Transforming Beauty to Exquisite Beauty
©Bert Gildart: Fort Davis, Texas, is surrounded by dozens of miles of absolutely gorgeous columnar rock whose evolving beauty was initiated millions of years ago by the rapid cooling of basaltic rock as it intruded onto the earth. Essentially, that’s geology 101 and it contains information most everyone appreciates as they drive along country road 118 in this high desert landscape.
Autumn transforms the beauty surrounding Fort David into exquisite beauty.
The rest of the story is brief and continues, explaining that massive forces in the Earth’s core forced molten rock upward, and when it found a fissure — a weakness in the earth surface — it intruded, and began covering the land. Immediately the molten rock cooled and when it did, it was transformed into huge crystalline structures that soon became all those interesting columns now lining the road and back dropping the old fort itself. The result is that you have a number of beautiful settings that stand, independent of the season.
But wait! Now enter fall, and when you see a cottonwood dressed in yellow, one that graces the forefront of a column of dark basaltic rock, then one of the seasons has transformed a beautiful setting to one that is absolutely exquisite. That at any rate is what I thought as I drove along the almost deserted highway on this morning of 12/12/12).
The setting is magnetic, compulsory if you will, so we’ll be staying yet one more day at the Overland Trail RV Park. We also want to take a little time out from travel to work on Christmas cards.
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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS SIX YEARS AGO:
*Ranger Overboard
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4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Sometimes the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
Big Sky Country is beautiful
Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
What makes Glacier, Glacier?
Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
December 17th, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Ft Davis is a great place and one is sure to think that they’ll see John Wayne, Woodrow and Augustus walking the boardwalk at any moment. The town just screams “COWBOYS AND INDIANS.” The town is small, but its heart is BIG!
We have always stayed in the Davis Mtn State Park that overlooks the town. It’s beautiful and friendly with lots of wildlife as well as an exciting mountain drive to the top of Davis Mtn. What a beautiful overlook!
The area is a great staging point to visit the observatory, the fort, travel north into high country and maybe take a trail ride into the mountains that remind me of Montana or Wyoming. One would never expect this in stereotypical Texas. It adds a whole new dimension to an already amazing state.