Drive to Big Bend National Park's Chisos Basin plus MAPS!

We always hold our breath and remember our first visit to the Big Bend, as we recall THIS drive to the center of the park, the nine miles from Panther Junction to the Chisos Basin.  Nothing but adventure awaits! 

Click here for a detailed map of the Chisos Basin.  And here for the full park map!

View from Big Bend's South Rim

Looking for one of the pinnacle experiences in all of Texas?  Hike Big Bend National Park's South Rim!

From the park's website:

South Rim
Difficulty:Strenuous; Distance 12-14.5 miles round trip
Begin at Basin Trailhead
This challenging trail is well worth the 2,000 foot gain, as midway are the stunning vistas from the South Rim. Ascend either the steeper Pinnacles or more gradual Laguna Meadows Trail. During Peregrine Falcon nesting season, the Northeast and Southeast portions of this trail are closed.

Click HERE to read Backpacker magazine's online trail guide to the South Rim.

Keeping the pollinators busy!

Fort Davis' Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center's botanical garden plants are sporting blossoms and the pollinators are busy!  Plan a visit there on your next trip out here!

Summer rains!

The region is starting to get some much needed rains, and we wanted to celebrate by sharing this great lightning shot by our friend, Melanie Gentry of 242 Productions in Dell City.  Melanie is a new volunteer to our Texas Mountain Trail program and organized the Ride for Reading delivery earlier this month in Dell City!

Dell City is the closest community to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and had some great storms this weekend!

Last Night's Sky north of Marfa

Train Wreck, 1960

From the collection of the Clark Hotel Museum, via the Portal to Texas History.  "Train Wreck, Photograph, 1960; digital image, (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth14265/ : accessed May 20, 2014), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Clark Hotel Museum, Van Horn, Texas."

Adventures in the Texas Mountains presentation tonight!

Join us at 7pm in Lawrence Hall on the campus of Sul Ross State University in Alpine for a presentation by our Executive Director on "Adventures in Far West Texas." Even if you're a resident or a frequent traveler to the region, we think you'll discover something new!  Click here for details.

Pictured here, the pollinators are active in the botanical garden at Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, just outside Fort Davis...one of the adventures we'll discuss tonight!

Bird Blinds at Davis Mountains State Park

Davis Mountains State Park rangers and staff members, along with Texas Master Naturalists, recently completed this lovely bird blind structure on the main park road.  Stop by in the morning and the evening to see an impressive array of birds! The new center has a water feature and several styles of bird feeders.

There are open air windows and glassed in windows to allow you to view the birds.  Another alternative is the bird blind by the park's Interpretive Center, see below.

View from inside the Interpretive Center, where birds gather at a variety of feeders.

FREE summer camp for kids at Museum of the Big Bend!

This summer, thanks to a generous donation from Mr. & Mrs. Johnny and Anne Weisman, the Museum of the Big Bend is pleased to offer 4 Weeks of Summer Art Camp to area and visiting children at no charge.  The camp, "A BEAUTIFUL MESS: Found Object Crafting" will focus on the arts and crafts of creating ecological and cultural art projects utilizing diverse mediums by working with paper, fabric, metal and found objects.

Four 1-Week Monday through Fridays sessions begin June 9 - 13 (Ages 5 to 7), June 16 - 20 (Ages 8 to 10), July 7 - 11 (Ages 5 to 7) and July 14 - 18 (Ages 8 - 10). Times are 9:00 a.m. to noon.  At the end of Summer Art Camp on Friday, July 18th, artwork created by campers will be on exhibit and celebrated with an Opening Family Friendly Reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  This event will be held in conjunction with the Museum of the Big Bend summer exhibit opening of BERYL.

Although ART CAMP is free of charge, all campers must register in advance as space is limited.  To register or learn more, please call (432) 837-8143 or email jennifer.jordan@sulross.edu<

mailto:jennifer.jordan@sulross.edu>. The Museum of the Big Bend is located on the campus of Sul Ross State University.  Like us on Facebook and visit www.musuemofthebigbend.com.

Two new exhibits at Museum of the Big Bend!

We'll Stand by the Flag," 1898, E.T Paull

We'll Stand by the Flag," 1898, E.T Paull

“We'll Stand by the Flag," 1898, E.T Paull

Now through August 31 at Alpine's Museum of the Big Bend!

E.T Paull- America's Other March King

E.T Paull- America's Other March King

From the Collection of Yana and Marty Davis are 12 framed pieces of E.T. Paull’s sheet music with a military theme.

Edward Taylor Paull was born on February 16, 1858 in Gerradstown, Virginia, now West Virginia, where his father was a farmer and later became a prosperous boarding house keeper in Martinsburg. It is thought that Paull witnessed the effects of the Civil War and the lasting memories are reflected in the amount of material that he wrote and published that had war and military themes.

Included in the show are Charge of the Light Brigade, 1896, Paull's first publication after moving his family and growing enterprise to New York City; America Forever!, 1898, one of Paull's earliest patriotic pieces, likely in response to the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine that was the catalyst for the Spanish-American War and Spirit of the U.S.A., 1924, the last of the great Paull patriotic marches published during the composer's lifetime.

Visitors are encouraged to test their knowledge of when states came into the Union with the two sheet music pieces titled The Triumphant Banner, 1907 and The Home Coming, 1908.

Beryl Rice Exhibition

"Ali Baba" stitchery by Beryl Rice

Selected works from the Beryl Lowe Rice Collection are on display in the Temporary Gallery. Beryl’s works reflects her passion for exploring many avenues of art including Naive Art, Sculpture, Ceramic Tile Work, Monotypes, Stitchery, Portraiture and her whimsical Bottle Dolls.

Beryl Lowe Rice spent her early years on the Lowe Ranch in McMullen and LaSalle counties, Texas. She graduated from St. Mary’s Hall, San Antonio and attended the University of Texas at Austin. Later she attended Trinity University and the McNay Art Institute in San Antonio where she studied painting, pottery and sculpture. With her husband, John Rice, they lived in Santa Barbara, California, and Milan Italy, where she studied at the Brera Institute. She and John also lived in San Antonio and San Angelo where she exhibited her work.

In the late 1960s, Beryl and John moved to Marfa. There they opened the La Mota gallery and she continued to exhibit. Rice continued to take classes in portrait, oil and watercolor painting in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

In the early 1970s, Beryl was inspired by friend and artist, Martha Mood, to try her hand at stitchery. Also during this time, she and John became interested in ceramics. As a team they created a series of tile murals that were often tributes to great masterworks. Beryl painted the tiles with underglazes while John was responsible for firing the tiles in their large gas kiln.

Beryl’s work varied in scope and design. Essentially a self-taught artist, she created a large body of one-of-a- kind monotypes. Many of these works are derived as abstractions from the landscape.

Beryl was an explorer in her art. She was undaunted by a new medium and seemed to take every challenge as an opportunity. What is obvious in her work is the great love and commitment she had for the act of creativity. This body of work represents a life-time of artistic joy that she shared with her family, friends and beloved husband, John.

There will be a closing reception on Friday, July 18th, 5:30-7:30 pm, that will feature works created by the Museum of the Big Bend summer Art Camp artists that will be integrated into the Beryl Rice show. -

rom the Collection of Yana and Marty Davis are 12 framed pieces of E.T. Paull’s sheet music with a military theme. Edward Taylor Paull was born on February 16, 1858 in Gerradstown, Virginia, now West Virginia, where his father was a farmer and later became a prosperous boarding house keeper in Martinsburg. It is thought that Paull witnessed the effects of the Civil War and the lasting memories are reflected in the amount of material that he wrote and published that had war and military themes.
Included in the show are Charge of the Light Brigade, 1896, Paull's first publication after moving his family and growing enterprise to New York City; America Forever!, 1898, one of Paull's earliest patriotic pieces, likely in response to the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine that was the catalyst for the Spanish-American War and Spirit of the U.S.A., 1924, the last of the great Paull patriotic marches published during the composer's lifetime.
Visitors are encouraged to test their knowledge of when states came into the Union with the two sheet music pieces titled The Triumphant Banner, 1907 and The Home Coming, 1908. - See more at: http://texasmountaintrail.com/events/alpine-et-paull-americas-other-march-king#sthash.8yQubH7e.dpuf