Off to Alpine, TX for the long 4th of July weekend. The entire family and some very close friends. It was a very full house. So much laughter was had. Catching up on old times and making new memories. It’s always a good time when our two families get together. The last time we were all together in Alpine was my wedding. Lots of good drinks and good food. There were two people that were noticeably absent. My father and brother from another mother. We did toast to them many of times. They were there in spirit.
Rock hunting 
How Bekah felt come Sunday 
Our dining experiences were a true delight. Being that it was the 4th of course we were going to grill. We had hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs. All sorts of sides. We ate out often. Alpine has some really great restaurants. If I had only one meal I would be hard pressed to say where I would choose. Probably the Reata only because of the nearly 2 decades of memories I have in that place. Speaking of the Reata, we had an interesting experience Friday night. There was a gun fight. No joke. A group of traveling actors dressed in full western wear decided to shoot it out. It wasn’t a quiet dining experience with guns blazing but it was entertaining in the fact that it was very bizarre.
The people of Alpine have always been the best. Such an eclectic group. You have the ranchers, the hippies, the artist, etc. All of them sharing a bar together in harmony. The owner of Harry’s Tinaja remark on how humble Anthony Bourdain was when he visited. Harry himself is a character worth mention. He is a German immigrant who opened a German brewery and restaurant in the middle of nowhere West Texas. When he got tired of the food he opened his bar. It’s basically Cheers. Everyone sits on the porch and drinks all day. Everyone knows everyone. Harry just quietly observes and occasionally chimes in. The Twin Peaks liquor store is across the street. I heard this exchange: “Is that my wife across the street? She told me she was going to her mother’s!” “ Well she is walking out with 4 bags, I’d say they are having a party.” I just about died. Little dive bars like Harry’s are a special part of this country. They have true heart. It might not be the fanciest place in town, but Bourdain chose it for a very good reason: the people.
I love the mountains. I suppose it’s the amateur Geologist in me. I can spend more time than I’d like to admit looking at rocks. I have a freaking rock collection for goodness sake. And the Alpine region is a rock hounds dream. The mountain are volcanic rhyolite, the remnants of the Paisano volcano which erupted some 35 million years ago. The entire region would have been a perfect image of how hell is usually depicted. The caldera collapse left a 240 square mile hole in the ground. Lakes of lava. Kilauea had nothing on Paisano. Years of erosion and there you have it, beautiful mountains. And sunsets. Sunsets in this region are breath taking. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see many, it was overcast.
The weather couldn’t have been nicer. People think that it’s the desert in July so it must be hot. The elevation is higher making the temperature lower. In July you have the monsoons. Every evening we had a 4-5 o’clock thunderstorm brew dropping the temperature down to the 70 degree mark. If you have not seen mountain storms you really are missing out. They are beautiful, and the sound of thunder bellowing off the mountains is exceptional. We actually have waterfalls when it rains enough.
Flash floods are no joke in the dessert. On our way back to town I feared for our lives. We encountered a sudden deluge at the 14 mile mark west of Big Lake. Visibility dropped to maybe 5 feet and I had very little control of the vehicle. Came to a snail pace. Guess what though? That didn’t stop all the oil field trucks from hauling a** past me. Some of those truckers drive scary on a normal day. Add torrential downpour to the equation and you have a recipe for disaster. The road literally had rapids and these people were driving at such an unsafe speed. I was bracing for one of them to hydroplane into me. It was such a sweet relief when we got through that. I did not have the energy for that unexpected challenge. It’s been a bit since I last feared for my life and for about 30min there I feared for both Bekah and my own. I never so badly needed a drink. Just to have a shot of whisky and put my head down on the bar. I was that tense. It took a lot out of me, and my tank was about empty in the first place. I said I could probably drive the rest of the way home with my eyes closed compared to that. Never seen that much water on the road. Those flash flood signs I always wondered about are there for a reason.
Got to see the USA Women’s Soccer bring home another World Cup. This will the second in a row and forth title over all. They were such an unstoppable team. Such amazing talent and a real treat to watch. The controversy over them celebrating too hard was such a joke. They had every right to celebrate. Alex Morgan might be my new celebrity crush. She was amazing on the field, and her tea sip celebration was hilarious. Really ruffled some feather with that one. I am actually having some withdrawals while I type this up. The 2020 Olympics can’t get here soon enough.
Weekends never last long enough even when you have 4 days.
Jalapeño!
Had queso burgers again. Simple delight. I think this is the 3rd time I’ve had this in a month.
Caprese salad with grilled chicken. Love caprese salad & I love grilled chicken. Why not throw them together.
Bunless burger. Not the most attractive of meals but it hit the spot. My other mother added blue cheese to the meat.
Hot dog for the 4th of July. Had to have one on America’s birthday. Probably the only time I ever eat a hot dog. Just not my thing.
Carne Asada from the Reata. It’s doesn’t get much better than that. You don’t need teeth to chew this steak it’s so tender.
Pizza from Guzzi Up. This place is just weird.
Asado from La Casita. Some of the best Mexican food is in Alpine. Only problem here is they take cash. We almost didn’t have enough on us. Kind of wish we had gone to Alicia’s but it’s too small for the group we had. Hell, we sat at two tables here otherwise it was a 30min wait to get us together.
The Reata again. Green chili burger. Mouthwatering delight. I had a lot of burgers this week.
Chicken fried steak from The Century Bar & Grill. I don’t do fried food often but I must say this was a treat. I would have had more fired okra on my plate but my brother got to them.
Bekah wanted some Hamburger Helper. I have to say it was pretty good. It was her hangover meal. Comforting and easy.
Drink of the week: Tejas Clara. No longer available sadly. RIP Big Bend Brewing
En Fuego 