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Alpine

Elevation : 4,481
Population : 5,488

Located in the foothills of the Davis Mountains in northwest Brewster County, this mountain town is sometimes referred to as the "Alps of Texas" and is unquestionably the region's cultural hot spot. Alpine is the seat of Brewster County, a vast mountainous area of 5,935 square miles that's the largest county in Texas and larger than the state of Connecticut.
Originally named Osborne, the town began in 1882 when railroad workers set up camp along a small spring-fed creek at the foot of what is known today as 'A' Mountain. To gain control of the springs as a source of water for steam engines, the railroad negotiated a deal with the Murphy family and changed the name to Murphyville. By 1888 the town consisted of three saloons, a hotel and boarding house, livery stable, butcher shop, drug store, and post office. Thankfully the residents petitioned to change the name to Alpine.
Today's Alpine is the hub of a huge ranching area, home to Sul Ross State University, and a jumping-off point for excursions into Big Bend National Park. Recent growth has been fueled by an influx of affluent retired people who take advantage of Alpine's ranking as one of the 50 safest and most economical places for retirement in the United States. The climate and remote location make Alpine a popular vacation spot.

Alpine Golf Courses :

• Alpine Country Club

Notes
If your timing is right, catch a baseball game at historic Kokernut Field, which sits on the banks of the creek of the same name and is adjacent to the golf course. Or explore the craggy west Texas mountains 26 miles south on TX 118, where the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area offers six-mile drive-through tours that give you the chance to see the rare desert bighorn sheep. The Reata gets the headlines with its fancy Southwestern cuisine, but the savvy traveler joins the locals at La Casita for tasty Mexican food. If staying, go old-school funky at the 1912 Holland Hotel, where the fourth-floor penthouse sports a rooftop deck. Don't forget your earplugs: the train rolls by all night long.