A wily roadrunner skipped across our path this morning. A charming rainbow stretched across the sky. Perhaps Mother Nature was apologizing for the Pandora’s Box of insects she unleashed upon us the night before. I’ll take it.
Now let’s eat.
After two highly anticipated stops at two highly recommended establishments – both closed – we begun to understand the anything goes “manana” philosophy that’s ingrained in the West Texas culture. So in lieu of breakfast at Squeeze or Cochineal, we grabbed a couple of iced Vietnamese coffees at Frama and (for lack of any other options) settled for a couple breakfast tacos from Stripes. Egad! I suppose we should thank the Laredo Taco Company for their commitment to feeding the starving weekday tourists of Marfa. And with a full day on our hands until it was time to meet back at camp for dinner, we decided to take a day trip to Alpine, Texas: Est. 1882.
A happy accident.
First stop: Big Bend Brewing Co. We popped in to press our luck with hours of operation and were pleasantly surprised to find the fledgling brewery is only open on weekdays. WIN. Moreover, a friendly redheaded woman and her brewmaster boss offered us a private tour and tasting. Yes, please!
As we sipped each of the five micro brews on tap, she told us about a popular hiking spot behind Sul Ross State University, so Hancock Hill is exactly where we headed next. After an hour and a half hike up and around the hill and its unruly mobs of fire ants, we had to stop and admire Alpine's "Alps." That’s me on the left in the photo below.
Tip: Maybe don’t check out a brewery tasting and then decide it’s a good idea to hike 400 feet up into the mountains sans inhaler. Just call me Lil Wheezy.
Next up: A shared lunch of piled-high brisket fries at The Saddle Club, where Mister Wonderful was delighted to discover his favorite summer brew on tap: Mexican Lager. We said goodbye to Alpine after picking up a couple of juicy snow cones at the Murphy St. Raspa Co., and headed back to base camp in the middle of a majestic West Texas downpour. Rainbows all around.
