We drove to Fort Davis TX on Monday 10 March for four nights. We stayed at Prude Ranch RV Park. Prude Ranch is a big place with cabins and lodging mostly for summer camps and groups. While we were there, Spring Break was ongoing, and we saw lots of kids of all ages around. The ranch offers horseback riding, an indoor pool, basketball and pickleball courts and large areas for tossing frisbees or football. The two RV sections really pack them in with campsites extremely close together.
Fort Davis Texas - Prude Ranch RV Park - 10 March 2025
Grounds
Fort Davis Texas - Prude Ranch RV Park - 10 March 2025
Front Lobby of Lodge
Fort Davis Texas - Prude Ranch RV Park - 10 March 2025
Front Lobby of Lodge
While at Prude Ranch, we visited the actual historic fort of Fort Davis. The National Park Service website says: A key post in the defense system of western Texas, Fort Davis played a major role in the history of the Southwest. From 1854 until 1891, troops stationed at the post protected emigrants, freighters, mail coaches, and travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road hoping to reach the gold fields of California. Today, Fort Davis is considered one of the best remaining examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest. It is a vivid reminder of the significant role played by the military in the settlement and development of the western frontier. Named for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, the fort was first garrisoned by Lieutenant Colonel Washington Seawell and six companies of the Eighth U.S. Infantry. The post was located in a box canyon near Limpia Creek on the eastern side of the Davis Mountains--where wood, water, and grass were plentiful. From 1854 to 1861 , troops of the Eighth Infantry spent much of their time in the field pursuing Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches.
That afternoon (11 March) we visited the McDonald Observatory, drove around the Davis Mountains 75-mile scenic loop and up the Skyline drive in Davis Mountains State Park.
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Officer Quarters
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Remnants of original building...
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis National Historic Site - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Hobby Eberly Telescope
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Presentation on the Sun - picture of a live sunspot
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Presentation on the Sun - Live picture of the Sun zoomed in...note solar flare up, aurora is 5000 miles wide
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Presentation on the Sun - Live picture of sun
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...Otto Struve 30 inch telescope
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...Harlan J. Smith Telescope
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...Century plant foreground
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...
Fort Davis Texas - University of Texas McDonald Observatory - 11 March 2025
Driving tour...
Davis Mountains Scenic 75-mile Loop Drive - 11 March 2025
Barrel Springs was the location of a stagecoach station on the Overland Route known as Barrel Springs and Dug Springs
Davis Mountains Scenic 75-mile Loop Drive - 11 March 2025
Point of Rocks
Davis Mountains Scenic 75-mile Loop Drive - 11 March 2025
Davis Mountains Scenic 75-mile Loop Drive - 11 March 2025
Rock Pile
Davis Mountains State Park - Top of Skyline Drive - 11 March 2025
"Village Farm" in the distance
Davis Mountains State Park - Skyline Drive Overlook - 11 March 2025
CCC Building
Davis Mountains State Park - Top of Skyline Drive - 11 March 2025
On Wednesday 12 March, we did a moderate/challenging hike on the Montezuma Qual trail in Davis Mountains State Park. We wanted to see a Montezuma Quail, but they eluded us on the hike and even at the feeders in the wildlife viewing area. The hike was rated correctly in our opinion. With loose slippery rocks all along the trail, we felt lucky to have no injuries. We missed them by about 30 minutes at the Interpretive Center feeders too.
After our hike we hung around the Interpretive Center watching birds for a while till the wind picked up. There were high wind advisories and warnings for 12 March, so we cut our day short and headed back to the campground after another drive on Skyline drive.
Davis Mountains State Park (Texas) -12 March 2025
Davis Mountains State Park (Texas) - Montezuma Quail Trail - 12 March 2025
Davis Mountains State Park (Texas) - 12 March 2025
The elusive Montezuma Quail pictured at the Interpretive Center
Wind picking up and stirring up the dust - 12 March 2025
Sunrise 13 March 2025 Prude Ranch RV
There were forecasts of a total lunar eclipse happening around 1:30am on 14 March 2025. We had plans to drive to Alpine Texas (only 30 miles), so we stayed up to see if the clouds would leave for us to see the eclipse. The moon was clearly visible a couple of hours before eclipse time, so we stayed up and saw the beginning which looked like soot was piling up on the base of the moon. Our phones wouldn't get a good picture of that stage. At total eclipse time, we could see the "blood moon", but again our phones couldn't capture what we were seeing. We went to bed at 2am that night and managed to get up around 8:30am to drive to Alpine. We've arrived in Alpine and are enjoying a nice campground with nice space between campsites. We have a good phone signal and our Internet is strong. These creature comforts make all the difference!
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