As I stated in my last post we stayed two day at Balmorhea State Park so we could do some exploring in the area. Davis Mountains State Park and Ft. Davis was only a few miles away so we made plans to visit there on our second day. Well when we woke up the the second day we had a shock in that it had snowed during the night. There at Balmorhea the snow was not really much but it was enough to excite these southern Houstonians who never see it. lol.
The day was nice but was cold so we dressed for the cold and started up the road into the mountains. It was really a nice drive and the views were great. There is a lot of ranches around so you would see turn offs to the ranches with the big entryways but just miles and miles of empty land. You could see cattle every once in a while but I think most were hiding due to the snow. There was one spot where Fred said look as there were two coyotes that were running along the side of the road into the field. As we got closer to where they were at we saw something laying in the ditch and noticed it was a dead calf, before I could get my camera the coyotes took off so I did not get the picture. Felt sorry for the mom and that baby calf, but the circle of life goes on no matter. The higher up we got the deeper the snow.
When we got to the park the sun had come out and the snow was starting to melt fast. They has an Indian Lodge and Restaurant within the park for guest. The Lodge is really nice and we had breakfast at the restaurant. Again some great camping areas with tent and RV hookups (water and electric; dump site available). Loads of hiking up into the mountains and then you have the skyline drive you can take up to the top, (was closed this morning due to the snow) that I would love to drive up one day. We took a short hike up one of the trails and then went over to the interpretation visitor area to met the volunteer coordinator. They have a great building for programs and have a really neat viewing area for birds. Long story short, looks like we will be volunteering in the Davis Mountains in 2016!!!
From there we drove back to town and went to Ft. Davis National Historic Site. This is one of the most preserved old west fort that I have seen in a long time. You can really see how the fort was occupied and feel the presents of those that occupied it many years ago. The weather was turning on us again as the wind started to pick up and it was getting cold up in the mountains, so we did a fast tour. I do look forward to going back again when we can really take time to explore. Many of the building have been resorted and they are still working on restoring others.
Ft. Davis played a major role in the defense of west Texas and was a major fort from 1857 to 19891. The troops protected the travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road of those days against Comanches and Apaches Indians and bandits that hid in the mountains.
We are looking forward to 2016 when we will get the chance to explore the area more as there is a lot to see around this part of Texas. For now it is onward and forward to Arizona . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment