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!

Watching the hummingbirds at the feeder

All over the region, the hummingbirds are still coming to the feeders!



Double-click on any of these to get a closer view!



The hummers are still visiting feeders in the region.  Here are a few of our favorite places to see them!
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, outside Fort Davis
Mountain Trails Lodge and Expedition Center outside Fort Davis (formerly Davis Mountains Education Center)
McIvor Center, Davis Mountains Preserve, outside Fort Davis
Dog Canyon Visitor Center, Guadalupe Mountains National Park
All these places are on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail! 

Do you have a favorite places to see hummingbirds in Far West Texas in the Texas Mountain Trail region?  Let us know!

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!

SURVIVED!!!

Today, we want to feature places in Fort Davis that survived the fire this weekend.  This small community will need a few days to get the power back on and get life organized again, but they'll NEED you to come back and see them.  You've read reports of a blackened landscape, yet it is important to realize ecosystem is very forgiving when it comes to fire.  A rain or two will get some green growing again, and the rebound will be swift and amazing...and Fort Davis will need you to come back and SEE that amazing rebound.  And as is usual with visits to Fort Davis...you'll have a great time.  So here's a rollcall of the intact survivors:

Hotel Limpia



Jeff Davis County Courthouse, in the center of town

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Indian Lodge

McDonald Observatory

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens

Historic structures like the Old Jail

Davis Mountains Lodge and Expeditions (formerly Davis Mountains Education Center)

The entire downtown area, including the Stone Village Market

Please note, it may be several days before the town is really ready for visitors.  Please visit our facebook page, www.facebook.com/TexasMountainTrail , Marfa Public Radio  http://www.marfapublicradio.org/, or Big Bend Now, http://www.bigbendnow.com/ for updates.





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.

A West Texas Homebase for Group Travel--Davis Mountains Education Center

Groups wanting to experience the Southwest, West Texas, or Mexico have a comfortable homebase in Fort Davis, at the Davis Mountains Education Center. The Center builds custom trips for groups interested in history, nature, birding, astronomy, hiking, cycling, and have a solid record providing highly rated trips for Elderhostel. Interested in group travel, reunions, or church gatherings and want an educational experience? The Davis Mountains Education Center might be for you.

Over 50? Click here to see their current Elderhostel offerings.

Relaxing and Educational Group Travel

There's more than one way to experience Far West Texas...have you ever considered group travel? The Davis Mountains Education Center provides elderhostel and group trips for all ages out of their comfortable Fort Davis facility. (See the hiking sticks just waiting for you?) You can read more about travel opportunities through DMEC here, or check out other group travel options here.