This past weekend found us on our 3rd-annual 'family' run to Big Bend. The previous two years were motivated by the need to attend the Viva Big Bend Music Festival, but this year work schedules and other commitments meant a smaller group of us… 5 total… made the run the weekend before the festival. Just for the hell of it, as it were. If you've never been to the Big Bend region of Texas, you're really missing out. Go. Soon. Here's the stinky and a few pics to help share the experience. Five of us piled into a '32 sedan, a '59 Elky, and a pair of '53 Mercs and hit the road from Austin in the Friday pre-dawn hours. Shortly into the run, the Elky lost its generator but managed to make it to Fort Stockton on the battery. In Fort Stockton, we eventually bought a hot spare battery and a charger, but only after a few of the nicest old car guys in West Texas confirmed that they couldn't rebuild the generator, but they could instead give us tours of their private shops and collections. Awesome people. From there, it was on to a late lunch in Marathon and then the messy, rainy run to Terlingua for the night. That's when we learned that the power for the whole region was out… had been for hours… and would be until the mid-day Saturday. A few beers on a pitch-dark bar patio helped us make it thru the sticky, sweaty, non-air-conditioned, 90-plus-degree night… but just barely. Saturday morning we left Terlingua and headed into Big Bend National Park, hightailing it to the Boquillas International Ferry for a lunch of tacos and beers on the Mexico side. Bring your passports! Once back on US soil, we blasted north to Marfa where some great fellas and their cow dogs greeted us in our motel parking lot. They dug the cars. We dug the dogs. Big smiles all around. Then we hit the showers, put on fresh duds, and spent the evening at Padre's drinking and dancing to some damn fine Tejano music. I'm a great dancer… ask anyone. Sunday morning came early. It rained again that night, so after ruining a few hotel towels on the cars and once the fresh Rain-X was applied, we headed north to Fort Davis for breakfast, then pressed on to Balmorrhea, to I-10, and then it was an 80-mph beeline to Austin interrupted only briefly for lunch at Hondo's in Fredericksburg. We got home about 6pm Sunday… beat, but still smiling. A few battery swaps aside, 1180 trouble-free miles in 3 days… and lots more great memories!
Best kept secret in Texas. Love the Big Bend area. The river raft trip is worth the time. Great pics, thanks for sharing.
Congrats on the shot of your car in CKD, Blake. I had heard you painted it, glad to see you left it just the way Henry and the Big Painter in the Sky intended it!
to Falcongeorge & the comment on trying to lose a bunch of pounds - My guess is that if you were to spoon on a bunch of that sauce in the bowl it will burn off a bunch more than pounds & calories. It does look great. Jimmie
Cool. Creosote, ocotillo, tarantulas, javelina, roadrunners . . . being able to see the Milky Way . . . no artificial city light glare, out of sight! Love that country. No passport required in Boquillas in the '80s. Fantastic, bold weekend trip, well done!
Bitchin cars, good friends, and Texas beauty! What more could you want on a trip? Thanks for sharing, Blake.
Saw your cars in front of the Gage, looked real good. I briefly thought of making a sales pitch to get rid of the 53 Merc my pal, HAMBer Foiled Again, wants to get off of, but...I figured, why spoil a good road trip with crass business thoughts? Glad y'all could make it to Boquillas del Carmen, a great place.
Great photos of your rides, thanks. The last time we were in Big Bend it was October, 2010, and hotter than hell, 24-7. Someone told me it was hot in July and August, and I replied that for me it was "like living on the sun" there then.
The whole point in driving what you own. Your little trip summed up the point of having an older vehicle. Driving them and enjoying them.....
The Jalopy Journal
