#ccstaycation - Karen from Texas

Hi! I’m Karen! I’ve been a member of Cotton Cuts since the very first Mystery Quilt! I’ve been quilting for about 10 years and I’m excited to tell you a little about my town, Big Spring, Texas for the #ccstaycation!

I have been married to my crazy husband for 26 years, and we have one daughter who is 24. I teach nursing at a local college, which I love! I’ve been an RN for 23 years, and being creative is my stress reliever.

Big Spring is in west Texas, about 100 miles from New Mexico. We are on the edge of the Permian Basin, known for oil! It’s desert here, very dry. Lots of cactus and mesquite.

Here’s a pic of the spring we’re named for! Big Spring is one of the most significant springs in Texas, and maybe even the US, going back before humans even set foot here. They’ve found mastodon, woolly mammoth and other extinct species’ fossils here, and Cabeza de Vaca visited here in 1535!

We’re a town of about 28,000. My husband and I moved here from the Houston area about a year ago.

We’ve discovered some awesome little hometown restaurants! No big chains here.

Best Places to Eat:

Al’s & Son BBQ – they have great Texas BBQ, of course, but they also have awesome fried catfish, and you get a scoop of homemade ice cream at the end of your meal! They churn it in a wooden churn!

Spanish Inn - They’ve been around since the 40s and everything on the menu is good! If you have a big appetite, try the sopapillas stuffed with beans, taco meat, cheese and yummy guacamole!

Hotel Settles – This swanky hotel was fully refurbished in the 80s, and the place is full of historic charm. The restaurant has the best food! If you need a place to stay overnight, this hotel is a treat!

Cowboy’s Steakhouse – if you’re craving home cooking, this is your place.

Lumbre Bar and Grill – great pizzas! They also have a crab stuffed avocado that is so rich and creamy, you almost can’t finish it! So good!

J Jayz – this is our go-to for a great margarita and I sure love their salads. It’s a relaxing place in a funky old building downtown.

Best Places to Visit:

Comanche Trail Park – this is the site of the spring our town is named for. It’s situated in a nice park with good fishing and fun things for kids. There’s a outdoor plaza with limestone pillars that tell you all about the history our little town.

Big Spring State Park – This Texas State Park has the best views of town over the 200 foot bluffs! It’s a day use only park, but there are hiking trails and check out the historic rock carvings.

The Heritage Museum – You can learn all about our town here. It’s really well done and helps understand the history and some interesting facts.

Hangar 25 Museum – Big Spring used to be the location of a very busy Air Force Base. The base is no longer operational, but there’s still a lot of flight history here. Lots of planes to see!

Best Local Quilt Shops:

Well, this is where it gets interesting. We don’t have a shop in town, but I’ve been exploring and there are a few in neighboring towns. The craziest thing about living out here is how far everything is from everything else! I have a 45 mile commute to work daily!

In Midland, there’s Patches and Scraps. I love this little shop, and they’re a Bernina dealer too! They’re located 45 miles southwest from here.

In San Angelo, there’s Quilting Quarters. I’ve only visited them at a shop hop so far, but they’re located about 85 miles south of us.

One thing we do have is a yearly shop hop in San Angelo! The West Texas Tumbleweeds Shop Hop usually happens in August, and it’s fabulous! While it didn’t happen this year, I sure hope it comes back next year. I dropped some serious cash there last year and came home with some gorgeous fabric! 30 shops, y’all!

Fun Facts:

The weather here is crazy. I’ve seen 114 degrees and 0 degrees. We had 8” of snow in February, and of course, as a quilter, this is how I measured.

We have dust storms! And tumbleweeds! This was a year ago!

Be sure to check back next week for another #ccstaycation feature!