Hot Water and Unofficially SXSW
We've hit a stride these last couple of days. We could probably use a new radiator and water pump, but a few days parked in the quiet but funky town of Truth or Consequences soaking in the mineral hot springs have erased much of the stress of the road... and our former lives.
One of many "resorts" in T or C worth visiting.
We started the day at Riverbend Hot Springs, a rustic little resort right next to where we parked. There are no kids allowed in the commons so we rented a private pool for an hour and soaked our bones in the mineral rich and healing waters as we gazed out onto the desert landscape. Pretty deluxe.
Sometimes in photos it's hard to tell if it's me or Skeets. Weird.
I wonder about the thousand "secret" and secluded hot springs that must bubble up along the length of the Rio Grande. I, myself, have seen almost ten. I'll never forget that secret one in the Big Bend... doing rituals with my soon to be husband under the desert stars. It's a treat these days to travel to a source and spend good money healing ourselves in what nature provides abundantly for free. It's kind of a shame. I'm vowing right here and now to find a place to live that gives me more immediate access to this kind of healing.
The kid lives a life of luxury. It's kind of ridiculous.
Earlier in the day we were tipped off by some locals admiring the bus about a VERY unofficial SXSW showcase that evening off Austin Street at a cool junkyard fabulous venue- seemingly the only venue in town. We had walked the sleepy town of T or C that day and aside from the bookstore and Italian restaurant we saw very little in the way of entertainment, food or art in the downtown historic district. We were assured by some locals, however, that this sleepy town does sometimes come to life and lucky for us tonight was one of those nights.
Not sure what this funky little place is called but it's awesome.
I'm almost ashamed to say that the first thing that struck me not only at this venue but in the town in general was the overall lack of alcohol being sold. Back where I come from SXSW means there's gonna be a little alcohol involved. Hell, back where I'm from alcohol is involved in just about every activity one could commit to. Not here. Not in Truth or Consequences. Maybe the consequences are too stiff. Anyhow, the crowd was as lovely as expected given our interactions with the locals the last 24 hours. A fine mix of hippy desert types, old timers and weirdos, some coming out of their caves for a rare and exceptional show in town, enjoying catching up with their neighbors and taking in the faint smell of herb in the air.
A terrible shot of the amazing Moody Little Sister.
Forgive me for not remembering the name of the opening act and skipping ahead to the headliner. If you have never heard of Moody Little Sister, stop reading now and find a video or mp3 now. Seriously. This blog is trash compared to the incredibly moving art this duet is putting out. It's kind of silly that we were actually in Austin the last weekend of SXSW and didn't see a single show but were able to catch something so magical from one of the artists out here in T or C. We needed a good night of good people and good music. The crowd was so attentive, so receptive and so grateful to this little band sharing their brand of art- unruly art, even. And the band definitely won hearts by announcing that they would be permanently relocating to T or C this fall.
The gorgeous Rain Lily Farm where we stayed a few days during SXSW in Austin.
The Unruly, of course, was a hit tonight. All the cool kids, young and old, were out in full force and had max appreciation for such a custom machine. The band even mentioned us on stage, musing about how they too had had a bus conversion they loved but had to sell to make the current album. We drove back to our spot on the river high on the positive vibe of the locals and the depth of music and fell asleep safe and sound in our little home.
May home be where we park it.