From Alpine, Texas to Fredericksburg, Texas

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I had decided to make today a full driving day from Alpine in the Southwest of Texas to Fredericksburg in the Hill Country of Texas. This would be about 350-400 miles of driving, the most I've driven in a single day on this trip. But after looking at a map, I had decided that there wasn't really much to do or see in Texas between Alpine and the Hill Country (I wasn't interested in checking out any more little museums dedicated to life on the western frontier), so it seemed OK for me to spend the day driving, and to get a head start for tomorrow.

But first I headed to Penny's Diner for breakfast. On the menu board was written "Philly Sandwich" and I asked the cook what that was. From his description, it wasn't close to a Philly Cheesesteak, which is what I think they were trying to emulate. I then told him I was from Philadelphia and he was a bit embarrassed I think and he tried, unsuccessfully, to erase the item from the menu board. 

After breakfast, I stopped one more time at Front Street Books to check out the store and maybe buy a book, which I did. The bookstore was very nice for a town of 6,000 people, and it even had a cool coffee shop in the back of the store. I chatted with the proprietor for a bit. Then I left and headed out of Alpine, going north on State Route 17 to get to Interstate 10 in Balmorhea. 

I first stopped in Fort Davis to explore the town a bit. I noticed a Confederate monument erected in 1931 by the Texas Division of the Daughters of the Confederacy noting the Jefferson Davis Highway No. 3. According to a nearby sign, "several generations of Fort Davis children have grown up believing that Jefferson Davis is buried there, rather than in Richmond, Virginia." Then I took a short detour to the McDonald Observatory, but it was closed when I got there. (I should have checked the hours before I left!). 

After the McDonald Observatory mishap, I hightailed it back to I-10 (via Route 17, a fairly decent scenic drive, but nothing compared to the River Road on the Rio Grande). In Balmorhea, I passed Balmorhea State Park which was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and has the largest spring-fed swimming pool in the world. 

Once on I-10, I did the Texas speed limit of 80 MPH. I only made two stops - Fort Stockton and Ozona. I got to Fredericksburg at about 6 pm, after 417 miles of driving and eight hours on the road.
The Confederate monument in Fort Davis square



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