Regarding the Star Party: It was ok. The park rang...

Regarding the Star Party: It was ok. The park rangers in Big Bend do the exact same thing for free - check the event schedule. And with less crowds. I mean, no doubt - the McDonald Observatory version is more professional. But I wasn't a fan of the big crowds and long lines. I went out to West Texas to get away from people and for the most part was successful... but not at the Star Party. It's very crowded. Long lines to look through a telescope at a white dot in the viewpiece. The good: All the staff were super nice. The ones running the telescopes were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Some were even (seemingly) aspiring stand up comics cuz they were funny.