Layover in Alpine

We left San Marcos to head to our next stop, Santa Fe. In the pre-planning stage of this trip I had chosen Odessa as a break point (because I really don’t have any intention of driving more then 6 hours a day). However, when I plugged the location into Google Maps as we loaded into the car the day of our drive I noticed just how close Alpine was to our route. My grandfather, Papa, grew up in Alpine. We decided to drive there instead, no question!

We arrived in town super late, around midnight. Perfect to just drive a few miles further to see the Marfa lights. Marfa lights are unexplained lights, mysterious glowing orbs that appear in the night sky. We pulled up to the viewing area, after 20 miles of the darkest stretch of highway, I mean it was PITCH black. The kids were sleeping (thank God) as Levi and I hopped out of the vehicles. Immediately I looked straight up to the sky and saw the most breathtaking star display ever. The best way I can think to describe the stars and the swirls of light in the sky is like a painting, that can’t be real because it is just too perfectly beautiful. We bundled the little ones in blankets and carried them over to the viewing area where we sat on benches for about an hour watching for the Marfa lights to appear. It was a cloudy night so we were prepared that maybe we wouldn’t get to see anything. After about 40 relaxing minutes of just sitting enjoying the stars, dark night, and peace and quiet we saw something. One and then two warm lights bouncing around with no rhyme or reason in the distant skyline. The lights would flicker on and off and almost bounce around the sky with each other, not in unison. So very cool to get to see!! A mouse scurried across the ground in front of us and Levi jumped onto the bench with sleeping Henry in his arms, he was done after that. (Is it bad that I couldn’t stop laughing at Levi’s reaction to a little baby mouse?)

The next morning was spent walking/driving around Alpine to reminisce.

I remember hearing stories about my Papa disappearing with his donkey exploring in the mountains for the entire day. And a story of a family hike my mom took as a kid, where she was warned not to sit down as there were cactus on the hill. She of course sat down, and was mortified when she had to have each of the quills removed from her bum. Papas sister taught at the university in town, Sul Ross.