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WILLIE NELSON COMES TO ALPINE

Reading a free-handout local newspaper, we discovered that Willie Nelson was performing a benefit concert for the new Marfa Public Radio station on February 14.  The concert was at the Galego Center at Sul Ross State University in Alpine.

Since Paul is a Willie fan and Voni is a fan of National Public Radio we decided to go.  It was a great way to spend Valentines Day evening.  Dan Rather was here to officiate at the startup or the station, and he introduced Willie to the crowd at the concert. 

HereVoni waits for the doors to open.


Willie Nelson at the Benefit Concert
For Marfa Public Radio.


TERLINGUA GHOST TOWN


A few miles west of Study Butte lies the old Terlingua Ghost Town.  Remnants of the ghost town remain, and some revival is happening as small shops and other businesses spring to life.  It has a bit of a "touristy" flavor but not too bad yet.






Sarge met his neighbor Willie!
 Now Sarge looks out to see if his new pal Willie is out and about!

Willie's human is Pat Brown, a professional chef by trade.  He lives (for a while at least) four sites south of us at La Vista.  Pat was the chef during the filming of Texas Ranch House just across the road - likes the area, and is here for a while.  Pat has an interesting web site if you like food and travel.


Voni has concluded that we surely "aren't in Kansas anymore."  The Tree Cholla growing right outside is a popular hangout for several varieties of birds.

There really is a bird in this picture - about midway down on the tallest branch.



THE TERLINGUA RANCH LODGE

We rode south towards Big Bend National Park, and then southeast on a Ranch Road to the Terlingua Ranch Lodge.  Most of the way was paved - the last few miles were not.  The lodge has cabins, its own airstrip, stables, and spaces to park RVs.  It is a long way from anywhere to this lodge.  The historic Terlingua Ranch has been subdivided, and a number of residences can be found in this remote area.  You can't get here by "way back machine."  I think it takes a "way back over there machine."


The terrain surrounding the lodge is striking.  It is easy to see why some people come here to vacation and "get away."  This is "away"!


Phil Marvin planned to ride over to Alpine from El Paso on February 17 so that we could go riding together down to Lajitas and then along the "river road" to Presidio, then back north to Marfa.  From Marfa Phil would ride back to El Paso and we would ride back to Alpine.  This is a great loop to ride.

While the upper midwest sank into a deep freeze with double digits below zero, it got chilly at 5,200 feet here at La Vista, south of Alpine.  Nonetheless, when we awoke and checked email Phil had sent a message that he was leaving El Paso at 6:00 CST and would be here by 9:15 or 9:30.  That was 5:00 MST in El Paso.

It was just a hair below freezing here when we climbed on the bikes to meet Phil for breakfast,
We spent quite a bit of time warming up while eating breakfast at the Holland Hotel in Alpine.  Voni and I had ridden about 7 miles and felt chilled.  Phil had ridden about 220 miles.  It took him longer to warm up.

Notice the BMW motorcycle poster on the wall behind the bar.  The restaurant at the hotel called the Edelweiss is proud of its Bavarian heritage.



We stopped at the Lajitas Trading Post to see
the beer drinking goat - Clay Henry III.
 Voni tried to counsel the goat about his bad habits,
but he wouldn't listen.  He just wanted beer!



Clay Henry III is a scoundrel!
 And he likes his Lone Star longnecks!

After we left Lajitas we rode the roller coaster road known as the "river road" which snakes up and down and around following generally the Rio Grande.  We stopped for fuel and lunch at Presidio.  Then we rode on to Marfa.  At Marfa we split up:  Phil riding back to El Paso while Voni and I rode back to La Vista, south of Alpine.  We rode about 270 miles; Phil rode just over 600.  It was a good day with a good friend.

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