El Paso and its environs are hot and desert-like. Road surfaces are often rough and traffic is heavy; avoid riding during rush hours. The land is flat and dry as you parallel the course of the Rio Grande, which snakes one to six miles away from the route to the south. I-10 parallels the route to the north and carries much of the high speed traffic, leaving primarily local traffic on SR 20, a two-lane road with good riding surfaces. You'll use frontage roads and do some riding on I-10 through flat, desert country to Van Horn. Marfa, a small desert town in west Texas, is known as an arts hub. Southeast of town, there is a viewing platform from which the mysterious orbs known as the “Marfa Lights” phenomenon can sometimes be seen. Services are extremely limited between Van Horn and Marfa, and also between Marathon and Comstock. At Langtry, the visitor center is a welcome diversion and a source for drinking water. The route is gently rolling from Comstock to Del Rio. Click on enlargement for detail.