DAVIS MOUNTAINS STATE PARK, MARCH 2nd to 5th

The Safest Road in America

For the record, we counted 32 Border Patrol Vehicles on New Mexico Highway 9. We've never felt safer.

What fun driving into El Paso that day - trees! After so many days of desert, it was exciting to see 'real' trees again. Many were just beginning to leaf out and some flowering trees had pink or white blossoms. It was just about the same stage of Spring that we had at home when we left. Of course it didn't remain thrilling for long. Even though we only skirted the city, it isn't a pretty one and there is always construction. The ever-present wind was kicking up dust. We started out on Hwy 9, which we have come to like a lot. After too long on I-10, we took some nice back roads to Davis Mountains State Park. It was an interesting visual lesson in the disruption of man. In the developed areas or agricultural ones, the dust was bad. In the areas that were undisturbed, the vegetation apparently held the soil and it wasn't airborne.

One of the delights of El Paso was a Starbucks, right at the I-10 ramp. Linda got two lattés, knowing it would have to hold her for a while.

We pulled into the entrance shortly before they closed. Linda looked down from the passenger window (yes, Carole does drive) before opening the door to go in and register. There were funny little quail-like birds poking around in the gravel of the island. Five of them. The face pattern looked like pictures she'd seen. Could they be Montezuma Quail? The bird people sit in the blinds hoping to see? The bird that people (including us in 2009) go home without ever seeing? Excitedly, Linda got out and went in the office and asked. Yes, the quail were regular, but unpredictable, visitors at the office. They foraged under the feeder in the landscaping rocks. We grabbed cameras and started shooting. Too bad the background is not a more natural one. The pictures weren't very good, shot through the window and at an angle, but it was a pretty exciting moment. We only stopped enjoying the birds as the office began to close and we needed to register. 

Male Montezuma Quail

Female Montezuma Quail

We opted for a site on the lower level, out of the strong winds the area was experiencing. We also hoped to draw some birds in for the cats. No sooner had we parked than a Javelina appeared at the door - clearly begging for handouts. The National Parks have made great progress in enforcing rules against feeding wildlife. The Texas State Parks are so anxious to draw visitors that they avoid enforcing rules very vigorously. Within fifteen minutes our visitor had left and returned with the whole tribe. About a dozen Javelina of assorted sizes milled around in our site, hoping for food. 

Javalina checking out Dancer in the door

Judy joined us there, after staying another day at Pancho Villa. She was quite pleased to see and photograph the Montezuma Quail. 



The park offers a bird walk several mornings a week, led by a couple of volunteers here from Canada for a few months. We jumped at the opportunity to see some of the areas not open to the public. The first was a seep, where we sat quietly and waited for birds to come in. Then we walked along a creek, hoping for some activity. It was good to start see in Texas birds again.

Jeff and Nancy

Another of the volunteers' responsibilities was to fill the feeders at the blinds every morning. The birds knew the schedule, too.

Chipping Sparrows

Cactus Wren

Chipping Sparrow

The park’s pueblo-style Indian Lodge hotel, built between 1933 and 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, offers 15 original rooms with fireplaces (plus more rooms added later) and a restored lobby with original wood beams and furniture. On the walls are historical photos of the workers and the construction.

Texas makes a real effort to keep its highways beautiful. While you still see the old "Don't Mess With Texas" slogan, we liked this one better.

Above the state park sits the McDonald Observatory. We missed Woody when we went to a program one day. We opted for the Solar Viewing program as we nearly froze when we went to the Lunar Program with her.

We hope to return. Davis Mountains State Park is  beautiful treasure.

There is a delightful little market in Fort Davis with natural and organic foods.

And next door is the brain depository.

Maybe someday we'll come back for this.

We stopped on our way out of town at the Chihuahuan Desert Museum. This quilt was one of the beautiful displays.