Beth in the Southwest: Day 2

 If I'm writing too much let me know and I'll condense. 

This morning we left El Paso to head toward Big Bend National  Park.  It is quite a distance so we made a stop at Fort Davis National Historic Site. This was an army fort in the mid to late 1800s. They have restored many of the buildings so we could see how the families lived while they were stationed there. We also saw a film about the fort and the Buffalo Soldiers who were also stationed there. 

We hiked 2.5 miles on the mountain behind the fort. It was challenging in some places. We got a great view from the top and saw some interesting plants along the way. Yucca, prickly pear, grey elm. 

Quick stop for dinner then more driving to Terlingua where we will stay for several nights. The area is known for the darkest sky in the lower 48 states. We had a quick stargazing party. Saw Jupiter and Saturn and several constellations. 

Hiking Big Bend tomorrow.