We decided to drive straight to Marfa only stopping for food and gas along the way; that's where our West Texas trip would really begin. We headed out on I-10 at 6.30 A.M., making our first real pit stop to stretch our legs and eat in Junction, TX. We both ordered the hamburger steak lunch special at the local hash house, Sunny Cafe & Bakery. After ogling the mountainous displays on the countertop, we couldn't pass up a slice of coconut pie to go with a much needed picker-upper. We started feeling a bit rambunctious and explored Junction a bit before heading further west.
The next stop was in Ft. Stockton where the only thing that impressed me was the country's largest road runner. We hopped on 67 South just past the town and pushed on into Marfa, arriving at 5.30 P.M. When we arrived, we first toured an old funeral home which has grandeur visions of becoming a live music venue, Padre's. David has the place pretty much gutted except for the office already built in the back that sufficed quite nicely as our crash pad for the evening. Before bedtime, we enjoyed the coffee shop on Main nestled between Marfa Book Co and Marfa Radio, ate Mexican food at Mondo's, and checked out the Marfa lights. The next morning, David confirmed we did indeed witness the mysterious phenomena though I'm still not convinced I saw any dancing lights in the far distance.
We started the next morning off right at the Bread & Breakfast in Alpine. Next, we perused through Ringtail Records where I spotted The Velvet Underground's live album, 1969, for $5o; I don't know about you, but I think that's a bit steep. They had several records in the $100+ category and even more you would naturally forgo at a thrift store for 5 bucks a pop. You'd think records are a rare treasure in west Texas; well, maybe. We then photographed Granada Theater which is unfortunately, no longer in operation. After tooling around Alpine, it was time for our next adventure.
Once back in Marfa, we bought groceries and a couple bottles of wine at Pueblo Grocery; it was time to go camping. We headed down scenic 67S finding roadrunners and white tailed deer. We even spotted the most handsome buck sporting a rack so big, an avid hunter would startle. After 30 miles of paved road, 67S turns into Pinto Canyon Road - 20 miles of gravel to Chinati Hot Springs. There couldn't be a more beautiful, winding, hilly, desert path in west Texas. Once checking into Chinati, we set up camp, hiked, cooked dinner (what could be more appropriate than steak and potatoes?), made a fire, and enjoyed the 110 degree natural spring with a fine bottle of Texas white wine - a west Texas camper's oasis for sure.
After a spring fed shower, hearty breakfast and coffee, we followed Highway 170 to Candalaria Sunday morning. We drove straight through town and happened upon an extremely muddy path that I just had to explore. It ended in a turn-around about a quarter of a mile down. There was a well worn footbridge over the Tex-Mex border bearing a sign that stated it was illegal to cross the bridge and return at that same point. Of course we crossed the Rio Grande. There was a similar situation on the other side with a handful of parked work trucks with Texas and Mexico plates. We then trucked on down the highway.
We stopped at Rusty's general store in Ruidosa and grabbed a couple of Mexican Coca-Colas. He fondly spoke of his family photos on display; Rusty's ancestors were local ranchers. The store owner gave us a tour of the property speaking of the old adobe church next door, his tire wall architecture, and the beer can addition on the front. He's got quite a green thumb to boot.
We ventured into Ojinaga, MX for all of about five minutes checking out the wares at a grocery store and spent forty minutes in the border patrol line upon our U.S. return. We passed through Presidio (where low riders and gaudy rims are prevalent) and landed at Long Draw Pizza in Terlingua for dinner. Too bad it was nightfall for this part of the drive; the curvy highway was ribbing its roadside scenery. $53.96 got us a seventies era room in the double-wide addition of the Easter Egg/Chisos Mining Motel; it even came with a broken heater. Eh, who cared? It was exactly what we were seeking on this trip. We were even offered Lonestar and cigarettes for purchase when we got our key.
I was anxious to hit some local bars, so we set out for a night on the town. My first and only Carta Blanca was served at the Starlight Theatre by the creepy convict-esque bartender who also let me taste their delicious frozen prickly pear margarita. I'll definitely be back for 2 for 1 burgers and live music on a Monday night; it's all the rage amongst scenesters in the Big Bend area. Next stop: La Kiva. The bar was obviously dark inside and had terrific decor - decked out with solid wood creating a comfortable ambiance. The bar selection was excellent offering several tequilas to choose from, and the patrons were all welcoming locals. A couple of beers and a shot later, I was done for.
Monday morning we bought coffee and a great slice of zucchini bread at a local spot and went just up the road to Terlingua Ghost Town. I spent alot of time looking at all the cool bric a brac at the Terlingua book & gift store. There are lots of items stamped with Davíd Mendoza's artwork; he's got a fantastic Día de los Muertos style, and you find some of his paintings hanging around the town. I just had to have a nostalgic horned lizard magnet (and my sister's looks so cool on her fridge) along with a few books from the awesome Texas selection. One of my purchases was "Tales from the Terlingua Porch" by Blair Pittman, and coincidentally, he happened to be sitting out front as we exited. What a pleasant treat right there on "the porch" - some great conversation, pictures, and a signed copy. Pittman has legendarily chronicled Texas as well as photojournalism for the Houston Chronicle, National Geographic, and Smithsonian to name a few.
The Chili Pepper Cafe served up some very delicious Mexican food for lunch. There were several posters of past Terlingua chili pepper cookoffs; the national championship cookoff is held during the first weekend in November and draws the best of the bunch. After hitting the post office and The Mall for groceries in Study Butte, we left for Big Bend.
Once at the Big Bend HQ, we saw none other than Mr. Pittman talking with a soon to find out, distant relative! Though not my relative, I relished the excitement in the fresh family stories. Enjoying our time til closing, we successfully raced daylight to get our camp set up at Mt. Nugent. I momentarily convinced myself that a boulder at the top of the mountain was indeed a very still bear after being told to take extra precaution since we were camping at the edge of bear country. I was acclimated in no time thankfully.
We cooked pancakes in the morning and decided on a very loose schedule for our park excursion beginning with a small hike around Hot Springs. Afterwards, there was an interesting 4X4 custom expedition motor
home with German plates and stickers parked next to my Subie. This Ormocar looked like it could roll through a war unscathed with all the comforts of home right inside. The curiosity got the best of me, so I knocked on the door and mid-aged German native entertained my inquisitiveness:
me (acting as a nitwitted tourist): "How did you get this thing over here?"
man I barged in on: "Easy, I shipped it."
me: "Wasn't that expensive?"
man: "No, I made it."
me: "Made it? Oh, you mean you own the company?"
man: "Yes."
We went to the Rio Grand Valley and the Window Trail next. The trail is a 2.2 mile hike one way from the bottom of the campground near it. It was a very pleasant hike through the desert vegetation, rocks, and water. The view from the top overlooking the canyon was spectacular; it's also quite windy the closer you get to the edge so hold on to your hat. The day ended at the camp with utter quietness and a serene view of the sunset.
Wednesday morning, we awoke to see the sunrise over the mountains and promptly went back to sleep for a bit; later it would be time to pack up and say our goodbyes. The next stop was in Marathon for gas. We came across two border patrol stations on this leg of the trip, and I found it peculiar we were stopped by Mexicans. From there we followed 90E to Del Rio, stopping for some fresh air at Seminole Canyon State Park and the bridge over the Pecos along the way. Our trip was winding down, and we were now on a mission for a west Texas steakhouse.
It was dinnertime when we rolled into Del Rio and noticed Wright's Steak House. This was the place for my rare filet, baked potato, and a glass of cheap red wine. It was a simple restaurant and an excellent way to wrap up the first of our Texas tours. Our vacation probably didn't stray far from any other typical west Texas adventure, but it was sentimental, heartfelt, and all mine. Texas draws you in, captivates you, and effortlessly makes you feel right at home; I'm proud to be a Texan.
