Things are not as they appear.... Disney in the Desert

Hi Blog! Today is Sunday. Our last full day in the Big Bend area.  We decided to play tourist today and go on a scenic drive along the Rio Grande.  Our first stop was the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center.  The Interpretive Center is set up as a self-guided environmental tour.  The various displays take you on a walk through time outlining how history and geology have shaped the cultural heritage of this region.  We learned how humans, animals and plants have adapted to survive the harsh conditions of the Chihuahuan Desert. We came away from the Center with a better understanding of all the great geologic upheavals that shaped our country.  It is easy to see the forces at work in the desert.  It is all laid out before you.  Did you know that the Appalachian Mountains continued past Georgia all the way into Mexico? There's nothing left to them down here.  It's all been eroded away.

At the Visitor's Center, we also learned there was a movie set located in the State Park just a few miles past Lajitas.  So, off we went in search of movie magic at the Contrabando Movie Set.  This location was used to film such notable pictures as Uphill All The Way (1985), Rio Diablo (1993), Gambler V: Playing For Keeps (1994), Streets of Laredo (1995), Dead Man's Walk (1996) and Journeyman (2000).  It's also featured in the Brooks & Dunn music video for My Maria, which won Music Video of the Year in 1996. In September 2008, heavy rains and flooding occurred in Ojinaga, Mexico. The rain, and the ensuing release of water from local flood control structures caused widespread flooding, and resulting in damage to the movie set buildings.  Here is a photo as you enter the set.

We stopped into the saloon for a quick drink. While the bar remained, the wooden floor was completely covered with dried mud from the floods.

Then it was off to the chapel to get married.

Things are not as they appear to be.  While the inside of the bar was finished off, here is the inside of the chapel, it is pressboard, chicken wire and stucco.

The movie set overlooks the Rio Grande river.  Here's Dave taking in the scenic view.

 Here is the movie poster from Streets of Laredo.

We found one scene online that shows the buildings in the backdrop.  When we get better internet, we'll probably download the film just to see if we can recognize our neighborhood.

Now you might think this picture is of an old west town, but you'd be wrong.  You are looking at the Lajitas Golf Resort.  They stole a page from the movie set and have done their best to create a very "Disney-like" version of an old west town, complete with outdoor store (with no real outdoor equipment), day spa, hotel, jewelry store and bakery. They call it the "Boardwalk" since the sidewalks are all wooden planks.

At least the restaurant had cold beer.  We were not impressed with Lajitas and would probably choose to spend our time on the porch in Terlingua!