Today we head back East. From Fabens, just south of El Paso, we head southeast to Fort Davis Texas State Park. Before leaving Fabens we hit the town's grocery store that had no signs in English advertising products! They had a bakery that was making tortillas plus one with the normal baked goods. Of special interest was the masa harina (corn meal for you gringos) used to make tamales, which is a Christmas must in the Mexican community. They even had the large steamer pots for steaming them. We restocked our Shiner Bock stash and headed out. It wasn't too long before we were noticing small snow flurries. It was 32 degrees but nothing was sticking. What a difference a day makes! We made a lunch stop in Balmorhea, a wide spot in the road, but home to Balmorhea State Park, which is home to a reservoir formed from a natural spring and what is claimed to be the largest (in somewhere) swimming pool, also fed by the spring. We found the Bear Den for lunch which lived up to its sign that said it was the "cutest little restaurant in Balmorhea." Of course, we had Tex-Mex...homemade tamales this time. They were great. We enjoyed having a conversation with a native of Balmorhea around our age, who went into the military because he didn't want to be a farmer, but returned to be a rancher of a special breed of sheep. Larry and I are beginning to feel that Texans are possibly the friendliest folks we have ever met. We gringos are definitely in the minority here, and the majority of the Border Patrols are Hispanic...legal! Yep, we got stopped at another Border Patrol Station. The dogs were sniffing a car-carrier truck. We didn't get sniffed this time. By lunch, we were surrounded by snow from a morning storm, which we missed. The cactus with snow were quite a site. As we climbed in elevation, we got above the tree line and the pine trees, short and bushy ones, we're covered in snow. We turned around on the first road our GPS told us to take into Ft. Davis due to heavy snow level and continued on to a road that was more traveled and well-cleared. We drove through the Ft. Davis Historical Site, which had the remains of the fort that was created to keep the Apaches from encroaching further into Texas and push then back into Mexico. Apparently the Apaches were not too friendly! We arrived at the State Park and are staying at the Indian Lodge, which is inside the park. I guess that is a politically incorrect name...surprised the gov't hasn't fixed that! It was built in the 30s and is white-washed adobe. The rooms are very nice and large with original wood floors, open beam ceilings and carved furniture! Very festive. We have been advised to eat at the lodge...home-cooking, which means American and Tex-Mex items. We are trying to work up an appetite! We took a ride on a scenic loop that took us to the McDonald Observatory which has the world's largest telescope of its kind. The scenery has been so beautiful...snow on the mountains and trees and clear in the valley. We are in awe, once again! We are thinking we will stay here for the morning tomorrow, bundle up and take a walk around the park and then head to oil country on our way to Palo Duro, another State Park. I'm missing the warm weather, but we have escaped the Southwest Blizzard...so far!
Just noticed... We have Internet but no cel service. Has been real spotty every day!