Sunday 10 February 2013

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK




Today was a good day to go exploring and check out the Park which is about 48 miles south of Marathon. It was partly cloudy with a high of 23C.

On the way down to the Park on the north bound lane there was a Border Patrol Checkpoint. We stopped there on the way back and had to show our Driver’s Licenses. The gas here at Marathon and in the Big Bend is $3.97/gal. about 30 cents more than the more travelled areas.    

We had lunch in Big Bend at their Lodge overlooking the Chisos Mountains and valleys. The 800,000 acre Park has the national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert and has the Rio Grande running through it separating the U.S. from Mexico. Due to all the dryness in the area the river is looking very shallow and narrow. There has been a complete fire ban for the whole time we have been in Texas. 


The roads were also great riding.


View from the Lodge restaurant.

I had no worries here as I can run faster than Cathy!


There were all kinds of different rock types,colour and textures.

These mountains appeared like they had snow on them but it was the way the sun was shining on them.
The Rio Grande flows through the cut section.







Till tomorrow...

SATURDAY (ON THE ROAD)



We left at 8:30 this morning and headed out for Marathon Texas which is about 50 miles north of Big Bend Park.  It was a little drizzly for the first 100 miles and then it became sunny and nice for driving. We arrived about 3 o’clock. The wind was very, very strong when we arrived. It was blowing the dry soil/sand across the fields a lot. As dad would say “A lot of Real Estate changes hands on days like this”. By the time we went to bed it had subsided. We asked if this was typical and they said no, it just started today. So hopefully the wind will die down over night to allow us to have a nice ride to the Park.



This area seems to have oil.



We passed an area with lots of wind turbines.

Small dust storm

Our camp site

This campground is pretty basic but it has great WiFi and a very reasonable price. 


The first evening sunset.




http://goo.gl/maps/XGhFg


Later....