BBQ tonight?

There's a place in Fort Davis that's serving BBQ dinners every Friday and Saturday night "while it lasts," and "when the flag is up!" 

Just outside Fort Davis, on the road to Alpine, is the Mountain Trails Lodge and Outdoor Learning Center, and when you see their "Come and Take It" flag up on the flagpole on Fridays and Saturdays, you'll know they're serving dinner!

From their Facebook page:

"Brisket, pork shoulder and sausage are smoked over oak using traditional Texas techniques. All of our sauces, rubs, side dishes and desserts are made in house from scratch. Most of our menu items are naturally MSG and gluten free.



Dinner Friday & Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until it's gone: Brisket, pulled pork and sausage hot off the BBQ pit, with all the fixin's." 

Pull up to the Lodge's office to order your meal to eat in or take out!

For many years, the folks at the Mountain Trails Lodge have led trips to Big Bend and all over West Texas and into Mexico. Recently one of their Road Scholars trip participants (formerly called Elderhostel) had a trip report published by the Washington Post.  Read it here!

Mountain Trails Lodge and Learning Center

Views above, from the historic motor coach part of the Lodge and their gracious common areas

Modern guest cabins with views of the Davis Mountains

The Lodge is a site on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, too!

Formerly Davis Mountains Education Center, the Mountain Trails Lodge and Learning Center lies on 10 serene acres overlooking the historic town of Fort Davis, as well as Sleeping Lion Mountain. Cabins feature two double beds, kitchenette, climate control, & private bath. 

The Lodge has been a friend of the Texas Mountain Trail for some time, participating in many of our programs, including our cycle-friendly accommodations program.  They've added many features to attract wildlife and serve as a site on the Davis Mountains Loop of the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail.  Their main building, housing a kitchen and dining room and office was an old motorcourt; today, guests stay in modern cabins with lovely views of the mountains.

Interested in participating in a group tour of our part of Texas?  The folks at the Lodge have been conducting Elderhostel and other group tours for many years.  To read more, click here!

Hummer Watching Season

Click on the images to get a closer view!

Now's a GREAT time to watch hummingbirds who vie for space at feeders...where are some good places to view them?  Try Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, and Mountain Trails Lodge in Fort Davis, Dog Canyon Visitor Center in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  All are sites on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, a project of Texas Mountain Trail, TPWD, and Texas Pecos Trail!

Scenes from last night's Wildfire Benefit Concert in Austin!

The first of several benefit concerts for Wildfire Relief was held last night at the Hotel Santa Fe in Austin--this one featured Moonlight Towers, Erika Wennerstrom, Amy Cook & David Garza, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin.  Hosted by Liz Lambert, the concert raised funds for agencies assisting in the wildfire:  Jeff Davis County Relief Fund, Marfa Public Radio and the volunteer fire departments in Fort Davis and Marfa. 

Miss last night's festivities?  Here's another benefit concert planned for later this month:

A benefit concert and barbecue will be held Saturday May 21 in Fort Davis at the Union (behind Jeff Davis County Library). Music will be donated by Los Pinche Gringos and the Doodling Hogwallops. Primary sponsors are Davis Mountains Education Center, Porter's Thriftway, B&S Services, Printco, Johnson's Western Wear and Feed and Uncle Buck's Quick Stop. Suggested donation at the door for music is $10 per person, BBQ dinner is $8. All proceeds go to Jeff Davis County Relief Fund. Dinner is from 6:00 pm until its gone, music from 8:00pm - 1:00am. BYOB

Come, enjoy, help!

Thanks to Pete Szilagyi for the photos!

Survivor! At Fort Davis' Davis Mountains Lodge and Expeditions

Scott and Jenny Turner of Davis Mountains Lodge and Expeditions, were relieved to return to their property in Fort Davis after the fires to see the burn line right up to the driveway next to their guest cabins, and their entire property intact. Still they worried about their resident horny toads whom they've adopted as mascots....until yesterday, when they found "Spike" safe and apparently happy after the fire.  They have high hopes they'll find the others in the coming days.

TPWD's website on horned lizards says this: 
"Everyone loves horny toads, but for many Texans the fierce-looking yet amiable reptile is only a fond childhood memory." And,  "Once common throughout most of the state, the horny toad (or Texas Horned Lizard) has disappeared from many parts of its former range over the past 30 years. Its disappearance has been blamed on many factors, including collection for the pet trade, spread of the red imported fire ant, changes in land use, and environmental contaminants. For the most part, however, the decline of the Texas Horned Lizard has remained a mystery with little understanding of the management actions that could be taken to restore it."

The Turners and their staff have been cultivating the lizards' habitat and protecting the harvester ants the lizards like to eat.  Their work has paid off, and they've seen 1-2 new lizards each year.  The The Turner organize group trips on the nature, history and culture of West Texas, Mexico and the rest of the Southwest from their Lodge based in Fort Davis; so they have a special interest in preservation of the horned lizard.  You can read more about TPWD's Horned Lizard Watch here.

The Lodge and cabins are open to visitors, as are the restaurants and other hotels, motels, and B&Bs in Fort Davis.

Check out the Lodge's facebook page here, and their website here!

The Brilliance of Mexican Redbud at Davis Mountains Lodge and Expeditions

Our spring flowers are a bit late this year, perhaps because of our hard freezes in January or our dry fall, but there are a few places ablaze with color.  Here's the Mexican Redbud tree in glorious pink, at the front door of the Davis Mountains Lodge and Expeditions in Fort Davis. 

The Lodge provides B&B lodging for guests, organizes custom trips for groups and individuals and conducts Road Scholar trips (formerly known as Elderhostel) across Texas and the Southwest.  Here's a link to their Road Scholar trips.  Want to learn more about these trips?  Listen in on a radio interview, On the Road with Lisa D.
They're also one of our Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly properties.  Here's a listing of their cycle-friendly features:  comfortable cabins and healthy meals (at a great price) for your cycling group, sag support and shuttles, pre-arranged water stops, snacks or meals delivered or served on your route, skilled bike mechanic and wilderness first aid responder, and more.