Representing Texas is a great honor, and I never enjoy that privilege more than when I am traveling through the state and meeting with Texans. Each year, during the Senate’s summer recess, I make a special bus tour through a region of our state. This August, I traveled 850 miles through West Texas to Big Bend.  I was reminded once again of the diversity and splendor of the Lone Star State.

On this bus tour, I visited historic sites that preserve our unique heritage for future generations of Texans. On the first day, I stopped at Fort Davis, which gives visitors a glimpse of what life was like at an Army post during frontier times.  Fort Davis played an important role in America’s western expansion after the Civil War. It was the home of one of the famed Buffalo Soldiers units. Many of the restored buildings are open to visitors, including a barracks for the enlisted soldiers and the commanding officers’ home. Children are allowed to lie on a cot to feel what it was like for the soldiers. The National Park Service is continuing the restoration of many of the other buildings at the fort, such as the hospital. I was privileged to have helped negotiate a land transfer to allow the fort’s 19th century vista to be preserved.

The Fort Davis area not only highlights our state’s history; it is also home to one of the brightest stars of our future – the McDonald Observatory. A part of the University of Texas, the McDonald Observatory outside of Fort Davis is considered one of the premier astronomical research centers in the world.

Leading astronomers from across the globe come here to conduct cutting-edge research, such as studying dark energy. The vast dark night skies of West Texas allow the McDonald telescopes to see far beyond our universe, opening new windows of knowledge about our home planet and those beyond our solar system. The observatory’s “star parties” are open to the public. After dark, one of the astronomers will talk about the stars that are visible at that time of year. 

In addition to these brilliant examples of our past and our future, I witnessed the natural beauty that exemplifies the West Texas landscape. The Big Bend Ranch State Park is a 330,000-acre ranch that features miles of horse-back riding and hiking trails, Native American pictographs, and an abundance of wildlife and fauna.  The Texas Parks and Wildlife Rangers know the history, geology and the plant and animal life of the park, and they are a valuable resource to park visitors. The park’s remoteness – it is a 27-mile trek on dirt roads from the entrance to the visitor’s center – makes it a hidden gem. But it is worth the effort to get there! The Big Bend Ranch State Park is truly a Texas treasure.

On the final leg of the bus tour, I traveled along the state’s southern border, where I met with U.S. Border Patrol agents based in the area. I was pleased to see first-hand how the various agencies in the area – the Border Patrol, the National Park Service, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – all worked together cooperatively.

To assist them in their efforts to safeguard our state, I have worked hard to increase the number of border patrol agents in Texas. And I am proud that we have been able to quadruple the number since I have been in the Senate. But more needs to be done.  The agents are dedicated to keeping our nation safe. They are working to ensure that the violence that has gripped the Mexican side of the border does not spill over into Texas communities. I will continue to fight to increase the number of agents and to give them the tools they need to guard our nation’s border.

I hope that every Texan has the opportunity to visit this wonderful region of our state and meet the men and women who keep its history alive, its lands safe, and its natural beauty preserved. God truly blessed Texas.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas and is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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