Day 223. March 17, 2014. Crazy St. Patrick's Day!

LOCATION:  Terlingua, TX, about 25 miles outside of Big Bend State Park

WEATHER:  Typical desert weather...hot around 80 in the PM.  Cool in AM and evening

We packed up from Big Bend and stopped at Terlingua Ghost Town. We met our friends for lunch on their way north. Terlingua (population 250) has an annual chili cook-off which brings 10,000 people to town.  So, of course we had to try the chili.  

Terlingua was a mining town, and now is called a ghost town, as the mining industry ended.  However, artists and old hippies have come in, and now occupy the shacks.  A lot of interesting/strange people!  Here is the cemetery.

After lunch, George talked to some guys at another table, and greeted them with "Happy St. Patrick's Day!"  They then told us that they were going to be in a parade later in the day, and invited us to join them.  They are retired military so super patriotic.  There was one float, with the Statue of Liberty, and some trucks and motorcycles with locals dressed in green.

After the parade, all the locals went to this bar, aptly called Passing Wind.  It is actually a private residence, but the ex-military guys beckoned us in.  We choked down some really bad beer (Bud). 

The place is decorated with a submarine and sailboat.

I'm sure they were going to party all night.  

We went back to our campground.  It is a nice, commercial one, although there is no shade.  Our neighbors are full-time RVers and have been traveling for 13 years!  

DINNER:  Some home-canned steel head salmon that a camper from Idaho had given us, from a river near their home.  Served with rice and green beans.  

The campground hosts made a nice campfire and we joined folks to chat awhile.  We even were able to buy some Jameson Irish whiskey so we could toast St. Patrick!