Fort Davis

I am writing this in Carlsbad since I have not been able to get internet since getting to Big Bend. We stayed 2 nights in Ft Davis visiting Marfa,TX and Alpine, TX. Our drive out of Big Bend was a trip in itself. Rain was expected so it seemed like a good day to spend traveling. When we left the camp site it was spitting rain and when we approached the park entrence it was snowing. So far so good, dry roads and not much snow. . . but that would change. The farther north we went the more snow and the roads became icy. You know what I mean, that ice that looks like a wet road but is really black ice. I was so happy to see Alpine! I stopped for gas and to get propane. When I got out of the car the ground was covered with ice and so was my trailer. We had to knock ice off to get to the propane tanks and it was 24 deg. What a switch from Big Bend's 83 deg the day before!

Only 26 more miles to Davis State park in Ft. Davis, TX. This was such an exhausting drive that after parking and setting up camp I fixed oatmeal and went to bed. The next day was chilly but sunny so we took the tour of Marfa and the Pisano Hotel which hosted the actors for Giant, James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor. The hotel is filled with memoribilia from the filming and great pictures of the actors. It is a 5 star hotel with very nice upscale shops. One room was devoted to James Dean. My Grandson, Mitchell, looks just like him. Handsome guys!

On to Alpine again where we did a little grocery shopping and Nancy looked for a kitty kennel for her cat who likes to prowl at night. From there we went back to Ft. Davis and visited the shops and bought handmade brooms from the guy who makes authentic 1800 brooms. Mine is short to fit in the Casita and called a "Turkey Wing" Very efficient, too. We also visited the animal shelter thrift store where all proceeds go to the animal shelter. A great store, well organized with nicely presented displays.

After a nice hike witih the dogs we headed up the mountain 16 miles to MC Donald Observatory. It took about an hour and a half to tour the exhibit which focused on stars' birth, death and color spectrum. Amazing stuff. I had visited last year and toured the telescopes and went to a night star party. This is a "not to be missed" experience if traveling in this area. So much to learn! The park here is very nice, too, with full hookups for $20 and $2 entry fee for seniors. The hiking trails were fun and we could let the dogs go free for a time.

The next morning we took our time packing-up to head for the Guadalupe Mountains National Park where we had decided to camp. Truly beautiful country in this West TX area. Sill in the desert with slightly rolling hills dotted with yucca, cacti and desert bushs. The land is so immense and the sky goes on forever to the horizon. By the time we arrived we were so happy to finally get camped that Nancy didn't really mind camping on the asphalt between the white lines. My site was more camp like because the egg is pretty small. In all fairness, the park did have nice hiking trails where we could take the dogs. For $4 a night it was a good overnight spot. No hookups, of course, but toilets were available. Good thing we're self-contained. By evening the weather was nice with sun peeking through. In the morning, the blue sky sparkled and we pulled out for Carlsbad.