Big Bend Travel Park Terlingua

... San....Canyon which was basically the canyon which divides USA<br>with Mexico. We were taken down to the Rio Grande River and we had<br>the opportunity to enter Mexico illegally!!! wahooo, so we all went<br>down to the river side, Jonathan and Katrina were in the water<br>helping anyone who needed across the waste deep, strong current<br>river. Several people went across, Dean was soon to follow. Michelle<br>was a little unsure, although she really ...

... of Marks and we walked down to a dueling piano bar. We stayed there enjoying the music and revelry until the bar closed. Kate suggested we eat at a late night eatery, which is known for its lively 2:00 am crowds. Kate and Tom both got the specialty wheat pancakes with oats, bananas, and pecans while Mark and Christine ate more traditional fare. The next morning we drove about 30 minutes to Rockford, Texas for their ...

... for mid week in April). However, the following morning, most everyone cleared out early, and we had our pick of sites. We lucked out, finding a spot farther down in the basin with a great view and hidden tent site. I called it our "Secret Zen Garden", as large rocks and rugged, curvy trees protected it from the road and sun. We did our first serious hike on The Window Trail, continuing up Oak Springs Trail and reaching somewhere between 6,000 and 7,800 ft. in ...

... of the trip, we were floating over trees which normally line the bank of a narrow river--instead, it was almost a mile wide in parts. It all felt very eerie and bizarre--it rained for most of our trip, and even though we finished the day feeling wet and cold, we both felt it was worth it to have seen what a massive impact water can have. Really makes you understand why you need to respect the river...

... wiped out the road, leaving a ledge about 3 feet high on both sides. Looking at the road, though, we decided to give it a try, since our plucky little Ford Escape seemed to be faring surprisingly well. After about 4 tries with nothing but spinning wheels, we turned around and gave up. But after about 20 yards, we decided to give it one more try. Mike got out and tried to kick out a path in the dirt, then got back in and gave it one last try. After ...

... a very strange man who stands in the river canyon and sings to everyone. Homeland security, in its ongoing infinite wisdom, has seen fit to close this crossing to all activity based on its notion that terrorists or illegals would use the crossing to destroy our nation with a bomb or economically. It is so bad that we would be arrested if we cross over to buy lunch and all souvenirs would be confiscated. All BB needs now is to build a wall to assure our safety ...

... as I was driving the pre-dawn sun was reflecting off the clouds in the east and I could have had a few more awesome pictures by stopping along the road. Not that I don't think I have enough with the 150 I took, but you never do have enough pictures of amazing sunrises. At Santa Elena Canyon you can climb up part of the mountain and follow a trail along the canyon wall. There are 5 or 6 flights of concrete steps to get you to the plateau overlooking the river. To ...

... checked out some maps of the areas in the Park that I want to see. I noticed that the closest area I wanted to see was the Santa Elena Canyon. The Canyon was located about 25 kms off the main highway. I decided that that would be a good place to go this evening and take some pictures of the setting sun...hopefully. As soon as I turn off the main highway there's a sign warning that the road is only accessible by high-clearance vehicles. The ...

... hike. We stopped for lunch (salami, cheese, crackers, apples, Snickers) and continued our hike. That day, we covered 8.8 miles, following the rim of the canyon with desert views, mountain views, and deep views into the canyons. We arrived back in our campsite in time for some reading in the meadow until the sun went down. For dinner that night, we did red beans and rice. Once the sun set, the temperature dropped rapidly, and again, we hit ...

... I can barely grip this pen to write. I've got my tent up, and am going to hide in it for a while. I don't know why he called this campsite the penthouse. It looks like any other dirt clearing. Animal count: 2 coyotes crossing the street when I first got here 4 javelinas (pig things) 4 jackrabbits 5 road runners ("meep-meep") 5 mule deer Animals I'm glad I didn't see: Any kind of snake, poisonous or otherwise Tarantulas Mountain Lions (although, according to Ranger Bob, they saw me)