This is the season for large multi-day cycling races such as the Tour of California, Tour of Italy ('Giro d'Italia'), the upcoming Tour de France and similar events.The regions and towns these events pass through take great pride in showcasing the beauty of their areas to the millions of potential tourists who watch these races in person or on television.
Unfortunately, San Angelo does not have a large televised multi-day cycling event and that's probably for the best.
If we had a local cycling race of that type, the only logical name would be the 'Tour de Trash'.
The amount of intentionally-discarded litter that decorates many roadsides, parking lots and open space areas around San Angelo is amazing - unlike anything I've ever seen in other locations I've cycled through.
It's almost as though signs are posted everywhere that say "Please litter here to decorate the landscape".
A scenic Tour de Trash route would have to include Mary E Lee Park (the swim beach) on Lake Nasworthy. Although the view looking west across the lake to the high peaks of the Twin Buttes is nice enough by itself, San Angelo residents go to great lengths to decorate the parking lot and beach area with colorful trash such as beer cans, 12-pack boxes, plastic water bottles, fast food containers and dirty diapers.
The area around the Wal-Mart on Sherwood Way would also be a key area for scenic views during the Tour de Trash. Shoppers in this part of town decorate bushes and mesquite trees with plastic shopping bags that seem alive as they flap gently in the prevailing southerly wind.
After leaving the Wal-Mart area, the scenic tour would roll through southwest San Angelo to Twin Buttes Blvd just south of Lamar Elementary.
Most people don't see the really scenic sections from the street, but just a few yards into the undeveloped land under the power lines south of Twin Mountain is one of the most scenic trash areas in San Angelo - an area that would be a 'must-see' during the Tour de Trash.
Riders, spectators and television viewers would get to view piles of household trash, old mattresses, cans and bottles of all types, discarded furniture and mounds of tree branches laboriously hauled to the location by San Angelo residents.
It's a gem of a trash location that would undoubtedly attract scores of photographers and spectators as the tour rolled through.
The final leg of Tour de Trash will be follow Red Bluff Road from Knickerbocker Blvd to the finish line in Middle Concho Park on the banks of Lake Nasworthy.
This section of the tour route might be the most 'trash scenic' of all areas, with both local residents and out of town visitors contributing to the decorate-with-trash efforts.
Despite the negative efforts of city employees who constantly patrol the roads and parks removing decorations, you'll see open space areas and roadsides beautified with items such as beer and fast food containers, cans, glass bottles, shotgun shell casings and occasionally a special decoration such as the loaded Smith &Weston pistol that I found on the roadside a few weeks ago.
When the tour enters Middle Concho Park, participants and spectators will be treated to amazing views of litter decorating the landscape.
Although trash containers and big trash bins are located throughout the area, park users understand that out-of-sight trash is not as scenic so they go to great lengths to pile rubbish next to campsites, in the ditch next to roads and in some cases - on the ground adjacent to dumpsters.
When viewed on a Sunday afternoon at the end of a long weekend, the trash viewing in this park rivals anything that you're likely to find world-wide.
Remember - bring your camera to capture the stunning route decorations when you watch San Angelo's Tour de Trash cycling event.
