February 27-28 2013 Terlingua to Pecos Texas

Wednesday we mostly hung out at the bus , did laundry, caught up on emails, banking and bills,  the photos, Facebook, the blog, recharged the batteries in the bus. For dinner we went to the ghost town of Terlingua. Terlingua at one time had 2,000 residents. There was a huge quicksilver mine (mercury). But the quicksilver played out and now it is kind of an out of the way place with lots of ruins of houses, a population of 50  long hairs, river guides, artists and non conformist types. It is known as the chili capital of the world. In the fall they have a chili contest that about 10,000 people come to.  Some of the old ruins have been restored to shops, galleries, river trip places and some hotels have sprung up. It has always had the trading post, with it’s famous porch. People hang out there and sometimes play music. Next door is the Starlight theatre Restaurant and sometimes you can get a performance. When I first came here with my brother Ray and his wife Joan the trading post and Starlight were the only business and some of the ruins had people kind of camped in them. It has grown.

The Terlingua cemetery.

The cemetery dates from the early 1900’s. It is still in use and on November 2 people gather here to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

We found this lovely mosquito statue. One of the ruins.

Sunset and ruins.

The Trading post and Starlight Theatre.

As we dined at the Starlight we were entertained by Marti and Rita, guitar, drum and singing. The place was packed and hopping.  In every little depression or dry creek bed along the highway there are these flood gauges that measure up to 5 feet. Don’t want to be here during a rainstorm.

Along the road in Terlingua was this property, the Passing Wind. It has a couple mobile homes, a ship , a submarine and statue of Liberty. On the statue it had a plaque that said support the association of wounded warriors and had a purple heart license plate on the gate. Little more Terlingua color. We took off today, north on our way to Carlsbad. Outside Alpine, Texas was this sign Home of the Last Frontier.  We passed a real estate subdivision outside it that said ‘Tranquility for sale by the acre. ‘

A mural in Alpine and Alpine’s main drag. Alpine is in the Texas Alps, peaks above 7,000 feet.

We stopped and shopped at Wal-Mart in Historic Fort Stockton. This road runner statue is called Paisano Pete. It is 20 feet long, 11 feet tall and weighs 860 lbs. It is said to be the worlds largest roadrunner. This western scene is across the street at the visitors center. Fort Stockton says it is an oil capital. It is surrounded by oil dereks, tanks and a refinery.

On to Pecos. Home of the Worlds first rodeo in 1883. It was prompted by a dispute in front of the saloon, so the cowhands from the Hashknife, W, Lazy Y and NA ranches competed to determine which spread had the best ropers and riders.  There is only one RV park in the whole area, the Escapee park. They use a shoehorn to get as many rigs in as possible. There is about 2 feet between. We are next too a picnic table shelter, with no picnic table that we share the neighboring trailer. There is an empty spot next too us, which could be filled at any minute. They  have oil around Pecos too, but also  grow cantaloupes and cotton. Pecos and Fort Stockton are on flat dry, colorless land.