By Special Request...Terlingua

Was back in 01, round bout winter time when old Billy Bob were retire'n from The University of Texas. I had done bought me one them motor homes, what was named "Alice" and had the sailboat up for sale. Lived on that old sailboat for 7 years, so living in a MH shouldn't be much different.

Bought all kinds of stuff for that "maiden" voyage cross country all the way from south Texas to the mountains of California. Bought "first mate" Vickie Lynn all sorts of city folk clothes, shoes and all. We head'em up to San Antonio and points west. This were Jan. 02, so's the weather was perfect....that is until the furnace went out in Del Rio, Big Bend, Carlsbad Caverns, Cloudcroft, Deming, Las Vegas, Death Valley and Mt. Whitney.

Back to the original intent of this post....Terlingua, Texas. Me and Vickie Lynn, my "first mate" ya know, spent 4 days in Big Bend where's it were cold at night....I mean cold....14 degs on a good night. Look'n at our GPS and travel guides (Walmart Rand McNally Road Atlas), we drove through the Big Bend National Park to Santa Elena Canyon.......

wheres we found this old dirt road....bout 18 miles long what went to the Park entrance somewheres west...what was the direction we was a go'n. It were't nothing but washboard the entire trip what "Alice" were pissed. Stuff was fall'n everywheres, dirt and dust was com'n in every little crack an cranny no matter what speed we was go'n....what was no more than 25mph. Named that old dirt road "dirt road".

Now here we was, almost in Mexico, out in the middle of nowhere and not know'n what way to go. Then....we see a sign....ghost town. Well yeah, we went to take a look. I tell Vickie Lynn, my first mate ya know, that I could live in a place like this. It was love at first sight. Mountains, desert, weird people everywhere, wild animals run'n the streets.....yep, old Billy Bob like this place. We look at everything....I mean everything....took pics and left the area the following day.

Since that day in Terlingua, I've had "terlingua on my mind" in dreams, trip planning and in my heart. Yeah, there are other beautiful places all over the west, but Terlingua is "top'o list", a favorite. Been back to this wonderful place on 4 more Texas trips and on the last two...after my plumbing surgery, spent some quality time look'n and "testing" the area and meet'n some wonderful people. One day old Billy Bob gonna turn that dream into reality. I can "do it" ya know.