of Midland, highlights the eight major habi- tats of the region and has walking trails to see West Texas wildlife and landscape. Other things to see include the artifact
and pottery collections of the Museum of the Southwest and the world’s largest collection of drilling rigs and related equipment at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Both cities share a history with George
Chaparral Racecar Gallery is in the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland.
can range from a half-day to several days. A stop at the La Harmonia Store in the
Castolon area off ers some of the history of the park. T e store is in a barracks building of the former Camp Santa Helena. Outside the store, people can learn about the 20-year cotton farming venture of Wayne Cartledge and the oldest-known adobe structure in the park, the Alvino House. Just west along F.M. 170 from the national
park and a bit smaller in size is Big Bend Ranch State Park. T e largest state park in Texas, it is home to rugged mountains, steep canyons and amazing views. T is is a place to hike, mountain bike or horseback ride on 238 miles of multiuse trails. T e park is home to some of the state’s
most challenging mountain biking trails and has an International Mountain Bicy- cling Association Epic ride—the 54-mile Fresno-Sauceda Loop. On President’s Day Weekend in February, the Chihuahuan Desert Bike Fest off ers three days of guided trail rides. T ose who want to see the state park but
not provide the pedal or foot power can either drive or take 4x4 archaeology, geology and nature tour in which a ranger takes up to six people to remote and scenic areas of the park. Aſt er the mountain areas, travelers seek-
ing a change of scenery can head east toward Del Rio to the Amistad National Recreation Area and Devil’s River State Natural Area. Amistad off ers boating, waterskiing, fi shing,
camping, hiking, scuba diving and swim- ming. It also has some incredible archeo- logical sites. At the Devil’s River Del Norte Unit, hike, view nature, mountain bike, horseback ride or swim. While near the Big Bend parks, an in-
teresting stop is the nearby occupied ghost town of Terlingua. T e town boomed with a quicksilver discovery in the mid-1880s and was abandoned when mining ceased around the end of World War II. Over the years, peo- ple have moved into the town’s ruins. Terlin- gua is probably best known today, though, for the annual chili cook-off s the fi rst Satur- day in November that grew from a 1967 con- test. Travelers can visit the historic Terlingua Cemetery, which holds an annual Day of the Dead Celebration; take in dinner and a per- formance at the Starlight T eatre; and explore the town’s surroundings.
★ MORE TO CONSIDER Wrap up a trip to Big Bend Country by vis-
iting Midland and Odessa. T ese two com- pletely separate cities are close enough in dis- tance to make it easy to spend time in both. Travelers, who have been enjoying the nat-
ural surroundings of the region, might be in- terested in Midland’s I-20 Wildlife Preserve or the Sibley Nature Center. T e preserve’s 87- acre urban playa lake has 3.4 miles of hiking trails to enjoy watching nature. T e nature center, in Hogan Park on the northeast side
For more infor ma tion about Big Bend Country, visit
TravelTexas.com.
H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, who lived in the area during the early and mid-1950s. T e fi rst home they lived in, formerly in Mid- land, is now in Odessa at T e University of Texas of the Permian Basin. T e George W. Bush Childhood Home can be visited in Mid- land. It is authentic to 1952-56 when the Bush family lived in the house. To learn more about the presidency, in general, visit the Presiden- tial Archive and Leadership Library on the UTPB campus. While in Odessa, sightseers will fi nd as-
tounding replicas of the Globe T eatre and Stonehenge. Other experiences include per- formances at the Ector T eater, art at the Ellen Noel Art Museum, Jackalopes hockey, and the story of a meteor crater at the Odessa Meteor Crater and Museum. A trip through this region is spectacular.
Visitors already may be planning a return trip when they leave. ★
INF ORMATION Travel
GETTING THERE
EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
www.elpasointernationalairport.com
MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIR & SPACE PORT www.fl
ymaf.com
TRAVEL INFORMATION CENTER S
ANTHONY: 8799 S. Desert Blvd. At the Texas-New Mexico state line on I-10. 915/886-3468.
LANGTRY/Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center: U.S. 90 West/State Loop 25 at Torres Avenue. Off U.S. 90 West, 60 miles west of Del Rio. 432/291-3340.
Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, and 8 a.m.–6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. To speak to a professional travel
counselor for travel information and trip planning assistance call 800/452-9292 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Central time daily.
www.txdot.gov. For 24-hour highway condition
information call 800/452-9292 or visit
www.drivetexas.org.
PHOTO: WILL VAN OVERBEEK/TXDOT 215
BIG BEND COUNTRY
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