Loving County is a place of extremes. It’s the least populated county in Texas, with only a small handful of people calling it home. Located in the far western part of the state, it sits right along the New Mexico border.

Oil and gas dominate the local economy. The scenery is rugged and remote, with wide stretches of desert and scrubland. Mentone, the county seat, is tiny and easy to miss. There’s a courthouse, a few scattered buildings, and not much else.

Life here takes some grit. The county’s residents are a long way from basic amenities, with the nearest grocery store about an hour away. But the isolation has its rewards. Sunsets stretch across the open desert, and after dark, the skies come alive with more stars than you could ever count.