This
small town is the northern gateway to Big Bend Country,
centered around Big Bend National Park which lies
directly south. One highway route (TX 118) leads in a
general southerly direction to the western park entrance
near Terlingua and Study Butte. The other main route to
the park lies to the east of Alpine, leading south from
US Highway 90, 31 miles east of town.
This
is US 385, running 40 miles south to the park entrance,
and another 30 miles to park headquarters. Park roads
connect the two main routes, providing an incredibly
scenic loop drive to and from Alpine.
The
town sits off the southern edge of the Davis Mountains,
and just north of the Del Motte Mountains. These ranges
are of volcanic origin, covered with forests, with the
basins around Alpine perfect grassland for ranching. Huge
ranches cover the areas between the mountains,
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with
commercial orchards located in the canyons west and south
of town. Alpine has a celebrated climate, having been
fortuitously located high enough to have a moderate
temperature during summer months when the lower reaches
of Texas to the east suffer with incessant heat.
Originally named Murphysville in 1883, the town was
renamed in 1888 to reflect its location in what local
settlers called the "Alps of Texas." It's the
quintessential West Texas town: small, semi-rustic
(capturing the ambience and memories of the Old West),
with educational facilities which provide ongoing
cultural activity.
What
to See & Do
Sul
Ross State University carries on the traditions of
the teacher-training institution which was founded as Sul
Ross Normal College. A current specialty of the
university campus is the study of the Chihuahuan Desert,
with a focus on biology, geology, and range management.
The annual rodeo at the university brings travelers to
the town from far and wide. The college was the
birthplace of trhe National Intercollegiate Rodeo
Association.
The
Museum of the Big Bend, on the campus, provides a
great introduction to a Big Bend vacation, offering a
look at the early settlements in the vast Big Bend region
(including Native American life), as well as artifacts
from the mining, ranching, and settlement eras. The
museum is accessed through the upper gazebo gift shop.
Including the hands-on Discovery Center, the museum is
open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Alpine
has a nine-hole golf course, a half-dozen motels, plus RV
parks and bed and breakfast homes. The town and
surrounding area have become a haven for a growing number
of artists who exhibit in local galleries or show their
own works, and gather together several times each year
for "Gallery Night," with about 15 galleries
participating. Other than art and crafts, shopping runs
to boots and saddles, and almost anything you could want
in the way of Big Bend and Texas outdoor recreation
information in the Apache Trading Post.
Twenty-six
miles to the west is the small town of Marfa,
where the mysterious "Marfa Lights" are seen
periodically. The bright sky scene -- to the southwest --
is seen from a viewing area about nine miles east of
Marfa. Otherwise, Marfa's distinction is that the 1955
motion picture Giant was filmed here, with Rock Hudson,
James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor staying in private houses
while most of the other actors and crew stayed in the El
Paisano Hotel (still operating). Marfa is the county
seat, with a courthouse, and the Presidio County Museum
which features an exhibit on the Marfa Lights. The museum
is open Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Marfa's 9-hole golf
club is the highest golf course in Texas.
