In Big Bend Country, the sky's no limit. Nowhere else in Texas do the stars at night shine quite so bright or the sunsets seems quite so rosy. Here, too, the earth displays its own vigor. Prickly pear cacti bloom with fuschia ferocity and golden exuberance as desert vistas shimmer far into the distance. Nomadic tumbleweeds bounce erratically across lonesome prairies, and craggy mountain peaks form a jagged phalanx on the horizon. Nature needs no introduction in this awe-inspiring terrain.

Two spectacular national parks-Guadalupe Mountains on the north and Big Bend on the south-encapsulate the rugged grandeur of the area and provide an outdoor feast for hikers, campers, naturalists, artists, and all who savor nature's untamed beauty.

Cities carve out a comfortable niche here as well. On the western edge of the region, venerable El Paso enchants visitors with its multicultural festivities, multispiced cuisines, and numerous museums. On the eastern rim, Midland, Odessa and Del Rio invite you to enjoy an eclectic array of attractions such as a collection of vintage airplanes, a Shakespearean theater, and the recreational opportunities of massive Amistad International Reservoir. And in between, towns like Pecos, Fort Davis, Alpine, Marfa, and Marathon serve up surprises of their own, including ghostly lights, frontier forts, and splendid views of the heavens.

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