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I just spent a few months parked in West, TX, very near the site of this happening. I didn't know about it, or I would have gone to visit the site! But, there'

I just spent a few months parked in West, TX, very near the site of this happening. I didn't know about it, or I would have gone to visit the site! But, there's a more recent somewhat famous explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, as well, that killed 15 people and injured 200 others. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West%2C_Texas#2013_explosion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West%2C_Texas#2013_explosion) That specific part of Texas might have more than its fair share of crazy explosions, but I've noticed in my travels that even small obscure towns often have some kind of surprising history. Cults, infamous battles between indigenous peoples and settlers, racist enclaves, all sorts of bizarre events, crazy publicity stunts, etc. are so common in the US and most people are rarely aware of the history of the land they're on. Sometimes it feels like the United States is one long story of hucksters and crazies bamboozling and recklessly endangering their neighbors' lives.

blunte 9y ago
If you were in West, you were near Dinosaur Valley State Park. It's not quite the same as stories go, but it has obvious attraction.
- SwellJoe 9y ago
  Much closer to Mammoth National Monument. I didn't make it to Dinosaur Valley State Park, but might next time I pass through. I have servers in colocation in Dallas, so I pass through there at least once a year, or so, just for upgrades and disk replacements and such.
- fred_is_fred 9y ago
  Right outside Dino Valley (at least in the late 1990s) was the Creation Evidence Museum. It was housed in a double-wide trailer.
kodablah 9y ago
> I didn't know about it, or I would have gone to visit the site! Just an exit south of where you grab your Kolaches. There's a historical marker [0] (actually, I think it moved to [1] ...so same exit). 0 - https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=35909 https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=35909 1 - https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=59674 https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=59674
telesilla 9y ago
A very good long-form piece on the fertilizer explosion: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/west-texas-after-the-blast/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/west-...

blunte 9y ago

If you were in West, you were near Dinosaur Valley State Park. It's not quite the same as stories go, but it has obvious attraction.

SwellJoe 9y ago
Much closer to Mammoth National Monument. I didn't make it to Dinosaur Valley State Park, but might next time I pass through. I have servers in colocation in Dallas, so I pass through there at least once a year, or so, just for upgrades and disk replacements and such.
fred_is_fred 9y ago
Right outside Dino Valley (at least in the late 1990s) was the Creation Evidence Museum. It was housed in a double-wide trailer.

kodablah 9y ago

> I didn't know about it, or I would have gone to visit the site! Just an exit south of where you grab your Kolaches. There's a historical marker [0] (actually, I think it moved to [1] ...so same exit). 0 - https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=35909 https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=35909 1 - https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=59674 https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=59674

telesilla 9y ago

A very good long-form piece on the fertilizer explosion: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/west-texas-after-the-blast/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/lifestyle/west-...