Terlingua......A Ghost Town

Outside the National park are three little cities, Study Butte, Terlingua  and Lajitas. All three are mainly gasoline stations, campgrounds, and a few outfitters that will take you jeep riding, rafting, or just touring around the National Park. Flat, dusty and hot, paradise for sure. There are also a few local restaurants and I think I saw a grocery and laundrymat.

we pushed thru the two cities and ended in Lajitas which is actually a golf resort and the RV Park we stayed at. 

There were pictures of it on the last post. 

One more fun thing we did there was go to the Barton Warnock Visitor Center. It is the home of the Roadrunner. It is an interesting bird and is very curious. It sometimes will follow a hiker down a trail. It is thought to bring a person good luck. So it is desirable to have a Roadrunner living close to your house or follow you while walking. In Mexico it is known as a "paisano" or country gentleman.

They are excellent rattlesnake hunters but also eat small rodents and lizards.

The feet of these birds are different too. They have two toes in front and two in back, also known as zygodactyl feet.

 

Beep Beep

The gardens at the visitor center were beautiful

 

But the best part of the day was while we were walking we found a Geocache. These are things like time capsules that people hide anywhere. They contain trinkets, or whatever people want to put inside. Usually they also have a log book you can sign to say when you found it and where you are from. You can even add something to the cache before you place it back as you found it for the next person who comes along and discovers it. 

 

Bill dragged out the box.

 

Filled with crappage

 

We were good geocachers and put it back. 

On to The Terlingua Ghost Town.

 

Terlingua was at one time a mining town that harvested Cinnabar the compound that mercury comes from. The little town sprang up around it and eventually was abandoned when the mine closed. There is a Historic Cemetery, a hotel of sorts, a theatre, a chili cook off in November and a couple of other odd things.

 

No explanation needed

 

A few of the graves. 

 

Not much to do here

 

 

This is still an active burial area. Relatives of the original town folks and owners of the mine, who are buried here, can be buried here also.

 

Gift shop

 

Check out the chairs on the Front porch

 

 

These are individual motel rooms.

 

I like the cars

 

 

The last one.

 

Bill decided to try out the cage that dropped two men into the shaft of the mine.

Passing Wind had a lot going on in his yard.

 

The local watering hole

 

Refreshing for sure.

 

Those pesky Mule Ears listening.

After we had our beverage we headed back to the Maverick Ranch. Tomorrow we are off to Fort Davis and Davis Mountain State Park. 

 

Going to miss the Mayor

 

Always drinking!

Oh yes, hope you all are well, and God Bless America!

A Few More Pictures of Big Bend Ranch State Park

 

Clouds in the morning

 

Eerie

 

 

 

These three photos were taken as we left the National Park. This landscape was softly pastel and a claylike soil that became slimy when wet. The contrast is this area was wild, A barren area not at all like we were used to seeing. There were no rocks or sand. Just clay.

Now off to Terlingua.

 

Don't be a Scaredy-Cat

Big Bend Ranch State Park

 

Basically we toured around the ranch in our car. The road from the beginning of the ranch is the most beautiful motorcycle road in the area. It was spectacular. Again it was very rocky, but the colors were amazing, a gorgeous day. The ride was about 60 miles and ended in the town of Presidio, Texas. This is another border crossing into Mexico. It is so hot and dry here I cannot even imagine living here. Crazy!

 

The Rio Grande River was the culprit responsible for the mirandering of the canyons. 

 

Clever coverings to spend some time, eat your lunch and enjoy the view.

 

These rocks stacked themselves during erosion by the wind and water over millions of years.

Another shot

 

They are called Hoodoos.

 

From a distance you can see how the river has nourished acreage adjacent to it. This is a view actually in Mexico where farming is still a good source of income.

 

More farming

 

Can you see the lions profile in these rocks?

 

How about the Monkeys face? He has really big ears.

There were about five dry campgrounds at river level but not for larger campers. But hikers and tenters would have been comfortable. I am just too old. I was not remotely interested in roughing it.

 

Honestly, I prefer at least electric and water at my fingertips.

 

I know, I know......wimp.

 

Tomorrow off to Terlingua, outside the ranch. It is a ghost town.

Boo!

 

Santa Eleana Canyon

The morning started off a little overcast but looked like a perfect day to hike and tour. We headed up the main road in the park, past Panther Junction and turned our Ruby Jewel Silverado westward. It was going to be about a thirty mile ride. As the elevation went up we noticed a difference in the rocks and the appearance of more bushes, free range livestock from a few ranches in the park and fewer cactus.

 .

I just thought this pile of boulders was just plopped on this hill

 

The Sam Neil Ranch was a one time prosperous cattle ranch. All that remains is the foundation of the house, some out buildings and a working well still pumping some water providing a fresh drink to critters in the area.

 

 

The foundation of the house. Welcome.

 

These were once vigorous Pecan and Fig trees.

 

This is a view of the Window we showed you in another post. Prettier on other side, I think.

 

These are called Mule Ears, they can be seen from several locations in Big Bend.

 

Bill decided to try them on. 

 

I love the change in the colors as the light changes during the day. Photos really don't do them justice.

 

Approaching the Canyon

 

Getting ready to walk in the Santa Eleana Canyon

 

 

 

Right down at the water in the canyon. It was also pretty chilly down there.

 

This is the farthest we could go

 

So beautiful.

 

We ran into the handy work of this beaver. Pretty strong choppers

 

More handy work.

 

This looks like sand but it isn't. It's limestone, carvable by the water flowing in the park. I don't know how, I never saw any water. 

 Tomorrow we move to the Maverick Ranch RV Park 

This campground is located outside Big Bend National Park on the western side. We want to spend some time in the Big Bend State Park. No camping there so we will stay in Lajitas outside the state park.

They are predicting more great weather.

Hope you all are well. 

.