A Real Get-Away!

This post is just about a favorite place of mine!  Our emergency turned out OK in October.  We were really tired after market in Houston, and since we already had reservations for a few days away, we decided to keep them instead of cancelling.

So-o-o-o, even though it’s been awhile, I thought you might be interested in some photos of our destination in West Texas. It’s a great place to go to clear your mind and reset!  Here’s the Gage Hotel where we stayed in Marathon – originally a ranch house. No TV and only this trip (out of 25 yrs. worth) did I notice the addition of phones. It’s quiet, quiet, quiet as far as getting away from …………!

This is the Courtyard looking through the gate. Some years ago this area of rooms was added and we always prefer to stay here rather than in the main hotel. It’s beautiful and a great place to sit and read, appliqué, etc.!  Design?!

Everything reflects the culture of the region, including the rooms inside. It really makes you feel like you are away from the everyday! The landscape is dry and desolate, just like the movies of the Old West. Pancho Villa used to raid all through this area. Big Bend National Park is just 1 hr. south with it’s sweeping views, dry, rocky mountains, colorful history, and the Rio Grande, of course! It has an awesome beauty, and despite it’s forbidding climate, it’s FULL of plant and animal life.

These are two other courtyard areas…..

and the outdoor area of their restaurant. Great food from their chef and if you want to just sit and sit at lunch, you can soak up the peace & quiet! (I don’t think you can take a nap in those chairs, though!)

OK! Now for some photos of the amazing landscape. With all my talk of peace & quiet, don’t get the idea there’s nothing to do!  The Park offers hiking trails galore, jeep & walking tours, birding, horseback tours, river rafting, etc. There is the River, the desert floor and the mountains, so there’s plenty to see even just by car. It’s an overwhelming place and I always seem to be able to put things in perspective when I’m here!

The dry air makes the evenings cool no matter how hot the day has been and that by itself is a big plus to those of us who live with the humidity in Houston!

The first photo below is on the desert floor across the creosote bushes to the mountains.

The flowers are Bluebonnets, but they’re a special variety called Big Bend Bluebonnets.  They are larger than the regular one that Texas is famous for, with a flower spike growing up to more than a foot high.

Then there is Santa Elena Canyon. This is just one of the canyons on the Rio Grande, but I believe it’s the most beautiful. The river is lazy in the summertime; wild in the spring!

This last photo is looking south into Mexico.  This area is home to mountain lion, black bear and peregrine falcon, among others.

Just wanted to show you a little of something special to me. It’s been great to look at all this again!  And since it’s getting late, it makes me think about that card the maid left on my pillow each night; it said “Sweet Dreams”. . . . . . . . .