West Texas

Many unique small towns make up the Big Bend region of west Texas. Each of these towns has its own character and unique story and the sum of these towns make up a surprisingly diverse environment that quashed my preconceived notion of what west Texas would be. It's not full of rednecks in pickup-trucks but surprisingly there are a lot of very interesting people and unique culture. This isn't John Wayne's Texas, it's much funkier!

In 1971 an artist by the name of Donald Judd rented a house in Marfa as a way to escape the hustle and bustle of New York city. From this humble beginning grew the Judd foundation which now provides for the training of artists in this unlikely desert town. There is also a wonderful book store in Marfa called the Marfa Book Company. Also of note in Marfa are the Marfa Mystery Lights (more here). And don't forget the movie that put Marfa on the map, Giant was shot here.

Fort Davis is the site of an old Army fort that was originally built to protect the El Paso road from marauding bandits. Today it is a National Historic Site and worth a visit. Also in Fort Davis is the Limpia Creek hat factory. They still make cowboy hats from beaver fur and make a unique line of John Wayne commemorative hats.

Regrettably we didn't make it to Valentine, home of the famous Prada sculpture which was intentionally made to become a ruin in the face of the elements and vandals. No effort will be made to repair it from vandalism and it is a living (dying?) work of art.

We made our home base in Alpine. We stayed at the wonderful Antelope Lodge, where we met Russ. One morning out we went to La Trattoria Coffee & Juice Bar where we were treated to a large helping of local culture by our hosts Jeffro (He and Marsha had a grand time catching up on "the old days" of Austin) and an artist/music teacher in a pith helmet whose name escapes me. We enjoyed some true Texas hospitality at Alexanders Tex-Mex Grill & Cantina, whose head waiter, Matthew, provided excellent service although slightly over-the-top. At Alicia's Burrito Place we enjoyed a great meal and chatted with a group of real-estate developers who were on a horse riding vacation in the area.

The town of Marathon also has its own unique character. The photographer, James Evans, makes his home and gallery in Marathon. He moved there in the 80's with nothing, worked as a waiter in a local hotel and took pictures in his off-time. Now, he is semi-famous and the best known Big Bend photographer. Great story of pursuing your dream and having it pay off. I have a great deal of respect for people who can do that. Marathon is also home to the burnt biscuit bakery where you can find excellent early morning fare for the trip to Big Bend. There is a soda fountain for sale in town that looks like it could be a fun business to own.

One of the draws to the area is, of course, Big Bend National Park. The park lies on the border with Mexico along a bend, which is big, in the Rio Grande river. There are three distinct ecosystems in the park, each with its unique features and a visit isn't complete without exploring the desert, the river and the alpine areas of the park. I found the desert to be the most fascinating. The plants that grow there all seem to have a hostility to them, the animals are all low-slung.

Near the west entrance to the park lies the town of Terlingua and the Terlingua ghost town. The ghost town was a mercury mining camp until near the end of WWII at which time electronics started to be used instead of mercury for fuses in bombs. The mine closed and was left to deteriorate. It was eventually sold to a man who basically bought it for salvage, has changed hands a few times since and is now being restored. Terlingua was home to the world's first ever chili cook-off and is now an annual event. It's also regionally famous for 2-for-1 Monday night burgers at the Starlight Bar & Grill, an establishment whose moniker refers back to the days when it was a roof-less theater.

At the Terlingua store you can pick up a brochure that outlines a walking tour of the town. It gives a brief rundown of the history and proclaims that Terlingua is now populated by "..artists, musicians and free-thinking individuals..." By free thinking individuals I think they mean non-conformists and social dropouts. The character of Terlingua really captivated me. No internet, no cell phones, no cable TV, no instant or text messaging...means that if you with to interact with your fellow human, you have to do it the old-fashioned way, right there in person face-to-face. Every day residents and their mangy dogs gather on the porch at the Terlingua store to share libations and tell stories. I think I want to go back to Terlingua and be a short-term resident, really explore the culture that can happen only in a place 220 miles from the nearest Starbucks, 90 miles from the nearest McDonald's. A place whose sense of community, ownership and environmental stewardship extends for many miles beyond each entrance to the park with adopt-a-highway sections sponsored by the Terlingua store. A place where the locals are easy to pick out (they're the ones with dirty clothes). A place like Terlingua.

And now some pictures: