Visit West Texas!!!

I am a self proclaimed West Texas junkie! I have been to a lot of nice places but am still partial to my home state. There is something about going to west Texas that makes my heart and soul feel happy. I feel like I am coming home as soon as I get there.

At the end of April I was able to go on a spur of the moment vacation with a friend of mine.

We decided to drive in separate cars and meet in Fort Davis Texas to kick things off. We stayed at a really cool place called the Stone Village Tourist Camp for two nights. I can't say enough good things about this place. They have regular hotel rooms and camp rooms. We chose a camp room which included two twin size beds, electricity, and a vanity. There is a screen door that can be secured and a curtain for privacy. If you want to sort of camp without camping I would recommend a camp room. The camp restrooms were down the hall and were extremely clean. There was a nice pool as well as free wifi.

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There are quite a few things to do in Fort Davis. We chose to spend the day at Davis Mountains State Park. There are several great hiking trails and it's a great park for bird watching. The park has two really nice bird blinds and we spent over an hour sitting at one watching all of the different birds. One of them is inside an air conditioned building which is pretty important in the hot summer months. We took the little scenic drive to the top of the park. You can also hike up it on the skyline drive trail. My favorite hiking trail is the CCC trail. The views were spectacular. We also tried to go to a star party at the The McDonald Observatory but it was sold out. Pro tip: buy tickets early if you are planning to go the observatory.

The next day we drove to Balmorhea State Park. This is truly a hidden gem. This park is where the largest spring fed pool in the world is. The water stays an average temperature of 72-76 degrees all year round. There is a campground and hotel at this park. If you are going to West Texas make sure you stop here for a least a couple of hours. It's just as nice as Barton Springs in Austin except without the big crowds. They have recently started limiting day users to 1300 per day so make sure you check the park website before you go. I have never seen more than 30 people there at once but maybe I wasn't there in the busy season.

No trip to the area is complete without going to Marfa, Texas. There is a vibrant art scene, the historic Hotel Paisano, and of course the Marfa lights. I didn't see the lights the first time I went out there but we saw them this time. There have been recordings of these lights since the 1800's. There is no explanation for the white or sometimes colored lights that are bouncing around in the Texas desert. Some people think they are UFO's. I thought it looked people walking around with headlamps on.

The end of our trip was spent in what I think is the best part of Texas. The Big Bend area. This is probably my favorite place in the world. There are so many things to do and see. We tent camped for two nights in the Terlingua ghost town. I found Las Ruinas on AirBnb a couple of years ago and have made that my camping spot ever since. The owners are very nice and they keep the restrooms and shower very clean. It's a little noisy being near the road. It's also not a place to hang out during the day. It's next to some old ruins and doesn't really look like much. It's a cheap, clean place to stay that's close to the park. It's right down the street from the world famous The Starlight Theater as well as a nice coffee shop and art gallery.

My top recommendations for first timers who don't want to do any strenuous hikes are Santa Elena Canyon in the southwest part of the park, the basin loop in the basin, the paved window trail in the basin, and Rio Grand Village to the hot springs. The Rio Grande Village Loop and Boquillas Canyon are also fairly easy hikes when it isn't so hot. Other great trails that are more moderate are the Lost Mine Trail and the Window trail. My favorite two hikes are a little more advanced. Emory Peak and the South Rim. Make sure you have plenty of water and watch your temperatures. We went to the Basin one day and it was 80 degrees, drove to Rio Grande Village and it was 100, and by the time we got back to panther junction it was 70. The weather can change quickly and when it's hot it's hot! If you don't want to camp there are hotels in the area. We have stayed in the Chisos Mountains lodge in the Basin a few times and it's very nice. It's about 130 dollars per night but the convenience of staying right in the park makes it worthwhile. Book in advance! They technically don't have an off season but it's safe to say the park isn't as busy in the summer due to the heat.

If you don't want to hike there are rafting trips available, shopping, you can cross the border into Boquillas from the Park if you have a passport. There are also scenic drives. The 170 drive to Presidio is spectacular!

One last thing. Don't forget to look at the stars while you are there. These are some of the darkest skies in the country! You will be blown away by the amount of stars you will see on a clear night.

Santa Elena Caynyo

Santa Elena Canyon

The Window

Casa Grande