[Tuesday] We used Uber for the first time, to ride to Houston Intercontinental Airport terminal C. Because of the construction at E, we had to go into C, even though our flight left from terminal E. Our United flight UA-5757 was an ERJ175 (00) airplane. We left Houston on time at 12:05pm and arrived in Midland early at 1:30pm. The airplane was fully loaded with big guys on their way to work in the Permian Basin oil fields. We picked up our car at Avis and drove to Odessa. We drove around the city, looking at the schools Kay attended and the houses she lived in growing up. We met her friend, Carla and her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson at Cheddar's restaurant for dinner.

Afterwards we drove to Midland and checked into the Doubletree Hotel, where we stayed 2 nights.

< View from our hotel room.

[Wednesday] this morning after breakfast in the hotel, we drove to Stanton to the Evergreen Cemetery, where we met the manager that showed us our lots. Afterwards, we met Kay's cousins, Morgan, Jonama, and husband John. We enjoyed lunch with them at EJ's Cotton Pickin Dive.

We then met the rancher that rents some land that Kay inherited and he took us out to the land and showed it to us. It was the first time that we had ever seen it. It was not very impressive to look at, but was typical for the area.

We drove around the little town of Stanton some and checked all the sites of interest to us, then went back to Midland to our hotel for the night.

< Stanton Main street rush hour. < Renovation of the Convent. < Connell House.

[Thursday] Today we left Midland after stopping at Denny's restaurant for breakfast. We drove to Odessa and visited with Kay's grade school friend, Carla, that now lives in a nursing home.

We then drove to Crane where we purchased the headstone for our plots in Stanton. Afterwards, we stopped at Dairy Queen in Crane for a quick lunch and drove to Marfa. We checked into the Hotel Paisano, room 241. We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, Jett's Grill.

The hotel was named for the nearby Paiano Mountain Pass. It was built in 1930. The structure reflects Spanish Baroque styling.

< < < <

< < Hotel Paisano, Marfa.

[Friday] We walked about three blocks to The Sentinel Marfa restaurant for breakfast. It is an interesting building that has adobe walls, with steel beams supporting everything. It is connected with the local Marfa newspaper. After we returned to the hotel, we had to change rooms for our second night here (they stay fully booked, it seems). The staff moved our bags to the new room.

< < The Sentinel.

We drove around Marfa and after stopping to buy some fruit at the Get Go Grocery, we drove around the unusual town some more. There are so many unusual homes around town.

< The Get Go Grocery.

We returned to the hotel at noon and our new room, 256, was ready. We then went back to the Sentinel and ate lunch.

After lunch, we drove around and stopped briefly at the Blackwell School. It is a National Historic Site. It was for children of Mexican descent and the school dates back to the 1880's. It was not open.

We also stopped at the Chinati Foundation and talked to a lady about the tours they offer. We didn't take any tours this visit because we weren't up to walking as much as needed.

We then drove to Ballroom Marfa art gallery and viewed all the bizarre art on display by Julie Speed, a local Marfa artist.

< < <

< < Ballroom Marfa.

The Presidio County Courthouse was a block from our hotel.

< Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa.

We came back to the hotel and relaxed prior to dinner in the Jett's Grill at 8:00 pm. Marfa has become an art haven in the past decade and the price of real estate has risen by 250% since 2015. It is unlike any other city we have visited in the USA. There are art galleries around every corner. You need to bring a healthy wallet when you visit. It is certainly an interesting place to visit, but would probably be hard to adjust to if you were to move here.

[Saturday] This morning we walked around the corner to the Aster Cafe and Bakery and had breakfast in this unique hole in the wall cafe. They had lots of business in the morning, because the hotel doesn't serve breakfast or lunch in the attached restaurant.

< Aster Cafe entrance.

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and drove East to Alpine. Along the way we stopped to view some of the unusual art in a field. We then stopped at the Marfa Lights Viewing Station and looked around. It is an excellent station for viewing the lights. We saw the lights on a previous visit, so we didn't come back at night to see them this time. We also stopped at the Paisano Baptist Encampment and drove around a little. Kay had come there in the past in her youth.

< Some unusual art.

< < Marfa Lights Viewing Station.

< Paisano Baptist Encampment entrance.

At Alpine, we stopped at the Holland Hotel and went inside. We were too early to check in. We learned that their restaurant is closed for remodeling. We then drove down the street about a mile to Magoo's Place and ate lunch.

We then drove around Alpine and through the Sol Ross State University campus. We went back to the hotel and were able to check in at 2:00 pm.

< < <

< The Holland Hotel.

After getting situated in our room, we drove south on TX-118 about 20 miles into some of the lower mountains and took some photos. On the way back to Alpine, we went through a Border Patrol checkpoint.

< < < TX-118 south of Alpine.

Local artists paint elaborate murals on all the walls in town. We drove around and photographed some examples.

< <

< < < Some of the murals.

For dinner we drove to the Penny's Diner. Their serving sizes were apparently West Texas size - BIG!

[Sunday] This morning we drove back to Penny's Diner and ate breakfast. They offer a massive amount of food with each order. We shared a breakfast and it was still more than we could eat.

After relaxing in the hotel, we walked across to street and watched the arrival of the Amtrak train coming from the East (New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio). They changed the crew in the engine here in Alpine. They were here about 30 minutes, then left for Los Angeles.

< Alpine Amtrak station. < Amtrak train from Houston.

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel lobby and watched the Second Baptist Church 11:11am streaming service.

We then drove north on TX-118 to Mitre Peak Campground. This is where Kay came when she was in the Girls Scouts.

< < <

< Scenes from Mitre Peak drive.

After lunch, we drove around town using the Alpine Driving Tour guide. We ended up at the Sol Ross State University campus where we saw several herds of deer gathered on the grounds. They seemed right at home, with many small fawns.

< < Deer on the campus.

We picked up a light dinner from Subway and took it back to the hotel.

[Monday] This morning after breakfast at McDonald's, we drove to Marathon. We had reservations at the Gage Hotel. After a short while waiting in the lobby, our room was ready early and we were able to take our bags upstairs. We ate lunch in the V6 Coffee Shop next door. There is not a variety of dining options in Marathon, so the V6 Coffee Shop for breakfast and lunch is it. For dinner, the 12 Gage Bar & Restaurant is it for the town. They have good food, but it is not cheap.

< Along the road to Marathon.

< <

< < < The Gage Hotel.

After lunch, we drove the short distance to Gage Gardens. It is a beautiful oasis in the arid desert landscape. There were lots of birds and butterflies. Monarch butterflies were abundant in the trees. They were at a short stop on their journey to Mexico for the winter.

< <

< < Gage Gardens.

We then drove down south to Fort Pena Colorado Park. It is the site of a military base in the 1860's. A stream is dammed to form a nice lake. There was a group of ducks that thought that we should feed them something. A colorful mountain was nearby.

< < < Along the way to the Park.

< < < Fort Pena Colorado Park.

We returned to the hotel and ate dinner in the 12 Gage Restaurant at the hotel.

[Tuesday] We ate breakfast in the V6 Coffee Shop. After breakfast, we drove around the little town some more and came back to the hotel and relaxed in the lobby.

We ate lunch again in the V6 Coffee Shop. We then drove about 15 miles south on US-385 toward Big Bend National Park. We took some photos of the mountains and returned to the hotel and relaxed in the lobby. We came thought a Border Patrol stop on the way back to Marathon.

< < < Some of the Mountains.

We went next door to the White Buffalo Bar and ate dinner. They were really crowded and we ate at the bar. It's amazing how many people show up at meal times out here in the middle of nowhere. I guess that it is because there is only one place to eat out. Afterwards we went out across the road to take some sunset photos. While we were there a skunk came by about 20 feet from us. Fortunately it was in a hurry to get away from us. We hightailed it back to the hotel.

< Sunset in Marathon.

[Wednesday] This morning after breakfast at the hotel, we left Marathon and headed back north to Midland.

< Morning rush hour in Marathon.

< Goodby to the mountains.

We stopped for lunch in Fort Stockton. We checked in at the Baymont Hotel at the Midland International Air and Space Port. We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, an Indian restaurant.

[Thursday] We ate breakfast in the hotel and then at 10:00 am drove the short distance to the airport and turned in our rental car. We caught UA-6156 back to Houston. It was supposed to leave at 12:05pm, but was delayed to 2:05pm and we got into Houston at 3:30pm. It was an Embraer 175 airplane. We tried to take Uber home, but weren't able to figure out how the terminal C queue and app worked, so we took a taxi home instead. We got home around 6:00pm.

< Nearly time to leave.

This draws to a close our very brief trip to West Texas. We hope you enjoyed the photos and brief descriptions of our activities. God willing, join us again soon for another travel adventure.

Goodbye for now,

Lawson & Kay

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 NKJV)