The area around the Davis Mountains is known as “The Last
Unspoiled Frontier,” and is one of the prettiest parts of Texas. Unfortunately, the severe drought has been
devastating to the region, and raging wildfires caused widespread evacuations
last year. It was still nice to be back
in the mountains.
The town of Fort Davis is home to Fort Davis National Historic Site, and Tim and I enjoyed our visit there this morning. Fort Davis was established in 1854
and is one of the best surviving examples of a frontier military post in the
Southwest. Several regiments of African
American soldiers were stationed at Fort Davis, and these troops were actively
involved in defending West Texas during the Indian Wars.
Most of
the existing structures date from the fort’s heyday after the Civil War when Fort
Davis was rebuilt. After visiting
numerous forts over the last seven years, I have grown to appreciate military
architecture. Many of these buildings
are really beautiful, and I especially enjoy the residential structures. The row of almost identical officers'
quarters facing the parade ground at Fort Davis is impressive.
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Officers' Row |
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Porches on Officers' Row |
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Two-Story Officers' Quarters |
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Enlisted Men's Barracks |
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Inside the Barracks |
We
decided to take a scenic drive through the Davis Mountains where we saw
evidence of the drought with severely parched hillsides. We stopped at McDonald Observatory to view the
exhibits, but spring break once again interfered with our plans. During spring break, just visiting the
exhibits is not permitted. Package deals
were required, and we didn’t want to spend that much time. So we opted to drive to the top of the
mountain and simply get a closer look at the observatories.
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On the Way to McDonald Observatory |
McDonald
Observatory is one of the great observatory centers in the world, and the
original unit dates to the 1930s. The
observatory hosts star parties, which would be fun to attend, but I’m glad we
missed the one last night when 800+ children and adults showed up. We’ve learned that spring break is not the
best time to be in Texas.
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The Original Unit |
An
added bonus to our drive to the observatory was climbing to the highest point on
the Texas highway system. The views from
the top were lovely, despite the lingering haze.
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The View from the Top |
Those barrack beds don't look too comfortable! But the views sure are great. LV
ReplyDeleteLV, How true! The views of the Davis Mountains are beautiful from most places in the area. Sarah
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