Part 2 In and around Lajitas

We are having a pretty serious wind storm here tonight so I thought I would use our time inside to update the blog.

Terlingua, is a re-inhabited ghost town that lies a few miles up the road from Lajitas. According to a recent article written about Terlingua, half the residents, “are drunker than snot 24/7”. This is another one of the “beyond eclectic” West Texas towns. Below is the trading post and restaurant.

As I was leaving the Trading Post a few days ago, (center of the picture above)  I was confronted by a grizzly old character wearing a sweat stained Stetson, a leather vest, dusty old camo cargo pants  and bare feet sporting green sparkle toenail polish. No six-gun that I could see.  I would have snapped a picture but there were a lot of locals around and it might have come off as a bit touristy. He said “Howdy”. I don’t remember what I replied with. When I described him to some people who have spent a lot of time here, they were pretty sure I was describing the renowned lawyer who comes here a few months a year  to “regain his sanity”.

The Starlight Theatre (see above, right of the store) is actually a restaurant, and a very good one at that. It used to be a theatre but the roof was lost in a wind storm, hence the name. In addition to the usual fare they also serve some local delicacies . Here's a peek at the appetizers.

This is the inside on a Tuesday night.

Packed to the rafters and great live music.

If you look closely just left of centre in the picture, above the flute, you will see a stuffed goat with a beer bottle in his mouth. This would be the former mayor of Lajitas, father of the present mayor.

We did a guided canoe trip down the Rio Grande. This was an incredible adventure, gliding through the canyons with the current.

We stopped for a shore lunch in Mexico. There are no border people here.

When your draft exceeds your depth you are most assuredly aground. This was the first fast water this couple didn’t take either backwards or sideways but they grounded instead. Miraculously they never got wet. The guide paddled back, gave them a shove and off they went.

Darlene and I managed to clip a few rocks too. The last rapid required a sharp “s” bend around 2 rocks, in little more than 2 canoe lengths. The guide told us exactly what to do, but that all went out the window when we rounded the first rock. Let’s just say we made it through, unassisted and dry. Old Towne canoes, they are tough!

Sorry, no Pics because I put my camera in a dry bag before we went through.

As for other activities, we've done some hiking. This was a hike into a dead end canyon, about half a mile and several hundred feet of vertical.

I did some riding in the desert too. The trails here are plentiful and challenging.

And just so you don't sleep too well tonight, I came across one of these....

This fella was a good 5 feet long. No worries though, it's a Bull Snake. They look and act like a Rattle Snake, but they are quite harmless (except for the nightmares).

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the ..........

Lajitas, Part 1

I can't believe over a week has gone by since my last post.

Lajitas  (rhymes with "fajitas") is situated at the southern extreme of the Rockies and northern end of the  Chihuahuan Desert.  Located  right on the Rio Grande, Mexico is literally a stone’s throw away.

The town’s elected mayor is a beer drinking goat (no kidding…). I took this in the early afternoon, he'd already had a few, I think.

Our home for two weeks is at Maverick Ranch, the Lajitas Golf Resort’s RV park.

The population of Lajitas is around 500, ten times what it was 15 years ago. An RV'er we spoke with who is familiar with the area, said that at that a decade ago the Sheriff was still getting around on horseback. This was one of the very last real wild west towns.

The resort and golf course have brought the town out of the past and into the present, more or less. There is a saloon, a restaurant, a bakery, general store to name a few of the amenities. The 18 hole golf course is ranked as one of Texas’ best. It actually has 19 holes but the 19^th is across the river in Mexico so you only get one shot at it.

Here are some pictures in and around Lajitas.

This is the town from a nearby hill top

The stables are in the foreground, the RV park above that and the town just to the left of centre.

Here is a part of the new, old western town, which was built by the resort. Tastefully done.

Some interesting rock formations just outside town.

The mountains, hills and views in this area are spectacular.  It rivals the Grand Canyon but what is better is that you can drive through it instead of merely viewing it from the rim. It’s a geological smorgasbord.

This volcanic ash compressed into soft rock called "tuff" is over 40 million years old. It looks like sculptures.

And driving through the hills and canyons is a real treat.

This is as far west as we will be travelling. In about a week it will be time to head back east (and unfortunately north, too). 

I expect I'll be doing a few more posts while in this area, there is so much going on.

We're going out today to get some BBQ brisket for dinner tonight. Yes, we're having Fajitas in Lajitas! And maybe some margaritas... ; )

Alpine, TX

Alpine was a blast! On the evening of the day we arrived we went into town …… street party! I don’t recall what the occasion was. There was a Mariachi band strolling from bar to restaurant to bar. The margaritas were cheap and plentiful. 

There are some outstanding restaurants and bars here. There are as many food trucks in Alpine as there are restaurants but many of the trucks were closed or only open on weekends because it's out of season.

The Saddle Club has this sign above the bar. The longhorn steer is still wearing a Santa hat. Nothing is hurried here.

One of our favourites was Harry’s Tinaja, simply for it’s gritty, rustic atmosphere. Stand up bar inside, picnic tables outside. Lots of Stetsons and western boots. No food is served. Irrigation only.

Harry’s backs onto a very active railway line. This came by while we were enjoying a couple of cervesas.

We had lunch at La Calavera. It felt just like being in one of Mexico's typical establishments. The tostadas were outstanding. They don't serve "refreshments" but you can bring your own.

We took a day trip to Marfa which lies about 30 miles west of Alpine. Yet another small town that the word eclectic doesn't even begin to describe.

It has retained most of its historic charm but some of the newer buildings are very modern. There is a Prada store here. A strange combination.

This is Marfa, then....

.....and now.

There is a building on the left side of both photos, the Hotel Paisano, beautifully preserved. This is the lobby. Notice the mounts on the wall.

I have been trying to keep the food pictures to a minimum, but they are really starting to pile up. So, here are just a couple, nothing spectacular but soooo gooood.

Kolaches, an eastern European invention. Like a piggy in a blanket on steroids, they come in cheddar or jalepino. They are very popular in Texas. With a little dijon, .......heaven!

This was lunch in Marfa. Parmesan fries with a caramelised onion dip. What a combination. 

Marfa has another claim to fame. This was where James Dean made his last movie, a western called "Giant". In fact he died before it was finished. I found this picture in the hotel. Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and Director George Stevens, on location near Marfa.

So that's it for this episode. Next stop, Lajitas.

BIG Sky

I can't believe we are well into week 11 already, about half way through the trip.

We are getting deep into west Texas now. Big sky country.
Flat and dry. Everything here either bites, stings or scratches.

This was our campsite in Seminole Canyon State Park. 
I had asked for something with a view.

And this was the view at sunset. If you look closely you can see some mountains on the horizon.

Zoomed in a bit they looked like this.

These are the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. They are just over 100 miles away and 90 miles of that is looking across Mexico.

Seminole Canyon was an interesting stop. It is best known for the pictographs drawn on the cave walls. Not really caves, more like huge overhangs in the canyon walls where the native inhabitants took shelter, about 4000 years ago. Oddly, the pictographs don't really resemble people. These were done around the same time the Pyramids were built in Egypt. 

We did a lot of hiking. The first day, around the canyon's rim and the next day, into the canyon to see the ancient art. 

The trail around the rim is rugged.

And not without things to watch out for. We didn't see any creatures.

At this section of the trail I had to leave the bike and walk.

It's a good thing I remembered to wear my Hi-Tech hiking flip flops.

This is one of the pictograph sites as seen from the canyon floor.

And the other way around.

We are now in Alpine, in the Texas high country, elevation 4500 ft. There were only a few small towns along the 170 mile drive between Seminole Canyon and Alpine. Most of them were all but deserted. Alpine however is a thriving little community with lots going on. We are here for a week before we head to Lajitas, 100 miles south, for 2 weeks. Three weeks and only 100 miles to drive. RVing at it's best. 

We'll get into Alpine in the next post.

Good Times with Family in Austin.

Let me start by saying that all the pictures in this post will be lousy. I messed with the cameras’ settings and that’s what happens. Lesson learned, leave the damned thing on auto, it’s a much better photographer than I will ever be.

Five days in Austin.  We had a great time. Weather was cool but we had a couple of days in the mid 20’s.

On Saturday we went to a Brewery/Bar with Carla and Billy. The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company. These people know how to throw a party.  This is not your average craft beer place with seating for a dozen or so and serving peanuts or crackers with their beverages.

No. This is a real bar, seating maybe 200 with an outside patio with it's own bar, seating about another 100. They serve wine and beer and have an open kitchen which offers a menu that would put most New Jersey diners to shame. Great food, craft beer and live music. The band played an unusual style of zydeco music infused with a hint of rock.

The occasion was a Mardi Gras celebration paired with a dog show. (I know, right?) Most of the dogs were Pugs, dozens of them. They seem to be very popular in Texas.

Pug Pic's to follow.

Last night, our last night in Austin, Carla put on a spread that was over the top! Shrimp, beef tenderloin and 5 pounds of crawfish. Surf, turf and mudbugs, as they call them. Simply outstanding. If I had a picture I would post it. Use your imagination. 

The drive today, a long one by our standards, was wet and foggy for the entire 260 miles. We decided to abandon the interstate in favour of the secondary highways. Driving through Texas Hill Country, the scenery would have been spectacular had the cloud ceiling been higher than 100 feet and the visibility greater than half a mile.  We passed through some interesting little towns. This was Mason, I think. Some great old buildings here and lots of pick-up trucks.

An observation. Drivers don’t speed here. They don’t need to. The speed limits are realistic . Here is a typical county road, 2 lanes, speed limit 75 mph (I know, lousy picture).

This area is flood prone in heavy rain. Instead of building expensive bridges to handle the worst case, they put in a culvert or two and add a sign saying "Possible Water Over Road". The yellow sign is a flood gauge so you can tell how wet you are going to get if you try to cross the raging torrent.

Tonight we are in Del Rio, a small town a few miles from the Rio Grande, and Mexico. The park is called the Broke Mill RV Park, named after what was here before it became an RV Park. Del Rio will be our last chance to stock up on food, beverages and fuel, before we go into the “back country”. Well, not really, but selection is limited west of here and it gets expensive.

In preparation for the outback we will be spending a couple of days in Seminole Canyon State Park to get acclimatized. This will be very basic glamping, water and power but no sewer hookup and probably no internet. Roughing it! Pics to follow, when internet is available again.

San Antonio

If you google the top 2 things to do in San Antonio you will find The Alamo and the Riverwalk.

We visited The Alamo on Monday. A very interesting piece of American history. Indulge me for a minute if you will.  While the guide was talking, I was taking notes.

Texas, in the early 1800’s was a part of Mexico. The Texan settlers rebelled against the Mexican government seeking independence. It all started a few miles east of San Antonio in a town called Gonzalez. It seems the Mexicans had loaned the settlers a cannon for defence against the Comanche’s. With all the Texans’ talk of independence, Mexico got a bit nervous and demanded the return of their cannon.

This was the cannon, note the Flintstone carriage (he, he, no disrespect intended).

And this was the banner that the town of Gonzalez erected in response to the request from Mexico.

The Gonzalez altercation was the first conflict between the settlers of Texas and Mexico in their quest for independence. About a year later, 200 Texans defended the Alamo against a Mexican Army of 6000 for nearly 2 weeks and were then overrun.

This is the Mission building at the Alamo. Cannon ball dents are still visible in the walls. It is right in the heart of downtown San Antonio.s

A few months later, Sam Houston and some 800 Texans
defeated a Mexican force of twice that number at San
Jacinto (present-day Houston). The victory led to the
success of Texan independence and their eventual annexation to the United States in 1845. 

And that, in a nutshell, is why we didn't have to cross a border to get from Louisiana into Texas.

The Riverwalk is also right downtown, just a few blocks from

the Alamo. It is well below street level and is an endless
stretch of restaurants and bars of every description, lining
both sides of the San Antonio River. For the most part, there are no railings to keep over-indulgers from getting wet. You’re on your own.

In the daytime it looks like this.

And at night,

Oh, and one more thing. Installment number two in the “interesting”  billboard series. See my blog from April 1, 2016 for the first installment. It’s all about that “base”.

Uplifting!

The weather has finally normalized after 8 weeks of bad skating. I know there will still be cooler spells in store for us but activities like chipping ice off the Honda's windshield were not supposed to be a part of the deal.