“It has a stark beauty all its own. It’s like much of the high desert of the United States. It’s different but it’s very pretty out here.” … “Magnificent desolation.”

These were some of the first words spoken by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin describing what he saw as he walked on an alien world – the moon – and these words aptly describe what you can expect in the high Chihuahuan Desert of extreme western Texas during our new for 2014 Big Bend and Texas Mountains Bike Tour.

This region has a deep connection with the heavens – from the otherworldly “stark beauty” of it’s immense alien landscapes, to the vast darkness of the night skies that allows Big Bend National Park to be designated as an “International Dark Sky Park”, only one of ten such designated parks on the entire planet. The ties to the stars does not stop there since we will visit the McDonald Observatory high in the Davis Mountains and home to the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the largest optical telescopes in the world. We may even catch a glimpse of the infamous and mysterious Marfa Lights.

Back down to earth you will enjoy cycling on the remote well-maintained roads, along the rolling hills, up the quirky climbs in the large open spaces that this region has to offer. You also will enjoy the sounds, or lack thereof, as it is often described as being eerily quiet, except for the wind and your heart as it races in excitement and anticipation of the adventure ahead.

It’s pretty. It’s stark. It’s desolate. A land of extreme contrasts and beauty.

This is what the Big Bend and Texas Mountains Bike Tour is all about.

Magnificent desolation indeed!