Unfortunately, I wasn’t in town during the Chili Cook Off, but I did actually get some good food as I ate out 2 nights in a row – a rarity for me. Terlingua is pretty much a ghost town (http://www.texasghosttown.com), but there is actually a small, dare I say thriving, community there. Some people even live there through the summer when temps are regularly 100+. I ate at a place called the Starlight Theatre & Grill, which actually had a pretty good looking menu for being about 80 miles from the nearest town of any size. It is right next to the local museum, gallery and trading co. store and they all share a big, long front porch where the local men seem to hang out every night and drink beer. 
Terlingua definitely has its local characters. Willie Nelson would fit right in. The Starlight has 2-for-1 burgers and live music on Monday nights, though I didn’t find that out ‘til after I placed my order with the bartender, who’s also the owner. He started out working in Big Bend and after a few years opened the Starlight and then another bar. Another good idea for me, though I’d want someplace a bit cooler in summer. Terlingua is an old mining town so there really are a lot of abandoned, run down houses, but some have been restored so it’s an odd mix of ruins, homes and even a guesthouse. They have a walking tour with some unique signs. 
I didn’t get the guide to know what I was looking at so I just checked out the signs. They were more interesting.
I did get to take Abbey on a hike finally, but it got hot quick and it was quite a rocky trail up a canyon. Miraculously, though, there was water on the trail. The southwest, including Texas, has been under a severe drought for a while so everything is bone dry. I was shocked when I found out there was water, but even moreso when I found out there is a waterfall, with flowing water of all things, at the end of that trail. Abbey hasn’t hiked a whole lot lately so I didn’t want to push her, especially with the heat, so we only went up a few miles before turning back.
Terlingua Church
Prickly Pear Cactus on Rancherias Canyon Trail