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History & Points of Interest
Hughes Ranch History:
Written
in 1920, this
article from the El Paso Livestock Journal details the origins of
the Billingsley Ranch, now the Hughes Cattle Company. Built around 1915,
the ranch headquarters was constructed out of granite for the
sum of $75,000 and enjoyed many modern conveniences such as steam heat and
running water. Click to read
Full Article.
Today, Marfa is an internationally recognized artist community and home to
the Chinati Foundation, a contemporary
art museum founded by sculptor Donald Judd.
Judd's vision was to create a pure environment to house his large-scale
sculptures and the works of other modernist artists. The Marfa Book
Company also houses a gallery of Texas artists in the back of the book store
and is a must-see for anyone visiting the area. Marfa has recently
earned a reputation in Hollywood as an authentic western filming location.
The Oscar-winning films There Will Be Blood and No Country for
Old Men were both filmed in the area and brought a significant economic
impact to the town and surrounding area. For more information, visit
www.marfatx.com.
Fort Davis, TX: At an elevation of 5,050 feet, Fort Davis is the highest town in the state of Texas. Located 25 miles north of Marfa, Fort Davis is the county seat of Jeff Davis County and home to approximately 1,000 residents. The area enjoys four seasons with weather much milder than the rest of the state as the high elevation and low humidity combine to create a cool, dry environment. The area's lively history is maintained now as a National Historic Site, with one of the best preserved and restored 19th Century Army Posts in the country. Recreational opportunities abound, including biking, rock climbing and horseback riding. Fort Davis is an excellent place to slow down and enjoy the old west Texas way of life. For more information, visit www.fortdavis.com. Alpine, TX: Cradled between the Davis Mountains and the Chihuahuan Desert, the City of Alpine is a town that capitalizes on it wealth of natural resources and recreational opportunities. Home to Sul Ross State University, Alpine is a town of nearly 6,000 residents and was rated as one of the top ten small towns in Texas by Texas Highways Magazine. Alpine is home to the state of the art Big Bend Regional Medical Center, which was built in 1999 and serves the entire Big Bend Region. For more information, visit www.alpinetexas.com.
McDonald Observatory:
Located 17 miles from Fort Davis on Highway 118, McDonald Observatory is one
of the world's leading
Big Bend
National Park: Sometimes
considered "three parks in one,"
Big Bend includes mountain, desert, and river
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Located
near the Texas/New Mexico border, Guadalupe Mountains National Park
safeguards the world's finest example of a fossilized reef, a surprisingly
complex and unique assemblage of flora and fauna, and West Texas' only
legally designated wilderness. Here, one can experience solitude,
tranquility, and the joy of finding plants and animals whose mastery of
survival renews our sense of wonder. As a hikers’ paradise, you will find
more than 80 miles of trails that meander through woodland canyons and lush
riparian springs, or zigzag up steep switchbacks directly into the park’s
rugged wilderness. Many trails are available for horseback riding.
Visit www.nps.gov/gumo for more
information. Carlsbad
Caverns National Park: As you
pass through the Chihuahuan Desert and Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern
New Mexico and west Texas you might never guess there are more than 300
known caves beneath the surface. The park contains 113 of these caves,
formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some
of the largest caves in North America. There are also opportunities
for hiking and backcountry camping, attending programs in the visitor
center, and watching the incredible exodus of Mexican free-tail bats out of
Carlsbad Cavern at dusk in the summer. Visit
www.nps.gov/cave for more information. |
