My wife & I love visiting the Big Bend area, from Ft Davis to Marathon. We're seriously thinking about uprooting and moving there with our two kids (elementary age). We're solidly middle class here, but think we can lower our lifestyle a bit to live off my salary and a smaller job for her.

We thought Alpine might be better for jobs and houses than Marathon, which we love but doesn't seem reasonable as a place to raise a family. And Marfa we love, but being trendier, we thought that we could get more for our buck elsewhere.

I'm a business analyst, wife is a admin asst, so I think we're flexible on the jobs we can take, if we can find one.

But I thought I'd ask here for thoughts and opinions to get some reality tossed in, to maybe splash some cold water on the ideal life we picture there after a vacation vs actually living there.

My wife and I have tossed around the same idea. Her family lives in between Alpine and Marfa.

We love it out there, but the realities would be that 1) decent jobs are very hard to come by and 2) cost of living isn't as cheap as you think. With Far West Texas being remote as it is, cost increases in daily necessities offset some of the savings in restaurants and housing costs.

For jobs, your best bet will be something opening up at SRSU or trying your hand at opening up a small business. There just aren't many $50K+ salaried jobs in FWT.

IF I was retired and didn't want to travel to A&M regularly, I would like Ft. Davis. Alpine would be next. We did a lot of houses in the Marfa/Alpine/Ft.Davis area in the 80s and I always liked it there.

My family is from that areas and I love it. When I got out of law school I thought about moving to Alpine. But is too remote for a young single guy. Some of the problems, besides lack of good jobs, is that you have to drive to Odessa for serious medical care, orthodontist and things such as that. Those costs add up. I really love Ft. Davis. Don't know which school system is better--Ft. Davis or Alpine--but I would pick both over Marfa. Your kids would experience a lot living out there but don't under estimate the remoteness.

Thanks for the insights. Hadn't thought about things like orthodontics. Also was surprised how low all salaries were at the sul ross state website of any open positions. I'll keep an eye out for job openings anyway in the area and may talk to my current boss about the chance to work remotely

Become an "artist" and open a shop.

But I do love alpine, and used to own a funeral home there, ft Stockton, and Pecos.

I really like that area.

[This message has been edited by Mucho austin (edited 5/29/2014 8:42p).]

Family went there in 2007 - 2008 and fell in love with it as well. We really loved Marfa, but schools were a concern.

We are not independently wealthy so job and costs are a concern. Likewise the remoteness of opportunities for our children.

That being said, we just loved it out there and if we hit the lottery, will at least get modest place there.

3 month later follow up -
move is almost a done deal. should be out there mid october. wife and kids and all of us are really excited for the change.

any ags on the board live out there? obviously this west tx forum isn't one of the busier ones and most look to be in the midland area...

Glad y'all are living your dream. I love it out there

Wife and i used to talk about maybe moving out there. Practicality always prevailed, though

I like the scenery, I like the wide open spaces. But unless you are a go-zillionaire with a big ranch, living there would pretty much be like living in any other dusty little town with nothing to do, I expect

And as others have said it is remote. You want anything of any substance off the shelf, and you gotta go to Odessa or El Paso to get it

Outside of ranching, tourism, and the new, wealthy artsy fartsy New York and California carpetbaggers, there ain't a lot going on out there

I am sure you will love it though. It sounds like this is your dream

I'll just continue to visit every once in awhile

I wish I had found this thread earlier.
We have friends who moved to Alpine from San Antonio almost two years ago. He went out to lead a church and his wife was already working remotely anyway. And they also home-school their kids. So they didn't encounter the same kind of obstacles everyone else seems to be concerned with.

I'm like most of the responders on this thread-love the idea of living out there, but don't really see it as practical. But that doesn't mean I won't keep trying.

I hope it works out well for you.
Maybe you'll post updates?

I knew a guy who lived in Fort Davis for about 3 years because of work

He always loved going out there as a youngster and figured he'd love it forever

He said the newness wore off in about a month.

Basically, his wife and 3 other wives would carpool to Odessa once a month in a suburban, with trailer in tow, to go to Sams/Wal Mart for "provisions".

There are small grocery stores out there, and there's a small Wal Mart in Fort Stockton. Anything beyond that, you have a 2.5 hour drive, or you order it online.

As for Marathon, I LOVE the place -- to visit. I'd go crazy if I had to live there

When it gets down to it, there are only so many times you can hike the Chisos, look at planets at McDonald, see the Marfa lights (which are car headlights by the way), snorkel in Balmorhea, and look at goofy Donald Judd pieces before you realize that aside from a few touristy things, there ain't a whole lot to do out there....

Eh, different strokes, I guess...

That is one thing they do have --- a reasonable amount of live music

They get a good variety of bands coming through Alpine (Railroad Blues, Granada, and Riata), and Marfa (Padres and a couple other places)

And they have a big music festival every year -- Viva Big Bend Music Festival and conference in July. Never been but have always wanted to go (though I'm not a fan of the format -- general admission pass to all shows but multiple shows taking place simultaneously in multiple cities. Really forced to pick a venue and stick with it, even though there may be a band performing 25 miles away that you'd want to see)

Hope to make it out there next summer

Just looked at the events calendar and what do ya know ... Robert Earl Keen will be performing in Alpine Saturday, 9/27

unfortunately we get out there mid October so I'm missing REK and El Cosmico this year, but it's a good sign to see those things are normal, just like indie acts like Bonnie Prince Billy, XX, Beach House and Jeff Mangum playing Marfa within the last two years is good too. Also plan to see some minor league baseball at Kokernot Field or division 3 football since the weather will make it easier for the kids to sit in the stands without complaining too much (plus $6 tickets are in my budget range).

Is Nacho still playing for them?

Congrats on the move! What are you doing for a job? Working remote?

Captain Pablo, if you think the marfa lights are car headlights then you are looking way too far right at the observation deck.

They have been seen there since before cars were invented.

I've seen em

They're car lights

What kind of cars were people seeing out there in the 1890's?

No documentation to back that up

First documentation of the lights was in the 1950's

All the "well the settlers and cowboys and native Americans saw them" is anecdotal, and claimed in retrospect.

The military was all over the viewing area during world war 2 and there are no records of sightings from the military. They would've said something

Also, there have been experiments done out there, and they have concluded the lights are headlights of cars in the distance driving on Hwy 67 between presidio and marfa

State Troopers I have talked to, who are THOROUGHLY familiar with the location, direction, curves, and terrain of 67 in that area, and that have worked that area for years just kind of laugh when the subject comes up. Almost as if to say "I can't believe people can't see the obvious"

The foreground is low, the back ground is high, and the cars are in between the foreground and background making them appear to float

Now, is that not to say that there aren't lights out there other than cars? Well sure, there are houses, fires, etc all in that area. There are lights all over the world visible from a distance

But THE lights, the MARFA lights, THE marfa lights, the ones you see mysteriously bouncing, swaying, and floating between the observation deck and the mountains in the background, the lights that EVERYONE knows you're talking about when referring to "the Marfa lights", or "ghost lights", are simply car lights

I hate to spoil the fun. Sorry

Car lights? Not the ones that I saw!

Maybe it was lights from Santa Clause's sleigh

Now are you saying Santa Claus is not real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Marfa Lights were first reported in 1883 by Robert Reed Ellison, my great-great-grand uncle. You callin' us Ellison's liars??

During WW II my mother worked at the air base that, at that time, was between Alpine and Marfa. She saw them at that time which, for you Millenials, was 1942 to 1944.

Do either of y'all have any documentation? Other than what the plaque, texas monthly, or some other antecdotal account?

Like I said, that place was heavily occupied during World War II. There are absolutely no written accounts of the Marfa lights during this period

I'm not saying there haven't been lights in the area. Of course there may be lights in the distance in that area. Hell, I see lights every time I get in the car and drive at night.

But THE Marfa lights, the lights that have been documented since the 1950's, The lights that you see from the observation deck, The lights that rise, and fall, and crisscross, and float, and dangle, the lights promoted as a tourist destination, the lights that EVERYONE knows you're talking about when referring to THE Marfa lights, are most assuredly, and without a doubt, car lights

They're car lights.

http://www.spsnational.org/wormhole/utd_sps_report.pdf

But, but, but.... Those are the wrong lights! The real ones are, you know, off to the left..... Or was it off to the right??

And, and, and, the cavemen saw them!

But Seriously... Just ask any state trooper that works, or has worked, that area

I've been there and seen it and pretty certain they were not auto lights.

I went out in a dune buggy chasing them one time. No idea what they are, but it was a fun night!

danw95, did you make it out here?