Fort Davis Texas

Davis Mountain State Park -Fort Davis - Texas

One of the many great things about an adventure like this is meeting fellow RVers and sharing experiences. In the campgrounds, people are frequently asking others where they have been, where they are going next and what do they recommend. Our stop after Lockhart was one of these gems. We pulled out of LSP and headed Southwest to Uvalde and the Walmart there for another cold Texas night. (Uvalde was the home of FDR’s first Vice President John Garner). We were travelling through a different landscape once again, heading for West Texas and the varied rock formations. Along the way we stopped at Langtry, Texas, home of Judge Roy Bean, a historical character of note. In the Cactus garden next to the saloon, stands a 1900 vintage Wind Mill. This one was interesting as the plaque stated it was from Fairbanks Morse Co, later known as a maker of very large diesel engines (locomotives, submarines, etc) and was sold and shipped as a kit! After a RV fuel stop at Marathon, TX we pulled into our next home, Davis Mountains State Park . DMSP, located just outside Fort Davis, is a CCC constructed park, set in the rugged hills outside of town. This is a very neat park, with several nice hiking trails, scenic vistas, a nice restaurant, and well maintained campsites.

Judge Roy Bean's Saloon, Langtry Texas

Wind Mill water pump, familiar to us all 

On our first full day CJ and I went for a one and a half mile hike from the scenic overlook through some nice country and back down to camp.

CJ hitting the trail at DMSP

one of many scenic views while hiking at DMSP

In the afternoon, we decided to visit Fort Davis National Historical Site, a pre-Civil War US Army fort. Many original buildings remain, several have been refurbished, and they offer a museum to the Buffalo Soldiers (name given to the Black US soldiers in the post Civil War West). There was also an interesting 15 minute video about the fort and its mission narriated by...Kareem Abul Jabbar (complete in western shirt and cowboy hat)!!

Fort Davis did not have walls!

wagons like these brought supplies from San Antonio - 400 miles away!

Saturday found us sharing a rather large breakfast at the in park restaurant, running errands in town, including snagging some free WIFI outside the town library, a scenic drive to take in the great scenery and the Gem of our visit, - attending a Star Party at nearby McDonald Observatory. Starting at dusk, you sit outside as night falls, allowing your eyes to adjust to the darkness as best as possible, to take in the night sky. We were instructed on the various constellations, informed that Polaris, the North Star, will be replaced in 2000 years by another North star as the Earth wobbles on its axis!

observatory is small white buildings on top of hill straight ahead!

Then we had the awesome exprience of looking through the large telescopes housed inside the domed enclosures and several free standing large ones as well. Each telecscope was aimed at a different object in the night sky, including the Moon (you could see great detail in the surface, including the rims of the craters), a new star cluster, a dying star and a distant gallaxy -the Andromeda Gallaxy! A very memorable experience.

Our last day found us packing up, walking and brushing Cooper and CJ and watching playoff football. (DMSP provides cable TV!!)

our site at DMSP

view out behind café at DMSP

We will be heading on soon and will be out of touch for over a week.

Until then take care

Cooper and CJ