erlingua, a gritty little town 80 miles south of Alpine on State Highway 118, is home to an array of modern-day escape artists dodging the conventional life of strip malls, tract homes, and Interstate 35 traffic jams. While this dusty ghost town appears desolate at first glance, it comes to life at certain times of the year when marquee events draw visitors from far and wide. Once a Outdoors enthusiasts, bikers, families, and tourists seek out this desert playscape for the reckless abandon it inspires in even the most law-abiding Texans. But if you come to this place gussied up like a cowboy, snapping photos for your Instagram, be warned: the real outlaws will chuckle from the corners of the Starlight Theatre’s porch or the cabs of their dirtencrusted pickups. The townsfolk circumvent the modern world with the dexterity and rigor of those evading the authorities—and invite you to do the same.
