LYNN VISITS THE BIG BEND

Lynn at the Persimmon Gap entrance to
Big Bend National Park

Pam's very good friend of 27 years, Lynn Lockard, left the cold winter in Jackson, NH and headed to Far West Texas for a change in temperature....not to mention scenery.

Pam met Lynn's plane in EL Paso, TX where they spent the night before beginning the 3 hour jaunt south and east to Fort Davis.   After a tour of the "highlights" of Fort Davis (population give or take 1100 folks) Pam and Lynn loaded up the Jeep Trailhawk for a two day excursion that began in Marathon, TX to show Lynn where Pam and I were married at the Gage Hotel last April.

Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend NP

From Marathon they entered the National Park at the North Entrance and were rewarded with views that take your breath away.  Lynn was impressed with the "big skies" of West Texas as well as the scenery in general.

Following a nice lunch at Chisos Mountain Lodge, they drove further West toward the small, quirky towns of Study (stoody) Butte and Terlingua where they checked into their motel.  Dinner at the funky Terlingua Starlight Cafe was on the agenda...and was thoroughly enjoyed.....

Good food and spontaneous entertainment await
at the Starlight Cafe

                     Lynn outside the Candellia Restaurant
                                 of the Lajitas Resort

Here Lynn is smooching it up with a colorful female of the bovine species that stands in a portico in the Gage Gardens.

After leaving the Lajitas Resort Pam and 

Lynn proceeded to make many stops along

FM route 170, one of National Geographic's

ten most scenic routes in America!!   This 50 mile

drive is simply gorgeous...much of it right
alongside the Rio Grande, with Mexico seemingly within reach.

                                   

Back in Fort Davis the next day it was time for a 

visit to the famed McDonald Observatory.  We

enjoyed a nice lunch followed by a brief tour of the grounds of the Observatory.  It was a gorgeous day with wonderful views from atop Mount Locke.

Pam and Lynn outside one of the three very large (multiple story) telescopes at the Observatory.

Lynn's visit brought the full gamut of Davis Mountains weather....from gorgeous sunny 70 degree days to ice.. yup, ice on the trees to the right.

Oftentimes we are rewarded with sunsets
in technicolor....like this one from our "front porch".
on the 3rd night of Lynn's visit.

We are very happy Lynn made the trip....she and Pam had some wonderful times during the week Lynn was here....jam packed with activities.