January 5, 2025

This past week we did a little exploring into the Big Bend State Park which lays about 20 miles west of Study Butte along HWY 170. We purchased a day pass in Lajitas and then drove for about one hour to the entrance into the park. It did not take long after entering the park that we got lost. The dirt road weaves inside and out of the park and we thought we were on the right track. We ended up on road 169 going north. 

We spotted this along 169. Stands maybe 30 feet tall. Not sure if it is stainless or granite.

 Road 169 did connect with HWY 67 and we did know where we would end up. After roughly 120 miles we ended up in Marfa.  We had stayed in Marfa before. This is were we ran into one of the stars from the TV show Young Sheldon. Also the movie Giant was filmed just outside of town back in the 50's staring James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elisabeth Taylor.

Large billboards of the Movie.

James Dean

Elisabeth  Taylor

This is new, we think it is the owner of the Wyatt Ranch where the movie was filmed.

 We stopped for lunch in town and then looked for another route back home. This time we took road 2810, another dirt road that we traveled years back through the mountains. Years ago it was a rough road with a number of challenging spots. However, the road was graded and provided a fairly smooth ride most of the way. I am sure the population has grown in this back country leading to better roadways. We have seen more of this on this trip to the area as more and more housing is coming to this part of Texas. 

spotted this on trail back into the mountains. Lettering on the side says NASA and USA.

 

We ended up putting on 320 miles that day with 75% of it on dirt roads.

Almost like ND but only white sand.

 When we finally got off the dirt road we stopped in Ruidosa, a small town on the Rio Grande, walking distance from Mexico. We had stopped there in the past at a small shop which has since been left abandoned. The town is a ghost town to some but in 2000 there was still 43 people living there, not sure how many today. The church below has been worked on since we first came here in 2019. Still a lot of work needed.







 I purchased a couple of lottery tickets as I found a plot of land for sale; 10,600 acres for 7.7 million. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

 

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