On our way out of town to the Park we stopped by to say Hello to the Mayor. Well, he is not the original Clay Henry. He is a direct descendent and it is not confirmed if he drinks beer like the original.
The original Clay Henry could drink 35 t0 40 beers a day as long as they were in a long neck bottle that he could hold in his mouth, throw his head back and chug it down. Rumor has it he even drank a few with Willie Nelson.
We made a stop at Terlingua which is just a few miles east of Lajitas on the way to the entrance to Big Bend. It is hard to believe that this hilly desert area was once home to over 2000 people. Terlingua was a thriving mining town in the late 1880's. The discovery of cinnabar - from which the metal mercury is extracted made the area thrive. By 1900, there were four mining companies operating at Terlingua. By the 1940’s the mines had dried up, leaving a ghost town behind.
But, people have come back.
They are a new wave of people. Here less is more. Anyone who lives in a one room cabin without water and electricity fits right in. People live in cars, caves, tepees, tents and shacks made out of car tires.
They have reopened businesses and during the winter when the tourists come they welcome the money coming in hoping it will sustain them through the hot, brutal summer. The ruin above is the hacienda of the Chisos Mining Company owner, Howard E. Perry. Despite the workers making only $542 a year and Mr. Perry making $4400 on each of them the workers still felt that he was a good man and were happy that they got Sundays off.
I guess for some this is their version of the American Dream.
The cemetery was the most interesting to me. Walt walked around some and then patiently waited for me. But, I understand that I am not alone. I read an article that said that the Terlingua cemetery is among the most photographed in Texas.
Most of the graves are quite crude and appear not deeply dug and covered with stones from the area.
The handmade graves each have their own personality. Most of the souls buried here were the mercury miners. Many are unmarked but the ones that are identified have flowers and embellishments.
The graves that are marked go back to 1903, the year that the mercury mines were in full operation. Working in the mines was hard and dangerous and many died from the risks but the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 contributed more to the growth of the cemetery than any other single cause.
It felt like a special place, miles away from the outside world.
One of the more recent graves led me to believe that this man loved his beer. I had a hard time leaving but it was time to go to Big Bend.
Big Bend National Park is huge. Over 800,000 acres. It encompasses vast desert, rugged mountains and the wild and scenic Rio Grande River.
Our first day we headed for the Chisos mountains.
It was a pretty drive up to the Chisos Basin.
It was early afternoon when we reached the top so it was time for lunch at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. A very good lunch and fantastic view.
After lunch we took a short hike to get closer views of what is called "The Window".
The mountains create a V shape creating a window to the vast valley below.
The Chisos mountain range is entirely contained within the Park. It is the only mountain range in the United States to be contained within a National Park.
It was a beautiful day and the drive was very scenic. Very few humans and we didn't see one large animal. Just rabbits and lots of birds. This park is a place that if you want to get away from it all you can certainly do that here. We would go for hours without seeing another person. Cell service is minimal so there is no distraction from nature.
The Chisos mountains are rugged, isolated and so much cooler than the desert below.
Back down 2000 feet to transition to the desert floor offered the best of two worlds today.