What the heck?!?! What type of livestock are they peddling out here?!?! I can assure you that we didn’t see anything untoward in the brochure?!?! Yet, as we turned off Highway 118 and entered the historical Prude Guest Ranch to set up camp for the upcoming week, we were accosted by a myriad of flapping wings and loud raucous honking from their flock of guard geese at the gate. The more we advanced, the more agitated they became, yet, silly enough, they kept walking straight into our path of travel. Makes me wonder about Mother Nature’s natural selection methods. Seems to me that prey animals should go in the opposite direction, away from any perceived danger?!?!
Anyway, we settled in for a very quiet stay…as long as you don’t count the 4:00 a.m. alarms of yipping, barking coyotes that were waayyy too chipper for that hour of the morning! Daybreak coffees took on a new meaning then, and luckily we had the warmth of our cozy “fireplace” to chase away the chill. However! Just in case we needed more help to wake up, we heard the calvary arriving! The beating of hooves and snorting were loud and clear, getting closer and closer. We were positive that they were heading straight for our rig! With thoughts of the toy hauler being pushed over, with us tumbling around inside, I wondered just how many hoofed animals it would take to overpower us. Surely they were all amassing outside now! Scrambling, we sprang the shades, searching from one window to the next for what had to be a substantial herd bearing down on us; of course, they were approaching in our blind spot. Gathering the courage to venture outside (and putting some shoes on because the burs are ridiculous in this area; everything in the desert bites, stings, and pokes), we spotted them approaching the rear of our rig!! Turns out, about 6 graceful horses were running, bucking and generally stretching their legs, meeting the morning sunshine, all with manes and tails flowing in the wind. Free from impending danger and relieved, Curtis finally left his cowering position from behind me (?!?!) to watch the beautiful spectacle circle round and continue their gallivants around the ranch. Unfortunately, in our haste, we hadn’t grabbed our cameras, but we were safe! Good thing we were warned about “Loose Livestock” (wink!)!
Tackling “The Texas Alps”??
We had to wake up early in order to make it to the Davis Mountains State Park. After all, it was a whopping one mile away from camp…whew! In reality, I think we finally made it out the door by 10:00 and got there at 10:05. The winding mountain road slowed us down a bit. At the entrance station, we learned that the hiking trail we’d set our sights on was partially closed due to a renovation project occurring at the Indian Lodge. No worries, we set out to go as far as we could; this portion was known as The Montezuma Quail Trail which we quickly accomplished in under 2 hours.
Access the interactive Google Map and select the camera icons to view our photos from our hike. You can even change the “Base Map” to Satellite and get a real sense of our adventure!
Our Hiking Stats:
The scenic overlook drive was next on our list, right after stopping at the interpretive center to learn a little more about the area, especially the wild life. The 5-mile winding drive, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), brought us to the substantial stone shelters perched above both the town of Fort Davis and the Fort Davis National Historic Site.
We’d worked up an appetite and feeling like we’d “conquered” “The Texas Alps”, it was time for lunch so we packed up the trekking poles in the trike for that long road home!
“The Red Light District”
Could things get any stranger in this area, we wondered? Of course! We can wander into “The Red Light District!” Now, as this is a family show, what might we be talking about, you’re asking? Step outside at night and look around you. Is the light pollution washing out the number of stars you see? Or are you lucky enough to be viewing the night sky in a remote location, taking in the amazing number of stars that only a dark night sky can reveal? In either case, finding one’s self in Fort Davis, Texas, part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, you should follow in our shoes and consider attending a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory for some red light therapy (wink!).
And while you can take a daytime guided tour of the facility, to tour around their giant telescopes and find other informational / educational offerings, a star party can only be done at night. (Just be sure to watch out for any loose livestock that may be crossing the road! It definitely gets dark in the Davis Mountains!)
As dusk is overtaken by darkness, the “Red Light District” becomes clear; the observatory pathways, to and within the amphitheater, are illuminated by “soft red lighting” eliminating the dreaded light pollution and any interference with your night vision. Everyone, change out your exterior light bulbs!!
The night started out very cloudy, fully cloaking the stars, and we were informed that they might take the program inside. (Ummmm, not what we wanted.) Patience rewarded us however, as the clouds started to clear out, disappearing just in time, allowing the “Stars” of the “Party” to appear in all of their twinkling brilliance. The Dark Sky Reserve prevailed, highlighting the Milky Way Galaxy, and we marveled at the billions upon billions of stars that there must be! Truly amazing to behold!!
Yet the presentation was only part one of the party. The second act involved telescopes; two in small, permanent astronomical observatories that we’d passed while walking up to the amphitheater (Laura originally thought they were themed snack bars closed for the night…ahem), and three mobile ones on tripods. Through each, we peered into the past, viewing nebulae, giant clouds of dust and gas thrown into space by the explosion of dying stars from long ago. Nothing, however, surpassed the beauty of seeing Saturn up close, encircled by his rings and moons. An exquisite finale indeed.
A Taste of Volcanoes and Sage
Following the late night star gazing, an easy day was in order. So, we hopped on our trike to sample fruits of the surrounding volcanic clay and sage. Blue Mountain Trail Vineyards and Chateau Wright Winery was located only 15 miles away, an easy ride in the fresh air and sunshine. We opted for the sampler flight while seated out on their patio, overlooking the trellised vines.
A nice meal during the lunch hour would’ve been good; instead we had a great meal from their onsite food airstream, Too Hot for TABC. We took our time, talking and laughing with other day-trippers, while acquiring knowledge about each wine varietal from the sommelier.
Good thing our trike had a trunk! A few bottles definitely made it back to camp with us. However, they didn’t last last very far along in our journeys.
“The water is your friend…you don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.”
-Aleksandr Popov
A treat was in store for us forty miles away outside the little town of Balmorhea. After a brief cold snap, we made a break for it, once again on our trike. For this, we needed to make sure the day warmed up nicely. Stopping for a fantastic lunch at La Cueva de Oso in Balmorhea allowed it to do just that.
It was a Tuesday, so we had Balmorhea State Park almost all to ourselves. The attraction of this small historic park is “the worlds largest spring-fed swimming pool”! It was another project constructed by the CCC during the 1930’s and incorporated a natural spring that provides all of the fresh water that this pool requires.
Part of it actually has the natural spring bottom, providing a home to a lot of small fish and spiny soft shell turtles inhabiting it! According to the park personnel, this pool is a little over an acre in size, holds more than 3.5 million gallons of water and, stunningly, more than 15 million gallons of water flows through this pool every day!
Don’t let the size of the park fool you, it holds a surprising number of activities, including swimming, camping and relaxing under the many large mature trees. Strap on a mask and fins to explore further by snorkeling, or even scuba diving, into it’s 20-foot depth. We had a blast snorkeling and checking out the resident wildlife….including one soft shell turtle that was absolutely HUGE!
This oasis draws over 200,000 people annually. We came during a shoulder season and didn’t need reservations. With higher demand, however, they do require it, so be prepared. It’s not a mirage!
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Working Up an Appetite
Although Fort Davis is a small town and boasts a population of only 1,067 residents, be sure to make dinner reservations at the Blue Mountain Bar & Grill as it known as a hidden gem in the western mountains of Texas! We tried to “drop” in for dinner only to find out that about half the population of the town was waiting to get in as well!
Good thing that we didn’t need reservations for another town culinary delight, Herbert’s Caboose! This little ice cream shop serves up a little slice of cool heaven on devilishly hot days! It was exactly what the ice cream connoisseur in our band needed.
“The last pit stop before the end of the world…Fort Davis, Texas”
Author – Unknown
While the high desert environment isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, this quaint town has unexpected and diverse offerings, which kept us both rested and entertained. As with everything, however, it was time to move on.
English 
Looks like that snorkeling has put a little red color in your faces! Better enjoy that as is was 19 degrees this morning! Have a blessed thanksgiving and be safe out there!🙏🏼🇺🇸🤠
Happy Thanksgiving!! We’ve definitely been enjoying the warmer weather, yet these nationwide cold snaps have pushed the lows into the 40’s. It does get cold in the 5th wheel, especially if we’re boon-docking which has only happened once. But then all we need to do is take a look at the temps back there in Colorado that you all are experiencing to remind us that, nope! It’s still been warmer along our journey. And there’s more evidence of that as we continue…
Nice to see there’s a place where they’re trying to preserve the night sky. In Death Valley the high tourist areas are lit at night and light travels a great distance in the desert; you have to go a few miles away from the tourist spots before you can see the Milky Way. Even then, there are areas in DV where the light pollution from Las Vegas intrudes on the night sky. Fortunately, I’ve discovered places where there is no light pollution and if there’s a full moon you don’t need a flashlight/head lamp to walk around. It would be great if more “Red Light Districts” were set aside, even without telescopes.
We agree Dad! More Red Light Districts are needed. Pagosa Springs is also in a designated dark sky reserve to assist migratory birds on their routes, and we know we have some issues with lights at our own house, partly because we want to “encourage” the bats to nest in locations other than our house, and partly because we need to see the road and our driveway in the winter so our cars don’t fall over into the ditch. When we get back, we’ll be rethinking our approach to see how we can incorporate the suggestions on the McDonald Observatory website. It was a great adventure!