WEST!!

OK, now we’re cooking with gas. On Saturday morning as I drove west from Sonora, Texas, the sun broke through the clouds and the landscape opened up wide. I was in the West, both geographically and attitudinally.

I had left Maryland looking, first of all, for warm weather. I thought I’d have to get to Texas to find it. But by the time I got to southern Tennessee, I was quite comfortable. The days I spent in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were downright summerlike. I wore shorts for several days there. Then, as I rolled into Austin, I listened to the weather report to hear what was in store. Turned out that the very next day was to bring a cold and rainy spell over most of Texas that was to last for four days. By the next morning the temps had dipped from the previous night’s eighty-five to the low forties. Brrr. And the rain poured.

I was happy for the Texans, though. They have been in a prolonged drought and really needed the several inches of rain they got over the next few days. My time with friends in Austin was not dampened by the weather. After that, I spent two nights in a campground in Sonora hunkering down until the weather improved. It was a great time to sit still and take stock of things. I spent several hours playing the guitar, which I don’t usually get time to do. I also worked on this blog and neatened up GoJoe. It was good to have some down time.

Then came Saturday morning’s welcome to the west. For the first time on this trip the vistas opened up to a vast panorama of mesas and buttes, wide valleys and distant mountain ranges. All with a sepia tinge that lets you know you’ve left the eastern greenery behind. There’s a change of disposition as well when you gaze out over all those open miles. You can almost feel yourself expand in an attempt to embrace this new open space.

I wound my way west and then southwest to the tiny village of Terlingua, on the western approach to Big Bend National Park.
Terlingua is barely there, but what is there seems dusty and long-lost with a hint of counter-culture in exile. Think "Cars," the delightful Disney animated film. You wonder about the characters you see inhabiting a place like this – what is their story; how did they get here? Appropriately, there is a Terlingua Ghost Town that you can visit, a relic from the town’s past glory days as a mining outpost. You can roam its dirt streets free of charge, or you can buy a notated map for a dollar in the general store.


Driving away from the ghost town I saw a sign for “B.J.s RV Park.” Needing a place to stay, I pulled in. After paying and getting GoJoe situated, I wandered over to where some folks were gathered under an open air pavilion and was promptly invited to a major feast. The park owner had marinated and cooked a huge beef brisket, and some of the other campers had contributed various side dishes including stuffed jalapenos, and homemade breads and desserts. What a deal! And yet another place to pass the time with like-minded folks who enjoy seeing the country in RVs. I think I've found my niche.

And this is just a warm up to Big Bend!