From Ozona, somewhere in west Texas, I headed to Big Bend National Park. The flora and fauna were interesting and the geology was beautiful!

Running on Fumes

As I left Ozona, I checked my gas gauge and Gas Buddy. I decided I had enough gas to make it to the next town where gas was cheaper. I made it, not quite on fumes, but the red light was on. In this part of the country, it can seem like civilization, and gas stations, are far away. Then, suddenly, you are in a little town. Suffice it to say, I made myself a bit anxious about running out of gas. As my Grandpa used to say, it’s just as easy to fill the top half of the tank as it is the bottom half. Note to self – don’t do that again. Along those lines, I topped off my tank at the next station, about 60 miles down the road; gasoline is available in Big Bend, for a pretty penny.

Nearing Big Bend

As I headed south, the vegetation and terrain changed. Most notably, there were flood markers in low spots along the road.

Stillness and Excitement

I didn’t have a reservation for a camp site in the park and they were full up. My fallback plan was to camp just outside the north entrance, spend the next day in the park, and then camp just outside the west entrance.

After getting some info at the park entrance station, I retraced my route and went to the campground at Stillwell. They had plenty of space for the night.

The ‘tent’ camping, i.e., no hookups needed, was out at the back end. They assigned camps sites and the few campers were spread out. I could hear the four young fellows a hundred yards or so off, but just enough to know they were there. The campsites were nothing special, a place to park a car and potentially pitch a tent. No table, no fire ring. At $10, reasonably priced. Water and restrooms were up at the main building, about 2 blocks from the camping area.

I arrived about 2:00 pm and had nothing more to do – it was lovely. I watched the plants, listened to the wind – a simple, quiet afternoon.

With clouds covering most of the sky, it was dark at night. I had been advised to use a flashlight as there had been a bear in the area recently. At about 9:00, I went up to the bathroom to brush my teeth. About halfway there, I saw something ahead of me move and it wasn’t small. I backed away and was able to identify the creature – a javelina! Two javelina! I wasn’t quite sure how concerned I should be, so backed up and roused the people in a nearby van. By the time we chatted, the javelinas had wandered on, not interested in me. I was glad to be sleeping in my car. Two days later, I did see one during the day, so have a picture.

Chisos Basin and The Window

The next day, I got up early and got moving by about 7:00 am so I could get into the Chisos Basin, the center of the park. Once parking is full, the park service manages traffic for the last five miles; it’s one car in for every one car out. I did take two hours to do a one-hour drive with a number of stops. The geology is beautiful!

Rangers had recommended a couple of hikes. Parking for the first one was already full, but I did get parking for The Window. This hike is an out and back, 4+ miles total (depending on where exactly you park). After waking through the campground, the trail starts and gently winds down into a canyon and at the end of the trail, there is a grand view out to the west. Of course, downhill on the way out means uphill on the way back!

(If you are reading this post online, not in an email, click on the photos to make them bigger.)

Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

After my hike, I still had lots to see! The Ross Maxwell scenic drive is indeed scenic. At first I thought driving out and back would be extra driving, well, it was, but worth it to see everything from another angle!

The Rio Grande

I was a bit disappointed by the Rio Grand river. I guess, from the name, I expected something bigger, uh, grander. I was, however, impressed with the wall on the Mexican side of the river. That was grand!

The Border

Being at the border, made me think about immigration. I know that the journey is treacherous; I’ve seen it on TV. Seeing the unforgiving environment in person made clear to me how very challenging the journey is.

Right at the river, there was a rusty surveillance tower with communications electronics at the top. The ladder was chained off with do not enter signs. Lying at the river’s edge was a pile of clothing, mostly shoes. I can only invent stories of why they are there.

Outside the park, on two occasions, I passed Immigration and Customs stations. At one, I was waved along as soon as I said I was a citizen of the US. The second station wasn’t checking cars when I passed.

Until we meet again

I left impressed – Big Bend National Park is at the top of my list of places to return to. But, for now, I had to leave the park for the night.

Outside the park, I stopped at a little restaurant, had a bowl of chili, and used their wifi. The area west of Big Bend is a desert for cell coverage, at least for my carrier.

For the night, I had some ideas of places to camp. But, when I saw a sign for tent camping, I pulled in. This campground had slightly more to offer than the night before: running potable water near my site, a table in my site, and a toilet just across the way. All a girl needs for the night!

This night – no wild creatures, just a good night’s sleep.