Big Bend National Park is a 12 hour drive from Houston. Twelve. Hours. To make that drive worth it, I like to stay a little longer and try to fit in as much as possible. So it shouldn’t (should?) be surprising that during our 4-day trip to Big Bend last month we camped/glamped, cooked gourmet(ish) meals, hiked, birdwatched, scavenger hunted for flowers and blooming cacti, stalked wildlife, drove all over the park, crossed into Mexico, visited Terlingua and some goats, and found time to sleep. There really is something for everyone at Big Bend, from geology to plant and animal enthusiasts, to leisure campers, and heavy hikers.
I took over 1600 photos and wondered how on earth to narrow down so much beauty into a blog post or two. Impossible! It’s almost too much for a trip report. The most I can do is whittle it down to four blog posts, or a mini-series if you will. Stay tuned for the following “episodes” in my Big Bend trip report (links to become active as they are published):
Visiting Big Bend National Park (Part 1: Camping/Hiking/Driving)
In this blog post is the obvious camping bit, which as I age include more and more creature comforts. We’re just one step away from an RV. I’ve also included the short hikes we took to some well known attractions, and all the scenic driving in between. Big Bend is a huge park, and it wasn’t uncommon to drive 30-60 minutes from here to there, and back again.
Visiting Big Bend National Park (Part 2: Fauna)
In this blog post, I’ve shared the birds we encountered, both the skittish kind and indifferent kind, as well as a curious roadrunner and a bold deer. We did not encounter any cougars, bears, falcons, javalinas, or chupacabras. Not this trip, anyway…
Visiting Big Bend National Park (Part 3: Flora)
In this blog post, I highlighted the stunning Chihuahuan Desert flowers that we found at the beginning of Big Bend’s blooming season. We couldn’t get from point A to point B without stopping at least 10 times to get pictures of all the beautiful wildflowers and blooming cacti. I think my husband seriously regrets getting me a new camera for my birthday.
Visiting Big Bend National Park (Part 4: Outside the Park)
In this blog post, we drove west along River Road to Terlingua to have dinner at Starlight Theatre, crossed the Rio Grande River into Boquillas, Mexico for lunch, and stopped in Marathon north of the park for a look at the Gage Hotel.
Stay tuned…