Viva Big Bend Festival, July 24-27!

Make your plans NOW to attend the Viva Big Bend Festival later this month, taking place in Alpine, Marathon, Marfa and Fort Davis....and this year, the bonus shows at Lajitas on July 22 and 23!

Click HERE to purchase tickets!!
Click here for the schedule, July 24-27!

Viva Big Bend is coming up soon!

For the first time, there will be shows in Lajitas as well as Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa and Marathon! Get your tickets now!

Visit the Viva Big Bend website for information on tickets, shows and venues! 

Next weekend: Davis Mountains State Park Open House!

Davis Mountains State Park Open House Agenda

Friday, April 25

All Day:

Art Show at the Indian Lodge Assembly Room

Submit your entry for the Art Contest in the Assembly Room.  It will be displayed in the Indian Lodge Lobby

Local Area Organization Booths in Playground Area

o   Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute

o   Sul Ross State University-  Pollinators of the Desert – Insect Display

o   Sul Ross State University – Range and Wildlife Club: Wildlife Displays, Washers Game

o   Natural Resources Conservation Service – Helping Landowners Manage Land

           

Grand Companions Animal Shelter staff will be in the campground with adoptable dogs to play with, or of course, adopt!

Friday Schedule:

8:00     Sign up for Trail Races begins at the Park Headquarters

9:00     Art show starts at Indian Lodge Assembly Room

9:00     Bird ID Contest starts.  Please meet at the Montezuma Quail Bird Blind to participate

10:00   Program:  “Challenges and Success of Desert Bighorn Sheep Recovery in Texas”

            At the Interpretive Center

11:00   Program: “Taking the Mystery out of Nature Photography!” – at the Interpretive Center

12:00  Camping 101!  Learn how to use common camping gear:  Campsite# 94

3:00     Bat House Building Workshop at the Interpretive Center

4:00     Turn in list for Bird ID Contest to Park Headquarters – winner announced Saturday 5pm (winner need not be present)

5:00     “Step In Time: A Look at Men and Women of Frontier Army Forts” – program by Fort Davis National Historic Site -----at the Amphitheater

7-9       Live Band: MOONDOGS TRIO  in the courtyard of the Indian Lodge!

Saturday, April 26^th

All Day:

Dutch Oven Cook-Off in the Playground Area

Art Show at the Indian Lodge Assembly Room

Submit your entry for the Art Contest in the Assembly Room.  All visitors may vote for winners in the Indian Lodge Lobby.

Local Area Organization Booths in Playground Area

o   Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute

o   Sul Ross State University-  Pollinators Give Life to the Desert – Insect Display

o   Sul Ross State University – Range and Wildlife Club: Wildlife Displays, Washers Game!

o   Natural Resources Conservation Service – Helping Landowners Manage Land

Grand Companions Animal Shelter staff will be in the campground with adorable dogs to play with, or of course, adopt!

Saturday Schedule

8-8:30  Trail race packet pick-up

9:00     Adult Trail Race Start

9:00     Bird ID Contest – Participants meet at the Montezuma Quail Bird Blind to sign up

10:00   Youth Trail Race Start

10:00   Wildlife Tracking Workshop – LIMIT 10 People, sign up at Park Headquarters

1:00     Bat House Building Workshop at the Interpretive Center

2:00     Tricks of the Trade Plant Identification Workshop – Interpretive Center

3:00     Dutch Oven Cook-Off Judging -  Playground Area

5:00     Announce winner of Art Contest – Indian Lodge Lobby

#30DaysofBiking

A cycle-friendly business in Marathon is the French Co. Grocer.  They stock basic cycling supplies, and snacks for the road!

 

Chinati Community Day, April 27th

From the Chinati Foundation website:

"The Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation warmly invite everyone to their annual Community Day celebration on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Festivities will take place throughout the day, from 1 – 7:00 PM. All events are free and open to the public and everyone is welcome.

Exhibition spaces at Judd Foundation and Chinati will be open from 1 – 5:00 pm. La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, Donald Judd’s former residence and studios with permanent installations of his early works, will be open for self-guided visits.

Visitors may explore selections from Chinati’s permanent collection including the John Chamberlain building, Dan Flavin’s Untitled (Marfa Project), Donald Judd’s 100 works in mill aluminum and 15 works in concrete, Richard Long’s Sea Lava Circles, and Claus Oldenburg and Coosje von Bruggen’s Monument to the Last Horse.  Donald Judd: Prints, Chinati’s 2013-14 special exhibition curated by Director Emerita Marianne Stockebrand, features 70 works on paper as well as a wall work and various pieces of Judd’s furniture. Zoe Leonard’s 100 North Nevill Street, Chinati’s special exhibition at the Ice Plant, will also be open for self-guided visits throughout the afternoon.

A special student exhibition of pinhole photographs by sixty Marfa and Ft. Davis junior high and high school artists will open at Chinati, in the Arena, at 1:30 pm. The photographs were created during studio classes led by Chinati’s education staff as part of each school’s fine arts curriculum.

A nature walk on the Chinati grounds and discussion of Donald Judd’s outdoor works in concrete will be co-presented by Monte Riggs, Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalist, and Jenny Moore, Chinati Foundation Executive Director, beginning at 2:30 pm in the Chinati courtyard. Participants will be introduced to examples of native grasses and provided with field guides, notebooks, and other tools for exploring the grounds and artworks.

A community dinner with barbeque by Juan and David Martinez and family and beverages by Big Bend Brewing will be served in the Arena, at Chinati, from 5 – 7:00 pm with live music by Mariachi Alegre, of El Paso.

Remnant of Fort D.A. Russell still visible in Marfa

The Chinati Foundation is located at 1 Cavalry Row, on the former Ft DA Russell grounds. La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, The John Chamberlain Building, and Zoe Leonard’s 100 North Nevill Street are located in downtown Marfa. Maps of exhibition spaces and a full schedule of events will be available at the Chinati front office and at all downtown locations on the day of the event.

Community Day is supported with generous grants from Elke and Wilhelm Hoppe Endowment, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Charles Englehard Foundation, The George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, The Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, and The Trull Foundation. Chinati also acknowledges the generous financial and in-kind contributions of Laura Belkin, Joey Benton, Big Bend Brewing, Big Bend Sentinel, exhibitions 2d, Pueblo Market, Beth Nobles, Monte Riggs, Tierra Grande Texas Master Naturalists, and Victoria J. Welsh.

For more information, contact Chinati at 432 729 4362 or information@chinati.org.

#30DaysofBiking

Our Texas Mountain Trail region is a terrific place for bike touring.  Here's an itinerary we created and posted on Adventure Cycling Association's Bike Overnights blog! 

Click here to read the itinerary which includes visits to Marfa, Fort Davis, Alpine and Marathon!

Marathon's Cycle-Friendly Hotels (and great places to stay, even if you don't bring a bike!)

Courtyard at the Gage Hotel

Today, we're featuring the Marathon, TX hotels that are participating in our Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly hotels program...the historic Gage Hotel and the charmingly unique Eve's Garden Organic B&B:

Gage Hotel, 101 W. Hwy 90, Marathon, TX Phone: 1-800-844-GAGE  www.gagehotel.com
Cycle-friendly features include: oversized rooms for stowing bikes; pool/fitness center/spa services; daily pasta and vegetarian dishes, organic salad ingredients grown in garden onsite; snacks/packed meals and emergency bike repair at French Co. Grocer around the corner. Very safe location, gateway to Big Bend National Park.

Gage Hotel

Eve’s Garden Organic B&B, Marathon, TX (located at Ave C & North 3rd St, one block north of Highway 90 in Marathon.) 432 386 4165 or cell 432 386 3479. www.evesgarden.org   A peaceful boutique B and B tastefully constructed of recycled and re-purposed materials (primarily papercrete). This family run business features; hand-built rooms, indoor gardens and courtyard, fire pit, star gazing deck, and courtesy room (with complimentary coffee, tea, cocoa).  Amenities also include in-room mini-fridge, romantic electric fireplace, A/C, private bath, fresh flowers from Kate’s organic greenhouse, and a gourmet organic breakfasts, featuring locally-sourced eggs, milk, veggies, etc. 

Eve's Garden Organic B&B

Eve’s Garden Organic B&B, Marathon, TX (located at Ave C & North 3rd St, one block north of Highway 90 in Marathon.) 432 386 4165 or cell 432 386 3479. www.evesgarden.org   A peaceful boutique B and B tastefully constructed of recycled and re-purposed materials (primarily papercrete). This family run business features; hand-built rooms, indoor gardens and courtyard, fire pit, star gazing deck, and courtesy room (with complimentary coffee, tea, cocoa).  Amenities also include in-room mini-fridge, romantic electric fireplace, A/C, private bath, fresh flowers from Kate’s organic greenhouse, and a gourmet organic breakfasts, featuring locally-sourced eggs, milk, veggies, etc. 

To see the entire list of our region's cycle-friendly hotels, visit www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike

Eve's Garden Organic B&B

Easy: Ride to the Post for #30DaysofBiking

There are roads in our Texas Mountain Trail region that are PERFECT for cycling, including an easy ride (great for families and beginning riders!) starting from Marathon.  The "Ride to the Post" is a five mile trip (10 miles out and back) to the county park, called "Post Park." 

The Road to the Post extends south on Avenue D in Marathon from US Highway 90 and the Union Pacific Railroad, and has an amazing history!

• Your route follows one fork of the Comanche War or Indian Trails into Mexico—there was a skirmish on the ridge above Post Park in 1855 between Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Rangers and Indians in 1855!
• It also generally follows the original Ore Roads to haul the ores (lead, zinc and silver) from the smelter at Boquillas in Mexico in 1895-1906, as well as quicksilver from the Terlingua, Study Butte and the Mariscal mines in south Brewster County to the railroad in Marathon as late as 1937!
• The route takes you near the historic cemetery and the site of an influenza tent hospital from the 1918 epidemic!
• The area known as Post Park was the site of a military encampment, farms, and ranches. Today it is the place for county-wide dance parties, fishing and birdwatching!

Begin your ride at the Gage Hotel in Marathon or at the Hotel's Gage Gardens. The Gage Gardens and Post Park are both sites on the new Far West Texas Wildlife Trail. How to get there? Look for the signs to "County Park" heading south....that's your road! This is an "out and back" route...5 miles south to Post Park and 5 miles back to Marathon.

Don't let the chart fool you, the average slope in this route is only 1.2%, and the elevation gain is only 121 feet. This is an easy ride!

Our Texas Mountain Trail organization continues to find "heritage bike routes" around the region to recommend to locals and travelers alike.  Most of them are great for motorcycling and driving as well.  Even if you don't like to hop on a bicycle, we hope you enjoy our #30DaysofBiking feature all during April! 

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 !!

Train NOW for the Marathon 2 Marathon in October!

Mark this date down:  October 25

One of our region's best running events is the annual Marathon2Marathon (or as it is known by many, "the M2M")...runners run right into the center of the little community of Marathon! 

They submitted this to our Texas Mountain Trail event calendar this week:

"Come join us for the 11th annual M2M October 25, 2014 and run a marathon to Marathon!....  ½ marathon, 10k or 5k ..under the huge Big Bend skies and through the stunning landscape. 

The small town of Marathon pours on the hospitality to host this very sweet race each year.  The racers feel the love and appreciation!  This is a sanctioned, certified course and a Boston Marathon qualifier.

It offers a free pasta dinner Friday night at the Gage Hotel, fundraiser post race lunch with music, free awards party and band at the Marathon Motel Saturday night. 

Between 4-500 racers are expected this year.

Go to www.marathon2marathon.net for more information and to sign up online.

Viva Big Bend Tickets on Sale Now!

Early Bird tickets are now on sale for the VIVA Big Bend music festival set for July 24-27, 2014!

Click HERE to purchase yours!

And put another terrific festival on your calendar, the VIVA Big Bend Food Festival, April 10-12, 2014.  Details to be available soon!

Monica Pope cooking class at last year's Viva Big Bend
Food Festival at Padre's in Marfa

RIDE FOR READING in Fort Davis today!
Meet at the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce at 11 am with your bicycle, helmet and a bookbag or backpack.  We'll ride to the elementary school together!

Click on image for a closer view!

And in Terlingua on Friday!
Meet at Big Bend Resorts and Adventures at 11 am with your bicycle, helmet and a bookback or backpack!  We'll ride to the elementary school as a group!

Gourmet Taco Dinner with Tequila and Margarita Tasting at the Gage Hotel

Historic Gage Hotel

The historic Gage Hotel in Marathon is hosting a Gourmet Taco Dinner with Tequila and Margarita Tasting on Saturday, February 1st at 6 PM. The energetic and fun Grupo de la Paz will be playing live music all night! Reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information call 1-800-884-Gage.

Prickly Pear Margarita

The Gage Hotel was built in 1927 for rancher, banker, and businessman Alfred Gage, who commissioned El Paso architects Trost and Trost to design the property as a headquarters for his 500,000-acre ranch. In 1978, the property was renovated as a hotel with authentic West Texas and Mexican-inspired decor, such as hand-crafted rustic doors, wrought-iron candelabra fixtures, and appealing adobe details.  The hotel also boasts an excellent restaurant along with the Desert Moon spa and lush gardens.