Hummers!

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!

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!

Davis Mountains Hummingbird Festival

Hummingbird during a banding demonstration

If you love hummingbirds--and who doesn't--here's a great opportunity to see more, learn more, and experience more about one our smallest and spunkiest birds in the region.  Plan to come to Fort Davis, August 9-11, for the Davis Mountains Hummingbird Festival!  Download the schedule here. 

For $35, participants will receive:

Ticket to the Opening Reception on August 9 at the Hotel Limpia Ballroom; booklet, "Hummingbirds of West Texas" by Kelly Bryan; map of local viewing areas; hummingbird "Goodie Bag" and admission to Botanical Gardens & State Park areas!!
Information and a link to registration is here.

The Historic Hotel Limpia is the site of the festival's
Opening Reception!

Viva Big Bend!

Next month, there's a terrific music festival in the region--in various venues in Marathon (Gage Hotel), Marfa (Padres, Lost Horse and more), Fort Davis (Mountain Trails Lodge and Fort Davis Drugstore) and Alpine (Holland Hotel, Granada Theatre and more)--the second annual Viva Big Bend.  The festival's website is here:  www.vivabigbend.com

Who's playing?  Check out the lineup!  (Butch Hancock, Tessy Lou and the Shotgun Stars, Texas Tornadoes, Joe Ely Band, Doug Moreland, and many more) LOTS of terrific bands playing in our best Far West Texas music venues. 

You won't want to miss being a part of this great event.  Tickets are available here. FAQ page is here.

Viva Big Bend Food Festival

Houston chef, James Beard
Award nominee Monica Pope
conducts a cooking class
at Padre's in Marfa

The Viva Big Bend Food Festival's opening party
at the Granada Theatre in Alpine featured great food
and great music, here Tessy Lou and the Shotgun Stars
 

Thursday night, the first Viva Big Bend Food Festival opened in Alpine's Granada Theatre with terrific food and wonderful music....starting the festivities to take place in Alpine, Fort Davis and Marfa. 

The Festival continues today, but we'd like to share some images from all the fun yesterday...cooking classes, demonstrations, insight into new techniques and cuisines. 

A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit West Texas Food Bank...what could be better than that?

Monica Pope cooking class participants at Padre's in Marfa

 

Sahar Arafat-Ray demonstrates at the Hotel Limpia in
Fort Davis, treating festival participants to Middle Eastern
Hors d'Oeurves

Plate from the fajita buffet at the Mountain Trails
Lodge in Fort Davis

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!