bugsy running on lone rock beach with the airstream and f-150 in the background

One night in Alpine, TX (visit #3)–Winter Warmth trip

We were in Alpine in January 2021, as part of our Winter Warmth Trip. Read about our past visits here: 2019, 2018, and a couple hours in 2016.

Bugsy in front of a mural in Alpine

After some big city fun in Austin and San Antonio, we shot west toward our probably-favorite (but man that’s a hard choice to make) National Park. We love spending a night in Alpine before and/or after staying in Big Bend National Park.

downtown Alpine with horse manure on the sidewalk
you know you’re in far Southwest Texas when there’s manure on the sidewalk downtown

The little town was extra quiet this trip. Maybe because it was January, maybe because it was Sunday, maybe because of the pandemic, but not many places with outdoor seating were open. It does seem like there are more food trucks around town than when we last visited, but most of those were closed too. Don’t tell Alpine, but next time through we’ll stay in Marathon just to mix it up.

Campground

the view from Rolling G's RV park in Alpine

In the past we’ve stayed just north of downtown, and while that is a very nice park, we thought it would be fun to try a brand new campground on the other side of town and a bit closer to the main drag. Rolling G RV Park is smaller and a bit more bare bones, but we liked it, and bonus: there’s a natural grocer across the street!

Eating and drinking

Our favorite watering hole, Harry’s Tinaja, is still going strong through the pandemic. There’s plenty of dog-friendly outdoor seating, but we were the only ones outside, and the inside bar was full of regulars.

Maria's food truck in Alpine

Our favorite food truck, however, is no longer. G-ma’s was a wonderful breakfast and lunch spot run by a lovely proprietress and we looked forward to patronizing her truck, but G-ma has retired! Maria’s Food Truck has taken her spot and we are happy to report that the burritos are delicious! They’re on the small side so consider getting an extra to share.

Bugsy begging at Cow Dog food truck
hotdog from Cow Dog food truck

But maybe Cow Dog is our new favorite food truck. A hot dog truck may not sound exciting (well, J was pretty excited) but their dogs are super creative, and they have a couple veg options for non-dog eaters. And they have dogs for dogs! All three of us were thrilled with our lunches; J said it was the best hotdog he’d ever had.

On Monday morning we got coffee at Cedar Coffee Supply, the self-proclaimed Best Coffee in West Texas. We had excellent lattes, so it really might be the Best Coffee in West Texas. I’ll have to do more research.

To try next time: Railroad Blues, a new bar downtown, has outdoor seating and looks potentially cool, but they were closed. (Although next time we’ll stay in Marathon at this RV park and get cocktails here and coffee here.)

Onward to Big Bend!!

Comments

4 responses to “One night in Alpine, TX (visit #3)–Winter Warmth trip”

  1. Uncle Jim Avatar
    Uncle Jim

    took you guys long enough to get out of Yuppieville.. Finally getting into some real west adventures.. I enjoyed a couple of nights in Alpine on my way back from Big Bend—-that giant welcome mat for our illegal friends from down south… Some really good hiking and horseback riding in Big Bend but when the best thing about the place is chili and Terlingua I’d prefer to move on further west.. Hope you got to visit with my old best friend Judge Roy Bean…

  2. […] Alpine is just the quirkiest little town waaaaaay out in the desert of West Texas, a 30-minute drive from also-quirky Marfa, and 100 miles from Big Bend National Park. It’s a fantastic base for trips into the National Park: it has some yummy food, a tiny bit of nightlife, a surprisingly well-stocked grocery, and even a brewery! We stayed there in January and were excited to return for two nights bookending a stay inside the National Park (and read about our third visit in early 2021 visit here). […]

  3. […] Alpine, TX (a must-do for us on the way to Big Bend) […]

  4. […] stopped in Alpine on the way from Big Bend to Marfa to grab lunch. I already talked about it on the Alpine post, but […]

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