For a lot of people, the true American spirit can only be experienced out in Texas. When you think of an American, the stereotypical image of big-boned people with trucks larger than most New York apartments is rooted in Texan culture more than any other subculture across the US. In the very southern part of Texas is the unincorporated community of Lajitas. If you’re wondering what an ‘unincorporated community’ is, it’s an area that is not under the governance of any municipal corporation. Thus, Lajitas has a very interesting history attached to it, which we will get into later on. Today, we will be talking about Lajitas Golf Resort, a massive sprawling resort currently owned by Texan businessman, Kelcy Warren.
Lajitas, A History
The name Lajitas means ‘little flat rocks’ in Spanish. For many years, this area was left undisturbed and in the possession of aboriginal Mexicans. Interestingly enough, the Apache and Comanche tribes removed them during the course of the 18th and 19 centuries. The real change in the fortune of the Lajitas community came when quicksilver was discovered in the general vicinity. For the next era, quicksilver brought many economic opportunities to Lajitas and allowed the people to take advantage of them. There was a short period of time in between when Lajitas had to deal with the constant menace of bandits. Pancho Villa and his bandits ravaged the area, looking for loot whenever they took. One can already imagine an Old-West classic being set in this backdrop. Too bad Clint Eastwood never had that idea.
One really funny and interesting fact about Lajitas is the tradition of the mayor. Starting in the 80s (as all crazy things do), the so-called mayor of Lajitas was Clay Henry III, a goat. But it doesn’t end there, the goat was also supposed to be a great connoisseur of beer. So, yes, Clay Henry III, a goat was the mayor of Lajitas. On top of that, Clay Henry was not just a fictional goat, but an actual goat which lived in a particular stable, which one could call the office of the mayor. After the original Clay Henry died, there were two successors to the post, namely Clay Henry II and Clay Henry III. After this great dynasty of hoofy emperors, the town decided to get an actual human mayor. Tommy Steele has the great and unique honor of succeeding a dynasty of goats.
The Geography of Lajitas
Lajitas is a very hot area, with the all-time highest temperature recorded here to be 113 degrees. The area is located in the very eastern end of the Big Bend National Park. It can also be considered part of the Northern End of the Chihuahuan Desert. One of the most interesting geographic features found here is columnar basalt. If you paid attention in geography class, you would know that basalt is just cooled-down rock.
The Golf Resort
Now, getting to the thing that all of us really want to talk about, the Lajitas Golf Resort can be summed up as the best of modernity and antiquity. Let’s understand that statement. When you take a step into Lajitas Golf Resort, you are instantly transported back 100 years into American history. All of a sudden, you are in the old country where vast swathes of land extend beyond you and there is no one to detract from the beauty of it. For people who live in densely populated areas, Lajtas Golf Resort is a great way to recover from the trauma of living in a city. When your thirst for rustic authenticity is satiated for the day, you can retire to your hotel room, filled with all the amenities you could ever possibly ask for. There’s even a ‘Thirsty Goat’ saloon for all the people who want to drink beer under the legacy of the beer-drinking goat. In fact, the resort has its own airport as well, with a 5000-foot-long runway. This is mainly due to the fact that the resort is so remote that most people like to arrive by air rather than take the roads anyway.
Accommodations
Lajitas Gold Resort has the options of 1st floor and 2nd floor options for the people who are looking to stay inside the hotel. The aesthetics of the rooms are on the simpler side of things and are quite homely. One of the great pluses of the rooms is that you feel like you are a real guest in a home, rather than a motel.
Golf
The highlight feature of the resort is the massive golf course you can ply your trade in. In fact, Golfweek, ranked Black Jack’s Crossing (the golf course in Lajitas) to be the best golf course in the entire state of Texas. The golf course was designed by Lanny Wadkins, an inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, so you know that you are getting the absolute best when it comes to the golf-related amenities in this resort. In fact, what is perhaps even more amazing about Lajitas golf course is that it is located in the middle of the mountains, creating a scenery that is seldom seen in other golf courses around the world. As the Lajitas Golf Resort site itself also remarks, you should definitely also bring your camera with you as well, considering the beauty at display.
Ziplines
What do you do when you have a heartbreakingly beautiful landscape stretching over thousands of acres? The answer is quite simple, you install a zipline. There are multiple ziplines located in the Quiet Canyon area of the resort. The otherworldly topography of the area was born out of volcanic eruptions that were formed nearly 30 million years ago, with many different types of rocks that are incredibly rare across the world. There are multiple tours that have incredibly creative names as well. The Clay Henry tour refers to the first beer-drinking goat mayor of the town, it has two ziplines. If you’re looking for even more adventure, you can go for the Flying Goat tour. At this point, you should be able to know what this name is paying homage to. With 3 ziplines, it is a step up from the Clay Henry tour. The biggest tour available with 4 ziplines is the Quick Silver tour. In terms of sheer impact, the discovery of the rare earth metal quick silver definitely has the most to do with what the Lajitas Golf Resort is today.
Other Activities
It seems like there is never a dull moment spent at Lajitas Golf Resort. There are so many other activities here that you can take part in that will make sure that you are always enjoying your stay at Lajitas Golf Resort. For people who want to take their relaxation to the next level, there is the Agava Spa, with attached swimming pools. The Flat Rock Theatre always has the most popular action-adventure movie of the summer season playing, so your kids will be more than happy watching, while you relax in the spa. There are horseback trail rides, mountain biking, shooting sports and river expeditions. In total, there are more activities than you know what to do with. All in all, Lajitas Golf Resort is a truly amazing family experience. While almost every family goes to Disneyland, there are a very different set of values that Lajitas can help instill in your kids.
In a world that seems to always get away from you as fast as possible, it is important to be able to take a moment and observe everything around you. Lajitas Golf Resort allows you to get away from the noise of the city, take a deep breath and appreciate the vastness of nature. It also connects you to the history of America, not only to the great era of the Old West, but beyond that as well. This land has been the home of the Native American tribes as well as the Mexican Indigenous people, which means that this land can boast a historical pedigree that is seldom observed anywhere else.
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