Ranch Report: Austin parties west of the Pecos
It's nothing to drive 150 miles for a party out here, but for this one, the guests came from Austin and Dallas, and stayed overnight. One of the BEST parties I've ever attended/
I’ve already posted about some of the parties out here, where folks think nothing of driving 150 miles (round trip) to share some food, fun and conversation. Most recently, the Christmas party in Girvin, Texas that brought in folks from Brady, Fort Stockton and Alpine to the old Girvin School house. Folks drive in, party on, then drive back to their ranch.
Xmas party at the old Girvin Schoolhouse.
Some of the “crowd” in Girvin.
These are all “locals” or folks who live west of the Pecos.
Last Friday Diann and I drove to a party down in Marathon, at the Gage Hotel, that was just over the top.
Diann said it was one of the best parties she has ever attended, and I’d have to say if it wasn’t the best, it wouldn’t take too long to call the roll.
It was thrown by an old friend named Carter to celebrate his 40th birthday, and his 10th wedding anniversary to his lovely wife Julia.
Carter is one of the most interesting, and funny, guys I have ever met. We first became acquainted when I was working at a tech consulting company called Alsbridge, founded by Ben Trowbridge, a Marine. Ben tried to hire veterans, so he hired Carter.
Carter graduated from SMU, then after the 9-11 attacks enlisted in the U.S. Army and was shipped out to Afghanistan. Here’s a shot of him on patrol, calling in an airstrike on some Taliban postions, wearing his SMU cap.
Carter fighting the Taliban.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I cannot name a single SMU grad I know who got his diploma, then enlisted in the U.S. Army. (If you know of one, please share it with me. And World War II doesn’t count.) Along the way Carter earned a Purple Heart when an IED went off underneath the Humvee he was riding in. Fortunately he came home in one piece.
He and I hit it off at Alsbridge when we discovered we were both born and raised in Mississippi, and he even has relatives in Stringer, which is only about 10 miles from my hometown of Laurel. (That brings up the old joke that when two people from Texas meet, in 10 minutes they’ll find someone they both know, but if two people from Mississippi meet, in 10 minutes they’ll discover they are related.)
At any rate, we struck up a friendship and have remained in touch even after our Alsbridge days. I had him come out when we did a sneak peek of my film, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brothers in Blues, down in Austin.
Carter with myself and Jimmie Vaughan in Austin.
Nearly a year ago, Carter told me to mark May 17th on our calendar because he was throwing a party at the Gage Hotel in Marathon. I did so, then didn’t hear anything until about two weeks before the shindig. “Be there at 7:00,” he texted, “And wear western clothes.”
So, last Friday night Diann and I jumped in the car for the “short drive” (only 63 miles from the ranch) down Hwy 385 to the Gage Gardens.
The route, and Marathon, both have a long history with my family. First off, it was Marathon that folks from the Rooney Mercantile in Fort Stockton had to drive my grandfather, Roland Warnock, to catch a train to San Antonio after he suffered a gunshot wound up on Seven-Mile Mesa. (To listen to my grandfather’s account of this adventure from his oral history, go here.)
Then in 1962 I took my first airplane ride to attend the dedication of Warnock Park, about halfway between Fort Stockton and Marathon on Hwy 385.
That’s me on the far left, the nerdy kid in glasses. My grandfather is in the white shirt, holding his hat.
My grandfather (to the right of the marker) with his road crew at the dedication.
Then for nearly 20 years I hosted an annual bicycle ride, The Comanche Moon Ride, with my bike club from Oak Cliff (OCOFOB) as we rode bicycles from the Gage Hotel up Hwy 385 to our ranch by the light of the full moon. (No headlights, no tail lights! Just the light of the first full moon in September.)
So we headed down the same highway and arrived in Marathon to see the party in full swing! Carter greeted us at the entrance where we got a quick shot of him, Diann, myself and his wife Julia.
It was then that Carter informed us that we would be:
a) the only “locals” attending, and
b) the oldest guests.
He was right.
Everyone there was in their 30s, and from Austin, Dallas or Houston. They all flew into Midland, then drove down to the Gage where they spent the entire weekend. Despite there being a 40-year age gap, and us not knowing a soul there, everyone was extremely nice and friendly.
The crowd had obviously purchased brand new western wear just for this party, and it showed. Particularly in their boots.
There was an open bar that served up anything you wanted, including sotol, champagne, every liquor imaginable as well as specialty cocktails, like a French 75. (This cocktail was very popular at The Jungle Show down in Austin last December.)
If it contained alcohol, they were serving it at the open bar.
As I said, Di and I didn’t know a soul there, weren’t in the same age bracket and were definitely not as well-heeled as the assembled multitude, but we enjoyed visiting with all of them. An urban mix of young professionals.
Part of the throng of party guests.
They had also set up a huge tent at the Gage Gardens, with tables and chairs for a sit-down dinner, followed by a dance with live music by Doug Moreland out of Fort Davis.
Dinner, under the tent.
And what a meal it was!!!
Catered by The Gage, it featured some incredible dishes, as well as the biggest, and most tender, beef rib I have ever seen, or eaten. (I want more of that!)
Ever seen a beef rib like this? (I hadn’t!!!)
Once dinner was over, Doug and the band cranked up, laying down traditional C&W tunes, like “Boot Scoot Boogie.”
And to top it off, the Miss Sandhills Rodeo Queen drove in from Odessa to give anyone lessons on how to dance the Texas two-step. (She was extremely patient and gracious.)
We lasted until about 10:45 pm………
then told our hosts goodnight, got in the car, and headed back to the ranch. On the way home I saw 11 elk grazing alongside the highway. There has been an explosion in their population up in the Glass Mountains ever since a fire 20-30 years ago. The ones transplanted to a ranch got out and spread to every neighboring place. Now they are everywhere. Luckily none got in front of my car.
A shot of an elk I took in the daytime. (Couldn’t get a picture while driving at night.)
The next morning Diann told me she thought that was probably the best party she had ever attended. It would be hard to beat.
Can’t thank Carter and Julia enough for their invitation. Hopefully I can repay the favor sometime.
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Adios.