West Texas (Dallas, El Paso, Lubbock: apartment complexes, hotels, house)

[fallguy]

Hi-
I'm working on a road trip from Dallas to Fort Stockton.

I've never been to Fort Stockton. I've only been near there on the way back to Lubbock from Big Bend back in 2004 (I'm a proud Human Dev. & Fam. Studies grad. of TX TECH of May 2005.)

I have to pick up friends in either Abilene or Lubbock who'll assist me in reaching Fort Stockton b/c I'm not very directional.

My parents stayed the night in Fort Stockton back in 1971 on the way home to Fort Hood from my mom's aunt & uncle's house in Palm Springs. They pulled into some motel after midnight one night in Jan. or Feb. 1971 & awoke the motel owner. He was mad but he let them a room anyway. My parents haven't been to Fort Stockton since.

Is Fort Stockton worth the drive from Dallas/Abilene/Lubbock??

IMHO, the Best Museum in Texas is The West of the Pecos Museum in Pecos.
I've been there once 1.28.06 with my uncle's neice from Abilene. That was also the date we went to The Roy Orbison Museum in Wink (also a good museum) & Donburrito Mexican Restaurant (it's good eatin'!!) in Kermit.

I've been to Abilene & San Angelo but vastly prefer Lubbock to those two.

I've only been to El Paso Airport on the way to Vegas with my parents back in 2001. I'm wrestling with the concept of visiting The Border Patrol Museum in El Paso.

I've been to Big Bend once (by car via Lubbock & Albuquerque & Santa Fe where I had friends-2004)...it's my favorite Texas region & I'm trying to visit there again by car.

Any views on Pecos, Kermit, Wink, Abilene, San Angelo, El Paso, Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis??

Thanks,
fallguy

[teatime]

I live in Abilene and my son is a student at Texas Tech so I do the Abilene-Lubbock drive fairly often. My son calls it boring, LOL, and some stretches are but there is also some FAB scenery. I quite enjoy it, as it just seems to look like what everyone thinks of when they imagine Texas.

I just did the trip on Thursday and stumbled upon some interesting history. The area around Post, TX, is SO beautiful so I lingered a bit this time and saw something written on one of the buildings in Post. It said, "A C.W. Post town." The cereal king? Yep!

Apparently, C.W. Post wanted to build a utopia and bought up hundreds of thousands of acres there. Google Post, TX for the whole story -- it's really worth the read!

As for Abilene, spend some time in the beautifully restored downtown area. There are several museums and galleries, a neat and state-of-the-art exhibit called Frontier Texas! and some fine restaurants, plus the restored and beautiful Paramount Theater. Next Tuesday is the City Sidewalks celebration lighting up the downtown for Christmas. ArtWalk, which offers free entertainment and free admission to the museums and such is the second Thursday of each month. It's nice in December because there are lots of choirs and crafters and such.

[fallguy]

Thanks, teatime...

I've been to Post on my way to Snyder b/c I'd never been to a real speedtrap before & from Snyder I went to San Angelo b/c I'd never been there & was curious about it
(2004). The best food in San Angelo IMHO is @ Franco's Tex-Mex on MLK Blvd.

I've heard for some reason that Post was founded by Charles Post, the cereal magnate.

Tech is a great school that I miss every day...I even miss Lubbock every day, too!!

My Abilene kin are actually in Merkel...uncle's neice's husband is a maintenance man at the Abilene prison unit.

I've been to the Paramount theater a few times...it's very nice.

When Tech was too big I went to Hardin-Simmons FR. & SO. (1997-1999)
then ACU for something bigger (1999-2001) then University of the Ozarks -Home in AR (Aug.-Dec. 2001) that plays HSU in Sports for something kinder than ACU...(didn't know it was real strict & mostly mean folks at ACU), then I went to Tech Jan. 2002-May 2005.

Then after I grad. Tech May 2005 I went to UNT Denton Aug. 2005-May 2006 for a
non-master's postgrad in Gerontology. I'm thinking of running an assisted-living center at some point but now do clerical work from home in McKinney for some friends' online vitamin co. part-time while I seek something full-time out of the house in data-entry.

I've heard of Frontier Texas but haven't been there yet.

Is it true Harold's BBQ is closing?? Haven't been there yet...I'm too addicted to Joe Allen's BBQ.

Thanks,
fallguy

[teatime]

Oh, man, I hadn't heard that Harold's is closing! I hope it's not true! Spano's Italian restaurant closed and Joe Allen closed Cahoots. Rumor has it, though, that Spano's may reopen in the Cahoots building. I LOVE Joe Allen's, YUM!

I'm not big on Tex-Mex or Mexican food. Well, at least the variety in the States, LOL. It's WAY too fattening and heavy for my tastes and health. I'm big on seafood and need to check out some more local venues, beyond Red Lobster. I like to support local businesses.

I like Lubbock. The traffic sure does stink, though. My son lives in one of the apartment complexes off Fourth Street and the construction there is awful. Ever been to the Llano Estacado winery? It's really neat, and they produce lovely wines! A bottle of their blush will be gracing my Thanksgiving table! I was happy to see that the grocery stores in Abilene sell their wines.

Oh, and I LOVE Orlando's Italian restaurant in Lubbock! Wish they'd open one in Abilene!

[case44]

Originally Posted by fallguy

Hi-
I'm working on a road trip from Dallas to Fort Stockton.

I've never been to Fort Stockton. I've only been near there on the way back to Lubbock from Big Bend back in 2004 (I'm a proud Human Dev. & Fam. Studies grad. of TX TECH of May 2005.)

I have to pick up friends in either Abilene or Lubbock who'll assist me in reaching Fort Stockton b/c I'm not very directional.

My parents stayed the night in Fort Stockton back in 1971 on the way home to Fort Hood from my mom's aunt & uncle's house in Palm Springs. They pulled into some motel after midnight one night in Jan. or Feb. 1971 & awoke the motel owner. He was mad but he let them a room anyway. My parents haven't been to Fort Stockton since.

Is Fort Stockton worth the drive from Dallas/Abilene/Lubbock??

IMHO, the Best Museum in Texas is The West of the Pecos Museum in Pecos.
I've been there once 1.28.06 with my uncle's neice from Abilene. That was also the date we went to The Roy Orbison Museum in Wink (also a good museum) & Donburrito Mexican Restaurant (it's good eatin'!!) in Kermit.

I've been to Abilene & San Angelo but vastly prefer Lubbock to those two.

I've only been to El Paso Airport on the way to Vegas with my parents back in 2001. I'm wrestling with the concept of visiting The Border Patrol Museum in El Paso.

I've been to Big Bend once (by car via Lubbock & Albuquerque & Santa Fe where I had friends-2004)...it's my favorite Texas region & I'm trying to visit there again by car.

Any views on Pecos, Kermit, Wink, Abilene, San Angelo, El Paso, Marfa, Alpine, Fort Davis??

Thanks,
fallguy

Well, first of all, I hope you have a great trip, my friend. But if you're heading out to Fort Stockton, don't expect a city the size of Abilene on Interstate 10. That's what I wish it would be, given the surrounding area, but unfortunately, it isn't. In fact, don't expect much variety in the restaurants in Fort Stockton. The population is a whopping 8,000 (woo-hoo). They've got a good choice of hotels there, and my recommendation is the Hampton Inn on I-10. It's the newest, and I stayed there a couple of years ago. Fantastic!

I mentioned the restaurants earlier, and much of it is fast food. There are scant few sit-down places there. They used to have one barbecue restaurant, the Camphouse, a few years ago that was quite good. It has since closed, which is too bad. I could eat at that place pretty much every day. The town did see an IHOP open recently, but that's pretty much it.

For the tourist, they have the Annie Riggs Museum, the old Fort, and Paisano Pete, the world's biggest roadrunner.

I recommend El Paso and Lubbock for your West Texas endeavors. But you won't want to miss McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis. At the top of the mountains, there's not a quieter place in Texas to be.

[GayleTX]

Another Red Raider here.....worked full-time on campus ( Housing Office and later the Ag Dept ) and took classes for years. Of course, that was back in the dark ages, but still have special place in my heart for the place. Left kickin' and screamin' when DH moved me to East Texas.

[fallguy]

Originally Posted by case44

Well, first of all, I hope you have a great trip, my friend. But if you're heading out to Fort Stockton, don't expect a city the size of Abilene on Interstate 10. That's what I wish it would be, given the surrounding area, but unfortunately, it isn't. In fact, don't expect much variety in the restaurants in Fort Stockton. The population is a whopping 8,000 (woo-hoo). They've got a good choice of hotels there, and my recommendation is the Hampton Inn on I-10. It's the newest, and I stayed there a couple of years ago. Fantastic!

I mentioned the restaurants earlier, and much of it is fast food. There are scant few sit-down places there. They used to have one barbecue restaurant, the Camphouse, a few years ago that was quite good. It has since closed, which is too bad. I could eat at that place pretty much every day. The town did see an IHOP open recently, but that's pretty much it.

For the tourist, they have the Annie Riggs Museum, the old Fort, and Paisano Pete, the world's biggest roadrunner.

I recommend El Paso and Lubbock for your West Texas endeavors. But you won't want to miss McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis. At the top of the mountains, there's not a quieter place in Texas to be.

*Thank you...I know it will be a great trip!!

At some point I might go to The Border Patrol Museum in El Paso.

I've driven by McDonald Observatory and through Fort Davis in the dark
(2004). They're both great looking, IMHO. I'd like to return to Big Bend sometime by car, not exactly sure when I'll be able to.

I read this year that Fort Stockton opened a new entertainment complex:
movie-theater, mini-golf, restaurants called Stockton Place.

Also mulling a return to The West of the Pecos Museum in Pecos, (The Best Museum in Texas, IMHO.) poss. Spring 2008 sometime. I have a friend who's never been.

Talk to you soon!!

fallguy

[ChristieP]

Harold's better not close! That is the BEST BBQ in Abilene! Everyone on Chowhound.com agrees!!!

[leorah]

I second Case44's recommendation to visit McDonald Observatory near Ft. Davis. Try to attend one of their evening star parties. It's worth the admission price and more. The Ft. Davis National Historical Site is beautiful. The Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine is also worth a visit. In fact, Alpine itself is a great place, with a few good restaurants, some good shops and great galleries. It's much nicer than Ft.Stockton. Marfa is interesting, and worth at least one visit.

[fallguy]

Thank you, Leorah.

I've been to Alpine & Fort Davis only once (2004) but have never been to a Fort Davis star party...I've only heard of them. I've also never eaten in Alpine. I like Pop's Grill Hamburger Restaurant in Fort Davis & also want to try Rodney's PHAT Burger in
Fort Davis.

When I lived in Denton (2006) I met a man from Paducah, TX by Lubbock who also prefers Alpine over Fort Stockton.

I'll let you know how things turn out.

Talk to you soon,

fallguy