Big Bend National Park

We spent the week at Big Bend. There are no hook ups at national parks- meaning no electric, no water. What is called dry camping or boondocking. We were prepared with our 90 watt solar panel and our generator, just in case. There is spotty wifi at some of the visitor centers, but not where we were camping. So we have been internet free for a week. Which is good, and bad. For example, we noticed the flags in the park at half staff….but we have no idea what happened to make them so.

This park is quite something.  Beautiful in a stark and desolate sort of way. Although we have been traveling along the Rio Grande since we left the gulf coast, we have not gotten even a glimpse of the river at all…until we got here. The campground we are at (there are 4 in the Park) is a stone’s throw from the river. You can almost wade across it. Mexican artists ride their horses across the river every day into the park to sell beaded trinkets, carved walking sticks, all sorts of items. 

Trinkets for sale

Cowboy artist

And then they ride back across at the end of the day. I’m sort of surprised the Park puts up with this but we see these cowboys every day.

 

River Cane

You can get rowed across into Mexico for $5 each at the Boquillos crossing, ride a burro or horse the 1/2 mile to the town of Boquillos de Carmen, and have lunch and go souvenir shopping. There’s a pink butte or mesa called the Sierra del Carmen that overlooks the town and the river. These enterprising folk make a decent living off us gringos from the park taking a day trip into Mexico. We had a decent lunch at Jose’ Falcone’s and bought a couple things from the towns people selling their handicrafts.  Our guide, a young man named Angel, led our horses there and back, waited while we ate and took us in the “tour” loop around town. He pointed out the church, school, his mother and wife’s craft booth, and his home to us. There’s also a decent sized solar array in the town. I can’t imagine them doing this in the 120 degree summers but I bet they do. 

Your rowboat to Mexico

 

Welcome to Boquillos del Carmen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ride from the boat to the town, and back

My handsome honey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sierra del Carmen, above the town

Jose' Falcon's, where we had lunch

When you get back to the US side of the river, the same customs agent you spoke to on the way over looks at your passport (or in our case our NY enhanced driver’s licenses), like he didn’t see you less than 2 hours ago, and you zoom with an agent located in El Paso to make sure you are the same person you were when you crossed into Mexico…and then you are free to go. Pretty low key border crossing, that’s for sure.

 

In the center section of the park are located the Chisos mountains, an extinct volcano caldera with a basin in the the center and a ring wall of stone all around it. There’s a campground there also, but the drive in is not for the faint of heart… it’s also 3,000 feet higher elevation than where we are along the river, so where we had 60 and 70 degree days, they have 50’s. Where we had 30-40 degree nights, they have 20’s. We did take a hike there to The Window, a slot in the stone ring wall that you have an incredible view from. The wind was fierce, blowing into the slot so that it almost blew you over. It is also a water course in rainy season to the rock is slick and smooth. Needless to say we didn’t get too close to the edge. 

Road into Chisos basin

This photo does not really do the view justice, 

nor the screaming wind in my face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The closest town to the park is called Terlingua. It’s a 60 mile drive 1 way from our campground. It used to be a big cinnabar mining town, from which you make mercury. There’s still ruins of the miner’s stone and adobe huts, a gift shop, couple restaurants and a bar. If you ever wanted to disappear, Terlingua  would be a good place to disappear into. There’s a cemetery there that’s on the National Historic register. Amazing place. Some photos below. 

Cemetery entrance

Simple cairn marker, wooden cross

Fancier. Each shrine has candles, gifts etc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As with any trip, unexpected things happen. The first night it got cold, we set up our propane heater which immediately set off the propane monitor alarm…which then proceeded to go off every minute until Steve pulled the fuse. And when we put the fuse back in the next day with nothing running….it did the same thing. Yes, these sensors fail but it resulted in somewhat of a sleepless night. Also, we had an issue with the solar panel not charging our battery. We can charge the battery with the generator, which we did…and then tried to determine the issue with the panels. A nice young man camping across from us happens to be an electrician, and came over and assisted with the diagnostics. All the things Steve did were correct and it is charging, just not at full power. Issue tbd yet….but at least it is working. This young couple live in a converted Uhaul box truck. They are from Alberta and have been full time in their rig for 3 years, having left home just after Covid hit. He’s a day trader, she practices astrology and they cruise the country working from their camper. With their cat.  Kittykittybangbang.net

For those interested, no cell service, spotty wifi in the park.  Restrooms have cold water only but are heated. No showers. Showers can be purchased at the camp stores, $2 for 5 minutes.  I washed my hair in a bucket with water heated in the Casita. Camping fees are minimal. I think it was $40 for our 6 nights with the Golden age pass (50% discount on camping), which also gets you into every national park for free. Very much worth the $80 it costs.  You must be over 62 to purchase one of these passes.  

Now you are caught up. Today we departed Big Bend, and are continued west. We are in Van Horn, TX, just east of El Paso.  This will be our last night in Texas. We cross into New Mexico tomorrow. If you have gotten this far, thanks for reading.