Big Bend Phone (Texas Country Reporter)

One of the most remote pay telephones in the United States is also one of the busiest.

Video Script:: 

hey Kyle I'm getting a little hungry we almost finished and a little bit Bob Wow nice stuff you recording oh yeah this looks great but we're just running out daylight large country basket with gravies calling my name how about this shot beautiful huh everywhere a point a camera here's a great shot good night look at that deer that's the biggest buck I've ever seen I wish you'd stop Shh we're scaring him it gets too far I miss a shot it's probably running cause you hear your stomach growling huh you think it's a long drive to supper Kyle out here everywhere is a long way okay just one more and we'll pack it up oh man this will work oh this is gonna work super got it mmm got it all right let's go back and eat that's beautiful stuff what a day what are we doing next Oh see what we can find Oh keys Bob what do we do we're in the middle of nowhere say that again I've heard it before but now I know if you're coming to Big Bend the one thing you should never leave home without is common sense great keys locked in the suburban daylight fading and doom on the horizon we're gonna do we out here in Big Ben excuse me sure you tried the back door I don't even know who'd have any extra keys did you stay with the suburban I'll be back [Music] I've been to Big Ben enough times to know the best hiking trails well this is no hiking trail it's the road to Rio Grande village which isn't a village at all just a little store that closes at sundown and a campground but they do have a telephone gotta know these things when you make your living traveling the backroads and the roads don't get much more back than this stretch of blacktop but I got it figured out just call the old buddy James Wood in Decatur and get him to bring me an extra set of keys good old James he'll be glad to hear from me it'll do him good to get away from the dealership for a while it always does a body good to get out to Big Bend I'm getting to think they've stretched this road since last time I was here I remember the time we ran out of gas near gum Springs we got lost outside of ailou was bit by a three-legged dog and dim it and once again here in the desert a life on the road takes its toll all I got to eat is a pocketful of Fig Newtons and a cane of beanie weenies there's a meal we have got to go it's getting dark finally the telephone at Rio Grande village it's called Big Ben National Park it's on the southwest side of Texas we went down to the hot springs and these hot springs for a while and they were super kids and I'll call you again probably sometime tomorrow maybe later tonight it is one of the most remote pay telephones in the United States yet one of the busiest if you come down here to Rio Grande village expecting to use the phone expect to stand in line or sleep [Music] and it's the only one there is the only game in town I've been over there and then had to wait for a line of to three people to the campsite and annoyed my wife because of it that's why it's busy because the only phone in the middle of nowhere and say hello to everybody for us and so they wait like everyone the folks who travel thousands of miles to get away from it all stalk the phone for that one chance to catch a little news of earth-shattering proportions from back home Harvey Watson's Marian you know who about giving you your turn I thought people don't keep their phone calls particularly short necessarily we might be in trouble because I heard her say that 20 minutes that lady was on the phone yeah sometimes we're on it an hour oh well [Laughter] you sound like you sleep we've been waiting in the line for a long time to talk to you yeah this one phones all the God you know and everybody has to stand in line and wait there's nothing down here not even television oh it's beautiful it's as pretty as Yosemite daybreak in the desert and the phone's buzzing day after day the campground and RV park are filled to capacity down here at the bottom of West Texas even the most high-tech cell phones no good this far out so this flesh worn phone gets a full-time workout we have a lot of trouble using that paper you're gonna have to speak up we have a bad connection and all day can become all night folks calling from Big Bend to catch the hubbub from back home of course there are other phones in the park but they're miles and miles away from Rio Grande village they come to this National Park away from the city to listen to the birds and hear the desert breeze but what folks really want to hear is a dial tone James would hi James what are you doing yeah I know it's three o'clock in the morning James but believe me I've been waiting all night to get on this phone no no I'm sorry James I got a problem you know that's what real friends are for people you can call for help people like James Wood all buddy from Decatur there you go Bob try to call during the day next time hey thanks James [Music] you