The resort was originally owned by oilman and entrepreneur Clayton Williams Jr. Williams purchased the property in 1983 and developed it into a golf resort. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I even ran the rafting business out my back door, Ivey said. "It's the exclusivity. Remote Lajitas Golf Resort -- which sits very near the Mexican border, some 470 miles west of San Antonio -- is the kind of place where the tee sheet never gets too stacked. "Black Jacks Crossing", designed by PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Lanny Wadkins. The resort couldn't turn a At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Lajitas was 75. McNairs group has invested millions of dollars into the resort making it one of the most luxurious and exclusive golf resorts in the world. Lajitas officially had a post office as early as 1901, but it did not become operational until McGuirk petitioned for its reestablishment in 1904. Lajitas is also somewhat famous for having a drunk goat named Clay Henry for a mayoryes, you read that correctly! Was he actually planning on repopulating Big Bend with the superrich dust-averse? West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country. newspaper, go to Mr. Smith called it the Ultimate Hideout, but to the community and about music. But we also know that they expect more than Kelloggs and Minute Maid. When the mines in nearby Terlingua closed in the 1940s, though, Lajitas also became a ghost town, with an estimated population of 4. In 1999 Williams sold the resort to a group of investors led by Dickie Pamplin. These days, Clay Henry can be found (stuffed) at Starlight Theatre in Terlingua, but Clay Henrys descendants continued to act as mayorat least until his grandson met a gnarly fate. surrounding land that include an old mercury mining town and hunting The answer, as it turns out, is a little bit of both. slashed prices on the hotel rooms and began charging $29 a night at the it made people feel nervous," she said. Our automated scheduling system is available 24/7. The resort's unique destination is rich in Old West history. Ivey would even get customers prescriptions filled on his weekly runs to Alpine. He was also involved in a dispute with the IRS over $140 million in tax shelters. Lajitas Texas activities designed to keep your family as busy as it wants to be. He also funded the construction of a church and a school. retreat, an offense to the desert and a leading hotel of the world. Warren said Thursday looking about. See pricing and listing details of Lajitas real estate for sale. Young as he was, that was surprising, so when he returned, I asked him how somebody with such a hard time getting around wound up in a job as physically demanding as carpentry. .he sounds as if hes remembering the greatest day of his life. His ambition grew ever more glorious by the day: eight hundred residential lots of two acres or less, some selling for as much as $1 million, undeveloped; two championship golf courses, not desert-style, with grass growing only on greens and tees, but with a lush wall-to-wall carpet that would need a million gallons of water a day to stay green in summer months; an RV park with $100,000 slips for $500,000 motor homes; a 36,000-square-foot spa; four fancy restaurants; an amphitheater seating three thousand; an equestrian center; a hunting club. The trading post was that communitys heart, the hub for little villages on both sides of the river. I was writing a story that would run in the May 2002 issue of Texas Monthly on Smiths vision for Lajitas: the creation of a world-class, five-star golf resort and an exclusive development for multimillion-dollar vacation homes. The community boomed when quicksilver was discovered 11 miles from the community at the end of the decade. kitchen and outdoor shower -- the woman who says she doesn't have On the day of the wedding, after our adventure in. In 1916 the interruption of commerce by civil unrest in Mexico, and isolated bandit raids into the US brought Gen. John J. Pershings troops to Lajitas, where they established a small cavalry post to monitor this critical river crossing. It brings a satisfaction, not of beating the desert but of surviving it. You could get a six-pack of beer or a spark plug for a live chicken. civilization. said. Wild West-style complex in the area where Gen. John "Black Jack" But there was no place for a Mexican jukebox in the new Lajitas. He even had employees ambush chartered busloads of seniors headed to his hotel, stopping their caravans on the highway and stealing their valuables. Sitemap. It has been called America's weirdest golf resort, a spiritual profit. It had to be replaced. Thats a huge mistake. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. The biggest attractions that draw visitors to Lajitas, of course, are Big Bend Ranch State Park to the west and Big Bend National Park to the east. "This thing is so beautiful, and there's nobody here.". Warren also serves as chairman of the general partner of Energy Transfer Equity. NewsMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News. That party is over. Boardwalk Bakery and Pizzeria. "I still think it could be something special," the 52-year-old And when he describes how he discovered a hole in a Lajitas urinal once upon a timeId had a few beers and went to take a leak, and my foot kept getting warmer, and I remembered I had my Birkenstocks on, and . Any idea Dennis came up with was worth a try. I hear once a week or more, from people I dont even know, who tell me how much the trading post meant to them and how sad they are that its gone, he said. [2], Starting in the 1980s as a joke, for many years the purported mayor of Lajitas was Clay Henry III, a "beer-drinking" goat. His whole model was based on the idea that he could somehow tame the desert, refashion it to suit his plan, and it was just a matter of time before his vision became known as Smiths Folly. If youre traveling on the cheap, that could make a funny story. The resort features an 18-hole golf course a luxury hotel and a variety of amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. Lajitas Golf Resort 1,061 reviews #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas Review Save Share 21701 FM 170, Lajitas, Big Bend National Park, TX 79852-5015 1 (877) 525-4827 Visit hotel website E-mail hotel Check In / / Check Out / / Guests Contact accommodation for availability. That's who I want to be and I can't," he across the river. He also hosted monthly dances and impromptu barbecues, when conjunto bands, crossing back into Mexico after performing stateside quinceaeras, would stop in and play for free beer. Review. NYSE:ETP, By Paul Meyer, The Dallas Morning A major hotel chain. Some links throughout this site are affiliate links. Scott Beasley, whose company WSB Resorts and Clubs manages Lajitas among other businesses and properties, said he is committed to having the resort show a profit in 2017 - if not sooner. Bridlie Hospitality, to operate the resort. If youre on a mountain out there and a cold front comes in, you could freeze and die, he said. The party was large, maybe ten men and women, all drinking. He has one son, Klyde Warren. Its just spectacular.. It closed temporarily in 1910 and reopened six years later. She stared at him. Though a biblical rainstorm and lightning display in the night knocked out the resorts electricity for twelve hoursa common desert occurrence that, among other things, might incapacitate an alarm clock and cause one to miss an early tee timehe was still able to get on the course because no one else was playing that day. The Big Bend is not the kind of place you want to drive through and look out your window at, Ivey continued. It was neat and comfortable, but somewhere in the two rooms there should have been a desk, and the television should have provided a clear picture and more than nineteen channels. Lajitas Golf Resort is perfectly situated between the Big Bend National Park and the Big Bend State Park: it is the ultimate resort destination. [9] It is located on the Rio Grande, bordering Mexico,[10] between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. He then sold the land to Thomas V. Skaggs, who became successful in the Lajitas Wax Company, which sold candelilla wax. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Though the Lajitas Resort dominates much of Lajitas today, you can still find many remnants of the original town of Lajitas aroundoften restored by the resort. By then, consultants and friends had convinced Smith that the dream could be real, and toward that end he had already spent $40 million, which he estimated would be half of his ultimate outlay. And when I tried to pull open my window, the knob should not have come off in my hand. Ive heard he spent between $80 million and $100 million, but I dont know, said one of the creditors attorneys, who asked not to be identified while the bankruptcy was pending. Order your test online and receive your donor/registration pass by email. By the late 90s, Lajitas and its sister town, Paso Lajitas, Chihuahua, Mexico had over 200 inhabitants. For those traditionally drawn to the place, whether they were rich or poor, comfort wasnt the major consideration. The ultimate fate of Lajitas wont be decided by any new owner. lighting up as if nobody had approached her like that in a long while. Big Bend is a diverse region with endless possibilities for adventure and discovery. Its sad. But the true injustice came with my breakfast: $33 for coffee, a small bowl of granola, some strawberries, concentrated orange juice, and a cute little box of Special K, like the kind my mom used to provide before she trusted me to pour from the big-boy box. That effort ran out of steam and money in 2007, and a group of investors bought the property, cut the prices in half, and have created a luxurious and affordable environment for visitors to Texas Big Bend. [12], Frank Q. Dobbs directed his first film, Enter the Devil, in Lajitas in 1972. Black Jack's Crossing For groups of ", "There's a certain kind of people who need this place.". By the mid-1980s, Lajitas became a resort town with 15 businesses serving 50 people. multi-million-dollar wire transfer for the property was in order, Mr. wonder at the house, garden, stones and path running down to the river. Always found it to be poorly maintained, with poor food service. I was doctor, vet, lawyer, marriage counselor, pharmacist, and an importer of wax. It's a quick trip to Terlingua for other dining options, although we had breakfast at Candelilla and it was fabulous. in 3 reviews, The morning of our second day we explored the golf course and were blown away by the immense beauty of the course. in 23 reviews, On the day of the wedding, after our adventure in Big Bend, we came back to resort and spent time lounging in the pool. in 12 reviews. [7] The construction of the park cost about $90 million. The region was sparsely inhabited for thousands of years by semi nomadic peoples related to the Patarabueyes and Jumanos tribes before the Spanish arrived. Other bidders dropped out early and headed for the elevators, including an eight-man team of blue-suited lawyers representing a hotelier, followed by a couple of South Texas hunting buddies with fat wallets in the back pockets of their Wranglers. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Nobody really likes practicing their golf game. Now, we all know people who wouldnt blink at a $33 breakfast. Proper golf attire is required on the golf course and in the clubhouse. They want to hike, raft, and go get a beer on the porch in Terlingua. Dec. 22, 2007 - LAJITAS, Texas -- Not even $100 million, [10], The 90th Fighter Squadron of the United States Army Border Air Patrol had a sector that traveled to Lajitas from Eagle Pass. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. McGuirk sold his landholdings around Lajitas to Thomas V. Skaggs, who continued farming. [2][6], In 2007, he bought the bankrupt Lajitas Resorts in Lajitas, Texas, as a real estate investment. Accommodations run the range from convenient and comfortable to resort luxury. Smith and a group of hastily scraped-together investors. [3] After two replacements of the original Clay Henry, the trading post and stable where the actual mayor lived is now closed and they goat no longer resides there. [5][24] He also owns an 8,000-acre ranch near Cherokee, Texas,[5] the 20,000-acre Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa in Lajitas, Texas,[25] and a private island near Roatn, Honduras. But he couldnt play a full eighteen holes because much of the back nine was underneath the overflowing river. Kelcy Lee Warren (born November 9, 1955)[1] is an American billionaire and the chairman and chief executive officer of Energy Transfer Partners.[2][3][4][5][6]. On the one hand, hes wealthy and owns his own plane. The Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa is a 20,000-acre golf resort business in Lajitas owned by Texas businessman Kelcy Warren, who bought the resort from previous owner Steve Smith while the business was going through financial distress. Lajitas Golf Resort accepts credit cards. The crowds would grow to three hundred people and still be going when Ivey showed up for work the next morning, when he would finally shoo folks away. The second day was to be spent on the Ambush, the only course Smith ended up building. Too many decisions were made in the creation of the new Lajitas by people who didnt seem to think very hard about what they were doing. Dallas Robert E. Lee Statue Has Landed at Black Jacks Crossing Near Terlingua. and Mike Montgomery. Front Desk: (432) 424-5000 Its previous owner, Austin multimillionaire Steve Smith, lavished $100 million to turn the property into an exclusive refuge for the rich, with an 18-hole bentgrass golf course, upscale restaurants, old-world bar, 92 luxury rooms and Mayor Clay Henry, a beer-drinking goat. bankrupt resort and give Lajitas another life. Reviewed October 12, 2021 . 10 or more click here, Traveler rating: 7.0 ambition. Lajitas General Store and Deli Thirsty Goat Saloon Pizza Menu Thirsty Goat Menu To make dinner reservations in The Candelilla restaurant, call 432-424-5032 Candelilla Cafe Offering an Interesting Twist on Traditional Tex Mex Cuisine Candelilla Caf Hours of Operation 7 am - 10 pm Daily When I asked a local sitting at the bar what he remembered of that story, she happened to be on the other side of me and interrupted, That was me! Shes still angry about it, and she ticked off the details as though it had happened the night before. The community was said to be "about the only place where you can shoot 360 degrees", since Santa Fe and Sedona were already used up. Andbig bonus for ussome rooms are pet friendly. #1 of 1 resort in Lajitas. Checks were cashed and loans were made, and Ivey accepted payment in dollars, pesos, or by barter. Copyright 2016 (c) | VisitBigBend.com | All Rights Reserved | Brought to you by the Brewster County Tourism Council |. nine-hole golf course, in addition to the thousands of acres of The decision-making rule of thumb so popular in modern businessthat managers should ask for forgiveness, not permissionwas taken to its untenable extreme. A crossing into Mexico, closed years ago, once ferried tourists According to Beasley, the monument is a gift. Lajitas, he hopes, may have another life yet. A stay at Lajitas Golf Resort is an opportunity to step 100 years back into the history of . [2], Due to the remoteness of the resort, Lajitas is served by the Lajitas International Airport, a private airport with a 6,503ft (1,982m) concrete runway. He gave her $100 more, then walked out of the place as if everything was fine. What she didnt remember, thankfully, was that I had been sitting at that table. He housed and subsidized an infirmary that provided affordable, reliable health care. Who Owns Lajitas Golf Resort by Joshua|Published August 25, 2019 The Lajitas Golf Resort is a full-service golf resort and spa located in the Big Bend region of West Texas. He married Amy Hudson on June 3, 2010, in Dallas. This desert golf resort has breathtaking views that make it hard to believe that it is in our own backyard! But if you just paid $7,000 to fly your jet out there, $900 a night for a condo on the boardwalk, and $165 for greens fees, you expect a little more. Location & Hours 21701 Fm 170 Lajitas, TX 79852 Get directions Edit business info Amenities and More By Appointment Only Accepts Credit Cards Good For Kids Private Lot Parking 2 More Attributes About the Business Escape to Lajitas Golf Resort, no place like it in the world! Yelp users havent asked any questions yet about. Your County. It can be quite a jolt. It is named for his son. The resort is currently owned by EPGolf LLC. The round-trip drive to Alpine for big groceries is 190 miles. On the Wide Plains West of Lubbock, a Chainsaw Carver Works From an Old Cotton Gin, Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Family Memories Echo Through an East Texas Shoe Shop, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards, Our Guide to Johnson City, Where You Can Stroll to Wineries and Museums. Megan's Dog Adventures. We also have an email out to Warren. in denim with a pink bandana around her neck and gray hair loosely Here, youll find everything from the award-winning golf course to the unassuming general store, from several restaurants to heaps of excursions, that make up many of the best things to do in Lajitas, Texas. Just beyond the far end of the boardwalk, a long, columned breezeway divided the dark, leather-bound Thirsty Goat Saloon and the glass-walled Candelilla Caf overlooking the golf course. The crossing was described as a smooth, rock bottom, and was best between Del Rio and El Paso. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. Others wondered if Smiths bean counters had prevailed upon him to fund his dream with other peoples money. It looked much the same when Ivey took over the trading post in 1980. At first blush, its almost impossible to tell the age of a resident of south Brewster County, and there are two good reasons for that. "In fact, I'd be shocked if there [5] Aug 2018 - Present4 years 8 months. Over one million acres of public land including Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park offer hiking, camping, river running, horse riding, mountain bicycling, birding, jeep touring, and abundant sightseeing opportunities on paved and improved roads. As part of the contract, his son cleans up trash from the park once a month. [22] In 2012, press reports indicated he owned an estate on an island off the coast of Honduras. A post office was established at Lajitas in 1904 and remained in operation until 1939. And the recollection of that night is one of the reasons there will be no pour-out on the porch for the death of Smiths vision. He bought a CD from her and promised 6 IMPORTANT TIPS FOR VISITING THE BIG BEND. Nothing unusual about that or about the fact that a couple of the men were somewhat flirty with the waitress, an attractive young woman whod been living in the area for about a year. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. You leave someplace nice, fly fifty minutes, and expect to arrive someplace nice. Share. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. The vision on the porch was of rooms priced at $150 a night and an RV park that is open to snowbirds, that will tolerate the occasional rattletrap trailer. But there was insight to be gleaned in the law firms lobby. Later, after as the horse became integrated into the Apache and Comanche culture, these nomadic tribes frequented the area, causing the Spanich to set up a series of Presidios and military colonies, one of which, San Carlos, lies 18 miles south of Lajitas. the Rio Grande. would have millionaires mixing with landscape workers and artists and If you get bitten by a rattlesnake, youll die. ocotillo plants. Locals speculated that he was struggling financially, and the monthly Big Bend Gazette reported that Lajitas was not the only Smith-related enterprise to recently declare bankruptcy. When I met him nearly two years later, he was thinking differently. , we came back to resort and spent time lounging in the pool. Still, when the sun sets each night, when the dry desert air turns gold and the clouds go from white to purple to orange to gone and a desert rat can put himself to sleep by counting stars, that hard life is worth it. They died. Smith believed that if he made it softer and more like other places, he could broaden the appeal. The highest recorded temperature at the resort is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In mid-October, Lajitas was back up for sale. In 1986 he sold his Huntsville-based restaurant chain, Tinsleys Chicken and Rolls, and made millions, and he used part of that haul to put a house on the river just upstream from Lajitas. There were weeks of discussion leading up to the 13-1 Council vote on September 5, 2017, ending with it being taken down and stored. Saying Goodbye to Fairfield Lake State Park, Miniature Cattle Have Ambled Into Our Hearts and Onto Our Modest Acreages. For more flight The contraband would be returned at a reception when they arrived. ", "It produced a feeling that no matter how nice the adornment, It was part of the borderland experience, and everyone got along fine. According to my minder, it was a place where we could get away from the snobs at the Starlight. Be aware that cell phones may inadvertently change to Mountain Time and cause you to be an hour behind schedule. The accommodations themselves truly run the gamut, making use of the original town of Lajitas wherever possible. UT Dallas is paying students to get vaccinated. [2][3] He serves on the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. Yes the resort offers weddings and other special events. A variety of guided outdoor activities are available. For the 23 years prior to that, Lajitas had been the property of Houston business giant Walter Mischer, whod turned it into a modest resort with an Old West boardwalk, a nine-hole golf course, ninety cheap hotel rooms, and an RV park for winter Texans, all of it anchored by a 65-year-old ramshackle adobe trading post so vital to the regions commerce and society that some called it the Courthouse of South County. Black Jack's Crossing at Lajitas Golf Resort. Lajitas has a hot arid climate with very hot summers and mild winters. been a thorn in the side of the community," Mr. Leslie said. The high bid at days end was $13.5 million, but the bidder, who wished to remain anonymous, hadnt offered enough money to pay all the creditors, and no deal was reached. fried steak instead of $50 steaks. Had he really sprayed a compound on the ground in front of the Lajitas boardwalk that would keep dust from kicking up? lodge. The resorts 250 workers made Lajitas the largest employer in South County, and it paid nearly 30 percent of the taxes for the schools in Terlingua. [1] His father worked as a field hand for Sun Pipeline, a company now owned by Warren. Facilities Maintenance Technician; HVAC I Technician/Electrician My first thought was, Id spend a million to spruce it up a little bit, he told the San Antonio Express-News shortly thereafter. But the place could be friendlier to residents on this side of the river. Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. contracted with Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Houston-based When I asked him what would happen if his dream didnt work, he said, Well, at least me and my friends will have a really nice golf course to play. (Smith declined to be interviewed for this article, and Texas Monthly happens to be one of his unsecured creditors, owed $35,000 for unpaid advertising.). [13], The TV miniseries, Streets of Laredo was also filmed in Lajitas. The Lajitas Museum, which contained artifacts from the Big Bend area, was located just east of Lajitas.
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