Kathleen's Window: Back to Big Bend

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Last Saturday we showered and went into T 'r C to wash a month's worth of clothes. This 3-4 week laundry thing is working out well, and we seem to have enough clothes with us to last that long. Spent two hours doing laundry, and some time listening to a disabled Vietnam Vet talk about his daughter coming soon to visit, his son's tragic death on a motorcycle, and the difficulty getting care and meds from the VA. I gave him an ear and some sympathy. Hope it helped. He's had a tough life. Traveling allows us to meet people whose paths we wouldn't ordinarily cross. I really love that, but sometimes it pushes us out of our comfort zones.

Our reward for getting the laundry done was going to be a great Mexican lunch at Maria's. They were closed! So, we drove back to the town of Elephant Butte next to the park and found a pretty good Mexican place there. Then back to the park. We picked a new spot in Lion's Cove with a closer view of the water and spent a good night there.

Lions Cove Campsite - The shore is about a half mile farther than when the campground was built!

Mission accomplished in T 'r C, we set out Sunday morning for Texas. Driving south on I-25 took us to Las Cruces where we joined I-10 and headed over the border to El Paso, Texas. We could see the smog from miles away! It was hanging in the Rio Grande Valley containing El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. We hurried east and out into the desert. At Van Horn, Texas we left it to head into southwest Texas on US 90. The day was lengthening fast. We realized that to go back to Davis Mountains State Park, where we stayed last winter, was a detour, so we drove towards Alpine and the Lost Alaskan RV P ark, also from last winter, which we would reach after dark. Texas is so big! You think you've got plenty of time to drive from remote town to remote town, but it is deceiving. Plus, the time change got us!

Las Cruces Water Tank Mural

Miles of feed lots heading in to El Paso

Juarez and a border patrol vehicle. The Rio Grande River is the ditch.

On the way to Marfa, flat, flat, flat!

Airforce radar Aerostat on the Mexican Border. We assume it serves the DEA and Border Control more than NORAD.

It was almost dark as we drove through Marfa and passed the Tumble Inn RV Park, where we stayed last year. Almost 30 more miles to go to Alpine and a nicer park. Greg came up with the idea of boondocking at the Marfa Mystery Lights Viewing Platform just outside of town. Another RV was already there, the light was almost gone, and it saved us $32!

Marfa Lights viewing center

We didn't see the Marfa Lights that night, supposedly, unexplainable orbs of light that appear across the valley. But, we did experience many freight trains passing during the night just across the road! The morning drive took us to Alpine and fuel and groceries. Walking into the grocery store I almost freaked out seeing a man with a handgun holstered on his belt. It may be an open carry state, I'm not sure. He finally turned around and I saw a sheriff's patch on his shirt, but he wasn't wearing a uniform like I would expect from a police officer back east.

Straight south from Alpine is Big Bend National Park, so off we went. Three hours later we arrived at Rio Grande Village Campground. We loved our visit here last winter, and we finally found warmth, temps in the low 80's! At sunset we hiked up the trail to the overlook and watched the the sun set over the Rio Grande. There were two horses below us who had wandered over across the river from the Mexican side. Fluid border indeed. The Bouquillas Crossing to Mexico has been re-opened, but we weren't anxious to wade across the river and hike a mile to town.

Not a Walmart!

The road to Big Bend

Greg took two bike rides on old mining roads here, and I finally got back on my bike and rode around the campground and to the store. I am not attempting the mining roads with Greg, oh, no... We have been accessing wifi at the store. No phone service here, and no hook-ups, just a dump and potable water. The roadrunners have been active, and we found out this morning that they have a nest in the bushes behind our rig. We saw some javelinas on the drive down here. Several were on the side of the road, including a dead one, yuck...(This morning Greg discovered some in the bushes across the road from our campsite!)

Lunch Break in the park

Recent rains have encouraged the wildflowers and butterflies

Sierra Del Carmen is a 6,000-foot limestone wall east of our campground

On my ride around the campground while I was stopped to photograph the roadrunners, I met a man from Vermont and got to meet his black and white female cat Heifer, that travels with him. This morning Greg had a talk with the camp host volunteers and checked out the roadrunners behind our rig. They took a look at our rig and exclaimed that they bought theirs at Beckley's RV in Thurmont, too! They're from Winchester, VA and just sold their house in September. We are finding a very interesting sub-culture of snowbirds and fulltimers everywhere we go.

The wetland ponds between our camp and the main channel of the Rio Grande

Duck who knew which way to go from Canada!

Fierce wildlife - a large, blurry Walking Stick insect

Cholla

Prickly Pear

Looking west up the Rio Grande

Sunset over the Rio Grande

Our roommate at the campsite

Looking south across the Rio Grande

Since we have to be in Ocala, Florida by the 11^th, to begin settlement on the condo, we will leave here tomorrow. We want to have plenty of time to get there. The weather forecast is calling for a massive, frigid storm across much of the country, so we will try to avoid it by staying south and driving I-10. This is the storm that caused us to leave New Mexico early. Didn't want to get caught in it. Still don't want to get caught in it!