Anything worth visiting in West Texas? Or is there really nothing out there?

[jtur88]

There's a motel in Sanderson with a lot of live snakes on display in the lobby. I think it's the Outback Oasis.

Buy a field guide to the Wildflowers of Texas, and stop on the roadside and see how many you can identify.

If you have a pair of binoculars, almost all the bird species found in West Texas are different from the ones commonly seen in East Texas.

The desert is rich in diverse forms of nature and wildlife, but if the only thing you're interested in is what people have built, you won't find much.

[Johnhw2]

Big Bend country is so unique and well worth seeing. North of Shafter is a national historic register private fort. It serves as a unique hotel today. It is well known out side this country as much as in it, its called Cibolo Creek Ranch. Its private, no TV, no cell phone signals, family style food in a facility that feels like you are in some one's private hacienda. Its not inexpensive to stay but like nothing I have experienced. Shafter itself is a ghost town (a few live there so not really but they consider it such). These it not much to see around this place and its not easy to find.... but very unique and relaxing. Its a high elevation so not as warm as one might assume, but its located in a valley in this area so no cell signal. This is just one of the many unique, places in Big Bend country.....well worth a trip to the area which is far from most things and far between things in the area.

[highplainsrus]

Be sure to bring plenty of potable water with you. There isn't much of it in west texas.
Palo Duro is gorgeous, especially after a rainfall (few and far between). If you have
time, run over to Tucumcari and have a Lotaburger green chile cheeseburger.

[Latte4Lady]

We moved from Gulf Shores, AL, and now live in Seminole, TX. It was a culture shock at first, but now I love it. I have read several posts on this site that complain of a lack of something to do in the area.

For those who think living in West Texas is boring, I have news for ya. You aren't trying! Get out of your comfort zone and explore the area around you! We have enjoyed a Christmas with snow in the mountains of Cloudcroft, cooled off from the heat of summer in the caverns of Carlsbad, frolicked on the sand dunes in Monahans, watched drive-in double features in the evenings at Big Sky in Midland, photographed 'aliens' in Roswell. We have been to a country music festival in Gardendale and are going to another this weekend in Monahans. We have eaten at some great restaurants in Midland, enjoyed the rowdy nightlife of Odessa and super-shopped in Lubbock. And that's just a start, as we have only lived here a year. There is more on our to do list: drag racing, horseback riding trails, hiking trails, and even overnight camel trekking.

I want to snow ski in NM, see the lights of Marfa, canoe in Guadalupe Mtns NP, hike in Big Bend. I want to sample the wines in the nearby wineries, hike the two nearby canyon parks, breeze along the old Hwy 66 (Cadillac Ranch anyone?) and visit the Buddy Holly museum in Lubbock. I want to hit a few rodeos, a few pow-wows, and few more music festivals.

I thought I was living in God's Country when I lived on the gulf coast of Alabama. It is beautiful and I feel privileged to have lived there. However, there is equally as much beauty in the desert. A dust storm rolling across the plains is as awe-inspiring as a tropical storm rolling onto the shoreline. The sheer starkness of the desert landscape can be breathtakingly splendid. At times the clouds hang low in the bluest of skies, making it seem that you can reach out and touch them- and the sunsets are not to be missed.

The only thing I really long for is being able to grab our canoe or our kayak for a day of paddling around in the bay.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Latte4Lady

We moved from Gulf Shores, AL, and now live in Seminole, TX. It was a culture shock at first, but now I love it. I have read several posts on this site that complain of a lack of something to do in the area.

For those who think living in West Texas is boring, I have news for ya. You aren't trying! Get out of your comfort zone and explore the area around you!........

Yes, do be sure and schedule a trip to see Big Bend between October and April! Magnificent, magnificent country! Try some rafting in one of the canyons there (Boquillas, Mariscal, Santa Elena), and check out Big Bend Ranch state park, too. I haven't seen it since it became a park, so that will be an interesting future trip for me soon!

I can't wait to get home.....

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Latte4Lady

We moved from Gulf Shores, AL, and now live in Seminole, TX.

Bless your hearts! That's quite a move!

May I suggest a few area things to do? If you're planning to visit the Buddy Holly Museum at Lubbock, keep in mind it is not open on Mondays, only Tuesday through Saturday. I've been there several times and it is definitely worth a visit. The Museum is actually located in what was once the old South Plains RR Depot building. The building was also once a restaurant in which I've eaten lunch on occasion when I had an office at Lubbock (showing my age here.) One of the most interesting recent things I had heard they had added to the Museum was Buddy's black eyeglasses that had been picked up at the 1959 Clear Lake, Iowa crash site by the local sheriff's department. Apparently the sheriff's office had been holding the glasses in their evidence room all these years. The small house they just moved to the east of the Museum is Jerry Allison's old homeplace. It is also the place where Holly and the Crickets wrote one of their most famous tunes, 'That'll Be the Day'.

Also, you may want to visit Buddy Holly's gravesite at the City of Lubbock Cemetery. If you are so inclined, here you can leave a guitar pick at Buddy's headstone. Leaving a guitar pick is supposed to symbolize your desire that the "music should live on." We've left a few picks there ourselves.

Another musical venue you may want to explore is the annual Clovis (NM) Music Festival. It's always fun with a lot of great music. If you do attend this year, I'll see you there.

I apologize for not providing URL links to each of these sites but for some reason C-D is not allowing me to do that.