Mini Road Trip to West Texas

Feb 12, 2013

Sometimes, you have to hit the road even though there isn't time for a decent road trip. And that was the case with us: We had a window of about seven days, which was perfect for what I would call a mini-road trip. Once we learned about Big Bend Brewing Company's planned celebration in Valentine, TX, we knew that we had our destination. West Texas, here we come!

A couple of things were overlooked or just ignored as we got the trailer ready for the trip. I was about to upgrade our weak battery with a couple of new batteries, but heck, we were going to be gone only a week, and the first stop had full hook-ups, so I thought this wouldn't be too much of a problem. We also had unseasonably warm weather, and because of this, I neglected to check the propane. Later, dealing with both of these issues took some of the fun out of the trip but by no means ruined our travels.

Travel day arrives, and we eagerly head to our first destination, Davis Mountain State Park. We have enjoyed this park, and both camped here and stayed in the historical Indian Lodge, which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the early 1930s. There are many fun things to do in the park from the park, such as visit the McDonald Observatory, the Fort Davis National Historic Site, Chihahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens, and both Alpine and Marfa are a short drive away.

Driving to the Davis Mountains from Austin proved very trying, as it was a very windy day the whole way, and we drove into a strong headwind. As a result, there were additional gas stops added to this segment of the trip. Ouch! Off to Valentine, TX.