After a day of rafting in the Santa Elena Canyon, it was time for another treat: The McDonald Observatory.
I started the morning with yet another walk around the Chisos Basin Loop trail. This view never gets old.
The observatory is in Fort Davis, and part of the University of Texas System (hook em!). It was funded by a wealthy man and the land was given for free. This shows the impact of selflessness instead of selfishness, like Carnegie in Pittsburgh. While waiting, I took note of the view of the Davis Mountains.
Then it was time for the big show: the telescopes. The tours are about 30-60 minutes, and run by astronomy enthusiasts.
The telescopes inside are astronomical inside.
That being said, there is a project in Chile that will be the largest of its kind in the world. One hopes it continues with all the current geopolitical commotion. These kind of international collaborations of the top minds are very important for technological advancements.
After the tour, I took one more look outside before saying goodbye to West Texas.
My only regret was not flying back from El Paso, as it is about the same distance from Fort Davis as Midland.