Just Around the Bend

9-12 Feb 2022

I have wanted to visit Big Bend National Park for several years now. I was so excited to get here and couldn't wait to explore. After visiting Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company to book a float trip, we headed to the park. One of the first places we went was the Boquillas (pronounced Bo-key-us) Canyon Overlook. Here you can look across the Rio Grande and see the small village of Boquillas, Mexico. If you have your passport, you can cross the river at Boquillas Crossing and either walk or ride a burro or horse the 1/2 mile to the village. If the river is low, you can walk across; however, you can also pay $5 for a rowboat to take you. Unfortunately, I didn't think to tell Denise to bring her passport so we couldn't go.

Boquillas Canyon Overlook

Mexican horses that don't care about the border and the small village of Boquillas in the background. The horses have bells on their harnesses so the villagers can find them.

The villagers cross the river and leave trinkets such as bracelets, mugs, beaded wire sculptures and embroidered bags and tapestries for sale. They leave cans for the money so you pay on the honor system. Every couple of days they return for to collect the money.

Friends asked me if I felt safe here so close to Mexico and the answer is YES! The villages around here depend on tourist dollars so the people don't want to harm you. I never felt threatened or unsafe.

It was getting late in the day so we headed back to the trailer to relax for the evening and prepare for our day on the river.

Annie was our guide for our float through Hot Springs Canyon. I chose to use my own kayak (first time on this trip!) and Denise rode in the canoe with Annie.

You're going to have to indulge me. I know these are a lot of pictures but it was just. so. dang. beautiful!

Denise and Annie getting underway

Rio Grande. On the left is America, on the right is Mexico

Flock of American Coots a/k/a mud hens taking off

My happy place

We stopped at the Hot Springs Historic District for lunch and walked around the buildings, and learned the history before soaking in the hot springs

It's hard to see but there are small pictographs in red in the left photo. On the right are swallow nests in the cliff.

Homesteader J.O.Langford arrived from Mississippi in 1909, suffering from recurring malaria and seeking healing and fortune. He developed a rustic riverside resort so others could experience the hot springs that he claimed healed him. He built the Motor Court which was open from the mid 1920-1940s. Rooms were $1 a day or $6 a week and hot springs visits were 25 cents each. Each room had a mural painted on the wall, The bottom right was the post office and store.

The hot springs! The bathhouse that sat on this foundation is long gone but the hot springs are still running strong. The water is warmer the closer you get to the river where it's 105 degrees. It was so relaxing to soak and felt really good after all those days of driving!

Denise is enjoying the water too.

Sunshine, river, warm relaxing soak in nature. What more could a girl want?

After a good long soak we continued down the river. Since water levels were low, instead of rapids there were several "riffles" we had to maneuver. My kayak is 12 feet long so it's not really made to run rapids. I ran into the cane breaks on the shore a couple of times but overall I think I did well.

The canyon was so pretty. Sheer cliffs on one side, cane breaks on the other

We were lucky enough to see this Great Blue Heron. They're not common in this area.

We also saw this roadrunner and several turtles sunning themselves

I love this picture. The sun at the top of the cliff looks like a halo and the water is a beautiful emerald green.

So peaceful

I love the reflection on the water

I'm so thankful we had this opportunity to explore this part of the park.

Almost at the end 😢

Cottonwood trees with the moon rising

The next day we set out to the other side of the park and hiked Santa Elena Canyon. Next time I want to kayak this part of the river too. It was stunning as you'll see. The water was very low at this spot where Terlingua Creek runs into the Rio Grande so we were able to walk across the first part of the river to the gravel bank behind me. From there we had to take our shoes and socks off to cross the second part to the trail. The water was only a couple inches past our ankles but it was freezing cold and by the time I got across my feet were numb!

Switchbacks and seashell fossils in the rocks

Looking back at the trailhead where we had to cross the river. At times when the water is high this trail is inaccessible.

It's so cool how plants grow out of any nook and cranny they can find.

After the switchbacks the trail leads back down along the river

The walls of Santa Elena Canyon rise 1,500 feet from the banks of the Rio Grande. It makes you feel this small and insignificant.

Scooting down this rock I gave myself the mother of all wedgies 🤣. The things I do for a picture! It was worth it though, just look at the cliff in the background. It looks like it's glowing in the sunlight.

The sheer face of this canyon was formed by the Terlingua Fault. Calcite crystals filled in the cracks formed by this fault and can be seen along the trail.

The end of the trail

We visited some of the other landmarks in the park. The formations above are

called Mule Ears

View from Sotol Vista

Purple Prickly Pear Cactus (say that 3 times fast) and sotol, the plant the vista is named after. Although it looks like agave, it's actually a member of the lily family. Big Bend's early inhabitants roasted the heart of sotol for food and used the leaf fibers for rope and sandals. It's also used to make a spirit called sotol. It's similar to tequila in that it makes a great margarita but it has a smoky flavor to it.

On the way to Chisos Basin. At this elevation you start to see trees.

This notch is called The Window.

Panorama of the area. The Window is towards the left

The Window overlook

Me taking a picture of Denise taking a picture of Casa Grande.

Casa Grande, the mountain peak that symbolizes Big Bend National Park

Annie, our kayak guide told us about this restaurant in Terlingua Ghost Town so we had to check it out. It has an interesting back story. Originally built in the 1930s as the Chisos Movie Theater, it was one of the first moving picture theaters in West Texas.

The silver mines went bust in the 1940s and the town of Terlingua was abandoned. In the 1960s artists, musicians and river guides began to settle here and the now roofless theater became the gathering place for open air jam sessions, concerts, and theatrical productions. That is how the name "Starlight Theatre" was born. In 1990 it was reopened as The Starlight Theatre Restaurant and Bar.

We were able to amuse ourselves with these chairs while waiting to be seated.

Annie also told us about The Scorpion - it's a margarita made with sotol. Of course we had to try it and man was it good!

I had the chicken saute, chicken covered in mushrooms and spinach in a creme sauce. Denise had an antelope burger. Yep. It's really made with antelope and she said it was good. We decided to splurge and have churros for desert. Everything was so delicious we went back the next night too!

We passed this outside a bar on the way back to the trailer. Ok my jeep peeps, can someone explain why? Is it a jeep thing and I wouldn't understand?

Because dogs aren't allow on trails in the national park, we decided to get Gable out of the trailer and take him hiking in Big Bend Ranch State Park. My boy loves to hike!

I found this sign at an overlook rather amusing. It would've made sense if it had been on the other side of the road.

The first place we went was Hoodoo trail. There wasn't a lot to it honestly but we enjoyed walking down to the river.

Rio Grande with Mexico on the other side

So many rocks to sniff and pee on!

On the way to our next hike, Denise starting screaming "Piggies! Piggies! Stop! Piggies!" Scared the crap out of me but I pulled over and we got out running. She had spotted a pack of Javelinas. I could smell them before I saw them. Very musky smelling. When we caught up to them they were about to disappear into this culvert.

This guy stopped to check us out for a second

They came out the other side of the culvert and when they heard us talking they took off running. There was eight of them all together including a baby.

Our next hike was Closed Canyon Trail. It was my first slot canyon and it was a bigger challenge than I thought it would be scrambling over all those rocks

It starts out easy and open. We're feeling confident!

Again the cliffs are glowing in the sunlight.

The canyon gets narrower and rockier

Let the scrambling begin!

Denise trying to figure out the best way down

She had a great idea to slide down the smooth ones! It was kinda fun. Climbing down these rocks at my age is a challenge. Honestly, it was easier climbing back up them.

Is he a dog or mountain goat? At times we let him go ahead and he showed us an easier way to go!

I have to confess, I almost quit before we got to the end but I'm glad I stuck it out.

I saw my first Texas Bluebonnets! This is the state flower of Texas.

Aren't they beautiful?

One last view of the Rio Grande

So this was mine and Denise's last adventure on this trip. From here we head back to San Antonio so she can get home to her family. I enjoyed having her along so, so much and can't wait for our next road trip.

I'm so proud of her! I watched her go from the deer-in-the-headlights, OMG what have I got myself into look that first night in the trailer, to being able to hitch and unhitch like a pro. She's hooked on RV life and hopefully one day will have her own vacation home on wheels.