Big Bend Adventure Day One – Wind and Stars

Desert sky wind farm

Industrial wind turbines dominated the horizon as far as the eye could see. Our journey to Big Bend began with this man-made scenery. These turbines are part of the Desert Sky Wind Farm, a wind power generation facility located near the far West Texas town of Iraan, in Pecos County. The site includes 107 turbines, spread over a 15-square-mile area on Indian Mesa. 100% of the electricity generated by these wind turbines is used by CPS energy, the power utility that provides electric service to San Antonio.

McDonald Observatory

Six hours after we left San Antonio we arrived at our hotel in Alpine. Next stop: McDonald Observatory, where we attended a Twilight Program and Star Party. The Twilight Program is an educational program that takes place 1.5 hours before the Star Party. At the Star Party we enjoyed night sky constellation tours and views of celestial objects through a handicap accessible telescope. My favorite was Saturn with the unmistakable rings. Even without a telescope the moon and stars that night were big and bright.

“Deep in the Heart of Texas“ is an American popular song about the U.S. state of Texas.

Orvon Grover “Gene” Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as a singing cowboy on the radio, in movies, and on television for more than three decades beginning in the early 1930s. Orvon Grover Autry was born September 29, 1907 near Tioga in Grayson County in north Texas, the grandson of a Methodist preacher.