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Terlingua, Texas: Southwestern Ghost Town

December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 Elizabeth 0 Comment Big Bend National Park, Travel, US

Big Bend National Park is pretty far from any major cities and still a good distance from any large towns. But considering that national parks are established for the purpose of diving in to nature, this is what you want. Therefore, when it comes to lodgings, you have a limited selection to choose from.

Big Bend National Park does have a hotel, as well as RV camping and traditional camping, but they tend to book up fast. I had hoped to get a hotel room at one of the onsite lodgings, but they were booked solid four months before I had even considered my trip. So, if you have your heart set on staying within the park, or any popular U.S. national park, plan ahead, book early!

But that is not to say that I was out of luck. On the contrary, it led me to the charming small town of Terlingua, a ghost town 30 minutes outside of Big Bend.

The term “ghost town” refers to a town/village/settlement that has been abandoned, but the building structures still remain. In the case of Terlingua, it used to be a mining town, mercury specifically. And as the demand for mercury declined, so did the population of Terlingua.

Today, the town limits of Terlingua still hold some of the original buildings, like the schoolhouse, a re-purposed cinema theater, and an old cemetery.

Outside the official limits of the ghost town, a small art community has taken root – predominately metallurgy and artists’ galleries. Don’t expect to see any chain restaurants out here. The cafes and mini markets are locally owned and operated. No neon lights or waving inflatables — you’re more likely to see hand painted business signs, natural landscaping, and modest structures, adding to the authentic charm of this southwestern town.

The last night of my stay in Terlingua, monsoon rains let loose. It was incredible to watch the arid landscape turn into overflowing streams and rivers. And the rains did an amazing job of power washing my car, removing even the baked on bug splats on my bumper and license plate. Less than an hour later, you would not have known it had rained — everything was dry again. It wasn’t until late that evening, when it was pitch black outside, that I realized all that rain most likely displaced a lot of critters. And I confess, I did not come to this conclusion on my own. You see, there was a small window in my bathroom that looked out at the supports of the tin roof outside. And perched on one of the wooden beams was a pancake-sized tarantula.

No cause for panic you say; it is outside and you are inside…

Well, the cracks and gaps in the doorframe I previously thought were quaint, were now the source of intense dread. I ended up jamming a bath towel into the gap under the door. My hope was that if the mammoth spider found its way to my door, it would be thwarted by the blockade and find another room to visit.

Of course, that did not stop me from having dreams of spiders dancing over my face that night.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

December 5, 2017December 5, 2017 Elizabeth 0 Comment Big Bend National Park, Travel, US

The Big Bend National Park, located along the Texas-Mexico border, encompasses the beauty of rivers, deserts, and mountains all in one location. And the drive to the park is pretty spectacular as well — a two lane highway winding around imposing mesas, climbing and falling with the terrain’s elevation.

If you are driving yourself to Big Bend, keep in mind that gas stations in western Texas may be few and far between. And this is especially true once you’ve turned off I-10 and are traveling down US-385. The thought of running out of gas and being stranded on the roadside with limited cell service was enough motivation for me to stop for gas any time the gauge was below half a tank.

Once inside Big Bend, and probably even before you get to the entrance gates, you’ll start to see some of the famed local wildlife. And I don’t mean the large predators. Think smaller. Not only do the road runners cross the road, but also the scorpions and tarantulas! Black bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions also roam the park, but I did not see any during my trip. And to be honest, I was very thankful for that. It’s one thing to see a predator from the relative safety of your car. But it is something else entirely to stumble upon, or more likely, be stumbled upon by a lion or bear while hiking. However, the park rangers at the visitor centers have plenty of information and guidance for wildlife encounters, to keep you safe.

If you visit during the summer months, be sure to pack plenty of water. Even in the fall, the desert plains get pretty warm. I made a trip to Big Bend in October, and the temperatures in the park differed dramatically depending on your elevation. Along the river, it was around 90 degrees (fahrenheit), but up in the mountains the temperature dropped by almost 20 degrees. There are plenty of hiking trails throughout the expansive park, as well as scenic lookout points for those who do not wish to trek too far into nature. And, with easy access to the Rio Grande, there is also the option to take in the scenic landscape by water, paddling through the canyons.

While I was stopped at one of the scenic views overlooking the Rio Grande, I noticed a wooden canoe resting along the opposite bank of the river. Looking around the open area I was standing in, I then noticed a small space on the ground dedicated to a variety of palm sized metal sculptures of animals. Only then did it occur to me that perhaps the canoe across the river and the entrepreneurial souvenir stop were connected. And sure enough, when I wandered back to the edge of the cliff to watch the river currents, it was clear that I had been spotted by the owner of the canoe. A distant figure hopped into his canoe and paddled the length to the other bank. Must be an exhausting commute, paddling back and forth all day long.

San Antonio, Texas: Riverwalk and the Alamo

November 15, 2017November 15, 2017 Elizabeth 0 Comment San Antonio, Travel, US

While in balmy San Antonio, I stayed along the famed Riverwalk — a section of the Rio Grande that is canaled off into a loop. The river continues to run through the city, but within this built up loop shops, restaurants and open air cafes line the riverside walkways. Water taxis and flat bottom history-touring boats propel up and down the canals. At night, several of the boats are illuminated in brilliant green, blue, and purple stringed lights. And most weekend evenings, live music reverberates up and down the walkways.

If you come to San Antonio craving Tex-Mex food with a view, the assortment of Riverwalk restaurants and cantinas is a sure bet. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, margaritas, sangria pitchers and much more! Several restaurants along the canalways line-up outdoor seating, paired with colorful umbrellas, adjacent to the calm, lapping waters. Passengers on boats navigating the canal wave to diners. In their wake, small waves ripple down the canal, sending the local ducks bobbing along.

While dining at one of the riverside restaurants, I was amused to find that the ducks who traverse the canals are very accustomed to the presence of humans, eating along the river. So much so that one very brazen duck took to pestering a table of four. With an expectant call for attention, he stood behind two of the chairs waiting for a handout. And when one did not come, he became more insistent — poking his beak at the chairs and nipping at the lady’s purse. A duck shake-down in progress.

In addition to the shops and restaurants, the Briscoe Western Art Museum and McNutt Sculpture Garden are also within the confines of the Riverwalk sidewalks. While there is a fee to visit the Museum, the Sculpture Garden is free to wander through.

The Museum and Sculpture Garden are very close to an amphitheater, along the opposite bank, which hosts outdoor concerts.

A few blocks over from the Riverwalk is the site of the Alamo, as well as part of the Mission Trail. The Alamo is not owned by a private company, but rather by the state and the people of Texas. Touring the Church and the grounds is free, but donations to its upkeep and restoration are encouraged. Self guided audio tours are also available for purchase in the courtyard outside the Church.

The tour traces the Alamo from its humble beginnings as a Spanish mission known as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, to an army garrison, to a warehouse, to its present day memorialization. A short video inside the Long Barracks building is also available for viewing, which charts the events leading up to the infamous 90 minute battle for the Alamo. I’d highly recommend stopping by!

New Orleans: French Quarter

March 8, 2017June 9, 2017 Elizabeth 0 Comment New Orleans, Travel, US beignet, Bourbon Street, Cafe Du Monde, Cajun, French Market, French Quarter, Jackson Square, New Orleans, Riverwalk, St Louis Cathedral

Welcome to New Orleans’s French Quarter; infamous for its ruckus parties, haunted buildings, and Creole and Cajun cuisine.

The French Quarter is a 7 x 13 block neighborhood, with the streets of Canal, Rampart, and Esplanade making up the defining boundaries of the Quarter. The fourth boundary side runs along the Mississippi River.

In 1706, the land along a particularly sharp bend in the Mississippi River was laid claim to by two French-Canadian brothers, Iberville and Bienville. But it was not until 1718, when Bienville returned to the land, charged with raising a settlement by the Regent of France, that a settlement began to take shape. The town was named La Nouvelle-Orleans, in honor of the Regent, Duke d’Orleans.

The French Quarter changed hands many times during its history, from French to Spanish, back to French, before being sold to the US in the Louisiana Purchase. An extra special celebration can be expected in 2018, when the French Quarter celebrates its tri-centennial.

In addition to the settlers of the Quarter, the Acadians also came down the Mississippi River; prompted to escape persecution in French Canada and displacement by British expansion, the Acadians are today known as “Cajuns.” Choosing to settle in areas outside of the new settlement, they relied on their skills as hunters and trappers. The name Cajun is believed to have come from a misunderstanding in the annunciation of “acadians,” consequently becoming “a cajun.”

The French Quarter suffered two major fires in 1788 and 1794. After the last one, in 1794, residences were required to have a fountain in their courtyards that would be filled with water at all times. The architectural style of the second fire’s reconstruction is what defines the area to this day; brick townhouses with balconies and galleries, decorative iron rails, and courtyards with fountains. It is a decidedly Spanish style, even though the neighborhood is referred to as the “French Quarter.”

For a more in-depth look at the history of New Orleans and the French Quarter, a museum on Royal Street, the Historic New Orleans Museum, offers a permanent exhibit of the city’s history, from founding to present-day. The museum is free, but docent guided tours are also offered for $5.

If you are looking for tours with supernatural or paranormal elements, you’ve come to the right city. New Orleans boasts that it is the most haunted city in the US (though, Savannah would disagree). Tour topics range from voodoo to vampires to history, with a side of ghost stories and haunted dwellings. A couple of restaurants in the Quarter even claim to have spirits wandering around.

St Louis Cathedral, the oldest running cathedral in the US, is also one of the most recognized landmarks in New Orleans. In front of the cathedral is a small park, Jackson Square, surrounded by tall wrought iron gates, with a statue of Andrew Jackson at the center. Part of the original settlement area, some of the oldest apartments of the Quarter still stand on either side of the square. While their initial use was for government offices, most are now primarily store fronts.

Cafe Du Monde, the famed place for beignets and chicory coffee, is easily within view of Jackson Square, riverside. While the cafe is 24/7, there are often lines, both for a table and at the pedestrian to-go window. Remember to bring cash for your beignets and coffee, credit cards are not accepted. (There is an atm nearby though.)

Bourbon St, a few blocks over from the cathedral, is the bar lined street with colorful characters everyone is always talking about. During busy times, like sporting events and parade season, the street can get pretty packed and the atmosphere a little aromatic. But during the “off-season,” you can take a more leisurely stroll down the French Quarter’s “sin city” street.

The French Market is located a few blocks up from Cafe Du Monde. The Market hosts an array of local handicrafts and local cuisine samplers. It is a fun place for souvenirs, but some of the items like the masquerade masks are mass produced.

On a nice day, the Riverwalk, a park along the riverside of the Quarter, is a nice place for a stroll. Jazz and folk musicians typically can be found in this area, playing known and original pieces. And if you time it right, you can watch one of the local riverboats set sail for an afternoon cruise.

Fun fact: Tennessee Williams, a former resident of the Quarter, wrote the celebrated Streetcar Named Desire, based off the trolleys that ran through the city.

New Orleans: The Garden District

February 23, 2017June 9, 2017 Elizabeth 0 Comment New Orleans, Travel, US Garden District, Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, Haint Blue, Italianate, Lafayette Cemetery #1, Livaudais Plantation, New Orleans, New Orleans Garden District, Queen Anne

In honor of Mardi Gras next week, I’ve decided to segue from my Spain trip, to talk about my recent trip to New Orleans’ Garden District!

Southwest of the French Quarter, I spent a Saturday morning walking around the Garden District. Cute, little boutique shops mixed with trendy coffee shops and dive bars dot the boundary streets along St Charles Ave and Magazine St.

Originally the Livaudais Plantation, the land was sold off and eventually broken out into blocks of generous lots for homes; the Garden District was born. Today, you can still see some of the grand sized lots, complete with lavish gardens and cast iron fences, as well as smaller lots with equally charming homes.

While strolling down the sidewalks, keep an eye out for uneven surfaces. Some of the walkways are missing bricks or chunks of cement; or have sections sticking up at 45 degree angles, pushed up from expanding tree roots determined to retake the block.

Some of the celebrities who have owned or currently own homes in the Garden District include Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, and Anne Rice.

Architectural styles within the Garden District range from Greek Revival to Victorian. Greek Revival is primarily characterized by square or rounded columns of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles, attached porches, and trim around doors. A number of the styles you will see in the Garden District will fall under the larger category of Victorian, with the subset styles consisting of Italianate, Queen Anne, and Gothic Revival.

The Italianate style can be seen in homes with a flat roof, overhanging eaves, cornices, and ornate brackets underneath.

Queen Anne, unlike Italianate, has unusual roof shapes, bay windows, and partial or full porches on the first level.

Gothic Revival, on the other hand, is characterized by steep roofs, windows with pointed arches, and decorative trim under the roof edges.

If you look closely, some of the homes have sky-blue painted ceilings on their attached porches. The color is often referred to as “haint blue” and can be traced to Gullah legends of “haints,” or evil spirits. The Gullah believe that these spirits could not cross water; so, the sky blue color was painted on the frames of windows and doors to mimic water and deter haints from entering the home. However, in the Garden District, instead of blue framing, you will find the ceilings of the exterior porches are blue. During the time of the Yellow Fever outbreaks, the haint blue was believed to keep death away. People had no idea what was causing the illness, and some attributed it to evil spirits. We now know that mosquitoes were the cause of the outbreaks, and oddly enough, the paint would have helped deter the mosquitoes. However, it was what was in the paint, more so than the blue color itself, that kept away the yellow fever carrying mosquitoes. The lye in the paint was acting as a repellent.

Also within the Garden District is Lafayette Cemetery #1, on Washington Avenue, which is the oldest of the seven New Orleans operated cemeteries. Here, you will find a mixture of wall vaults along the entrance side of the cemetery, and eye-catching, above ground family tombs. The oldest of the tombs are believed to be two stone and brick tombs, side by side, along the main path. These two tombs are thought to be from the days when the Livaudais Plantation still existed.

Not just for the dead, the Lafayette Cemetery #1 has also been used as a filming location for movies, like Double Jeopardy and Dracula 2000, as well as music videos. However, the cemetery closes at 3 pm, so don’t plan on wandering through the graves at night!

On the other side of Washington Avenue, Commander’s Palace sits with its brightly decorated teal awnings. You can’t miss it! While strolling through the Garden District, a local told me about the restaurant’s 25 cent margaritas, and now being across the street from it, I decided to stop by. I saunter in, jeans and t-shirt, and immediately notice everyone at the host station is dressed in smart, business attire. Looking around at the seated patrons confirmed my suspicion.. I was severely under-dressed. But the host staff was super nice, all smiles, even after I told them that I did not have a reservation. I mentioned the drink special I heard about, hoping there was a bar in the corner, where I would be less conspicuous. But, alas, the special was only for Monday through Friday (with purchase of an entree). And admittedly, I was filled with a sense of relief as I thanked the host for the information and made a hasty retreat. I probably could have gotten away with my dark wash jeans, but I would much rather enjoy my dining experience without obsessively wondering if anyone is staring at my pants. Next time I will have to remember to pack something more appropriate.

On the other side of the Garden District, and a handful of streets outside of its official boundaries, is a lunch cafe called Reconcile Cafe. Only open for lunch, they offer an array of quintessential New Orleans food (Yum!). But what I really like about this place is that it is a training cafe for local youth in the culinary arts, and the proceeds go back into the training program and support the community. No business attire required!

For venturing beyond the Garden District, a trolley line, running down St Charles avenue, connects the Garden District to the French Quarter, Central Business District, and Audubon Zoo. A fun and affordable way to get around the city, the trolley cars add to the historic appeal.