10/18 –10/19/07 Big Bend National Park

Captain’s Blog
10/18 –10/19/07
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend Motel and RV Resort

I slept fairly well last night although Ron was restless waking several times. He was not crazy about being in the middle of nowhere. As he has gotten older he’s become more safety conscious.

The morning was beautiful for the ride to Big Bend National Park. http://www.nps.gov/bibe/ We found a campground 3 miles outside the entrance to Big Bend. Full hook-up’a and great proximity to the park.

I was not crazy about swinging by the park because it was out of the way but I’m very happy that Ron insisted. What a magnificent place. It is very different then what we expected. Although there is no lush green or any vibrant colors the topography more then makes up for the lack of color.

Big Bend is the result of volcanic activity and at on point in time was under water. There are fossils in the stone along the Rio Grande.

This is another place that words or pictures cannot capture the glory of the park. Every turn brought a “WOW” from us. In some areas it looks like Haleakala in Hawaii, another area like the Grand Canyon without the color, another resembles the salt flats Death Valley, then New England in the mountains. The landscape changed so much we weren’t sure what to photograph.

We took many pictures but they did not capture what we experienced

We took some short hikes one of which took us across a tributary of the Rio Grande (wet feet) and up a cliff that overlooked a gorge through which the Rio Grande flows. It was very beautiful. The hikes we took were always uphill in the heat of the day. A storekeeper told us the two days we were there were the coolest it had been only 92-99 degrees.
Another Texas resident told us they have four seasons like New England. Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
If anyone is ever in this area then Big Bend is a must see and do. Some advise - Don’t go to Big Bend in the Summer. Everyone vacates the area because it is too hot.




After two wonderful days of sightseeing and hiking we had to pack up and head out. Our time away is winding down and we still have a few places we’d like to see and things to do. One of which includes a visit to Ron’s cousin Joyce who lives in Texas.