Stargazing Over the Rio Grande.

This post is very long, and I can’t say I’m sorry for the length because if there’s only one post you ever read from me, this may be it. My hope, however, is it inspires you to read more. I watched the sun set over Mexico and rise over Big Bend National Park and I can honestly tell you all, I think I found my park. That’s the National Park Service slogan these days, “find your park”, in case you were wondering. When I woke up Saturday in Houston, I had the urge to just make it to Big Bend already. I had been in cities far too long and was ready for the great outdoors. I knew I was going to like it, literally everyone who I mentioned Big Bend to was overly excited for me to get there which was only upping my excitement as well. Unfortunately for me, it was about nine hours from Houston to Terlingua, Texas, the town just north of the park entrance. Like I said in my last post, I took the advice of a friend and started driving. I stopped for gas three times, drove close to 600 miles, and went to Buc-cee’s once for snacks. Buc-cee’s is Texas’ version of a Wawa which is pretty good but not as good, obviously, nothing is. The ride started with cityscapes and highway until I got past San Antonio where it changed to hill country with its rolling hills polka dotted with trees of different shades of green. About six hours into the drive the scenery changed from hills to vast open plains and mountains as a backdrop. The last hundred mile stretch is where I really lucked out, the sun was setting over the blanketed mountains and each new ridge I came around rewarded me an even better view. When I finally made it to my couch surfing hosts, CC and Robert, I was exhausted and incredibly appreciative to see that I had my own camper to sleep in, although I would have been happy with a couch as well. They were such amazing hosts and welcomed me with open arms. Robert met me at the top of the driveway since it was pitch black outside and they had no address. Settling in, CC started to tell me all about the park and how I should commit to a third night right then and there since I was probably going to need it. Who was I to complain, they seemed to know what they were talking about and I happily accepted.

I woke up early the next day ready to get going. A little sore from the long drive, I stepped outside to the cool morning air and walked a few feet to my car. Emerging around the back end of the camper, I was rewarded with a beautiful view of mountains right in my own backyard, the sunlight dramatically strewn across the top of them. And here I thought the endless stars last night were the most impressive thing I’d seen so far. Getting my hiking gear together and my camera ready for the day, I grabbed CC’s muffin she made for me and ate it in probably thirty seconds flat. It was incredibly delicious, I see why they call her the muffin lady of Terlingua. The short drive through Study Butte (pronounced stoody bewt) and Terlingua to the park’s entrance was decorated with more mountains, sandy and shades of reds and browns. I got into the park and made the first right down Maverick road, an unpaved although somewhat maintained road, some of which was sand, that wound through the desert and ended up at Santa Elena canyon anchoring the southwest corner of Big Bend. I must have stopped at least twenty times on my way there for photographs, each new angle was an even better shot than the last. Mariscal canyon is the most remote and the narrowest of the three canyons in the park and where the river makes a 90 degree turn, giving Big Bend its name. Santa Elena, however, is a landmark you can almost always spot from any vantage point. It’s on the Rio Grande River, the park's southernmost boundary, dividing the US and Mexico. It’s a significant chunk out of the flat topped mountains, like someone cut a slice out of a massive cake. Climbing the short hike part way up the side of the 1500 ft. canyon wall, I gazed out over the exceptional view. The 118 miles of river highlighted by the morning sun have been cutting through the canyon for two million years, a ribbon of green forming along it. I kid you not, the horizon seemed to stretch into infinity, layers of mountains fading into the background. I could have stayed up there for hours but more park awaited me. I got my first park stamp at the Castalon visitor center just down the road and headed for my second at Chisos Basin. Along the way, I stopped and walked down into one of the lowest spots in the park. There, I found a very colorful little lizard, no more than two inches long, who quickly puffed his chest out at me as if to scare or warn me; from what, I have no idea.

Fun fact about Big Bend National Park, three ecosystems lie in its boundaries; the river, the mountains, and the desert. Not only are the Chisos mountains the only mountain range in the US entirely in a national park, but the park also has the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the country. The Chisos Basin was the second visitor center on my stop. It’s what the park describes as a forested island in the sky and they’re right, it’s a different world. The rocky, grass and cacti covered mountains surround you fully and unlike the six inches of rain per year and scorching degree weather in the desert, it can get close to twenty inches annually and temperatures are much cooler. Although, let’s be honest, it’s still very hot, just not 120 degrees hot. They even have Mexican Black Bears and Mountain Lions in this part of the park although I didn’t see any, probably a good thing. After a long day of exploring, Robert, CC, and her mom who was also visiting, took me to the Starlight Theater for dinner in Terlingua Ghost Town, a one street town that at one point actually was a ghost town. The tourism of Big Bend has significantly brought up its status. An old mining town, adobe homes are all over and ruins of houses that once stood remain, a few old cars without tires here and there. We sat on “the porch”, a local spot, and relaxed. The setting was perfect and the company was even better.

The second day was the most eventful day I’ve had in a while. I got up early and headed for my third visitor center, Panther Junction, stopping for photographs along the way in awe of the new mountain views. If you do come to the park be sure to watch the video here, it’s twenty minutes and just perfect. I learned all about the ins and outs of the park. Did you know Big Bend is home to some of the US’s best birdwatching with over 450 species? It also boasts 59 types of cacti, more than 3600 insect species, 56 reptiles, and more than 1300 plants. It’s amazing, the park use to be under water and, well, you all know the story of the dinosaurs. Bones have been found in the park and fossils of other underwater creatures as well. So many facts I could throw at you, but I won’t. I’ll add them in subtly as I always do as not to bore you. I left Panther Junction, or PJ as it is more affectionately known, and headed south towards Rio Grande Village, the southeastern most point of the park. This is also where, a few days out of the week, you can cross the border into Mexico, get your real passport stamped, and have lunch in the small town of Boquillas. Almost to my next visitor center, I made a left down Old Ore Road in search of a sight I had seen on a postcard while at Chisos Basin and was determined to find. Little tip, do not take this road with a low car and definitely have 4-wheel drive, in my case all wheel drive, they are a necessity. Some of the best sights of the park are off these backroads and unfortunately are a little hairy. A few times over the rough and unpaved six mile trek I almost parked Bertha and walked. After a slow ten mile per hour drive, I made it to Ernst Tinaja. Tinajas are pools of rainwater even in the driest parts of Big Bend and this one always has water in it. The slow drive and muffler issue that would arise on my way back out to the main road was completely worth it. The park was made up of volcanoes 17 million years ago and over that time erosion took over and created the rocks and formations we see today. That’s what Ernst Tinaja was like, sheets of rocks layered on top of one another, some as thin as cardboard, that curve and curl into odd patterns and create a whimsical canyon to the small opening of water and a bit beyond it. Stripes of red, orange, pink, and yellow turn this area into a kaleidoscope of color. Look closely and you’ll find small purple details inside other rocks, like someone painted it on. I almost missed this and man, what a shame that would have been. It was incredibly unique and that may have been my favorite spot in the entire park. Riding that high, I drove the hour back out of the park, successfully fixed my muffler, grabbed some Mexican food, and headed back to basically the same spot I had just come from. After stopping at balanced rock, a large rock literally suspended in the air between two others, I ended my day watching the sun set over Boquillas, Mexico from the Boquillas Canyon Overlook. Being on the far east side of the park, the sun came through in strips and highlighted the small, colorful town. Walking the short hike to the Boquillas Canyon floor, I discovered a large flat rock with small handmade crafts on it. Beaded cacti and road runners with price tags on them and a container explaining that the proceeds go to the school in Boquillas intrigued me. I like to think I’m an honest person, so taking one without paying was not an option, even if I was the only person in sight. Trying to hurry before the sun completely went down and I was practically in Mexico by myself and no cell service, I sprinted back to my car, grabbed a ten and put it in the container along with a little note, the proud owner of a priceless souvenir.

Big Bend National Park made me speechless, I mean truly speechless. I’m surprised I was able to describe it all to you in such great detail without getting caught up. I love that you can see a whole other country from it anywhere you are. I love how different every area of the park is. I love how the desert borders the mountains and it’s possible to have the land all to yourself. I love that one day I will come back and have so much more to discover and explore, that’s how large it is. Technically, it’s larger than the state of Rhode Island. Crazy, right? I still can’t believe it’s one of the least visited national parks in the United States,  it should be on everyone’s must see list. Being hundreds of miles from the nearest light pollution has its perks; stars come out even before the sun has finished setting and the sky has had a chance to fade to black. Driving back from the edge of Mexico, I watched as the sky went from indigo to pitch darkness and spent my last night sitting outside my camper staring up at its perfection. I always laughed when I saw pictures of constellations and how detailed they were, like there was no way that was real. I’m here to tell you that it is, I’ve seen it. I bet you can see the Milky Way from out there.

Hopefully I inspired you all to stop whatever you’re doing and head down there. I, for one, cannot wait to return. 

- G.

The Photo:
Gazing over the park.
Big Bend NP, Texas.
4/23/17.