Part 3 - In and around Lajitas

Well, that's it for our time in Lajitas. Stunning scenery, good food and great weather. It was 30 degrees yesterday, 32 today, And in the past two weeks here it never got below 20 during the day. Welcome heat after the frigid first 10 weeks of the trip.

Today we headed towards home instead of away from it for the first time in 13 weeks. Lajitas is 4200 miles from home. The plans we have laid for the next 40 or so days will include 9  stops over 2100 miles, ending up in Edisto Beach State Park, between Charleston and Savannah. Beach time has become a priority because we didn't get much of it on the way down due to the weather. Our beach umbrella has been infinitely more useful as a windbreak than for shade. So that's what's coming up in the next 6 weeks. 

Here's a (not so) quick recap of the past week in no particular order.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lajitas has a world class golf course. The 18 holes are spread out over 13 miles of rugged terrain. Some holes have tee's several hundred feet above the fairway. And the best part, if you don't play golf, you can rent a cart and drive around the course. It took us over an hour and a half to drive it.

The Rustic Iron BBQ in Terlingua is allegedly the best for a hundred miles around (and possibly the only BBQ joint for a hundred miles). It doesn't look like much but this guy knows his business. We got brisket, turkey and a sausage link.

We've all heard the term "adobe" to describe south western traditional buildings. There are lots of remnants of these buildings here. Adobe is defined as a brick made of clay, earth and straw and baked in the sun. Works for a while and then slowly disintegrates. 

And the other, older architectural style, "pile of rocks".

According to the historical markers, these shelters were erected by shepherds and goat herders to protect them from coyotes and mountain lions. I would think, more likely, protection from the sun.

Wildlife is scarce here due to the harsh climate but buzzards abound. As for animals that walk on 4 legs, this is about it.

Javelinas. Finally got some pics of Javelinas on the hoof, not "napping" at the side of the road. They run wild here, and although they look like a pig they are more closely related to the hippopotamus.

And these guys grazing at the side of the road.

Here's a short video of what it looks like to drive off a cliff in a motorhome. This was just before Terlingua after we left Lajitas this morning. If you open it up to "Full Screen" it looks better.

Tonight we are in an RV park in Fort Stockton, TX. I think maybe I should have researched this one a little more. It's nothing more than a dust bowl, no grass, no trees, nothing.

And to add insult to injury we just came back from the Fort Stockton Walmart....at least 30 units parked there, people milling about, drinks in hand, BBQ's smoking, a real party atmosphere.

We were planning to be here for 2 nights. Instead we're leaving tomorrow, a day early, for a state park in Junction, TX. You can't win 'em all.