A Night Sky Like No Other: McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, TX

 

You’d think that living in the great State of Texas there is almost a limitless number of things to be seen, and while that’s true, there is one place in Texas that has scenery like no other. Fort Davis.

The night sky is something that us city-dwellers often take for granted. It’s usually obscured by vast amounts of light pollution. Even if you get out of the city, say out to the East Texas area and the Great Piney woods, you simple can’t escape a night sky that allows you a view with no artificial light.

That’s not the case in Ft. Davis. Considered one of the darkest places at night in the United States, it provides the perfect location for The University of Texas at Austin’s McDonald Observatory. Located on Mt. Locke, the observatory was constructed in the 1930’s and has provided vast amounts of data and images of the heavens that, to this day, stand as a monument to celebrate all that we’ve achieved and all that we continue to learn about the known Universe.

However, the observatory is not the most impressive thing about this location. Once the Sun sets, you don’t need a telescope to see literally millions more stars than you’ve ever seen anywhere else in Texas. The feeling of witnessing this for the first time is awe inspiring. Feeling small is an understatement. On a clear night, you can see the rest the Milky Way clearly, as if the sky were filled with stardust and diamonds. You can see planets, constellations, even other galaxies without the aid of a telescope. That is just your first introduction to the hidden majesty of “what is out there”.

The observatory will then provide a personal introduction to everything you’d ever

want to know about our universe and beyond. I highly recommend reserving a spot at for their Star Party. If you only had a moderate interest in astronomy, or virtually none in my case (I really just wanted to see some stars), you will leave with a new appreciation for the science,  philosophy and  it’s history. It is not a highbrow lecture but an interactive discovery as you sit under the night sky while staff show you (rather effectively) constellations, stars, planets and even other galaxies with a simple laser pointer. Can you tell I’m still impressed? And, that’s not even the highlight!  You actually get to look through an array of 7 or 8 of the observatories telescopes to look deeper into space than you ever have before. Ever see the rings of Saturn? I did. Ever see a Super Nova? I did. Be sure to bring a jacket and some blankets because it can get chilly.

Needless to say, I was not only impressed by what I saw, I was inspired.

Though the area is sparsely populated, there are plenty of areas to camp as well as parks to provide hook ups for your RV. If you have yet to visit West Texas, put it on your bucket list for a Spring trip. It’s one of the few places I’ve been in recent RVing trips that “recharged” me. It’s quiet. It’s friendly. It’s absolutely beautiful. By the way, the Davis Mountain State Park is terrific! In fact, while we were setting up the RV, we had a deer welcome us by sticking his head in our RV as if to say “Hi! Welcome to Fort Davis”.

Check out the McDonald Observatory and the David Mountain State Park and plan a trip. I guarantee that you will love it! At PPL Motorhomes, we aren’t just in the business of selling RVs and RV parts, we hope to sell memories, and Ft. Davis Texas and the surrounding towns (Marfa is just down the road) is full of memories waiting to be had by all. From the very young, to the old, it’s a place that must be seen to be believed.