B & D's USA Hideout: Big Bend or Bust

Big Bend National Park was big, beautiful, bold and bordered by the Rio Grande and Mexico. It was a long drive from Oklahoma to the southwest corner of Texas but we did it over two days. On our way through Texas the first day, we made a pit stop in Fort Worth to have lunch with Justin, an observer pal of mine. We filled up on Texas BBQ and on events since we'd last seen each other in Alaska. Not only have I met many of Brian's friends and co-workers from his shipping life, he has also met many of mine. We drove until we couldn't anymore. Around 2200 we pulled into a Walmart in Midland to rest for the night. We grabbed a few groceries in the morning and then we were off to the park.

Five hours later we arrived at the entrance and discovered there were only a few campsites left but the park is so big that by the time we drove to the campgrounds, the sites were all filled up. We were disappointed but there was another campground just outside the west entrance of the park in Study Butte. Ultimately it worked out better because this one had full hookups, power, water and sewage whereas the campgrounds in the park had none of those and some do not even allow generators. And let me tell you now, it is hot in the desert and AC is a necessity.

After settling the camper and our stomachs for the night, we made our plan for the weekend. We decided to venture into the backcountry of the park for a couple nights for some real camping. So we pulled out the tent, sleeping bags, air pads, back packs and cook stove we have stashed away and packed enough food and water for the two of us. We obtained a permit the next morning at the visitor center. The two rangers, a married couple, were very happy to help us because they too are Massachusetts natives from Falmouth. The two retirees work seasonally and transfer from park to park around the country. Awesome. Anyway, the back country exploring is a little different in this park. Instead of hiking in, you can drive as long as you have a 4x4 vehicle. Now don't get any paved roads or even nicely groomed dirt roads in your head, this road was basically a four wheeler path. I was white knuckling it the whole way in while Brian thought he was a cowboy riding Star like a real Silverado from the ole west.

For anybody that thinks the desert is a lifeless place, you couldn't be more wrong. The bloom this time of year is spectacular. Prickly pears, Claret cups, Pitaya, Torrey yuccas and Desert marigold covered the desert floor in color. Deep purple Lupine lined the roads like a violet velvet carpet. It was gorgeous. We also saw our fair share of wildlife; golden eagles, jack rabbits and road runners were just about everywhere. Javelinas and rattlesnakes did not cross our path but we were hoping to see each from a safe distance. Fun fact; javelinas look like wild hogs but they are actually in the Peccary family and are more closely related to hippos.

I awoke on Easter morning to owls "whoo-ing" and the desert sun illuminating our yellow tent. We went for a nice hike down the road before it got too hot, which it did. We didn't do much for the rest of the day. Though, Brian was gung-ho about cleaning and organizing the back of the truck where we keep so much of our extra stuff. We put up a white sheet as a makeshift hideout and spent the afternoon under it playing cards and drinking cold beer. Brian even surprised me with a mini easter basket so we ate a lot of candy too. What other way to be thankful and spend Easter?

Big Bend was no bust and another big check off our National Park's list.