STICKY DOORKNOBS

New Lajitas' course, Black Jack's Crossing, draws closer to opening

Good news for golfers: Black Jacks Crossing, the new golf course designed by Lanny Wadkins and under construction for over a year now, will have a soft opening in July followed by a grand opening in September 2010. Lajitas spokesman Stephen Dye said last week a fertilizer was put on the course last Monday and the area was closed while the turf matured.

The course was shaped by Forrest Fezler, one-time U.S. Open runner-up. The course is said to be breathtakingly beautiful with mountain holes "scenic enough to have a wedding in," Dye said, and a hole that features steam rising from a natural spring.

Dye said the decision on green fees has not been finalized but in the early stages of the redesign the word was that fees would be in the neighborhood of $125 per round, affordable for the average golfer today.

Read last year's story on the course or visit the Black Jack site here.

What's the size of almost 1,700 football fields and can't be shoved inside a Volkswagen?

 

Elephant Mountain, about 20 miles south of Alpine in Brewster County, is one of grandest views of the entire Big Bend region. Located on 23,000 acres of wildlife management area, the flat top of Elephant (6,225 ft. elevation) is 2,200 square acres in geographical area. To put that in West Texas terms, that's roughly the equivalent of 1,670 football fields side to side and end to end. The enormity of Elephant Mountain is captivating

Officials worried about spring breakers in Mexico

Not this part of Mexico ... as seen from The Big Hill atop the 45 mile River Road from Lajitas to Presidio and what is possibly the most spectacular view in all of Texas.

W. Texas Bucket List (Pt. 2): North to Amarillo, west to The Captain

Part 2 of 2 ... (Part 1 here)

Day 1

Eat a mess o' steak fingers at Buddy's Drive Inn, Andrews. Ask your heart doctor first. If the doc says it's OK, bring lots of napkins.

Visit the Buddy Holly Museum and Statue, Lubbock. One of the state's foremost cultural icons has precious little memorabilia devoted to him compared to his body of work and the thousands he influenced.

Drop in on the Waylon Jennings "Museum," Littlefield. Calling it a museum is a bit of a stretch since Waymore's place is in the stock room of brother James' liquor store. The highlight on any visit here is the stories James can tell you. Worth the trip.

Watch "Texas" at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon. West Texas A&M University is chocked full of talented music and dance students. Many proudly show you what they're learning in this annual musical set amid the stirring back drop of Palo Duro Canyon.

Day 2

Spray paint your name on a clunker at the Cadillac Ranch, west of Amarillo, off I-40. But please, whatever you do, take your empties with you. Too many people have tossed aside their paint cans and the Cadillac Ranch is in danger of becoming more a dump than a cultural oddity.

Eat dinner at the Big Texan, Amarillo. Chances are you'll have one of the best steaks you'll ever eat at The Big Texan. An even better experience if you can watch some poor soul try to eat the 72-ounce steak and all the trimmings in an hour.

Drive one of the most scenic stretches of highway you'll find in Texas, Hwy. 207, from Claude to Silverton, through the Caprock Canyon region. Beautiful.

Day 3

Spend a night at Windmill Ranch Preserve, Snyder. Spend a romantic evening in an elevated Army tent with a feather bed, heater, stove and bathroom, dance under the stars on a private lighted dance floor and hear Marianne, the proprietor, tell her stories while enjoying some five-star grub. Eight miles west of Snyder, this is a treat you would never expect to find, and an excellent romantic getaway.

Day 4

Wear Roy Orbison's famed purple eyeglasses, Roy Orbison Museum, Wink. While there, check out the piece of Carl Perkins letterhead framed under glass that contains the signatures of the four Beatles. A helpful hint: If the museum is locked up when you get there, call the phone number on the front door and someone will come down and open the place up for you.

Take a hike through McKittrick Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains NP. Someone told me the other day McKittrick in the spring is nearly as beautiful as it is in the fall, which would make now a pretty good time to make the short, easy hike in and out.

Watch the evening bat flight at Carlsbad Caverns. Technically not in Texas, but as close you'll get, and when the bats leave their cave every night, they fly into Texas, don't they?

Day 5

Hike Guadalupe Peak. The perfect way to cap off a two-week West Texas bucket list. The walk is as satisfying as anything you'll do physically. The feeling of accomplishment is hard to describe, the walk gorgeous and the views off the mountain amazing. Be careful and don't lose your footing on the first mile and a half or so; it's a looooong way down. And don't forget to sign the guest book at the top and have someone take your picture ... 

Pictured: El Capitan, left, and Guadalupe Peak, right.

Before I die ... A West Texas Bucket List (Pt. 1)

Part 1

Texas Monthly did a relatively fine job in compiling a list of 63 things all Texans should do before they die. About a dozen West Texas points were named among the list in the magazine's most recent edition. But what if you don't want to leave West Texas? There's plenty to do out here without ever having to go to other parts of the state. The way I figure it, it'll take you about two weeks to complete everything that would need to be done on a "West Texas Before I Die To-Do List." And with Spring Break just around the corner, if you have some time but no plans, maybe you can find time to get some of the following stops done and then knock out the other half later this spring or summer:

Day 1

Drive Hwy 67 from Fort Stockton to Presidio. This 150-mile drive, one of the most under-appreciated, yet most scenic in Texas, takes you through 50 miles of beautiful valley between Stockton and Alpine and later the beautiful cuts through the Cuesta de Burro and Chinati ranges closer to Presidio. Scale of 1 to 5 on the Must Do Scale: 3.

Drive Hwy. 170, The River Road, from Presidio to Terlingua. There is no better drive in Texas. The view from the top of The Big Hill is breathtaking and worth every roll of the odometer it takes to get to this point, regardless whether you drive in from Midland, Texas or Midland, Michigan. Must-Do Scale: 5.

Eat a late lunch at the Starlight Theater, Terlingua. The dogs that roam about the saloon add to the ambiance but its the greasy cheese enchiladas that you'll remember and will keep you full for the rest of the day's activities. If you wait a little later in the day you may get lucky and stop in during a musical performance in the evening. Terlingua is the home of Butch Hancock, one of the Flatlanders, who have been known to amp it up at the Starlight. Must-Do Scale: 2.

Hike Grapevine Hills, Big Bend National Park. It's described in the hiking books as an easy hike, but the 1 mile walk is at a constant slight incline and the last several hundred feet are almost stair step, but the view from Stone Window of the Chisos at sundown is worth the trouble. Must-Do Scale: 3.

Day 2

Hike The South Rim, Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park. Set aside seven hours to do this, then another couple to recover. The hike out is very strenuous, and remember to bring enough water for the last leg of the journey. The Boy, who was 12 when he made this hike, made it a couple of weeks after he hiked Guadalupe. The Guadalupe walk, he said, was a walk in the park compared to the South Rim. This from a healthy former 12-year-old Boy Scout, so you've been warned. The payoff at the overlook on the south rim is like none other. Must-Do Scale: 5.

Day 3

Meet Victor, The Singing Mexican, Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend. Take an easy 1.5 mile hike into the mouth of this gorgeous canyon and hope that Victor, a former boatman in Boquillas before the border was sealed, is flexing his musical pipes with his haunting Mexican ballads. Tip him well. It's his only source of income. You will never forget the experience of hearing him sing and how his songs echo off the canyon walls. Must-Do Scale: 4.5.

See Mother Nature's Twin Towers. Turn around at Boquillas for the 60 mile drive to Santa Elena Canyon on the southwest side of the park where, once standing underneath Mother Nature's Twin Towers, you may never seem quite as small. It is a humbling site and feeling. Must-Do Scale: 4.5.

Day 4

Play a round of golf at the Black Jack Pershing Course, Lajitas. Put an asterisk next to this one because Lanny Wadkins' newly designed course won't open until October. But when it does, it will be THE golf destination in West Texas if not the entire southwest. There will not be another course that can come close to offering the vistas from teebox to green that Black Jack will have. Must-Do Scale: For golfers, a  clear 5.

Browse the Front Street Book Store, Alpine. This bookstore is divided into new store and used store. The used book store is across the street and is unstaffed. A sign on the front door encourages patrons to use the honor system and when they've made their selection to please walk across the street to complete their purchase. Must-Do Scale: 2.5

Eat at Alexanders, Alpine. Killer fajitas. Must-do scale: 2.5

Catch a minor league baseball game at Kokernot Field, Alpine. As pure a form of baseball as you'll watch in as quaint a stadium with a one-of-a-kind view of Twin Peaks and Cathedral Mountain. Must-Do Scale: 3.

Dance at Railroad Blues, Alpine. A legendary dance hall with as good a music as you'll find this side of Terlingua. Must-Do Scale: 2.

Day 5

Wild Rose Pass at Sunrise. Leave Alpine early and head northeast out of Fort Davis on Hwy. 17 for a view of a memorable sunrise on the spectacular Star Mountain. Must-Do Scale: 3.5.

Take in the view from Mt. Locke at the McDonald Observatory. The view south from Mt Locke, across the Coyanosa Valley -- where you began your journey on Day 1 -- and the southern Davis Mountains is one of the best moutain top views in the state. Guaranteed. Must-Do Scale: 4.

Watch the sunset from atop the Scenic Drive, Davis Mountains State Park. Scenic Drive in Davis Mountains State Park is a highlight of any visit here. Drive to the top at sundown and the picture at the top of this entry is what you'll see. God's handiwork in action. Must-Do Scale: 4.

To be continued ...

Desert Candle: When no news is bad news

So, I pick up my "Desert Candle" today, turn to Page 3 and learn that this is it. No more. The newspaper/ magazine that has covered Big Bend and delivered well written features and great photography is no more after this issue. So ... what say we go in together to keep it going? I'll do the moving-to-Big-Bend and writing parts, I just need someone to handle the funding :)

"Desert Candle" will be missed by the folks in the region and anyone who has a love for Big Bend and Far West Texas.

Thanks for the memories ...

Sterling City Sunset. June 3.

Las Vegas. San Francisco. The Berkshires. Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg?

Believe it: The New York Times has named The Texas Hill Country as the No. 1 vacation destination in its list of top "31 Places to Go This Summer." The article is featured in the June 1 Travel section.

The list contains only North American tourist spots and includes places as far-ranging as the Pacific Northwest, Florida Keys, Telluride and the glaciers of Alaska. Behind Fredericksburg in the Top 5 are New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and "A Western Road Trip," which includes the Grand Canyon.

I'm a huge fan of Fredericksburg. Huge. A walk inside St. Mary's Church is reason enough to visit. But No. 1? Ahead of the Grand Canyon? Oregon's Highway 101?

In its mention of the Hill Country, the Times travel writer said,

"The Texas Hill Country might be the next best thing to crossing the Atlantic. The region is lush, colorful and, unlike much of the pancake-flat state, dotted with beautiful green hills that are evocative of Tuscany or the South of France. Towns like Fredericksburg offer a taste of the Old World with German style biergartens and schnitzelhauser."

Those New Yorkers. They're so last decade. We Texans have known all this for generations, a' course. It's like we've been saying all along: Texas IS like a whole 'nother country. Apparently the civilized world is finally catchin' on.

'Course you know what this all means: The Hill Country will be full of liberals this summer. I mean, y'know, more so than usual.

A Dozen Places in Texas Meme

I've never created or tried to start a meme before. There may be an application process, I don't know. I may need to get approval on meme creation from other bloggers. One thing I'd hate to be is a rogue memer.

Nevertheless, it occurred to me that an interesting meme would be to find out from as many bloggers as possible just where they'd like to be in the state of Texas if they could choose A Dozen Places. Six of those would be places they've been before; six would be places they've never been.

I'll start. And you chime in with your own. I guess at this point, it is my duty to inform everyone that I'll be tagging Cowtown Pattie, Eric, Jeff, Rob , Janie and just for grins, Jim in Pennsylvania.

This is by no means one of those lists where we are looking for people to admit they are unhappy about their very existence (i.e., If you could be anyone in the world, who would it be?) This is just an I Love Texas meme.

6 places I've been in Texas (where I wish I could be again right now)

• The house I grew up in, in Irving
• The Window Trail, Chisos Mountains
• On top of Guadalupe Peak
• Anywhere in the Hill Country.
• On a porch at the Limpia Hotel
• Jones SBC Stadium on an October Saturday evening watching a lopsided route of the Aggies, OU or UT.

6 places I've never been in Texas (where I wish I could be right now)

• 14 miles down the Dog Canyon Trail from Pine Springs Campground, Guadalupe Natl Park.
• Hiking the perimeter of White Rock Lake, Dallas
• On top of Enchanted Rock
• At the end of the Lighthouse Trail, Palo Duro Canyon
• The SE Rim, Chisos Mountains
• The Ballpark in Arlington. Game 7 of the World Series. (So yeah, this is a fantasy meme, too).

Where cars spring up from wheat fields

We can thank eccentric millionaire Stanley Marsh 3 for this.

Thank you, Stanley.

I liked Cadillac Ranch so much when I visited two weekends ago that I actually went back last weekend. OK, I was in the neighborhood, so it wasn't like I drove 250 miles JUST to see a bunch of Cadillacs growing from the Panhandle wheat fields.

The good news is that Cadillac Ranch is one of those true pieces of odd, uniquely Americana attractions. Created in 1974, Marsh 's artwork has been sung about by Bruce Springsteen ("Cadillac Ranch") and most recently it was actually moved, two miles down I-40 to compensate for urban sprawl as Amarillo marches westward.

There are no distinguishing marks, no welcome sign, exit sign of the interstate or even a sign designating what it is; it's very easy to miss tooling down the interstate at 70. Only a sign that has been painted over with spray paint adorns a gate that ushers visitors down a quarter-mile path to the  garden.

Which leads to the bad news: graffiti is welcomed, even encouraged, but with graffiti comes the careless, rude discarding of empty cans of spray paint. It has become unsightly and the area could use a good docent to tend to the place on a regular basis.

Still, the Cadillac Ranch is worth stopping for a few minutes if you're in the area.