ongoing downtown restoration, with a stop at the Big Spring Visitors Center at 113 E. Third St. for a warm welcome and lots of great information about the area. You'll already find yourself within walking distance of boutiques and restaurants, as well as right across the street from the elegantly restored Hotel Settles and its Pharmacy Bar and Settles Grill, which are open to the public. The hotel's soaring lobby, grand staircase, and richly detailed woodwork recall an era of opulence when the railroad and the Bankhead Highway still brought passengers from presidents to Elvis Presley to enjoy its hospitality. The hotel's founders, an oil-lucky ranching couple who wanted to build something memorable for their city, never spent a night in their namesake structure -- the hotel opened at the onset of the Great Depression, and W. R. and Lillie Settles lost their fortune and the building. For decades bright red rooftop sign of the Settles blazed like a beacon across the plain, as the hotel attracted top-name entertainers and served as the social hub of the region. The hotel fell into a sad state of disrepair and neglect but was brought back to its former glory in 2012, when the sign -- this time, rebuilt with energy-efficient LED lights -- was turned on once again.

Crowds cheer on the night of Dec. 30, 2012, when the sign atop the historic Hotel Settles was lighted again for the first time in forty years.

The glamorous ballroom of the Hotel Settles, restored to its original appearance

Today the Hotel Settles boasts a swimming pool, a day spa, a restaurant, a bar and lounge, and enlarged suite-style rooms, among other amenities.

For a trip through Howard County's fascinating past, your visit should include a stop at the Heritage Museum of Big Spring, where you'll learn about the city's ranching, oil, and railroading origins, its artists and writers, educators, business leaders, and society -- and a famous female bullfighter who hailed from here. Continue your exploration of the turn-of-the-twentieth-century lifestyle at the Potton House, a railroad manager's house and a fine example of late Victorian architecture and furnishings.

Memorial stained glass window, Hangar 25 Musuem

Military history comes alive at the Hangar 25 Museum, a collection of WWII-era aircraft and defense technology, including the once-top-secret Norden Bomb Sight and a B-52 cockpit you can climb into.

Inside the B-52, Hangar 25 Museum

Big Spring has plenty to do outdoors as well. The vistas from the top of Scenic Mountain make it worth a drive on a clear day through Big Spring State Park, along its road built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Take a picnic -- admission is free! In summer you might even catch a glimpse of hang gliders that come here to compete. At Comanche Trail Park, walk down to the restored spring (also the site of Howard County's giant arrow marker on the Quanah Parker Trail) or enjoy fishing or feeding ducks in the lake. Each December the park is home to the world's largest lighted poinsettia display, with the drive-through Festival of Lights. Nearby Moss Lake, built in 1938, also offers opportunities for camping, fishing, picnicking and other outdoor recreation.

Visitors marvel at the 1901 Potton House, a Texas recorded landmark.