Baseball in the Texas Mountains-Cowboys and Chihuahuas!

There's a section of one of Alpine's mural that shows Kokernot Field, a small scale version of Wrigley Field, (there's a TERRIFIC Texas Monthly story about the stadium here) and this time of year, it is time to think about baseball!

Kokernot Field is now the home of the Alpine Cowboys, part of the Pecos League, which according to their website, "is not affiliated with Major or Minor League Baseball."  Want to go to a game in this beautiful, historic stadium in full view of the mountains?  Their schedule is here, and the first game is May 2.

El Paso now has a triple A baseball team, the El Paso Chihuahuas, and their home is a brand new stadium right downtown.  Check out the schedule here!

#30DaysofBiking
Fort Davis hotels participating in our Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly hotels program!

Old Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast, 401 N. Front Street, P.O. Box 1221, Fort Davis, TX 79734, 432-426-2050; Hope’s Ranch Guest House, 1100 Cemetery Road, P.O. Box 1221, Fort Davis, TX 79734, 432-426-2050 http://www.schoolhousebnb.com/(Two properties, same owners.) Hopes Ranch is self-catered.  Cycle-friendly features include: A host who is an avid cyclist in the area, and his wife, who understands the kind of breakfast cyclists need. Familiar with well-known and less familiar, lightly- travelled routes. Secure bike storage in garage; cleaning rags for your equipment; a limited supply of bike tools and parts for emergency repairs along with the expertise for most repairs; flexible hours for breakfast service; excellent quality mattresses; off-street parking within our fence; in-room, free wireless internet connections; weather reports; potential late check-out (with prior arrangement).
Mountain Trails Lodge and Outdoor Learning Center, one mile south of the Scenic Loop and Fort Davis on Hwy 118, Phone 800-403-3484, www.mountaintrailslodge.com
Cycle-friendly features include: 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.
Stone Village Tourist Camp, 509 State Street, Fort Davis, TX 79734, 432-426-3941 www.stonevillagetouristcamp.com Renovated 1935 tourist court located in the middle of Fort Davis. Cycle-friendly features include: in-room bike parking; choice of motel-style rooms, suites (w/microwave and refrigerator) and modernized open air camp rooms with securable screen doors; wi-fi; next-door access to natural foods grocery/deli/bakery; pool.
ort Davis area cycle-friendly hotels from our Texas Mountain Trail program:

Nature Photography THIS morning at Davis Mountains State Park; Big Bend Cycle-friendly Accommodations

Photo by Derrick Birdsall

A great friend of our Texas Mountain Trail organization, Derrick Birdsall, is giving a nature photography presentation THIS MORNING at 11 am at Davis Mountains State Park as part of their Open House weekend.  Derrick is the photographer behind a photo book on our partner Texas Forts Trail, centered in Abilene, and has been featured many times on this blog and our Facebook page.   He also posts on the Unaffected Photography page on Facebook, and his blog is here. 

The rest of the schedule for the park's Open House today and tomorrow is here.

#30DaysofBiking
Today we feature our Big Bend cycle-friendly accommodations...

  Chisos Mountain Lodge, in Big Bend National Park. Phone: 432-477-2292 or 432-477-2291, www.ChisosMountainLodge.com or www.foreverresorts.com
Cycle-friendly features include: motel and stone cottage lodging in the heart of Big Bend National Park; in-room storage of bikes; full dining options plus possible pre-ordered pack lunches for early morning departures, convenience store. Easy access to trails and scenic roads. See flyer for more services.

 Big Bend Resorts and Adventures, Hwy 118 and Hwy 170, P O Box 227, Terlingua, Texas 79852, Phone: 432-371-2483 Local or Central Reservations: 1-877-386-4383
www.bigbendresortadventures.com  Cycle-friendly features include: convenient location to Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park and on-site trails; clean, comfortable rooms; on-site café for breakfast, lots of grab and go snacks for rides plus box lunches to go; on-site parking for bikes and towed vehicles; and more. Laundry, public showers, custom guided tours,party barn for groups, target golf course tent/RV sites.  Offer special rates for local cycling events.  Building two mountain bike trails on property.
Big Bend Casitas at Far Flung Outdoor Center, P.O. Box 377, Terlingua, Texas 79852, 800-839-7238, info@ffoc.net, www.bigbendfarflung.com/lodging, We are cycle-friendly and happy to host riders who want to experience the vastness of Big Bend National Park and the surrounding area.  Our casitas are sized to accommodate secure bike parking either inside or on the casita porch.  Each casita has a kitchenette with coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, since and a complete supply of dishes, cups, and silverware.  Las Casitas are located two miles from the west entrance to Big Bend National Park.

Sunset in Marfa, Cycle-friendly Hotels in El Paso

Marfa's sunset over pickup trucks

#30DaysofBiking

Today, for our #30DaysofBiking feature, we're showcasing our cycle-friendly hotels in El Paso:

Hyatt Place El Paso Airport, 6030 Gateway Blvd. E., El Paso, TX 79905
Phone 915-771-0022  Fax 915-771-0599, hyattplaceelpasoairport.com
Cycle-friendly features include: oversized guest rooms for safe storage of bikes, purchase freshly made breakfasts/lunches/snacks packs for cycling adventures , complimentary shuttle to airport and within 3 mile radius, 24 hour fitness center, outdoor pool, laundry/valet services, and more.

Holiday Inn Express-Central, 400 E. Missouri, El Paso, TX 79901 Phone 915-544-3333  http://hiexpress.com/elpasocentral
Cycle friendly features include: In-room storage for bikes, deluxe express start breakfast buffet, outdoor heated pool, 24 hr fitness center, on site laundry facility and dry cleaning services, business center, free high speed internet, located in the heart of downtown El Paso near bike routes.

For a complete list of our region's cycle-friendly hotels, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike

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! 

#30 Days of Biking

We're taking part in the #30DaysofBiking challenge this month (see our entry for April 1), and using the opportunity to feature some of the great cycling experiences in our region, including our cycle-friendly hotel properties.  First up, the Stone Village Tourist Camp in Fort Davis (built in 1935 and completely renovated), and their unique camp rooms.  On the main street in Fort Davis, this property is on the famous cycling route, the Scenic Loop of Jeff Davis County.

Open air camp room at cycle-friendly Stone Village
Tourist Camp in Fort Davis

In addition to regular motel rooms, they also offer open air camp rooms...sleeping there is a perfect blend of the convenience and comfort of a motel room and camping outside.  You can get full benefit of the soft desert breezes and cool summer nights!

Stone Village Tourist Camp, 509 State Street, Fort Davis, TX 79734, 432-426-3941, www.stonevillagetouristcamp.com  Renovated 1935 tourist court located in the middle of Fort Davis. Cycle-friendly features include: in-room bike parking; choice of motel-style rooms, suites (w/microwave and refrigerator) and modernized open air camp rooms with securable screen doors; wi-fi; next-door access to natural foods grocery/deli/bakery; pool.

The property is often used by Adventure Cycling Association for their tours through our region.  Fort Davis is on ACA's cross-country Southern Tier route.

Our Ride for Reading Deliveries Shared by Bike Texas

Our friends at Bike Texas have helped us share cycling news from the Texas Mountains, and they graciously published our article on last month's Ride for Reading deliveries in Fort Davis, Terlingua and El Paso on their website.  Here's the link the article on their site (and we invite you to poke around and see what this great organization has to offer Texas cyclists!) and below is the article in its entirety.

Texas, Let's Ride for Reading!

By Beth Nobles
Executive Director, Texas Mountain Trail

I’ll say it: “It is the best thing I’ve done on a bike.”
Last month, it has made U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke feel like a “rock star.” It made kids, teachers, and scores of cyclists from El Paso, Terlingua, and Fort Davis very happy. What was it? Ride for Reading deliveries in Far West Texas.


Ride for Reading’s founder, Matthew Portell, says this:

During my first year of teaching, I asked my students to read for 15 minutes at home each night. One student replied that he didn’t have any books at home to read. It didn’t take me long to realize that student’s problem wasn’t unique. According to the Handbook of Early Literacy Research, the ratio of books per child in low-income neighborhoods is one age-appropriate book for every 300 children. I felt compelled to do something to help my students and others like them — so I combined my passion for cycling and reading. The result: Ride for Reading.

Simply put: Ride for Reading provides a way for donated books to be delivered to low-income elementary schools BY BICYCLE. Local cyclists are recruited for the deliveries, and books are donated locally or provided by Better World Books through the Ride for Reading program.


Our Texas Mountain Trail non-profit got involved with a call from one of our best partners, El Pason Don Baumgardt, who operates a mountain biking website for Far West Texas, www.GeoBetty.com. Don asks, “We’ve got one of the best mountain biking photographers, Devon Balet, coming to El Paso with his crew, Team Ride for Reading. Would you like them to visit the Davis Mountains and Big Bend and help you with your promotion of the area? And, oh yeah, would you like to do this Ride for Reading book delivery?” A few clicks online and it was a no-brainer for us. Soon we had the elementary schools in Fort Davis and Terlingua onboard too.


We recruited volunteer cyclists to meet at a central location not far from the school. There we packed the donated books into backpacks and messenger bags by age level, and then we rode to the local elementary schools, where the kids were excited (and cheering!) to be able to pick out a book (or two) to take home as their very own.


Ride for Reading promotes healthy, safe, vibrant activity and reading. Each child receiving a book must pledge: “I promise to read my book twice. I will never ever throw my book away. I will pass it on to a friend, family member, neighbor, classmate or someone else I know. And I promise to be the best student for the rest of the year.”
Don Baumgardt, organizer of the El Paso delivery in January, “I think the riders got as much out of the day as the kids. We were all so gratified by the response we received at Hart Elementary. When we rounded the corner two blocks from the school on our bikes a roar went up from the students. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.”


U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke participated in the El Paso delivery and addressed the kids, "I always wanted to be a rock star, because I wanted to come into a stadium and hear the crowds cranked up...people cheering with pom poms and signs...and today when I rode my bike here, I finally felt like a rock star!" That's right, cyclists...Ride for Reading can make you feel like a rock star!”


Want to organize your own Ride for Reading delivery in your own town? Ride for Reading would LOVE to schedule more events during Ride for Reading Week, May 5-11. They’ve even received a commitment from Better World Books to provide books for every delivery scheduled that week, and they’re excited about expanding the program in Texas.


Founder, Matthew Portell: “I can honestly say one thing, the saying ‘everything is bigger in Texas’ is very true for the Ride for Reading deliveries we had in January! As the founder of Ride for Reading, it is truly amazing to watch such a little concept gain so much momentum. I dream that one day there will be a book delivery via bicycle in all fifty states, but it starts with the motivation of cyclists in every state."


We’re already talking to communities throughout our Texas Mountain Trail region of Far West Texas about adding events that week. As we learned and as our friend, Don Baumgardt reports, “the online resources from Ride for Reading made it very simple to organize the event.”
For information on setting up your own delivery for National Ride for Reading Week, May 5-11, visit the program’s website, www.rideforreading.org.


Ride for Reading deliveries are best if there are lots of community partners. Our partners for our January deliveries to Terlingua and Fort Davis include Friends of Jeff Davis County Library, Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce, Fort Davis ISD, Stone Village Tourist Camp, Davis Mountains State Park, Big Bend Resorts and Adventures, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Desert Sports (a great mountain biking outfitter), Terlingua CSD, Big Bend Chamber of Commerce, Brewster County Tourism Council, and our Texas Mountain Trail board of directors and volunteers, in addition to Team Ride for Reading, Ride for Reading, and Better World Books!

Our Newest Cycle-Friendly Hotel: Eve's Garden Organic Bed and Breakfast!

Our region's cycling assets--with our incredible mountain biking opportunities, our scenic roads with NO TRAFFIC, and our heritage bike routes--it seems a "no brainer" to identify hotel properties willing to provide special services to cyclists.

Announcing our newest Texas Mountain Trail Cycle-Friendly 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.

Cycle-friendly features include: secure overnight storage of bikes; nearby packed lunch possibilities and bike supplies (at French Co. Grocery). Owner requests cyclists remove cleated cycling shoes to protect unique unique structure of the B&B.

 We have cycle-friendly hotels all across the Texas Mountain Trail region.  Some are historic hotels, others are chain hotels, some offer cabins, or screened "porch" rooms...there's something for everyone!

Click here to see the full list.

Staying in Shape on the Road, Hyatt Place El Paso!

There's something new at the Hyatt Place in El Paso (Airport location) for travelers who want to stay in shape.  The hotel has a great little fitness center and pool, and was our very first Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly property.  It often hosts the Big Bend tour, run by the Adventure Cycling Association. 

But now, there's new borrower's menu which has items especially valued by many women travelers, from high powered hair dryers to high chairs to fitness equipment.  Sure the hotel has a great little fitness center and pool, but now you can also borrow a yoga mat and hand weights!  

Using weights from the new Borrows menu
at the Hyatt Place, wearing Stonewear
Designs Dryflex Double Cross top and
Rockin Short

Also on the "Borrows" menu in El Paso:

High Power Hair Dryer
Curling Iron
Flat Iron
Clothes Steamer
Yoga Mat
Free Weights (2, 3 and 5 pounds)International Outlet Adapter
Universal Cell Phone Chapter
Automobile Jumper Cables
Baby Crib
High Chair
High Chair Tray
Booster Seat
Water Wings
Pool Noodles

Save the Date! Wheels for Meals!

Click on the image for a closer view!  Cyclists, you'll want to take part in this supported benefit ride for the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County. Visit the Food Pantry's website for more information:  www.foodpantry-jdc.org

If you're planning to take part (and we hope you do!), consider staying at one of our Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly hotels.  A full list is here:  www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike

Cloud Watchers

A hand in the clouds?

One of our Texas Mountain Trail board members in El Paso, Herb Price, has a great view of the sky above the Franklin Mountains from his home.  From time to time, he sends photos of El Paso's magnificent sunsets to share with all of you.  This time, he took a great photo of...what's that?  A hand pointing to the sky?  We take it as a reminder to spend a few moments every day to look at the sky and take in the beauty!

TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT!
Here's one of our cycle-friendly hotel properties to consider when you're heading to Big Bend, Big Bend Resorts and Adventures!  We stayed there during our recent trip to the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest, and yes, you can park your bikes in the room overnight!  The convenient location is 12 miles from Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center, 5 miles from Terlingua Ghost Town and a couple of miles from the western entrance to Big Bend National Park.

Our Hospitality Heroes! Hyatt Place El Paso Airport

Danny Padilla (l), accepts the Texas Mountain Trail
Hospitality Heroes Award from Executive Director, Beth
Nobles (c), Director of Sales, Rebecca Diaz (r)

Every year, we award one or two regional businesses or attractions well-deserved special recognition, our Texas Mountain Trail Hospitality Heroes Award.

Our friends at the Hyatt Place El Paso Airport location have earned it!  They exemplify the best in hospitality and service--qualities that distinguish all our Texas Mountain Trail Hospitality Heroes Award winners.

The property was the first to participate in our cycle-friendly accommodations program, and was the launching location for Adventure Cycling Association's first Big Bend Loop tour last fall.  Click here to see their 2013 Big Bend tours...Adventure Cycling is  offering three Big Bend Loop tours this year, and they're visiting with the Hyatt Place about using their facility again.

The property has provided in-kind support that's allowed us to build partnerships and develop programs to bring travelers to El Paso and the rest of Far West Texas--like our Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, the Peak Fitness Challenge, and others.  In short, they've been an important part of every program we've launched.

Bike parking in rooms allowed
in this Texas Mountain Trail
cycle-friendly property!

From the early days of our organization, the Hyatt Place has supported our Texas Mountain Trail non-profit with leadership provided by Rebecca Diaz, their Director of Sales.  Rebecca served on our board for several terms, and is currently our Vice President and a member of our Executive Committee. 

All that support is most appreciated, but there's more:  without fail, the entire staff of this property is friendly, service-oriented and interested in providing the best stay possible for all its guests.  THAT makes our region just a little bit better for the traveler.   Congrats, and thank you!

Also, we'd like to note that we featured the menu items offered by the Hyatt Place for health-conscious visitors...check out our link to that entry!

Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest!

We are excited about the upcoming Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest, when Lajitas Golf Resort and the Big Bend community (including Desert Sports) welcomes mountain bikers to the trail! Want to join in?  Mark February 14-16 on your calendar and sign up here!  Riders of all abilities are welcome!

Click here to view our cycling page with links to routes and cycle-friendly hotels!

Making last minute plans to participate in the Bike Fest?  The folks at Big Bend Resort  want you to know that they're offering Fest participants (who book a room with them)  a free (and fully loaded--bacon, eggs, sausage, grits, yoghurt, fruit, biscuits and gravy, etc!!) breakfast buffet.  What could be better than that!?!

Cycle-friendly Big Bend Resorts and Adventures

The motel cat, "Baby," near the front door to the office

Beautiful setting next to Big Bend National Park

You can practice your golf swing!

Just a couple of miles from the western entrance of Big Bend National Park, sits one of our cycle-friendly accommodations properties, the Big Bend Resorts and Adventures.  They have motel rooms, RV hookups, a campground, cafe, horseback riding, golf, party facilities, laundry facilities, and a conference room available....AND they can provide personal, escorted tours inside the park in their rugged vehicle! 

Located conveniently between the Park and Terlingua Ghostown, Big Bend Resorts and Adventures allows easy access to the park, outfitters, and many of the restaurants in the area. 

 

Lots of room inside for your bike.  This is a
cycle-friendly property.

Just a few miles from Big Bend Resorts
and Adventures, the Starlight Theatre in
Terlingua Ghostown