I'm going to a wedding this weekend at Lajitas resort in the Big Bend area. Terlingua is on my list of places to see. It's 14 miles from the resort so I'm told. Anyone been to Lajitas before? Any other attractions I need to put on my list in the area? This will be my first trip to this part of Texas.

Have not been there yet, take pictures!

Spend 11 months there in 2011 while redoing roads in BBNP. Lajitas has a cool little bar. Kind of a lounge type atmosphere. There restaurant is excellent but pricey. I always wanted to play there golf course, but never had the opportunity. It looked awesome! As you head east out of Lajitas toward Terlingua, you will pass Long Draw Pizza. Now, I'm not a pizza fan, but this stuff was the absolute best I have ever had. Beer is ice cold also. In Terlingua Ghost Town, you have the Starlight. Cool place to have an evening dinner. Usually have live music, and the food is pretty good also. Food in Study Butte is pretty poor. The gas station is your best bet. They have a decent breakfast. Me personally, I wouldn't spend the money to go in the park, but I saw WAY too much of it to care to ever go back. Maybe one day would be okay. If you do, make sure you drive up Chisos Mountain.

Note- Just because they claim to be the chili capital doesn't mean you can get good chili in a restaurant, unless you like the taste of Wolf Brand.

it's a cool area..
I did 5-6 mountain races starting from LaJitas and going out through the desert and mountains and back into LaJitas.

I personally liked it a lot better before that guy came in and put in the resort and golf range..
Tried to turn it into an upscale place and lost his [censored] on the deal..

I think taking the drive north out of LaJitas is awesome...

Interesting rocks in Terlingua Creek bed.....lots of petrified wood, cinnabar, others. There's a tiny mom and pop Mexican restaurant there that serves terrific chile rellenos.

There are some commercial rafting operations running the Rio Grande out of Lajitas. Most of them do Colorado Canyon, which we did several years back, and some go all the way to Santa Elena Canyon. It's exciting, but not particularly challenging. I'd check ahead and make sure there's enough water in the river to do a trip first. With the drought, the river may be too low.

Wife and I stayed at the Lajitas resort a couple of years ago when we did the Big Bend drive. It was very nice. I really liked the bar (and the painting above it). Restaurant was good, though it was a bit pricey. Beautiful view from our room.

Go to the marathon gage hotel.
Pretty cool bar as well.
Lajitas bar is nice too.
Food is great.
My fav. Is the starlight porch sitting on the porch listening to live music with a cold one bought at the grocery store on site. Best time is 4-8 pm. Lots of cool stories there.
Also go talk to the man that has a rock shop about 3 miles from there.
Take a left down the road from starlight, take a right at main intersection. His shop will be 1 mile down the road on the right side. Really cool guy.
I used to go to big bend every year for the last 14 years. Havent been in 2 years.
Will go again in september or october when its cooler.
Fav. Thing to do in tx for me.
4 days there is the minimum.
I usually drive from dallas on thursday (10 hrs) and drive back on monday.

True story:
George bush was doing his wounded warrior bike ride in the park a few years ago.
I sat at the porch of the starlight.
He came in with a few bodyguards to eat.
He stopped by and asked me if he could pet my little yorkie dog.
I said yes, but he bites.
He pet him anyway. Pachos snapped at him and george was bleading just a little bit.
During his meal, one of the bodyguard stepped out and asked me if my dog had his rabies shot.
I said yes and he asked for my info, i gave him my business card from my car.
After 1 hr he stepped out, and i apologized to george for my dogs democratic behavior.
He laughed and left.
It was very cool. Wished i could take pics of that.

Greetings from the Thirsty Goat Saloon in Lajitas. I now understand why the painting behind the bar is memorable

Last time that I went to BB it snowed.

Been there 2 dozen times....best Aoudad habitat in Texas. Take the horse back ride with OK Estes, he works for the resort. He also holds the world record for Aoudad handgun kill.

Be sure to visit the mayor. Clay henry.

Great post. My wife and I plan on making a trip out there this fall.

Inside the Thirsty Goat Saloon, opposite the bar. The painting behind the bar is NSFW







The sign points to Mexico. The Rio Grande is just a couple hundred yards behind the sign.

Since we're in the "on the road in Texas" section, let me share how I traveled in my 1400 mile journey of Texas. On Friday, I left Colorado City at 9:30am headed west on I-20. Between Odessa and Monahans, I-20 came to a stop. I went south on FM 1601 and eventually tied back into FM 1053 into Fort Stockton. I was on I-10 for less than 10 miles headed west before turning south on 67 to Alpine. South out of Alpine there's a high ridge to pass over at 5000+ ft elevation. Beautiful country. Green, lots of vegetation. Just before Terlingua, vegetation disappears and turns into rock.

Terlingua does look like a ghost town. Businesses that look like they shouldn't be open actually are. Press on west less than 20 miles to Lajitas. It's all rock. It's dry desert with mountains all around. Didn't even notice a bug in the sky. The Rio Grande is a few hundred yards from the Lajitas resort. I arrived in Lajitas at 4:45pm.

All that's in Lajitas is the resort. Although a border town, I never felt unsafe. The resort is very nice but rather spread out. That's a hot walk when it's 95 in a dry desert climate at roughly 4000 ft. I was there Friday night and Saturday night. The wedding was on a golf green at 7pm Saturday night. 102 degrees I might add.

I left Sunday morning at 9am. Same route back to Fort Stockton. Once in fort Stockton, I set the cruise headed east on I-10 all the way to Sonora. Just east of Sonora actually, exited FM 864 and began easing north off the interstate. I slowed through Fort McKavett to look around a bit. I continued on north through Menard, Brady, Brownwood, and reached Comanche just before 5pm. Beautiful drive from I-10 to the Brady area. Brownwood/Comanche/Goldthwaite/Hamilton is my family's home country so I'm used to the area. Had a steak in Comanche at a friend's house Sunday night.

Monday I filled my 1000 lb protein feeder near Priddy before heading back north again. Planned a stop at Babe's in Granbury before heading north up FM 51 to home in Paradise.

My EcoBooost had 2700 miles on it when I left Thursday at noon for work in west Texas. I worked Thursday night in Mertzon and Friday morning in Colorado City before heading off for Lajitas. 4100 miles on the truck when I got home Monday night. I could have done it with only filling up twice believe it or not. 36 gallon fuel tank in an EcoBoost does have it's benefits.

I would suggest Lajitas to anyone looking for a get away. There's slim to no cell phone service in Lajitas. I was on wifi in the Thirsty Goat when I posted here last Friday night. I would suggest a cooler season than July...but if you want a get away to a part of Texas rarely seen, put it on your bucket list.

We have stayed twice at Maverick Ranch RV (part of the Lajitas resort) this year.

We love it out there.

Lajitas is a great gateway to Big Bend SP & NP. Great, easy access to the River Road (FM-170.)

Not much to eat out there so bring your own grub.

Don't expect to use cell phone apps and call momma every night.

you can rent a jeep in terlingua to do the river road, I was on my way to pick up my jeep and hit a mule deer it took 2 days to get that lexus suv out of the desert, we were talking just minutes earlier how unlucky some of the rabbits are that decide to cross the road and get hit!! im just glad I don't ride motorcycles anymore!i still had a good time though I love it out there!

Be sure to go to the bar and grab a cold one and sit in the blow up pool on the dance floor ( if they still do that) it was the only public pool for 4 counties last I checked?

We stayed at the Gage when I was a kid, probably 11. I still remember my mom asking one of the locals were to get a good meal. They instructed us to go down to the river and we would find an old Mexican man who would row my mother, brother, and me across for a dollar each way. We crossed and walked up a dirt road for about a mile to find an adobe house. We sat in their living room at a small table and she handmade our entire meal from scratch with Mexican orange soda. Meal couldn't have been more than $5 but still to this day remember it being excellent!

Dido

Pachos fav place.