travel

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The J & P Bar and Grill

Founded in 1883, Comstock is barely a wide spot on the lonely road from Del Rio toward the ragged and rugged Trans-Pecos region of Texas. It is located near the confluence of the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers and close to Langtry where the legendary Judge Roy Bean was “the law west of the Pecos.”

Originally known as Sotol City, the tiny town was later named after John Comstock, a railroad dispatcher for the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway. Today, Comstock has less than ten named streets and not many more residents. However, the nearby canyons hide a treasure worth seeing.

Nearby Seminole Canyon State Historical Park is home to some of the oldest rock art in North America — pictographs as old as, by some estimates, 4,000 years. It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that ancient inhabitants of this region left a cryptic record of their existence on the walls and ceilings of caves along Seminole Canyon.


Comstock is also home to the J & P Bar and Grill, a place that is located at the spot along Highway 90 where you both enter and leave Comstock. Blink and you are likely to miss it.

On occasion when we travel to our off-grid cabin out in Big Bend, we will opt to take Highway 90 instead of Interstate 10. We enjoy this desolate route and the magnificent scenery that is the very definition of iconic cowboy country. When we do take this route, we try to time our travel so that we can stop for a bite to eat at the J & P Bar and Grill — the only place to eat in Comstock and a favorite of local ranchers and roughnecks.

Wherever I travel in Texas, I am always on the lookout for a great bacon cheeseburger. So, when I first traveled through Comstock I decided to stop at the J & P Bar and Grill — housed in a nondescript metal building just west of the intersection of Highway 90 and Highway 163.


The inside is one big dining area with a bar, clean restrooms, and Texas decor hanging on particle board walls. The staff is Texas-friendly for sure and the menu offers a lot of comfort food options, including a variety of burgers.


As usual, I ordered a simple bacon cheeseburger with mustard and mayo and veggies and a side of onion rings and a tall glass of iced tea. Of course, I always make sure I ask for crispy bacon because I think it is a crime in Texas and not a very nice thing to do to offer a paying customer limp bacon on a cheeseburger.


Well, my expectations were exceeded. The ciabatta buns held a half-pound of meat cooked to perfection and the onion rings were golden and crispy and oh so good. The taste of this burger is amazing and made me wish I had an extra stomach to eat a second or third helping. Honestly — one of the best burgers I have had in all of my travels around the Lone Star State.

Comstock and the J & P Bar and Grill are a long way from anywhere and, for most folks, on the other side of nowhere. But, that is why if you are ever within driving distance you should make it a point to make the pilgrimage to this eatery. The J & P is now one of the reasons I often alter my route from Katy to our cabin. It is just worth the stop and will make you feel good about Texas.

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Trailer Parks, Motels and Prison

When we purchased our Big Bend property six years ago, Cheryl and I dreamed of developing a place where we could escape to relax and enjoy the outdoors. We also wanted to have a place where boys and fathers and families could visit to connect with God in the magnificence of His creation.

For the past three years we have hosted a Big Bend adventure for boys from Brookshire — a community with the highest concentration of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. We have offered this retreat in collaboration with The Hangar Unity Center, a Christian non-profit in Brookshire that exists to mentor and disciple at-risk youth and their families.


Last week, we hosted men from The Manna House in Brookshire. Manna House is a residential recovery program for men addicted to alcohol and drugs. Their year long program is built around three objectives: to lead men to be set free, set apart and set on fire. My friend Ryan Orbin, the new executive director of The Manna House, and I have been dreaming about this adventure for the last year.


The Manna House guys arrived on Thursday afternoon. That evening, we sat around the campfire and gave all of the men their very own outdoor gear, including hydration backpack, first aid kit, compass, whistle, emergency blanket, flashlight, headlamp, and more. We talked about the importance of shared adventure with other men and why alone is dangerous.


Most of the men in the group grew up in tough circumstances and never enjoyed outdoor adventures. So, they were both anxious and excited about going to Big Bend National Park to hike and to enjoy the magnificent views of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Chisos Mountains.


The guys hiked the Lost Mine Trail and the Window Trail at the park and later visited Santa Elena Canyon and the Hot Springs Trail. For many of the men who had never hiked, the trails were challenging. Every man, however, pushed through and completed each hike.


As we enjoyed a meal around the campfire while the sun dropped below the mountains and mesas to our west, one of the guys said that this adventure had exceeded his expectations. He said that his eyes were opened to all he had been missing. “All I have ever known,” he said, “is trailer parks, motels and prison.” And then he remarked that he wanted to stay close to God and finally start living. What a testimony to how God used this shared adventure in his life.


While the Manna guys were on the trail, my neighbors Joe and Lisa spent a couple of days working on the solar infrastructure for our guest cabin. They erected the iron framing that will hold the solar panels in front of our guest cabin. They also added three Lithium batteries that will power the guest cabin and our main cabin as well.


My friends Selim and Rafa, along with a couple of the Manna guys, dug a 150-foot trench between the cabins where we buried the power cables that will connect all of the structures on the property. These solar power upgrades will ensure that we have enough power to carry us through even on days that are overcast.


We concluded our time by inviting our neighbors to join us for a meal followed by a star party led by my friend Yogi — the local guru of Big Bend night skies. He is better than Google and is passionate about sharing his love for the night skies out here in this wide part of Texas.


One reason I enjoy working hard on projects every time we visit the cabin is knowing that what I do will bless the family, friends, and guests who will visit in the future. We are stewards of our little place only for a short while. We want for our short while to make a difference by blessing others. We are thrilled that the Manna House men had the opportunity to experience and enjoy the magnificance of Big Bend.

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Making Every Trip to the Cabin Count

Our place out in Big Bend is just a few miles shy of 600 miles from our driveway in the suburbs to our gate in the desert. The trip takes us 10 hours — including stops for breakfast and lunch and refueling. So, we have to make the most of every trip to the cabin.

Cheryl and I managed to coordinate a few days for a quick trip to the desert. We left Katy this past Sunday after church and returned home on Thursday. Although our time out west was short and I did have to work remotely, we did manage to get a few things done.


The first thing on the list was to install light fixtures in the guest cabin. We use LED lights because they are more efficient and consume less energy from our solar batteries. I added a light in the bathroom, the main room in the cabin, and on the front porch.


My neighbors Joe and Lisa squeezed us in to their busy schedule and helped us add some more components to our solar system — including adding wiring to recharge batteries on cloudy days by using our generator. A good back up to our solar panels.


Speaking of solar panels, I finally got around to cleaning the solar panels that service our main cabin. These panels and the batteries are now five years old and still working well. However, our upcoming upgrade will enable us to produce and store more power. More in that in the coming months.


I also hung a new pic in the guest cabin — of me and my friend Bobby Cooley hiking in the Himalayas. At our recent staff retreat, Bobby presented me with a door knocker and a poem that he had written. Bobby knows that my new theme song is Toby Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In.” The door knocker and poem are a reminder to not let the old man in when he comes knocking at my door.


Another item on my list was to add a cooler to the outdoor cooking area. I took one of our old coolers and made a box with a hinged lid and then mounted it on a frame. This will give us a spot to ice down water and soft drinks and Gatorade when we have lots of guests at the cabin. Very convenient.


So, got a few things done while enjoying fantastic weather and amazing sunsets. I will be back at the cabin in November when we host the men from Manna House in Brookshire for a Big Bend adventure. Manna House is a residential recovery program for men dealing with addictions. Love this ministry and excited about the opportunity for us to enjoy adventure, good food, and conversation around the campfire.

Stay tuned and thanks for following our off-grid adventure.

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The Beauty of Rustic

For the past several years I have developed an interest in how to reclaim and repurpose wood that, by all appearances, should be tossed on a burn pile. I like wood that is weathered and worn, scarred from use and abuse — wood that looks sad at best. So, I am always on the lookout for wood waiting to be reclaimed and repurposed.

One of my friends recently replaced a fence for a widow. He told me that the pickets had rested on a 12-inch rot board. My ears perked up. “The rot board looks pretty bad,” he said. I had to see it.


When I finally saw the rot board I knew immediately that it was perfect for my next project at our guest cabin in Big Bend — a small countertop in front of the large window with a view to Red Bluff. I could not wait to repurpose these 12-inch boards and started drawing out my plans.

As for the legs for the countertop, these came a few days later when I helped my friend take apart another fence blown over by a storm. I culled out the 4 x 4 posts and set them aside. These posts were more than sufficiently weathered and matched the character of the rot boards.

With all of our reclaimed wood in the bed of my Tundra, Cheryl and I headed to our cabin on Monday. We made one stop at McCoy’s in Alpine to pick up a few more things we would need for this week’s projects and then drove the last hour down Highway 118 to the cabin.


The countertop build took several hours. Fortunately, I had already lightly sanded the rot boards before coming to the cabin. I sanded just enough to knock off the rough edges and splinters but not so much as to ruin the patina of the wood. The patina, after all, is the character that gives old wood its rustic charm.

Because the edges of the boards were so uneven, I chose not to run them through my jointer or to use biscuits to join the pieces. Instead, I made my own version of flat bar to join and level them from beneath.


The next step was to apply several coats of clear Polycrylic to seal the boards. This added lots of smoothness to the boards. I was pleased with the results.

Next, I added a ledger board that would serve to hold up one side of the countertop beneath the large window. Once I had the height of the countertop, I cut the 4 x 4 posts to measure to make the legs.


I did a dry fit of the legs against the bottom of the countertop and then scribed a cut line to make the legs fit tight against the weathered wood. Once the countertop was level and the legs plumb, I used Timberlock screws to fasten everything together.


I then made a second smaller counter to serve as a place to set a 5-gallon water jug and temporary plastic sink for a hand-washing station. I may modify this later whenever we pressurize the water to this cabin — but in the meantime this will serve the purpose.


I also finished the open closest area between the bunk beds. This is intended as a place for guests to stow gear and hang clothes. Once again, I used reclaimed rot boards to make the shelf. I then affixed hooks to another piece of rot board and screwed that in to the back wall of the closet.


To finish the bunk beds, I added a grab bar to make it easier to get into the top bunks and also added a safety rail to each top bunk. The bunk beds are strong and the black iron ladder and grab bars should be able to handle lots of use.


My neighbor Joe, the jack-of-all-off-grid-skills, stopped by to finish the install of the mini-split. He wired things so that we can run the mini-split off a generator while we wait to set up our solar panels. Wow! The mini-split did a great job of quickly cooling the well-insulated space in spite of the triple digit temps.


I finally got around to making a set of temporary steps into the cabin. We will replace these when we add the front deck that will span the length of the cabin and be shaded by a solar panel awning.


As a final project, I reorganized our wood storage rack and painted it black. I added a couple of shelves to the rack to keep the smaller stuff on top and the heavier logs on the bottom section. This should make it easier for us to access what we need.

So, it’s been a great week completing projects at the cabin that add rustic charm. It’s always fun to dream about, plan, and complete projects that get us closer to completion of the guest cabin and make our place a bit more organized.


We did get lots of rain and a little hail this week. We love the magnificent storms in the desert. As soon as the thunder and lightning started, we sat on the front porch to watch the display until the rain drove us inside the cabin. We make it a point every time one of these storms rolls in to listen to John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” — “You fill up my senses, like a storm in the desert.”


Cheryl and I are headed into Study Butte in a few minutes to get a few more items for tonight’s cookout with our neighbors. We love hosting our desert version of a block party every time we visit our cabin. We will head back to the suburbs on Saturday. As always, thanks for following our adventure.

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A Tin Ceiling and Wood Bunk Beds

Mark Twain once observed that the secret to making progress is to get started. If there is one thing I have learned about progress since starting our off-grid adventure in Big Bend it is that slow progress is better than no progress. And making any progress means making decisions and then taking a step, no matter how small, to get started.

Taking small steps is definitely paying off for us at our off-grid property. Because we can only visit for short periods every few weeks, we have to make the most of every visit. That means careful planning, making lists and checking them twice, purchasing materials, and then working the plan.


I keep a little black notebook where I draw sketches of upcoming projects, make lists of materials, keep important measurements I need as I dream and plan, and make general notes about this and that. The cool thing is that as I leaf through the pages, I can see a record of all of the progress we have made since 2018.

Cheryl and I spent the past week at the cabin. Our hope for the week was to make a little more progress toward the completion of the guest cabin built by my Band of Fathers group that I meet with every Wednesday.


Project One was to run the electrical wiring and refrigerant lines for the mini-split. That’s where my neighbor Joe Pound comes in. He is an off-grid guru who knows just about everything about off-grid survival. Joe stopped by to do the work on the mini-split while I finished wiring electrical outlets and switches.


With the electrical and refrigerant lines in place, I was able to add the final pieces of insulation and paneling to complete the walls. It was a good feeling to have all of the walls in the main room completed.

Project Number Two was to finish insulating the ceiling and then adding the corrugated tin panels. I know that there are other ceiling options, but we like the rustic look of the corrugated tin. Hanging tin, however, is definitely a two-man job. My neighbor Chris Smith stopped by to help me finish all of the ceiling work. Once again, it was such a good feeling to look up and know that I could now check the ceiling work off of my project list.


Project Number Three was to build the bunk beds. Cheryl and I drove to McCoy’s in Alpine, with black notebook in hand, to purchase the lumber for the bunk bed build. With the lumber secured in the bed of my truck, we stopped by the Dairy Queen next door to McCoy’s for a quick Texas gourmet lunch before heading back to the cabin.


A couple of months ago Cheryl and I took our granddaughters to IKEA. While there Cheryl noticed that their bunk bed mattresses were on sale so we purchased the mattresses right away. One more thing off the list.


The bunk bed build was a fun project. We were able to build both sets of bunks beds. I decided to use black iron pipe and flanges to make the ladder to the top bunks. On our next trip I will install a grab bar and add a safety bar to the top bunks, all using black iron. The final step will be to build an open storage closet between the bunk beds so guests can have a place to stow gear and hang clothes.

As we do on every visit, we invited our neighbors over for a cookout on Saturday evening. This is always a fun time to reconnect with one another and to enjoy conversation around the campfire. Especially enjoyed meeting a new neighbor who is making a go of off-grid living not far from us.

On Sunday we enjoyed worship at Terlingua Ranch Community Church where we have attended since starting our off-grid adventure in 2018. Love this little church in the desert.

Before we headed home on Monday, we sat outside to watch the solar eclipse. Although it did not get completely dark at the cabin, it did feel a little like dusk. This is the second eclipse we have watched from the cabin.


We returned home by way of Uvalde where we spent the night with our nephew Ryan and his sweet family. Highway 90 is a fun alternate route home for us. Even stopped at the world’s smallest Buc-ee’s east of Marathon.


Cheryl and I are happy to have made a little more progress on our guest cabin and, best of all, grateful for the time spent with our friends and neighbors in the Chihuahuan Desert.

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An Adventure Deep in the Heart of Texas

In November 2022, Big Bend National Park topped National Geographic’s Best of the World Travel List. Located in the vast Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend also boasts the darkest night skies in the nation. It’s one of the places that affirms “the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.”

In 2018, my wife Cheryl and I purchased the first of our off-grid tracts deep in the heart of Texas. Beckoned by the wide open spaces, distant mesas, deafening silence, and endless skies, we established Dos Arbolitos, our off-grid base camp for solitude and adventure in the Big Bend Valley section of the vast Terlingua Ranch.

One of our dreams for Dos Arbolitos was to host adventures for boys and dads and also for boys without dads. That dream came true three years ago when we hosted our first Big Bend Adventure for boys from fatherless homes in partnership with The Hangar, a Christian nonprofit situated in Brookshire.


The Brookshire community, located west of Houston, has the highest percentage of fatherless homes in the greater Houston area. The Hangar, a ministry of Eyes on Me, exists to mentor, disciple, and serve at-risk youth and their families.


This week, we hosted the third annual Big Bend Adventure for boys (and their mentors) from Brookshire. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year. The adventure is designed to provide opportunities for good conversations between the boys and mentors around the campfire and on the trails.

One of the key things we focus on is teaching the boys that it is better to do life in community with others because alone is dangerous. We teach them the importance of watching out for one another on the trails. And, the work projects we plan can only be accomplished by cooperating and working well with others.


The boys arrived at Dos Arbolitos on Sunday afternoon. The first order of business was pitching tents and setting up their respective campsites. For many of the first-timers, this was the first time they had set up a tent. It was nice to see the older boys teaching the younger boys how it’s done.


James Meredith returned for the third time to serve as camp chef. I don’t know of a better guy to cook for a campout than James. He is a master at cooking on grills, griddles, Dutch ovens, and campfires — and usually uses all of these to prepare a single delicious meal. James is, understandably, a very popular guy on the campout.

On the first night of the adventure, we sat around the campfire and presented the boys with their hiking gear. We gave each boy their own hydration backpack, first aid kit, headlamp and flashlight, survival blanket, whistle, compass, and more. We explained each item and why they are necessary for the adventure — and then used each item as a metaphor to talk about an aspect of their walk with Christ.


After giving the boys their gear, one of the youngest guys on the team sat wide-eyed at all that he had received. He looked at one of the mentors and asked, “Do I have to give all of this back after the hike?” He was blown away to hear that this was now his own personal gear and that he dId not have to return it after the adventure. I don’t think he took off his backpack the whole time we were together.


I invited my friend Joseph Bear, known as Yogi to locals, to do a star party for the boys. Yogi and my Big Bend neighbors Chris and Ken were kind enough to set up one of his large telescopes. Yogi told stories about the night sky. The boys enjoyed looking the moon, planets, and stars. My neighbor Chris took a great pic of the moon through lens of the telescope.


As in previous years, the boys spent two days on day-hikes in Big Bend National Park. This is always an eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience for these boys who live in tough urban settings. The hikes are also an opportunity for mentors to talk about outdoor preparedness and safety and why adventuring alone can be dangerous.


We also set aside one day to do tasks around the property — jobs that can only be done by communicating and cooperating well with others. These included clearing fence line, bracing corner posts for a new section of fencing, addressing some erosion, and adding t-posts for future fencing.


These tasks are hard and require attention to detail and looking out for the guys working beside you. After working on a section of fencing, one boy shared his thoughts around the campfire. “This was one of the hardest things I have ever done,” he said. “And now I know that I can do hard things.” Wow! That is a valuable take-away for a young man.


One of the boys worked beside Ian, one of the mentors. As they cleared brush for a future fence, Ian shared the story of Jesus with Gavin. After a long conversation, Gavin placed his faith in Christ for salvation and was later baptized in the Rio Grande River along with four other boys.


My favorite night was our final night around the campfire. On that night Dennis, the executive director of Eyes On Me, the non-profit that directs the outreach to at-risk homes in Brookshire, asked the boys to affirm one another. The boys then took turns speaking words of encouragement and affirmation to one another. The words spoken were better than food for many of these boys who seldom receive such affirmation.


This Third Annual Big Bend Adventure was so much fun and a huge success. The boys were so appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the adventure and returned home tired but encouraged by their time under the vast Big Bend skies, deep in the heart of Texas.