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City Spotlight: Sonora
Good things are hiding in (and under) this little desert town.
If you’ve ever driven along Interstate 10 where Hill Country fades into the Chihuahuan Desert, you’re familiar with the rough landscape, sweeping views, and giant mesas. You might even have stopped for gas in Sonora, a little town along the desert highway where most folks fill up the tank and then keep on trucking. Typical story, right? No wonder that if you head a little deeper into Sonora (and, in fact, under Sonora), there’s way more to this town than first meets the eye.
What’s Under Sonora?
There’s a lot more excitement in Sonora than you see on the surface — literally. The town is on the map because of the Caverns of Sonora, which are, in my opinion, the most beautiful caves in the whole state. That’s high praise, because there are so many incredible caverns in Texas, but what sets Sonora’s apart is that the walls are almost entirely jeweled. Stalactites are shimmering on the ceiling, stalagmites are glittering on the floor, and millions of incredible formations called helictites are shooting out horizontally from the walls. Sonoran helictites look like sea anemones, or octopus tentacles, and you don’t need a big imagination to see dragons, seahorses, or butterflies in their shapes. You can take a nearly two-hour tour through the caves to see for yourself. It’s stunning.
Back on the Surface of Sonora
Come back up for air, then head to downtown Sonora, the seat of Sutton County. Grab some coffee from Honeybee Cafe and check out Main Street, which has a cute county courthouse and some fun boutiques.
Right off the square is an old icehouse that has been renovated into the Sonora Ice House Ranch Museum. Among a bunch of awesome Old West artifacts, there’s the weapon that killed one of the “Wild Bunch,” the gang led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. If you like old ranching history, you’ll be interested to know that Sonora’s economy used to be built on goat ranching — so there’s some cool pioneer relics from the days of wool and mohair.
For lunch, dinner, or both, you’ve got to go to River Harvest. When I was planning my day trip to Sonora, everyone told me this would be some of the best food I’d eat in my life — and, boy, was it. It’s run by this sweet couple whose catering business was so popular, locals demanded they turn it into a restaurant. The wife makes homemade cookies and pie, while the husband smokes meat and makes pulled-pork grilled-cheese sandwiches and Philly brisket cheesesteaks. It’s all familiar, and yet somehow so different than anything I’ve ever had in Texas. Simply put, you haven’t done Sonora right if you leave without a meal at River Harvest.
Behind the courthouse, there’s a trailhead that takes you up into the hills to a wildlife preserve right in the heart of Sonora. It’s called Eaton Hill Nature Center & Preserve, and it’s chock-full of wild Texan taxidermy: snakes, coyotes, hawks, and even mammoth bones. It’s a pretty incredible way to explore the natural side of the Chihuahuan Desert without leaving town.
Beyond Sonora Proper
For those who really want to explore the region, Sonora is one of the closest towns to the Devils River State Natural Area. It’s still about an hour-and-a-half drive from town, but Sonora considers itself the gateway to the Devils River, which is an absolutely pristine body of water for paddling and fishing.
My other favorite outing around Sonora is JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, a five-star resort and spa in the middle of scrub country Texas. Besides pools and massages (and their own private airstrip), it’s an awesome spot for day trippers to go horseback riding and skeet shooting. And, of course, the giant New York strip steaks at the resort restaurant are up to snuff with the rest of the extravagance of JL Bar — and the perfect way to top off a day full of hidden gems in Sonora.
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