Go Around the Bend: The Best of Big Bend and Alpine’s Amazing Murals

Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park.

In Big Bend National Park the distances can be daunting. The Panther Junction visitor’s center is about 40 miles from the campground, so we opted to stop on the way in. We figured since we had reservations, no need to hurry. Well about that.

The Rio Grande Village RV Campground (which is the only place in the national park with hookups to keep the pups cool) is run by Aramark, a concessionaire. I’d called to make reservations several days ago for 3 nights (5/12-5/15) and apparently the central reservations staff booked us into the wrong campground! They put us in Terlingua, over 50 miles away! Arrrrgh. It took about an hour to get everything squared away and spaces rebooked at the correct campground. Luckily, they were able to accommodate us, or we’d have been putting in some serious miles.

We had another roadrunner welcome us to our campsite, but really enjoyed seeing the javelinas at the campground near the RV park. Although they may look like pigs, please don’t insult them. Javelinas are peccaries and are as closely related to pigs as they are to hippopotamuses! Fun javelina facts – they have scent glands which are pretty pungent and used to mark territory and each other; each one’s nose is different just like our fingerprints; they are herbivores and eat prickly pear spines and all; they travel in large family groups of 10 or so; and they are generally not aggressive, although they can be fiercely defensive. Bob and Carole came back a few days later to see the javelinas and found these two coyotes lounging in a campsite. They look pretty chill. Lol.

I am not a pig!

These coyotes claimed a campsite for themselves. Lol.

On arrival day, 5/12, the temps were in the high 90’s, but we did see 104° before we left. Too, too hot! But still nothing like the 115°+ they hit after we left. That’s a hard pass. I will say the mornings and evenings were near perfect. We hiked a nearby nature trail though a wetland (yes, in the desert!) and then up a hill for a spectacular view of the sunset on the Rio Grande and the Sierra Del Carmen mountains. We also ran across a selection of fun little tchotchkes that enterprising Mexican entrepreneurs leave along the trail. Prices are marked and there was a container to leave the cash in – all on the honor system. Need I mention that a nicely done wire sculpture of a roadrunner found a new home? 😊

We were surprised by the lush wetland area,
although we are right next to the Rio Grande.

Up the hill to a sunset viewpoint.

Totally worth the climb!

Carole got the best sunset shots.

The Sierra Del Carmen mountains in the evening light.

Awesome views and shopping too! Lol.

Hey look! A roadrunner followed me home.

On Monday, 5/13, we were up early to visit the hot springs, the site of a popular resort in the early 1900’s. Several of the buildings are still intact and the foundation of the old bathhouse is a perfect place to soak in the hot spring water and then take a dip in the river. The guys decided to be total rebels and waded across the Rio Grande, crossing the border to stand in Mexico. Only one Mexican cow noticed, and he wasn’t impressed. Lol.

The resort was a popular destination for over
twenty years, closing in the 1940's.

Today, these were the only "guests" on site. Lol.

Lovely morning for a soak.

No passports! Book 'em, Dano.

We scrapped our plans for an afternoon hike when it hit 99°. We started planning activities for mornings and evenings and hiding out in the shade or air-conditioned coach during midday. After supper, we did a short hike in Boquillas Canyon. Between the shade from the canyon walls and a breeze across the waters of the Rio Grande, we were able to beat the heat.

Rog enters Boquillas Canyon.

The Rio Grande flows through the canyon.

The next morning, we drove five miles down Old Ore Road to the Ernst Tinajas. The road is now recommended for high clearance 4-wheel drive and experienced drivers only. Let’s just say it has gotten considerably rougher than when we did it with our front wheel drive CRV seven years ago. Lol. We were all in Bob and Carole’s GMC Acadia, which is all wheel drive. Bob did a great job navigating some really rough road, although he and Rog did get out to scout some of the more hairy spots and filled in a one really deep hole with rocks before we proceeded. Consider it an adventure. Lol.

The guys did a little roadwork before proceeding.

The hike is totally worth the drive though. The word tinaja is Spanish for "large earthenware jar" and in Big Bend it refers to natural water holes, usually formed by erosion. The trail takes you up a dry wash, over limestone stair steps to a 13 ft deep steep-sided basin that holds water year-round. Although the water is tempting, it can also be a trap. Often animals will fall in and be unable to climb out and eventually drown. The biggest draw for me are the amazing, folded limestone walls and incredible colors, stripes of purple, white, yellow and crystal. It’s one of my favorite spots in the park. Another fun feature, just past the tinajas, there is a super cool chimney that you can climb up into. It’s quite the rock lovers playground!

There's a short hike through a dry wash.

Past wildly folded limestone walls.

The path narrows as you approach the tinjas.

Looking into the steep-sided basin.

And the colors are absolutely amazing!!!

I could sit and ogle the colors and twisted layers for hours.

But there's so much to explore!

Climbing up into the chimney.
You can see sky through the opening at the top.
And it's a fun place for a selfie. Lol.

The Chisos is the only mountain range contained entirely within a National Park. A visitor center is located in the Chisos Basin, a large depression situated at 5401ft of elevation. Our last day in Big Bend was Wednesday, 5/15, and we drove up into the Chisos through barren, scrubby desert, through grasslands, past leafy shrubs, and finally reached the forests of the Chisos Basin. The area is about 10-20 degrees cooler and gets twice the annual rainfall of the surrounding desert and supports a unique ecosystem of plants and wildlife. Here you’ll find deer, bear, and mountain lions. (Sadly, we saw no wildlife other than birds, a few squirrels, and a solitary lizard. Lol.) There are lots of hiking trails in the area, and we chose to do the the short Window View trail and the 2-mile Chisos Basin Loop trail.

Case Grande rises above the Chisos Basin.

From the Window View trail.

This little woodpecker found a tasty treat.

The cholla are blooming in the Basin.

The usual suspects. 😉

We were sad to depart Big Bend, but we had one more fun thing to do. On the way out of the park we stopped at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. The main focus of the exhibit is the ancient marine life that once lived in the region, including sea turtles, crocodiles, and ancient sharks. One highlight of the display is the life-sized model of a Deinosuchus – a giant crocodile that lived 75 million years ago, grew up to 33 feet long and weighed in at over five tons!

A full sized Deinosuchus.

Everybody's favorite - T. Rex.

Replica of a femur bone (Rog for scale) from an Alamosaurus found in Big Bend.

Try not to get eaten by an ancient crocodile, it's quite uncomfortable. Lol.

Fun fossils and great views too!

We had just one night scheduled back in Alpine at the Lost Alaskan RV Park. I took the opportunity catch up on my domestic goddess duties, plus we gave the dogs a bath and washed the rigs. Alpine has more than 40 murals and Bob and Carole drove into town to see how many they could find. Carole took some great pics, so you can thank her for sharing. Here is just a sampling. Their favorite was, “Deep in the Art of Alpine, TX”, how many can you identify?