daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
Our last day at Big Bend was spent hiking the iconic Santa Elena Canyon. The canyon is always stunning, and this time there was someone in a canoe enjoying the Rio Grande. It looked so fun!
The canyon was a perfect way to end the trip to Big Bend. But there was one more thing that we were looking forward to: burgers at Pepito’s Cafe. It was so good!
Our one full day in Big Bend was a busy one! After a quick breakfast and camp breakdown, we headed over to the Hot Springs. The water was clear and warm, and we took advantage of the cool river to alternate between hot and cold. The healing waters of the Rio Grande felt so good!
Next up was a hop over the border at the Boquillas Crossing for lunch at Jose Falcon’s. My chile relleno and beer was great. It was very different from the kind we get in Austin.
Fuelled up on Mexican food, it was time to burn those calories on the trail. We’ve never hiked The Window Trail in the Chisos Basin, so that was our destination. It was such a cool trail when ends at a viewpoint which is the actual Window. Such a great view, and we chatted with a few other hikers who arrived at the same time. Very cool vibe with the cool air flowing into the canyon, and Mexican Jays joining us.
Our campsite for the evening was Robbers Roost, a backcountry site that you need a high-clearance vehicle to reach. Because it so remote, the sky is super-dark and it’s perfect for astrophotography. Unfortunately, the winds were very strong this weekend, so there was a lot of dust and haze in the air. That made shooting the Milky Way (which was just over the horizon) difficult. But the dust did make for nice sunset colors!
And guess what? The Lyrid meteor shower was just starting up, so we got treated to a nice show!
It’s nice that my friend and I like photography. Dark skies in Big Bend are a highlight of the trip for sure, and we stayed up until 3 am taking photos. So fun, and nice way to end an awesome day.
Today is day one of a camping trip to Big Bend National Park. My buddy and I have camped out here a few times before so the itinerary was a mix of our favorite trails and a couple of new ones.
We took my friend’s Jeep which meant we could visit a remote trails and stay any of the backcountry campsites. It really opens up the park to more activities!
Our first trail was the Grapevine Hills Trail to Balanced Rock. It was my third time hiking this one, and every time has been great. It’s a short trail, but the rock formations at the end are super cool!
Next up was a drive to Ernst Tinaja. On the way we stopped at an old cowboy gravesite. I’d love to know the story behind this person. Or perhaps it’s better left to the imagination. 😃
The tinaja was really interesting, with layered canyon walls and plenty of fossils in the exposed limestone. Another short hike with a big payoff. Recommended if you have a high-clearance vehicle.
We were treated to some awesome skies and storm clouds on the drive to our campsite. Luckily we didn’t get any rain. But the photos were much better because of the clouds.
When we reached the Rio Grande Village campsite we were greeted by a pack of friendly javelina. And by friendly, I mean they weren’t aggressive. The pack of 13 javelina just slowly moved their way through the campground, looking for grubs and other goodies. So cute! 🐗
We set up our tents, had dinner and then settled in for the evening. It was a long day on the road, a couple of nice, short hikes, and wildlife in the campground. Oh, there were also a few wild horses walking around the campground. So funny and unexpected! 🏕
Another wonderful sky… 🌄
The morning sun was shining on Mariko’s house slippers and I thought they looked cute. I always turn them around so they are ready for her when she comes downstairs. :)
