Combating Nature Deficit Disorder in the Texas Mountains

One of the greatest assets of the Texas Mountain Trail region is our deep connection to nature.  Above is a profound video (12 minutes long) from a young woman who speaks eloquently about the need for experience with the natural world.

Where can you connect yourself (and your kids) to nature?

Try--
El Paso's Keystone Heritage Park, Franklin Mountains State Park, Museum of Archaeology, Wyler Aerial Tramway
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Davis Mountains State Park
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center just outside Fort Davis
Marathon's Post Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Lajitas' Barton Warnock Visitor Center
Presidio's Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Big Bend National Park (if you're interested in outfitters for a guided experience, click here.)

A happy participant at
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center's
Toddle on the Wild Side
photo: Jessica Glasscock, CDRI

The book referenced in the video is Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.  Read about it here.

Also, visit our events calendar for experiences and opportunities in our parks and natural areas...more parks and attractions are posting their events with us...www.texasmountaintrail.com/events !!

Beautiful Fort Leaton

Fort Leaton State Historic Site, located just east of Presidio on the River Road, Hwy 170 is worth a stop to learn about the archaeology, history and natural history of the Rio Grande area.  Tour the beautiful adobe structure, view the exhibits, take a few moments to take shelter from the sun, as early travelers did.  This was a fortified trading post in the turbulent 1880s, yet key historical dates for the site reach back to 1848.

Download the interpretive guide for the site, here.

Dowload the self-guided tour booklet for the site, here.

Fort Leaton also serves as a park office and welcoming center for Big Bend Ranch State Park.  Permits for backpacking and camping (no hookups) at Big Bend Ranch State Park can be obtained at Fort Leaton or the Barton Warnock Visitor Center, on the eastern edge of the park near Lajitas. Visitors can also purchase river-use permits, licenses, and information about the Big Bend region.

Las Posadas in Fort Davis last night

Click on any of the photos for a closer view! 
(Do you see the courthouse dome in the background?!?)



The procession leaving the Harvard hotel,
walking up the street to the Hotel Limpia.

Angels, shepherds, and kings alike enjoy cookies and cupcakes.

Last night, Fort Davis had their Las Posadas, a holiday-time procession through town, visiting hotel after hotel asking if the innkeepers would let Mary and Joseph in for the night.  A tradition popular in Mexico as well as our region, "Posadas" is Spanish for "lodging" or "accommodation." 

According to Wikipedia, "At each house, the resident responds by singing a song and Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the "innkeepers" let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition.

In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home.


Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead.

The procession leaves Hotel Limpia

 Would you like to see and learn more about this tradition and Christmas in the borderlands?  Check out this video from Texas Parks and Wildlife about the Las Posadas at Fort Leaton near Presidio!

 

Scenes from the River Road, Hwy 170 along the Rio Grande

Just east of Presidio, Fort Leaton State Historic Site

The southernmost loop of the historic 1960s driving route, from which our organization was formed, snakes by the Rio Grande from Presidio to Terlingua.  Hwy 170, known as the River Road was part of the grand plan by the State of Texas to introduce our great places to the world during HemisFair '68.  They put up highway signs for 10 looped driving "trails" throughout Texas to take travelers to places that are uniquely Texan.  So along with the Texas Forts Trail, Texas Plains Trail, Texas Forest Trail and so on, our Texas Mountain Trail was begun.

It wasn't until the late 1990s that our non-profits started developing, each a regionally-based, regionally-governed organization assisted by the Texas Historical Commission and charged with promoting heritage tourism.  Our Texas Mountain Trail was formed in 2005, and we've been promoting Far West Texas, supporting communities, and developing tourism products--like the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail (with TPWD), cycle-friendly programs and the new Peak Fitness Challenge.

We use this blog to introduce our special Far West Texas places to travelers, so you can plan trips to our region...trips that provide you with the kind of adventure YOU want.  Seeing it here on the blog is nice, but seeing it in person is terrific, right?  So next time you're in the region, plan to take in the beauty of the River Road.  It is one of the most scenic drives you'll find in the entire state! 

The beautiful light of Fort Leaton

The bright, clear blue of the sky and the light playing off the rough adobe walls of Fort Leaton makes this place near Presidio a photographer's dream.  And there's plenty of history to absorb too.  This is a state park facility, open for everyone to enjoy.  Their website says, "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site."  Inside, there are interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the area, including the pre-history of the area, through Ben Leaton's day, to present day stories.

Holiday "Posada" at Fort Leaton!

The beautiful sky framed by the adobe walls of Fort Leaton

One of the loveliest "undiscovered" places in the region is holding a unique holiday event,  Fort Leaton (just east of Presidio) is sharing a Holiday "Posada" with visitors, one of the oldest Mexican holiday traditions.  From their website, "The traditional “posada” is a celebration in true Mexican fashion commemorating Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in anticipation of their child’s birth. Traditional treats and entertainment will be provided in this “must see” border event."

When	Dec 15, 2011 from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Where	Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Contact Phone	432-229-3613

12 Days of Christmas: Many Days of Adventure and Fun with the Texas State Parks Pass

Want room all to yourself?  View from a campsite at Big Bend Ranch State Park

The lovely interior of Fort Davis State Park's Indian Lodge, a CCC-built facility

Spring bloom of poppies at Franklin Mountains State Park

Another TERRIFIC buy for your holiday shopping that reaps benefit all year long...a Texas State Parks Pass, so you can enjoy visiting our wonderful Texas Mountain Trail region state parks!

Here's a link to information and instructions for purchasing your pass!

Our Texas Mountain Trail regional state parks!  Visit one soon!
Franklin Mountains State Park
Wyler Aerial Tramway
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site
Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Davis Mountain State Park (with Indian Lodge)
and just outside our region, but we'll claim it!  Balmorhea State Park

Give the gift of adventure and fun this holiday season with a state parks pass!

Cool Places on Hot Days! Inside the adobe walls of Fort Leaton!

Fort Leaton's thick adobe walls offer a cool oasis for travelers on the River Road between Lajitas and Presidio.  Now a state historic site, part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife system, it is open for day use by visitors.  A bit about Fort Leaton from its website:
"Fort Leaton State Historic Site, consisting of 23.4 acres, five of which are the site of a pioneer trading post, is located in Presidio County. The park was acquired December 8, 1967, by deed from a private owner and was opened to the public in 1978
.
In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site."

One of the best scenic drives anywhere, and a darn good bike ride too!

The River Road between Presidio and Terlingua is one of Texas' and the nation's best scenic drives.  Mountain, desert, and river views at every turn, this route is one to savor.  You can stop at several locations to stretch your legs at Big Bend Ranch State Park trailheads, Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center, Fort Leaton, or Lajitas.  FM170 is one of the best!

Beautiful Fort Leaton

One of our favorite off-the-beaten-path places in the region, Fort Leaton State Historic Site east of Presidio, recently received a new look, with the addition of period reproduction furniture.  The previously empty adobe rooms suddenly take on new meaning for the visitor.  It is easier to appreciate these beautiful spaces, and to picture people working in them.

Texas Parks and Wildlife's website says this about the site: "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851."

Fort Leaton is on FM 170, known as the River Road, and is also a site on the Far West Texas Wildlife Map.    It also serves as an official entry point for Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Fort Leaton history set straight

Sometimes our history is mistaken and even mismarked.  One of the markers at Fort Leaton State Historic Site near Presidio reads, "About 1773, the Spanish garrison at Presidio del Norte, present Ojinaga, Mexico, established El Fortin de San Jose in this vicinity to protect local farmers.  The settlement retained the name after the post was abandoned about 1810, after Ben Leaton had acquired extensive property in the area in 1848.  The community came to be called Fort Leaton.  Ben Leaton's fortress is all that remains of the old settlement.  Fort Leaton is neither the site of the original Presidio del Norte nor the Spanish mission Apotal Santiago, as stated erroneously by earlier markers at this location." 

Visit yourself to see all the markers and find the contradictions!

Today's Feature:  Far West Texas Wildlife Trail Map!

Fort Leaton and the Loma Paloma Golf Course and RV Park across the street (just outside of Presidio) are both viewing sites on this new regional map for birders and wildlife enthusiasts!  You can read more about these sites here, and purchase the map for yourself ($2) here!

Video Week Continues: Fort Leaton's Adobe Walls

Just east of Presidio, there's a unique and beautiful historic site, Fort Leaton.  From the TPWD website, "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851."

Photographers love this spot along the Rio Grande because of the way the light looks on the adobe walls, and the contrast with the deep blue skies most days.

If your travels take you to Hwy 170, the River Road, plan to include Fort Leaton on your itinerary!

Now THAT'S a campsite!

Our recent camping trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park revealed so many of Far West Texas' assets, the reasons people keep coming back to our corner of the state:

• Our campsite, as you can see, allowed us a private wilderness experience.  And how rare is that these days?  Pretty darn rare. 
• We were surrounded by evidence of geological history, with extinct volcanoes in the area, and volcanic rock all around.
• As we drove into the park, we passed right by some ancient rock art, pictographs of human figures
• The nearby Fort Leaton and the town of Presidio were established early, in 1683.
• This land was traveled by the Comanche and Buffalo soldiers, and by refugees from the Mexican Revolution a 100 years ago.
• A few miles away in the park's center, sits the historic ranch house dating back to 1908, and there was plenty of evidence of old ranch buildings throughout the park.
• We heard coyote in the night, and in the morning the birding was excellent. (The park is on the new regional wildlife/birding map.) We hiked and if we'd brought our mountain bikes, world-class "epic" rides were available right there in the park. 

We had adventure, history, archaeology, nature, geology all right there waiting for us.  And we can't wait to go back!

Fort Leaton

Fort Leaton, just east of Presidio, is a great place to go in the dead of winter.  Just off the Rio Grande, the temperatures are generally quite comfortable and warmer than at the higher elevations in the region.  From the TPWD website:  " Fort Leaton State Historic Site, consisting of 23.4 acres, five of which are the site of a pioneer trading post, is located in Presidio County. The park was acquired December 8, 1967, by deed from a private owner and was opened to the public in 1978.
In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site."

In addition to visiting this beautiful adobe structure--which is a photographer's dream--Fort Leaton (along with the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center) is a place you can buy backpacking and camping permits for Big Bend Ranch State Park. 

Sky over Fort Leaton

Framed by adobe walls, skies in Far West Texas are stunners.  Here's the view from Fort Leaton State Historic Site, near Presidio.

Operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife, their website says this about the Fort: "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851."

Visitors to the site, can see a fortified adobe structure and museum exhibits outlining the history of the area.

Big Bend Ranch Paintings in London: Uriel Uranga

Uriel Uranga's (above) "Octotillo Sunset" was made into a poster for Presidio High School's exhibition at the Saatchi Art Gallery in London, England this summer. The school was chosen from others around the world in a competition overseen by the Saatchi Art Gallery. The 11 student works were inspired by the beauty of the Big Bend region, especially Big Bend Ranch State Park and Fort Leaton State Historic Site.

Laurie Holman is the art teacher at Presidio High School. “I am an artist as well as an art teacher. I have lived in the Big Bend for 15 years and my love of the rugged beauty is often reflected in my artwork. So often in my class, the students want to paint beach scenes, cityscapes and snow covered mountains…places that most of them had never seen or been before. I tell them to paint what they know, to see their surroundings in a new and different way. So, this is what they did and with great success." The student work can be seen here.

Uranga, a Presidio High School senior, said, "Being that I am moving away soon to go to college, I will no longer have a surrounding like the Big Bend. I wanted to preserve the memory of my roots."

For more information on Big Bend Ranch State Park, visit here and here.

For more information on Fort Leaton State Historic Site, visit here and here.

Big Bend Ranch Paintings in London: Zenia Sanchez

Artwork created by Presidio High School art students will be on display at the Saatchi Art Gallery in London, England this summer, including this work by Zenia Sanchez, pictured above.

The school was chosen from others around the world in a competition that is overseen by the Saatchi Art Gallery. These 11 student works were inspired by the beauty of the Big Bend region, focusing in on the Big Bend Ranch State Park and Fort Leaton State Historic Site.

Laurie Holman is the art teacher at Presidio High School. “I am an artist as well as an art teacher. I have lived in the Big Bend for 15 years and my love of the rugged beauty is often reflected in my artwork. So often in my class, the students want to paint beach scenes, cityscapes and snow covered mountains…places that most of them had never seen or been before. I tell them to paint what they know, to see their surroundings in a new and different way. So, this is what they did and with great success."

For more information on Fort Leaton State Historic Site, click here and here.

For more information on Big Bend Ranch State Park, click here and here.

Big Bend Ranch Paintings in London: Leo Sotelo

Artwork created by Presidio High School art students will be on display at the Saatchi Art Gallery in London, England this summer, including the work of Leo Sotelo, pictured here.

Presidio High School was chosen from other schools around the world for the honor to show at the Saatchi Art Gallery. These 11 student works were inspired by the beauty of the Big Bend region, focusing on the Big Bend Ranch State Park and Fort Leaton State Historic Site, both close to the town of Presidio.

For more information on Big Bend Ranch State Park, click here and here.

For more information on Fort Leaton State Historic Site, click here and here.

Big Bend Ranch Paintings in London: Alan Pando

Eighteen year old, Alan Pando, is one of eleven Presidio High School artists invited to exhibit in London's Saatchi Art Gallery this summer. The artwork is inspired by nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park and Fort Leaton State Historic Site. Click here to read more about the show.

Laurie Holman is the art teacher at Presidio High School. “I am an artist as well as an art teacher. I have lived in the Big Bend for 15 years and my love of the rugged beauty is often reflected in my artwork. So often in my class, the students want to paint beach scenes, cityscapes and snow covered mountains…places that most of them had never seen or been before. I tell them to paint what they know, to see their surroundings in a new and different way. So, this is what they did and with great success."

Alan says his "inspiration for, 'Ft. Leaton,' was the structure and color of the old trading post and the history behind it as well." He has been studying for a year, and says "I like to try all different kinds of media. I also like experimenting with different kinds of media."

To learn more about Fort Leaton State Historic Site, click here and here.

To learn more about Big Bend Ranch State Park, click here and here.

Big Bend Ranch Paintings in London: Mayra Moreno

Sixteen year old, Mayra Moreno, is one of eleven Presidio High School artists invited to exhibit in London's Saatchi Art Gallery this summer.

The Presidio students' works were selected in a worldwide competition. They are inspired by the beauty of the Big Bend region, focusing on the Big Bend Ranch State Park and Fort Leaton State Historic Site.

Laurie Holman is the art teacher at Presidio High School. “I am an artist as well as an art teacher. I have lived in the Big Bend for 15 years and my love of the rugged beauty is often reflected in my artwork. So often in my class, the students want to paint beach scenes, cityscapes and snow covered mountains…places that most of them had never seen or been before. I tell them to paint what they know, to see their surroundings in a new and different way. So, this is what they did and with great success."

When asked about the inspiration for her work, "Caballo Pinto," Mayra said, "My inspiration is where I live…Presidio!" Mayra also says she most enjoys working in paints and pastels. She has been practicing art for a year.

To learn more about Big Bend Ranch State Park, click here and here.

To learn more about Fort Leaton National Historic Site, click here and here.