE TODAY PROUD TO BE A TEXAN.
ZAY HARDING: JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE ALAMO IS ANOTHER TEXAN LEGEND.
THE MENGER HOTEL WAS BUILT IN 1859, JUST 23 YEARS AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, BY GERMAN BUSINESSMAN CHARLES MENGER.
THE HOTEL WAS FREQUENTED BY MANY PROMINENT FIGURES IN HISTORY AND OOZES OLD WORLD TEXAN CHARM RECALLING A TIME WHEN HONOR AND DECORUM WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
ERNESTO MALACARA: THERE'S A GORGEOUS CLOCK.
ZAY HARDING: ERNESTO MALACARA HAS BEEN MANAGING THE MENGER FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND HAS SOME STORIES TO TELL.
ERNESTO MALACARA: FABULOUS.
'CAUSE THIS LOBBY WAS RECONFIGURED IN 1908 AND 1909.
THAT INCLUDED THE BRAND NEW MARBLE FLOOR, THE EIGHT CORINTHIAN COLUMNS, THE LEADED SKYLIGHT.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS LIKE A MUSEUM? ERNESTO MALACARA: WELL, IT IS A MUSEUM WHEN YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT BECAUSE WE'RE 152 YEARS OLD.
ERNESTO MALACARA: ANYONE WHO WAS ANYBODY WOULD STAY IN THIS HOTEL.
ROBERT E.
LEE, ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT, PAINTERS, POETS, ACTORS, JOHN WAYNE, ROY ROGERS HAS A SUITE THAT'S ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER HIM.
WE HAVE SERVICED 13 U.
S.
PRESIDENTS EITHER BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THEY WERE IN OFFICE.
ZAY HARDING: AND NOW ME.
ERNESTO MALACARA: RIGHT, THERE YOU GO, SEE.
THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, WOOHOO.
WITH SO MUCH HISTORY HERE IT'S NO SURPRISE THE MENGER IS REPUTED TO BE THE MOS HAUNTED HOTEL IN TEXAS.
YOU KNOW, THIS PLACE HAS BEEN HERE SO LONG, AND WITH SO MANY GUESTS, DO YOU EVER GET ANY GUESTS THA DON'T WANT TO CHECK OUT? ERNESTO MALACARA: OH, YES, SIR, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THA TOLD ME YEARS BACK THAT HE SAW A WHOLE PLATOON OF MEXICAN SOLDIERS WALKIN' DOWN THE STREET ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
ZAY HARDING: WOW, THAT'S SPOOKY.
ERNESTO MALACARA: AND, WE HAVE 43 OF THOSE THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
ZAY HARDING: 43 SIGHTINGS? ERNESTO MALACARA: 43, YES OF DIFFERENT EVENTS, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
WE HAVE A FELLA, AN OLDER FELLA THAT APPEARS RIGHT DOWN THE HALL.
HE'S WEARING DATED CLOTHING.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT A WOOLEN SUIT, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHEN HE SEES YOU, HE'LL REACH DOWN INTO HIS COAT POCKET, PULL OUT HIS POCKE WATCH, LOOK AT IT, THEN PUT HIS WATCH BACK UP AND DISAPPEAR.
ZAY HARDING: IF WANDERING SPIRITS MAKE YOU A LITTLE JUMPY WHY NOT TRY THE DRINKING VARIETY IN THE MENGER BAR.
IT'S BEEN A POPULAR HANGOUT FOR OVER A CENTURY.
THE MENGER BAR'S A REAL LANDMARK.
BACK IN 1988, PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT USED TO FREQUEN THIS PLACE WHEN HE WAS IN TOWN RECRUITING FOR ROUGH RIDERS.
A BAND OF ROUGHNECKS AND COWBOYS THAT HE USED AS HIS CAVALRY DURING THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
AND IT'S GOT AN OLD-SCHOOL SALOON FEEL TO IT, WHICH I LOVE.
HI.
GHOST: WHAT'LL IT BE, SIR? ZAY HARDING: I WOULD LIKE A SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE.
AND DO YOU HAVE THE TIME? DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CLOCK AROUND HERE ANYWHERE.
BARTENDER: HI, CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER TODAY, SIR? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, I JUST ORDERED WITH THE OTHER BARTENDER.
BARTENDER: NO, I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE TODAY, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: NO, THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY THAT WAS JUST BARTENDER: NO, I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: I'LL HAVE A SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE.
BARTENDER: YES, SIR.
ZAY HARDING: MAKE THAT A DOUBLE.
MORNING! IT'S 5:00.
UP NICE AND EARLY, STILL HOT OUTSIDE.
I'VE GOT A TICKET FROM SAN ANTONIO TO EL PASO.
THIS IS ALWAYS A FUN WAY TO TRAVEL IF YOU CAN.
YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTRYSIDE AND SLEEP TOO, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S THIS EARLY.
HELLO.
STEWARDESS: HELLO, SEAT NUMBER SEVEN, SO YOU GO THE RIGHT, UP THE STAIRS, AND GO TO THE REAR OF THE CAR.
ZAY HARDING: DOUBLE-DECKER, HUH? STEWARDESS: YES.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MA'AM.
IT'S UPSTAIRS, FANCY.
OH, SHH, EVERYBODY'S SLEEPING.
17; 13; 11 OKAY, THIS IS ME HERE, BU AS EVERYBODY'S SLEEPIN', I THINK I MIGHT JOIN 'EM.
I'M HEADING 500 MILES ACROSS THE STATE TO ITS FAR WESTERN CORNER AND THE BORDER TOWN OF EL PASO.
THE TRAIN JOURNEY TO EL PASO TAKES A GOOD 12 HOURS AND MUCH OF IT FOLLOWS THE STATE'S 200 MILE BORDERLINE WITH MEXICO.
MAN: I REALLY LIKE THE TRAIN; I THINK BOTH OF US DO.
WE'VE TAKEN SEPARATE TRIPS BEFORE.
IT CAN BE A LITTLE SLOW AT TIMES, BUT IN GENERAL, IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
GET TO MEET A LO OF PEOPLE, SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCENERY.
WOMAN: TEXAS IS A VERY BIG STATE, SO YOU IT'S NICE WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU CAN USE, BUT 'CAUSE WHEN YOU GE IN AREAS LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE NO SERVICE.
SO YOU'RE STUCK WATCHING THE SCENERY, SO, THE SAME SCENERY OVER AND OVER, FOR MILES.
NINETEEN HOURS, RIGHT? MAN 2: AT 5:30 THIS MORNING, A CAMERA MAN CAME IN, AND THEN THIS TALL GENTLEMAN WITH A COWBOY HAT AND A CUP OF COFFEE, AND THE DIRECTOR CALLED TO HIM AND I THOUGH HE SAID "JAKE", AND THE GUY TURNED AND LOOKED, AND I THOUGHT, "GOD, THAT'S A TALL GUY.
" AND HE TURNED AROUND, I THOUGHT, "OH, THAT'S JAKE GYLLENHAAL," I THOUGHT.
"HOW WONDERFUL" I THOUGHT, AND "JAKE, JAKE IS ACTUALLY HOSTING THIS SHOW! IT'S GREAT!" THEN I FOUND OU LATER HIS NAME IS ZAY.
ZAY HARDING: ESTABLISHED BY SPANISH SOLDIERS AND MISSIONARIES IN THE 17TH CENTURY, EL PASO HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEFINED BY ITS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
THE CITY WAS NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT PASSAGE FROM MEXICO TO THE NORTH, AND TODAY SITS JUST STATESIDE OF THE MEXICAN BORDER AND CITY OF JUAREZ.
WITH OVER 80% OF ITS CITIZENS OF MEXICAN DESCENT, EL PASO HAS A DISTINCTLY LATINO FLAVOR HARDLY SURPRISING AS THE ONLY NATURAL DIVISION BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES IS A THIN STRETCH OF RIVER.
SO HERE'S THE BORDER LINE BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES.
UP ON THIS BRIDGE, IT'S EASY TO SEE THE RIVER.
THE RIO GRANDE SEPARATES THE TWO COUNTRIES: MEXICO, U.
S.
THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN EL PASO AND CIUDAD JUAREZ IS ONE OF THE MOS CONTROLLED BORDER CROSSINGS IN THE UNITED STATES.
PASSAGE BETWEEN THE TWO IS HEAVILY GUARDED AND THE ONLY LEGITIMATE WAY TO CROSS IS VIA ONE OF FOUR BRIDGES.
WHILE SECURITY HERE HAS MADE EL PASO ONE OF THE SAFES CITIES OF ITS SIZE IN THE US, CIUDAD JUAREZ HAS BECOME A HOTBED OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WHERE ON AVERAGE 30 PEOPLE A DAY ARE KILLED.
JACOB IS A LOCAL WHO HAS SPENT TIME WORKING WITH EL PASO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
JACOB: UM, I BROUGHT YOU HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.
RIGHT HERE IS- THIS IS MEXICO HERE.
THIS IS AS CLOSE AS WE CAN ACTUALLY GET WITHOU ACTUALLY CROSS OVER.
ZAY HARDING: AND THIS IS ALL THAT DIVIDES IT, HUH? JACOB: THIS LITTLE FENCE YOU SEE HERE IS THE LAST PIECE THAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S IN EL PASO THAT EXISTS BECAUSE IF YOU GO TWO BLOCKS UP, IT'S A BIG WALL THAT'S TWENTY FEE HIGH, AND IT GOES ALL THROUGH THE UNITED STATES.
ZAY HARDING: I COULD CLIMB THAT, IT'S BARELY ANY DEFENSE AT ALL.
JACOB: WELL, YOU SEE UP THERE? YOU SEE ALL THOSE CAMERAS? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, OH MY GOSH.
JACOB: THAT PICKS UP SOUND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THERE'S A BORDER PATROL AGEN RIGHT BEHIND US ON THAT SIDE, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE RIGHT OVER HERE.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
JACOB: SO, THE CAMERAS UP OVER THERE, THEY KNOW WE'RE HERE.
AND WE'RE BEING HEARD AS WELL.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH? JACOB: YES, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS EVERYBODY THINKS.
ZAY HARDING: SO WHY DO THEY EVEN NEED THIS FENCE? JACOB: WELL, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE DRUG CARTEL, AND THIS IS THE MAJOR BLOOD VEIN OF TRAFFICKING.
I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S CHECKPOINTS WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING EL PASO, BUT ONCE YOU PASS THOSE YOU CAN TRANSPORT YOUR DRUGS AS FAR NORTH AS YOU WANT.
ZAY HARDING: SO, IT'S NO EVEN AN ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION? JACOB: NO.
ZAY HARDING: OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOU THE DRUGS BEING TRAFFICKED JACOB: EXACTLY.
ZAY HARDING: YOU'VE GOT SO MANY FENCES, YOU'VE GOT ALL THIS BORDER PATROL ON BOTH SIDES, SURELY THEY'RE GONNA GE CAUGHT IF THEY TRY THIS.
HOW ARE THEY SLIPPING THROUGH? JACOB: THEY'LL STUFF DRUGS INSIDE CARS, INSIDE HIDDEN COMPARTMENTS.
KIDS, IN THEIR BACKPACKS, THEY COME TO SCHOOL TO GET EDUCATED AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW THEY GOT A BLOCK OF HEROIN OR, OR COCAINE OR WEED IN 'EM AND THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.
ZAY HARDING: WOW.
JACOB: SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO IN THERE AS A TOURIST, STOP IN A RESTAURANT, THEY'LL ENTERTAIN YOU WHILE YOUR CAR GETS PACKED FULL OF DRUGS, AND THEN YOU CROSS IT YOU WON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE CROSSING.
ZAY HARDING: AND THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU? JACOB: THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU, EXACTLY.
THEY'LL FOLLOW YOU AND THEN THEY'LL GET YOU, TAKE THEIR DRUGS OUT AND THERE YOU GO.
ZAY HARDING: WHY DOESN'T ANYONE REPORT THIS? JACOB: ANYBODY TRYING TO GET INVOLVED, THEY GET EXECUTED.
AND I'M TALKING, THEY'LL CHOP YOUR HEAD OFF, LITERALLY.
I'VE SEEN IT.
ZAY HARDING: IS I DANGEROUS FOR US TO BE STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW? JACOB: YES, YOU COULD GET SHOT BY A DRUG CARTEL RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
THEY JUST SHOT INTO US SOIL A COUPLE MONTHS BACK INTO CITY HALL.
THEY'VE SHOT A BORDER PATROL AGENTS, THEY'VE SHOT A PEOPLE WALKING BY.
JUST TO SPREAD THE FEAR, YOU KNOW.
IT'S A BIG MAFIA-MEXICAN WAR.
THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON, AND ALL THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSS-FIRE.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE IN MEXICO, AND NOW THEY CAN'T EVEN LIVE IN THEIR OWN LAND BECAUSE OF THIS WHOLE DRUG WAR.
ZAY HARDING: DESPITE THE DIVIDE, THOUSANDS OF MEXICANS FROM JUAREZ LEGITIMATELY CROSS THE BORDER INTO EL PASO EVERY DAY.
WITH INTERTWINED ECONOMIES AND A SHARED CULTURAL HERITAGE THE TWO CITIES RELY ON EACH OTHER.
BUT MANY WHO MAKE THE COMMUTE THESE DAYS ARE FACED WITH EVER INCREASING OBSTACLES.
HOLA.
WORKER: HOLA.
ZAY HARDING: SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING COMING OVER TO TEXAS? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: HE GOES TO WORK.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, SO YOU GO THROUGH THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR WORK? [TRANSLATES IN SPANISH.]
.
WORKER: YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: SO, DO THEY EVER SEARCH YOU, COMING OVER? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: SOMETIMES, YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? [TRANSLATES IN SPANISH.]
.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT 5 MINUTES, HE SAYS, ON A GOOD DAY.
ZAY HARDING: UH-HUH.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: AND WHEN I WASN'T A GOOD DAY, IT WAS 6 HOURS HE HAD TO WAIT.
ZAY HARDING: JEEZ, 6 HOURS? HELLO.
STUDENT: HI.
ZAY HARDING: DO YOU YOU LIVE IN JUAREZ? STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: AND DO YOU COME OVER EVERY DAY OR JUST TODAY? STUDENT: YES, NO EVERY DAY.
I'M AT SCHOOL AT UTEP.
ZAY HARDING: OH, YOU'RE A STUDENT? OH, WOW.
STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: SO YOU, YOU COMMUTE EACH DAY? STUDENT: YES.
ZAY HARDING: DO YOU LOVE JUAREZ? STUDENT: UM, SINCE THREE YEARS FROM NOW, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE.
I HAVE THIS FRIEND THA HER FATHER GOT KILLED, AND WE HEAR SHOTS OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT TIMES AND ALL THAT, BUT.
ZAY HARDING: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CALL THE POLICE? STUDENT: MMM, THEY DON'T DO NOTHING.
ZAY HARDING: HELLO.
[SPEAKING SPANISH.]
.
YOU ACTUALLY NOW RESIDE IN AMERICA? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: YEAH, HE LIVES HERE.
ZAY HARDING: IN EL PASO? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: YES.
ZAY HARDING: I SEE AND SO EVERY THIRD DAY YOU GO VISIT YOUR DAUGHTER? [ASKS QUESTION IN SPANISH.]
.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
FATHER: AH, YEAH, ARE YOU CONCERNED? [ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
JACOB: YEAH, YEAH.
[ANSWERS IN SPANISH.]
.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY KILL PEOPLE AND NOBODY EVEN GETS CAUGHT.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
JACOB: ALL THE BAD STUFF IS OVER THERE.
THE UNITED STATES IS VERY CALM, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD COUNTRY JUST ALL THE VIOLENCE AND EVERYTHING IS OVER THERE.
ZAY HARDING: SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE CATCHING SOMEBODY NOW WITH SUCH A STRONG MEXICAN INFLUENCE YOU MIGHT THINK EL PASO DOESN'T BELONG IN TEXAS, BUT YOU'D BE WRONG.
ITS DESERT LANDSCAPE IS STREWN WITH CATTLE RANCHES AND COWBOYS AND ITS HISTORY READS LIKE A JOHN WAYNE MOVIE.
LEGENDS LIKE BILLY THE KID, PONCHO VILLA, AND CALAMITY JANE ALL PASSED THROUGH HERE WHEN SHOOT OUTS, CATTLE DRIVES AND INDIAN BATTLES WERE COMMON PLACE.
WELL, I'M JUST A FEW MILES OUTSIDE OF EL PASO, AND IT FEELS LIKE I'M OU IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, BUT I'VE COME HERE TO MEET UP WITH HISTORIAN AND WILD WES ENTHUSIAST BERNIE SERGEANT, WHO'S GOING TO SHOW ME WHA LIFE WAS LIKE IN THESE PARTS BACK IN THE OLDEN DAYS.
BLOW ME DOWN, IF THAT AIN'T HIM, I'LL EAT MY HAT! DRIVER: WHOA! BERNIE: HOWDY, YOU MUST BE ZAY! ZAY HARDING: YEAH, HEY BERNIE.
BERNIE: WELL, CLIMB ON IN HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THANK YOU IT'S COOL.
ALRIGHT, HELLO, HELLO.
BERNIE: FIRST TRIP? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, YEAH.
BERNIE: IT'LL, IT'LL BE EXCITIN'.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
DRIVER: GIDDY UP OUTTA HERE! YAH, YAH! BERNIE: YEE-HAW! ZAY HARDING: YEE-HAW! IN THE MID 1800'S, STAGECOACH TRAVEL WAS ARGUABLY THE MOS EFFICIENT WAY TO GET ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND EL PASO WAS AN IMPORTANT STOP ON ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ROUTES.
BETWEEN 1858 AND 1861 THE BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH CARRIED PASSENGERS AND MAIL ON A TRAIL STRETCHING FROM ST.
LOUIS MISSOURI TO SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA.
SO TELL ME ABOU THE BUTTERFIELD.
BERNIE: A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD TAKE THE BUTTERFIELD AND HEAD OUT WEST; THEY WERE GOING OU THERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GOLD STRIKES THA WERE TAKING PLACE AND ALL THE NEW BUSINESSES.
ZAY HARDING: I SEE.
BERNIE: SO THEY'D HOP ON THE OLD BUTTERFIELD AND THEY'D LAY DOWN $200.
ZAY HARDING: TWO HUNDRED BUCKS WOULD GET YOU CROSS COUNTRY? BERNIE: YEAH, IT'S ABOU $4,000 IN TODAY'S MONEY.
ZAY HARDING: OH I SEE, RIGHT, YEAH.
BERNIE: IT'S JUST AMAZING WHA PEOPLE WOULD PUT THEMSELVES THROUGH TO GO WEST.
THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE SITTIN' ON THE FLOOR DOWN HERE.
ZAY HARDING: OH YEAH.
BERNIE: THEY'D, THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE SITTIN' ON THE ROOF.
THEY'D HAVE PEOPLE HANGIN' ON THE BACK, AND THEY WOULD JUS BE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
NOT TO MENTION, YOU NEVER KNEW WHEN THERE WAS GOING TO BE A HIGHWAY MAN, A BANDIT, OR AN INDIAN WHO DECIDED THEY NEEDED THAT HORSE MUCH MORE THAN THE STAGECOACH NEEDED IT.
OR THEY NEEDED SOME PRETTY LITTLE PHILLY WHO WAS RIDIN' ON BOARD AND THEY WANTED A NEW WIFE.
ZAY HARDING: WERE THESE INDIANS DANGEROUS LIKE WE SEE IN THE MOVIES? WERE THEY SCALPING THE WHITE GUYS? BERNIE: YEAH, YEAH, THAT DID HAPPEN.
NOT ONLY WHITE GUYS, BUT THE FAMILY, THE WIVES AND THE CHILDREN.
DISMEMBERED, DISEMBOWELLED, THE ATROCITIES WERE INCREDIBLE.
AND SO THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY HAD TO ENCOUNTER WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THAT 25 DAY TRIP CROSS COUNTRY.
ZAY HARDING: TWENTY-FIVE DAYS? BERNIE: TWENTY-FIVE DAYS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL AIR-CONDITIONED COACH.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
BERNIE: SEE, YOU CAN SEE THE WIND? JUST BLOWIN' THROUGH HERE.
ZAY HARDING: IS THAT YOU? BERNIE: YEAH.
DRIVER: WHOA! BERNIE: WELL, ZAY, THIS IS WHERE WE GET OFF.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
WOMAN: GODSPEED, GENTLEMEN.
ZAY HARDING: THANK YOU.
BERNIE: THANK YOU, FOLKS.
BERNIE: ZAY, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING OUT HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THE BUTTERFIELD TRAIL COVERED SOME 3000 MILES FROM START TO FINISH AND MADE LESS THAN 30 STOPS.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS HERE AT AN UNUSUAL CLUSTER OF ROCKS KNOWN AS HUECO TANKS.
HA, THIS IS AMAZING.
IT'S LIKE A GIANT MOVIE SET.
BERNIE: I REALLY IS INCREDIBLE.
THIS ALL THESE ROCKS COVERED WITH THE POCKMARKS, THE HOLES, IT'S CALLED HUECO TANKS FOR A REASON.
HUECO MEANING HOLE OR BOWL.
IT CONTAINED RAINWATER WHEN THE RAINS WOULD COME, WHICH ISN'T VERY OFTEN, IT'D FILL THOSE HOLES AND BECAME KIND OF AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHIHUAHUAN DESERT.
ZAY HARDING: SURE, YEAH AND IT'S DRINKABLE, YEAH? BERNIE: ABSOLUTELY DRINKABLE.
THE BUTTERFIELD TRAIL IN FACT, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT CAME THROUGH HERE 'CAUSE THEY KNEW NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THEY'D FIND SOME WATER IN SOME OF THESE HOLES IN THESE ROCKS UP HERE.
ZAY HARDING: NICE.
BERNIE: WELL, ZAY, THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL A NEWSPAPER CAVE.
YOU CAN SEE BY THE WRITING ON THE WALLS HERE AND THE YEARS THAT IT COVERED.
THAT'S A GOOD 150 YEARS' WORTH OF GRAFFITI.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE.
BERNIE: THESE OVER HERE ARE VERY INTERESTING.
LET ME SHOW YOU THESE.
A COUPLE OF NAMES AND SOME FOLKS WITH DATES GOING BACK TO THE 1850S: 1853, 1858, 1858.
WE'RE THINKING THAT PERHAPS A COUPLE OF THESE FOLKS LIKE PINKERTON AND BRADLEY AND SO ON MIGHTA WORKED ON THIS STAGE COACH STOP OR WERE SOME OF THE FIRST PASSENGERS TO COME THROUGH HERE AND WANTED TO LEAVE AN IDENTIFICATION FOR FUTURE TRAVELERS.
ZAY HARDING: SO THEY WOULD'VE WHAT? COME OFF THE TRAIL, COME HERE FOR SOME SHADE OR SOMETHING? BERNIE: WELL THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO GET AWAY FROM THE HEAT.
IT'S GOT WATER AVAILABLE IN THE TANKS ZAY HARDING: PROBABLY SOME FIRES, COOKIN' SOME BEANS, DRINKIN' SOME WHISKEY, AND READING THE NEWS OF WHO ELSE HAS BEEN HERE IN THE PAST.
STAGECOACH PASSENGERS WERE NOT THE FIRST TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF HUECO TANKS.
THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SETTLEMENTS HERE SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES AND INDIAN TRIBES LIKE THE APACHE AND KAIWA HAVE FREQUENTED THIS PLACE FOR CENTURIES.
THEY TOO LEFT THEIR MARK, DECORATING MANY OF ITS CAVES WITH DYE BASED PAINTINGS KNOWN AS PICTOGRAPHS.
BERNIE: THIS IS REFERRED TO AS THE KAIWA STAGE PANEL.
WHAT IT INDICATES HERE IS A BATTLE THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THE KAIWA INDIANS AND HUNDREDS OF MEXICAN SOLDIERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY THA ONE PICTOGRAPH UP THERE, KIND OF A SKINNY APPARITION THAT INDICATES THA THEY WERE STARVING.
ZAY HARDING: THE HOURGLASS FIGURE WAS THE HUNGRY KAIWA? BERNIE: SO HUNGRY THA THEY ATE THEIR LIVESTOCK TO STAY ALIVE.
ZAY HARDING: WHO'S THIS GUY HERE? BERNIE: THAT WOULD BE A MEXICAN SOLDIER DEPICTION THA THEY WOULD HAVE PUT UP THERE, SO THIS WHOLE THING DEPICTS THE BATTLE SITE, THE SIEGE, AND COMMEMORATES THE FAC THAT THEY LIVED AFTER MANY, MANY, MANY NIGHTS OF PRAYER AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF HERE.
ZAY HARDING: THA WAS REALLY NEAT.
BERNIE: YEAH I THOUGHT YOU'D ENJOY THAT.
AND ZAY I GOT A BIG TREAT FOR YA.
I WANT YOU TO RIDE SHOTGUN.
DOC, WHY DON'T YOU HAND HIM THAT PIECE WHEN HE GETS UP THERE ON THE SEAT.
ZAY HARDING: IS THIS WHERE THE TERM SHOTGUN CAME FROM? BERNIE: THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT CAME FROM.
RIDER: HERE WE GO.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGH I'M RIDING SHOTGUN.
DRIVER: SAY, STEP UP! ZAY HARDING: THE BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH ONLY LASTED THREE YEARS BEFORE WELLS FARGO RAN IT OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT IT WAS THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAILROADS IN THE 1880'S THA MARKED THE END OF STAGECOACH TRAVEL AND WITH IT WHAT MANY REGARD AS THE HAY DAYS OF THE WILD WEST.
FOR THE FINAL LEG OF MY JOURNEY I'M HEADING NORTH INTO AN AREA CALLED THE PAN HANDLE TO TRAVEL THE MOST ICONIC HIGHWAY IN THE COUNTRY: ROUTE 66.
MY DRIVE COVERS OVER 500 MILES AND TAKES IN SOME OF THE MOST DRAMATIC SCENERY IN THE STATE INCLUDING, PALO DURO, THE SECOND LARGES CANYON IN THE COUNTRY KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'THE GRAND CANYON OF TEXAS'.
THE TEXAS PAN HANDLE IS A VAS AREA OF FLAT FARMLAND AND FOR DECADES WAS ONE OF THE LEAS POPULATED PARTS OF THE STATE, BUT ALL THAT CHANGED WHEN A LEGENDARY ROAD WAS BUIL ACROSS IT, CALLED ROUTE 66.
MY JOURNEY ON ROUTE 66 STARTS IN MCLEAN TEXAS, KNOWN AS THE UPLIFT TOWN BECAUSE OF A BRASSIERE FACTORY THAT ONCE OPERATED HERE.
CROCODILE LYLE: HOWDY, PARTNER.
HOW YA, DOIN? ZAY HARDING: HOW'S IT GOIN'? CROCODILE LYLE: ALRIGHT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET ANY GAS OUTTA THAT PUMP.
IT HASN'T WORKED SINCE 1955.
ZAY HARDING: YOU'RE KIDDING.
CROCODILE LYLE: NO I'M NOT.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS FUNNY TO YOU, HUH? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH.
AH, THIS WAS THE FIRST FILL-UP STATION IN TEXAS IN 1929.
ZAY HARDING: DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THIS? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A TOURIST STOP FOR ALL THE ROADIES THAT TRAVEL 66.
ZAY HARDING: I'M FEELIN' A LITTLE SILLY.
CROCODILE LYLE: CROCODILE LYLE.
ZAY HARDING: ZAY HARDING NICE NAME.
CROCODILE LYLE: ZAY, I'M SITTIN' HERE WAITIN' ON A BUDDY A MINE TO COME PICK ME UP, I BROKE DOWN ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD.
ZAY HARDING: WHERE YOU HEADED? CROCODILE LYLE: TRYIN'A GET TO AMARILLO.
ZAY HARDING: OH HOP IN, I'M GOIN' THERE.
CROCODILE LYLE: WONDERFUL! ZAY HARDING: WHA ARE YOU LIKE A ROUTE.
66 FANATIC? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, I SELL STUFF UP AND DOWN THE ROAD.
IT'S A NICE RIDE YA GOT.
ZAY HARDING: HEY THANKS, AN OLD FRIEND LEANT THIS TO ME.
CROCODILE LYLE: REALLY? IF I HAD A CAR LIKE THIS I WOULDN'T LOAN IT TO ANYBODY.
ZAY HARDING: SO IS THERE A WORKING PETROL STATION? CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, THERE'S ONE A COUPLE MILES DOWN THE ROAD.
ZAY HARDING: ROUTE 66 WAS ONE OF THE FIRST INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS IN THE U S AND HAS BEEN AN AMERICAN LEGEND EVER SINCE IT WAS DUBBED 'THE MOTHER ROAD' IN THE CLASSIC NOVEL THE "GRAPES OF WRATH.
" ESTABLISHED IN 1926 ROUTE 66 COVERED SOME TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND MILES ACROSS THE COUNTRY LINKING CHICAGO WITH LOS ANGELES.
THESE DAYS, ONLY STRETCHES OF THE ORIGINAL ROUTE STILL EXIST, BUT FOR ANYONE WILLING TO EXPLORE THEM, A BIG SLICE OF 20TH CENTURY AMERICANA AND THE FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD AWAITS.
CROCODILE LYLE: I JUST LOVE TRAVELLIN' THIS OLD ROAD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, YA MEE SO MANY NEAT PEOPLE AND SEE SO MANY NEAT HISTORIC THINGS.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
CROCODILE LYLE: THA LEANING WATER TOWER PEOPLE THINK IT JUS NATURALLY LEANED OVER, BUT IT DIDN'T.
THESE GUYS HAD A TRUCK STOP THERE AND THEY WANTED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES, SO THEY BUILT THIS TOWER JUST TO CATCH YOUR EYE.
ZAY HARDING: LEANING WATER TOWER OF PIZA.
CROCODILE LYLE: YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S WHERE THEY GO IT I GUESS.
ZAY HARDING: WHA WAS THE HAY DAY OF RT.
66? CROCODILE LYLE: THE BIG HAY DAY, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER WWII.
AND THE SERVICE MEN GOT OU OF THE ARMY AND THEY HAD MONEY AND BOUGHT NEW CARS.
AND THEY WANTED SOME PLACE TO SEE SO THEY TOOK OFF DOWN THE ROAD WITH THEIR WITH THEIR GIRLFRIEND OR THEIR BUDDY 'CAUSE THEY WANTED TO SEE THE UNITED STATES.
THEY WANTED TO SEE THE HOME THAT THEY JUST DEFENDED.
IT DOES FEEL A BIT LIKE YOU'VE GONE BACK IN TIME, DOESN'T IT? CROCODILE LYLE: IT DOES.
YOU'RE BACK IN THE '40S OR '50S OR '60S, YOU KNOW AND BOB WALMAR SAID IT BEST, "SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE ROAD, YA KNOW? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, YEAH, WOOHOO! THE TEXAN LEG OF ROUTE 66 STRETCHES 178 MILES, FROM THE OKLAHOMA BORDER TO NEW MEXICO AND RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF IT IS THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
KNOWN FOR ITS RAILROAD DEPOTS, BIG STEAKS AND HELIUM, AMARILLO IS WHERE I BID FAREWELL TO CROCODILE AND GO IT ALONE.
OH, IT USED TO A, A GAS STATION? CROCODILE LYLE: USED TO BE AN OLD FILLIN' STATION, YEAH.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
CROCODILE LYLE: NOW IT'S A RESTAURANT AND BAR.
ZAY, THANKS FOR THE RIDE.
I APPRECIATE IT, BUDDY.
ZAY HARDING: GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.
CROCODILE LYLE: YOU HAVE A SAFE TRIP TO CALIFORNIA.
DON'T FORGET TO STOP ALL THOSE NEAT PLACES I TOLD YA ABOUT.
ALRIGHT? ZAY HARDING: I WILL, DEFINITELY.
CROCODILE LYLE: DRIVE SAFE, THANKS.
ZAY HARDING: GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.
WOMAN: IF YOU REALLY WANNA SEE SMALL TOWN LIFE IN AMERICA'S ABOUT.
WHAT WHAT THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE LIVING, IT'S ALONG ROUTE 66.
WOMAN 2: IT'S OLD AND NOSTALGIC, AND THE SHOPS ON THE STREET ARE ANTIQUES.
THINGS THAT YOU DON'T FIND IN A SHOPPING MALL ANYWHERE.
MAN: AH, IT'S FREEDOM.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.
I GET ON THIS HORSE RIGHT HERE, I'M GONE.
MAN 2: IT'S THE GREATEST RIDE YOU'LL EVER TAKE IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER IT'S TWO-WHEELS OR EIGHTEEN-WHEELS.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT.
MAKES YOUR HEARTBE PROUD.
ZAY HARDING: ROUTE 66 IS CREDITED WITH THE INVENTION OF HIGHWAY ESSENTIALS LIKE THE MOTEL AND ROADSIDE DINER.
WELL, I'M GETTING PRETTY HUNGRY, SO I'M STOPPING A ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS, OR YOU MIGHT SAY, INFAMOUS EATERIES ON THE HIGHWAY.
THEY SAY EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS BUT THIS PLACE TAKES THE CAKE OR SHOULD I SAY 'STEAK' GROUP: HOWDY! ZAY HARDING: HI.
YOU CAN'T COME TO THIS PART OF TEXAS WITHOUT STOPPING HERE.
THIS IS THE BIG TEXAN AND IT'S FAMOUS FOR ITS 72 OZ.
STEAKS THAT YOU GET FREE IF YOU FINISH IT WITHIN AN HOUR.
IF YOU FINISH IT AT ALL IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY AMAZING AND I'M VERY, VERY NERVOUS, EVEN THOUGH I'M A BIG EATER.
HOSTESS: HOWDY! ZAY HARDING: HI.
HOSTESS: HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: I WANT I'M DOIN' GREAT.
CAN I ATTEMPT THE 72? HOSTESS: SURE, RIGHT ON.
ZAY HARDING: YEAH, GOOD, GOOD.
THE BIG TEXAN FIRS OPENED ITS DOORS IN 1960, BUT DIDN'T BECOME A ROUTE 66 INSTITUTION UNTIL A FEW YEARS LATER WHEN I INTRODUCED ITS 72 OZ.
STEAK EATING CHALLENGE.
THIS GUY'S BEEN GOIN' AT IT FOR 25 MINUTES.
HOW'S IT GOING? MAN: GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? ZAY HARDING: GOOD, YOU'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD ACTUALLY.
AND YOU ALREADY AT THE POTATO? MAN: AND SHRIMP.
ZAY HARDING: AND SHRIMP? WAITER: HOW YOU DOING? ZAY HARDING: GOOD.
WAITER: WHAT CAN I GET YOU TO EAT, MATE? ZAY HARDING: OH, I'M WANNA TRY THE 72 OUNCE.
WAITER: YOU WANNA TRY OUR BIG STEAK? ZAY HARDING: YEAH.
WAITER: WE'RE OUT OF THE SHRIMP THIS EVENING.
IN PLACE, WE'RE DOIN' ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY, WHAT'S THAT? WAITER: THEY'RE FRIED BULL TESTICLES.
IT'S ACTUALLY A DELICACY IN TEXAS.
ZAY HARDING: PERFECT.
OH, OKAY, ALRIGHT.
SO I LUCKED OUT THEY WERE OUT OF SHRIMP? WAITER: OUTSTANDING.
WE'LL GET YOU SERVED RIGHT UP, MATE.
GREAT, THEY'RE OU OF THE SHRIMP SO I GE BULL'S BALLS INSTEAD.
OH BUBS.
GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN.
WAITER: LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION ON STAGE, PLEASE? THIS POOR MAN HAS EXACTLY ONE HOUR TO PUT DOWN 4.
5 POUNDS OF OUR TEXAN TOP SIRLOIN.
GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND CHEER HIM ON.
[CROWD CHEERS.]
.
ZAY HARDING: WHAT IS THAT? OH, MAN.
I COULDN'T EVEN CU IT WITH MY KNIFE.
CROWD: 4, 3, 2, 1, OH! ZAY HARDING: MAN, YOU ALMOST MADE IT.
WELL DONE FOR TRYING, MAN.
MAN: GOOD LUCK.
ZAY HARDING: THAT'S AWESOME.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT OVER 8,000 PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY WON THE CHALLENGE SINCE IT FIRST STARTED, INCLUDING A 65 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER BUT THE RECORD GOES TO JOEY 'JAWS' CHESTNUT WHO MANAGED TO DOWN THE DIABOLICAL DISH IN 8 MINUTES AND 52 SECONDS! LOOKS LIKE I GOT COMPANY.
THESE GUYS ARE REALLY COOL.
THEY DROVE UP THIS MORNING FROM HOUSTON, AND THEY WERE SO HUNGRY BEFORE THEY GOT HERE, THEY EACH HAD A BURGER.
I'M GONNA KEEP WORKIN' AT THIS, BUT I GOTTA START ATTACKIN' THE BULL'S TESTICLES.
THANK GOODNESS THEY'RE DEEP FRIED.
EVERYTHING IN MY BODY IS SAYING IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
20, 23 SECONDS.
THAT'S NOT GOOD.
GIRL: DON'T CHEW, DON'T EVEN CHEW.
GIRLS: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! GIRL 2: C'MON, C'MON, C'MON! ZAY HARDING: AW, C'MON! OH, MAN.
I COULDA DONE IT IF I HAD A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
WAITER: GIVE HIM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR TRYING.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT! [GRUNTS.]
.
WAITER: HERE YA GO, MAN.
ZAY HARDING: LOOK AT THAT! SEE, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A WINNER, YOU'RE A WINNER FOR TRYING.
OH, THINK I MIGHT NEED THIS.
THE TEXAS LEG OF ROUTE 66 IS NOT JUST FAMOUS FOR ITS EATERIES, IT'S ALSO HOME TO ONE OF THE MOST VISITED AR INSTALLATIONS IN THE STATE.
CADILLAC RANCH WAS CREATED IN THE 1970'S BY A SAN FRANCISCO ART COLLECTIVE CALLED THE ANT FARM.
CONSISTING OF 10 VINTAGE CADILLAC'S BURIED NOSE DOWN IN THE GROUND IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO MEAN BU SITTING SO CLOSE TO WHERE THE OLD ROUTE 66 RAN IT SOMEHOW SEEMS AN APPROPRIATE LANDMARK.
WHEN THEY FIRS STARTED CADILLAC RANCH, THEY WERE JUS NORMAL CADILLAC'S STUCK INTO THE GROUND.
A BIT LIKE STONEHENGE.
AND OVER TIME EVERYONE'S COME AND LEFT THEIR MARKS.
AND NOW IT'S JUS KINDA THE THING TO DO LEAVE YOUR MARK ON THIS WORK OF ART.
THERE.
LIFE ALONG ROUTE 66 THRIVED FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY, BUT THE ARRIVAL OF MULTI-LANE FREEWAYS IN THE 1970'S AND 80'S SPELLED THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
BY 1985 THE ROUTE WAS BROKEN UP, REPLACED BY SUPER HIGHWAYS OR RELEGATED TO LOCAL THOROUGHFARES BACK ROADS, ON WHICH FEW WISHED TO TRAVEL.
ALONG WITH IT WENT MANY LITTLE TOWNS THAT RELIED ON THE OLD ROUTE FOR BUSINESS, LIKE GLENRIO HERE ON THE BORDER WITH NEW MEXICO.
BACK IN THE HAY DAYS OF ROUTE 66 ITS GAS STATIONS, CAFES AND MOTELS FLOURISHED.
TODAY THE TOWN STANDS AS A GHOSTLY REMINDER OF A GOLDEN ERA, LONG GONE BUT NO FORGOTTEN BY ANYONE WILLING TO 'SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE ROAD'.
SEE THAT OLD SIGN UP THERE? IT USED TO READ THE "FIRST" AND "LAST" MOTEL/CAFÃ IN TEXAS DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY YOU WERE GOING.
FOR ME IT'S THE LAST, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE STATE LINE AND I'M HEADED ABOUT ELEVEN HUNDRED MILES THAT WAY ONWARD TO MY HOME IN LA, BUT I'M SURE GONNA MISS THIS STATE.
FROM IT'S WIDE OPEN SPACES TO THE HOSPITALITY AND THE INDEPENDEN SPIRIT OF ITS PEOPLE.
THE STATE OF TEXAS MAY END HERE, BUT MY MEMORIES OF IT, WON'T.
HAPPY TRAILS, PARTNER.
NARRATOR: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL GLOBE TREKKER EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY, SUBARU.
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WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
MAN: YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITE.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD AND NOW ON DEMAND FROM GLOBETREKKER.
TV.
MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD, YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW GLOBE TREKKER ANNUAL FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
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COM ZAY HARDING: A LO OF PEOPLE WANNA KNOW, HOW DO YOU GE FROM CITY TO CITY.
DO YOU GUYS FLY THERE, DO YOU DRIVE THERE, DO YOU WALK THERE, OR WHAT? BUT, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE SIT IN THE CAR FOR HOURS A DAY GOIN' BACK AND FORTH TO DIFFERENT CITIES.
AND THIS IS OUR DRIVER GEORGE.
STEVE: HI, GEORGE! GEORGE: HI.
ZAY HARDING: THE WAYS TO PASS TIME IN THESE LONG JOURNEYS IS TO PLAY SCRABBLE ON THE IPAD.
STEVE: YEAH, BU THERE'S ONE DRAWBACK TO THE SCRABBLE BUSINESS.
ZAY HARDING: WHAT'S THAT? STEVE: ONE PERSON WINS EVERYSINGLETIME.
LISA: SMARTY-PANTS.
MARTIN: I DO ADMIT.
[INAUDIBLE CHATTER.]
.
I DO ADMIT SOME OF THE WORDS, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF.
ZAY HARDING: CAN YOU GIVE ME, SIR, THE MOST HAUNTED ROOM YOU HAVE HERE.
CONCIERGE: THEY'RE ALL HAUNTED NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
ZAY HARDING: OKAY.
USUALLY IF WE COVER A HAUNTED HOTEL WE WON' ACTUALLY STAY THERE 'CAUSE IT'S JUST TOO CREEPY THIS IS OUR THIRD TIME STAYING HERE.
CREW: AHHHH! STEVE: WELCOME TO HAUNTED CENTRAL.
ZAY HARDING: IF YOU DO HEAR KNOCKS, IT'S ONE OF THESE GUYS MOST LIKELY.
MARTIN: REALLY? ZAY HARDING: 'CAUSE AS ORLANDO SAID, GHOSTS WON'T KNOCK WILL THEY? SO JUST KNOW MARTIN: WELL, 'CAUSE THE HAND'LL GO STRAIGHT THROUGH.
STEVE: THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST CREEPY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW? ZAY HARDING: WHERE'S THIRT- THIRT- NO! THIS IS THE ROOM, THIS IS THE STEVE: WAIT, ARE YOU IN THIRTY? ZAY HARDING: NO, NO! THIS IS THE ROOM.
STEVE: ARE YOU IN THIRTY? ZAY HARDING: OH MAN LOOK, THIRTY-FIFTEEN.
YES, THIS IS ME.
STEVE: I STAYED IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S GENERAL WILLIAM T.
SHERMAN'S SUITE.
HE'S A CIVIL WAR AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENERAL.
I THINK HE'S THE GUY THAT BURNT ATLANTA DOWN IF I'M CORRECT.
LOOK AT HIM.
ZAY HARDING: THIS IS THE ONE PICTURE THAT ERNESTO, THE GUY THAT'S BEEN WORKING HERE FOR 30 YEARS SAID HE FEELS THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK RAISE EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT IT.
HERE WE GO.
STEVE: BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE.
OH MY, GOSH.
THE ROCKING CHAIR'S ROCKING AND NOBODY'S IN IT.
ZAY HARDING: WHY IS THERE ANOTHER DOOR HERE? STEVE: THAT'S SO THE GHOST CAN GET OUT QUICKLY.
ZAY HARDING: THAT'S SO I CAN GET OUT QUICKLY.
ALRIGHT, COOL.
STEVE: NOW, IF THAT AIN' A CIVIL WAR GENERAL'S BED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
OKAY? ZAY HARDING: YEAH, THAT'S HIM.
DID YOU HEAR THAT? STEVE: DID I HEAR WHAT? ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT, I'M STARTIN' TO HEAR STEVE: THE GENERAL'S ALREADY MOVIN' AROUND THE PLACE.
ZAY HARDING: ALRIGHT.
STEVE: YEAH, IT'S 4:00AM.
NO GHOSTS, NO GHOSTS.
ZAY HARDING: I DIDN'T SEE ANY GHOSTS.
THANK GOODNESS.
MARTIN: NO, NO SPOOKS.
ZAY HARDING: WELL, WE SURVIVED THE HOTEL EVERYONE! OR DID WE? [MENACING LAUGH.]
OUR TRAIN LEAVES AT 5:30, WE'RE TRYIN'A GET ALL THESE BAGS SORTED, I THINK WE HAVE LIKE SEVENTEEN IN TOTAL.
LISA: IT'S JUS TOO EARLY FOR THIS.
ZAY HARDING: WE'RE TAKING ALL THESE ON NOW AND WE HAVE TO FILM A PIECE OF ME TALKING ABOUT THE TRAIN, FOR THE SHOW, WHICH IS GOING TO CUT US DOWN TO THE WIRE.
IT'S GETTIN' VERY STRESSFUL HERE, 'CAUSE IF THE TRAIN LEAVES, IT'S GONE.
STEVE: GET READY TO GO FILM, ZAY.
ZAY HARDING: WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GET ON, UP HERE? GOOD MORNING, IT'S 5:00AM OOH, OW, UGH, I'M ALRIGHT.
STEVE: IT'S SO HOT.
ZAY HARDING: SO BASICALLY, WHAT'S GOIN' ON IS WE'RE FILMIN' THIS 1964 MUSTANG ON ROUTE 66.
STEVE: YOU'LL PROBABLY NOTICE, HOW DO YOU GET HOW DO YOU SEE THESE GUY'S FACES AS THEY'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
THERE'S NO WAY TO GET A BIG CAMERA IN FRONT OF 'EM, SO WE HAVE TO STICK THE LITTLE MINIATURE CAMERA THERE.
SO WE HAVE TO CAMERAS GOIN' HERE.
WE GOT THE LITTLE ONE ON THE CAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR BIG ONE THAT'S GONNA DRIVE ALONGSIDE, SO WE CAN GET TWO ANGLES WHILE THEY TALK.
ORLANDO: THESE ARE GREAT, THESE LITTLE CAMERAS, 'CAUSE THEY A YOU CAN JUST TUCK THEM AWAY IN LITTLE PLACES AND I GIVES YOU A NICE LITTLE WIDE PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN WE JUST SYNC I UP THE OLD FASHIONED WAY BY GIVING IT A HAND CLAP.
STEVE: IT'S KINDA TRICKY, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S GONNA WORK.
CROCODILE LYLE: SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ZAY HARDING: WOO-HOO!