Onto the magnificent Big Bend National Park. We had never even heard of it before. But what a place --stunning vistas, soaring volcanic rock piles of incredible shapes and beautiful colors, small in terms of road travel needed to cover it, but immense -- from horizon to horizon -- in terms of breath-taking scenery. It was like nothing so much as being in (and I mean IN) an IMAX movie. Cannot recommend this awesome place enough!!
Maverick Ranch RV park was gorgeous -- pool with view, just my thing.
Lajitas where we stayed was a place of wondrous beauty, but with a resident who apparently had great ambition. He built a golf course, Texas-chic collection of hotel-restaurant-shops all styled as a western town such as one might see in old western movies. And of course, the airport, Lajitas International. Well, it just didn’t go. Too far away, perhaps. The beauty of it is still there mostly unspoiled and, by golly, if you want a 600-acrea ranch for $200,000, it’s out there for ya.
Lajitas and Terlingua, which is located at the entrance to Big Bend retain a certain under-developed (thank goodness) charm. Big Bend, breath-taking and is almost completely free of tourists. The few people who are there are serious out-door, back-country types. It’s immaculate, peaceful, beautiful and we could not get enough.
One night we left kitty safely tucked in the motor home and went into the park with our camping stuff. We went to a trail called Paint Gap, doable with the Jeep.
It was a beautiful spot of grand vistas and utter silence. We had a bit of Prosecco and cheese and enjoyed the view.
A nice dinner, an absolutely unbelievable sunset.
And then the stars came out. This is one of the darkest places in the United States and they were amazing. We sat with our star guide and found many constellations. Then bedtime.
We have a little tent we call the missile that functions as a shower/bathroom. I was enjoying a little solitude with my flashlight and bird book when about 20 feet behind me, something snarled -- not a small something, but something with substance and throat. Flashlight and book went up in the air and I said the only thing I could think of -- “BOB!!!!” There was a lot of yelling and wrestling around and the car started and the lights came on and whatever it was was undoubtedly scared out of its wits.
We huddled in the car the rest of the night thinking about it. Really thinking about it since we had taken the top off the jeep. I ticked off all the possibilities. A bear? Bears don’t snarl. Mountain lion? They snarl, but there are only 12 of them in the whole park of 850,000 acres. And I don’t really think one would sneak up to attack you and then before striking, give a big warning snarl. Raccoon? No raccoons here. The picture I had in my mind was a Tasmanian Tiger. They have stripes like a tiger and a long rat tail. Well, they have been extinct since about 1920, but I am sure that it what it was.
A beautiful morning. (Oh, and no tracks. Too rocky) The wind was picking up and dust was in the air, but then the ranger said they were expecting a bit of a blow. A little haze on the mountains. Returning to the RV park, we let the cat out to sit with Bob while he was unloading the car. Coyotes were yapping just outside our window the last night we were there, so no going out after dark for her. Very shortly it was really blowing and dust was visible blowing across the parking lot and the cat disappeared. Within an hour, it was howling outside, dust obscuring everything, even the sun was growing dim.
The cat hates wind. We took turns taking the car out looking for her. Just when I had nearly given up hope, out she pops in that way that only cats do. She had found a new hide up under the motor home and probably took refuge as she sensed the coming storm. And stayed there not making a peep while we were out calling and calling. Cute.
Later it seemed to die down a bit and we went for a drive in the state park there alongside the Rio Grande and then out for dinner that evening at the chic but mostly unoccupied hotel. All seemed fine -- until we walked outside. The storm had returned with a vengeance. We got to the motor home, opened the door and it was like walking into the movie “Poltergeist”. The whole thing was shaking. The wind had gotten under the canvas that goes over the top of the slides and was flapping it. The sound was deafening. Wap, wap wap. The cat was streaking around like a devil rider. I picked her up and she wrapped her little clawless paws around me and held on.
We tried pulling in the biggest slide and though the rocking was less, the wapping was not improved. We all got under the covers. Bob looked at the weather on the computer -- the wind was going to continue until 2 a.m. And it was what? 9:00. No way. This was just not tolerable. Bob finally went out and disconnected us and guided me as turned the motor home into the wind. That was much better. It looked rather peculiar in the morning as we were perpendicular to all the other motor homes and trailers. Kinda looked like we were picked up, spun around and dropped over the rainbow on the wicked witch of the west. Did not care -- it got us through the night.
I’m thinking of the woman I had met at the pool the day before. They had been in Arizona, but couldn’t stand the wind there, so they came down to Big Bend.
WALKUM’ TO TAXUS!!!!!!!!
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