Big Bend's Rio Grande Village, Boquillas Canyon, Chisos Basin, and Old Ore Road

With stickers and postcards in hand, we departed the Panther Junction Park Headquarters, passing through what I believe to be the most breathtaking drive of the park. As we drove southeast through the tunnel at the Rio Grande Overlook, the Sierra del Carmens grew closer and more impressive. I was a bit giddy as I just couldn't believe how magnificent the vistas in this area were.

We packed our backpack, departed the Rio Grande Village Campground, and drove a short distance to the Boquillas Canyon Trail. A short incline led us to the trail, which followed the river into the canyon. Mexico was just right there!

Back at the campground, there was a boardwalk nature trail that led over a small, grassy pond. The grassy wetlands are a birdwatcher's paradise. Crossing three foot bridges over the pond, the trail rose to an overlook that gave us a 360-degree view of the Carmens, the river, the valley, and a beautiful sunset.

Day 2

On our first full day at the Village, we drove halfway back across the park to the Chisos Basin area. The area transitions from dry desert to cooler mountain terrain. As the road rose from the desert floor, the mountain views grew more spectacular. Our first stop was a one-mile climb along a tree-lined trail to the Lost Mine Overlook. It was so beautiful in both directions. We found a nice place to sit, have a snack, and enjoy the view. We continued driving up the road past the campground. The lodge and restaurant were closed due to a water pump outage, but we were able to access the 2-mile loop trail which wound through the forest. At the highest point on the trail, we stopped to enjoy our lunch and the views across the basin. When Tom said the word "lunch" a Mexican Jay flew to the tree immediately across the trail. He watched every bite and crumb fall, waiting for us to leave.

We returned to the campground to watch another beautiful sunset at the Valley Overlook Nature Trail.

Once night fell, we stepped out of the trailer for more stargazing. The sky was so incredibly dark, and the stars and half moon were so bright we didn't need flashlights. This was vastly different from our experience at the McDonald Observatory where it was so dark we couldn't see our hands out in front of us, much less the faces of the people we were talking with. Overnight, it was the coldest we have experienced on our trip.

Day 3

Finally, we woke up to somewhat normal temperatures. We were able to cook eggs and bacon outside. After a lazy morning, we drove out of the valley, through the tunnel to a very rocky 4x4 five mile road to the unbelievably beautiful Ernst Tinaja. It was a short half mile hike into the geological wonder. At the trailhead, we met an elderly couple from Michigan. They said they had visited the park 15-20 times. They come to this spot each time they visit. The hike into the canyon was so beautiful we stopped every 10 ft to take a photo. (No lie! I won't show you all of the photos.) I drove us back to the main road to practice 4-wheel driving. Thankfully, this time I was not rushing to the nearest emergency room. (IYKYK)

We returned to the campground, walked up the nature trail to take in one more sunset. An elderly man walking down the trail lost his balance and went tumbling into the cactus. I tell you this only because it was incredible how a quiet campground became a community. A few campers helped him to his feet and walked him down the rest of the trail. Others rushed ahead to get help while another group set up an impromptu emergency room. A couple of campers, including Tom, grabbed their first aid kits to help clean him and meticulously remove all of the spires from his forehead and hands. Good news: his injuries were minor and he walked back to his campsite after being checked by the park ranger. The campers gathered to assist and as a result, the quiet campground transitioned into a friendlier one. The next morning, the gentleman walked to the camp store a little banged up but ready to take on his next adventure.

Day 4

The air was warm, the skies were blue, we really hated to leave. This area of Big Bend and this campground will make our top ten list.

A list of some wildlife that we observed in the park: Right outside our trailer in Rio Grande Village, we saw countless birds, a coyote, a roadrunner (unfortunately, never in the same photo), coyodogs, and burros. Elsewhere on our trip, we've spotted Big Horned Sheep, a fox, and several Mexican Jays. The javelinas remained elusive.