Day Two – Big Bend Adventure

Day Two

Woke up before dawn to a beautiful 60 degree morning, the stars were magnificent! Plans were to watch the sunrise somewhere in Big Bend Ranch State park (along the scenic route 170). Packed into the car, turned on Jethro Tull aqualung and started off…not sure how that whole aqualung thing started but it was our theme song for the duration of the trip. Found the trailhead for the spot with a group of large boulders; a short trail that wandered down to the river. We did some shooting there and then continued back eastward to capture more magnificent views all along the park border.

Returned to “camp” in the early afternoon to get out of the 90 degree heat, have some lunch and rest a bit.

Later afternoon we headed into Big Bend National park, which was about 5 miles east of the Ghost Town. Our first excursion into this fantastic national park found us on an unimproved road (rocks and limestone) that zig zagged for 14 miles (I don’t believe Dave’s car will ever be the same!). We of course stopped along the way to shoot the cactus flowers that so abundant. Final destination was the Santa Elena Canyon overlook and river access trail. It was a moderate hike as they call it, meaning it’s a fairly steep climb and not always surefooted…but well worth it. It is a canyon that separates Mexico from the US and is on the western edge of the park. The Rio Grande runs thru it and once you enter the trail very little sun reaches down onto the water.

Quite warm and a bit tired from the walk we headed over to Castolon visitors center where we enjoyed the most expensive ice cream sandwich I have ever eaten!! 🙂 but it was also the most delicious ice cream I have ever eaten, nothing to do with quality mostly to do with the coldness 🙂

The day was coming to a close so we drove some of the interior roads of the park passing the MULE EARS overlook…yup the mountains look like a pair of ears.

Back to camp again for dinner and trying out our hand at some night sky shooting. You can see the milky way and zillions of stars…yes I said zillions! I have never seen so many in my life!

I decided that I would sleep out on the porch that night, since the temp was perfect and the show in the sky was something to behold! The owner’s dog Baxter kept me company. Sometime during the night Baxter and the local coyotes were carrying on a howling conversation…WOW you feel like you are in a different world!