Exploring the Big Bend National Park Area

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March 25th 2010

Published: March 26th 2010

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Town Plaza

Local veterans who paid the ultimate price are memorialized in the town plaza - Fort Davis TX

Since shortly after I retired to Silver City NM in 1998, I had heard about the beauty of Big Bend National Park TX and had wanted to mosey over see for myself. It seemed only natural to make that the first stop on my great adventure. Originally, I had planned to spend a week in Fort Davis TX and then a week in Big Bend NP. When I learned there are no RV hook-ups in Big Bend NP (I have yet to acquired a generator), that idea was quickly postponed. Since I did want to get a sample of the area, I decided to take two one-day trips into the Big Bend area to satisfy my curiosity. More about that later. I also learned that spring break lasts almost the entire month of March for somebody, somewhere. A negative - Passport America discounts are not honored and campground openings are hard to find - and a positive - several attractions expanded the hours and/or days of operation during spring break.

These obstacles were overcome, reservations were made and my trip would start without a hitch - right? March 15, 2010 arrives. It is snowing hard - very hard. Fortunately, the

Hard at Work

Davis Mountain 1800's Working Broom Shop - Fort Davis TX

asphalt was still warm from the beautiful day we had on the 14th and the roads were only wet vs. icy. No complaint here because this El Nino weather has been crazy everywhere. The snow does make it seem like a good day to be leaving Silver City for warmer parts. The forecast for Fort Davis predicted clearing skies by Tuesday midday so onward-ho for the Overland Trail Campground. After about thirty minutes of morning heating and 1000 feet of drop in elevation, the snowflakes became drizzle that accompanied us for most of the day. Us. Oh, yes, us is me and my traveling companion and good friend, Kay Baker. Some of you might remember Kay from my journey last August and September.

Our drive was uneventful but long - too long. My ideal driving day for my full-time RVer lifestyle is 3-4 hours but not seven hours plus the hour we lost entering the Central Time Zone (not calculated, but lesson learned). We got checked in later than planned and set up without incident. Drizzle and fog greeted us Tuesday morning, but the weatherman was still assuring us that we would be drenched in sunshine by afternoon. Yeah,

Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Fog-shrouded, ice-covered telescope (the third largest in the world) and trees at McDonald Observatory - Fort Davis TX

right! In the drizzly morning, we decided to make a visit to the local 1800’s broom maker to learn of his craft. What a delight, and what a storyteller! He was fine-tuning a new invention when we arrived. Of course, there was a story about his need to utilize creative genius to develop his invention, stories of how he learned the trade, of how he had taught others and, of course, of his quite successful marketing efforts. The 20-30 minutes we had allocated quickly mushroomed to become more than two thoroughly delightful hours. Later in the week, I took him a CD with the pictures I had taken and he presented me with a walking stick he had made.

After lunch, we headed for the McDonald Observatory - a facility operated by the University of Texas at Austin. Fog shrouded the white telescope domes such that they were nearly invisible from a distance. The water condensation had frozen and ice was falling from the trees and from the upper portions of the structures. We participated in three mostly-indoor activities in the afternoon and early evening - ever watchful of each radar screen we passed. Finally, just as dusk was

THE County Courtroom

Jeff Davis County Courthouse - Fort Davis TX

falling, the final wisps of clouds passed by the observatory. The nighttime sky was ablaze in sparkling starlight. I’m not sure if the guides were astronomy graduate students or stargazing aficionados, but they were knowledgeable and had some mighty fine equipment. There were about a dozen scopes focused on various kinds of objects from Saturn to galaxies to star clusters to nebula. Normally, “star parties” are held only three nights per week, but during spring break they are held every night. Thank you spring break!

Sunrise Wednesday morning was awesome - just as the forecast had predicted. After breakfast, we wandered around the historic downtown area using a map supplied by the Visitors’ Bureau as our guide. There are many interesting and well-restored buildings in Fort Davis. We chatted briefly with the county judge who told us that court was not in session and invited us to visit the restored courtroom. After lunch, we ventured out to Fort Davis National Historic Site - former home to a cadre of Buffalo Soldiers charged with the protection of the US Mail and the wagon trains traveling the Overland Trail stage route. Enlisted barracks, officers’ housing and the infirmary have been restored,

Defending the Fort

Cannon firing re-enactment at Fort Davis National Historic Site - Fort Davis TX

and an “officer’s wife” in period clothing was baking cookies in her wood-fired oven for all to sample. The Park Service rangers and local volunteer group performed several demonstrations. Thank you spring break!

My planning had led me to try to alternate “vigorous” days with “leisurely” days. Unfortunately, that “makes-sense-to-me” planning landed our first day trip into Big Bend country on Thursday, March 18 - the day before we went to the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine. More about that jewel in a minute. The “rise-and-shine alarm” got us ready to leave about daybreak (8:00 AM). We set out on a 379.5-mile loop that brought us back to Fort Davis. Our travels led us south on TX 118 to Study Butte (via Alpine), west on RM (Ranch to Market Road) 170 for Candelaria (via Presidio) and then north on US 67 for Marfa and TX 17 back to Fort Davis. A stop at Fort Leaton State Historic Site for lunch provided some insight into mid-1800 commerce along the Rio Grande. Fort Leaton was never an actual fort but rather a trading post and place of respite for weary travelers. As with most “scenic routes” there are periodic

Along the Rio Grande

Looking into Mexico between Presidio and Candeleria TX

stints of quite spectacular vistas deposited within even longer segments of quite “ho-hum” terrain. We knew the drive would be long and made frequent “leg-stretching” stops. Most of the drive was typical high desert with a variety of unidentified, albeit pretty, cacti, wildflowers and brush dotting the nearby countryside and picturesque mountains in the distance. We were happy to be back in the campground before sunset.

Friday, we set out to visit two nearby towns - Alpine and Marfa. What contrasts! In Alpine, we started at the Chamber of Commerce and found a well-stocked office with a knowledgeable, helpful staff. Our next stop was the aforementioned Museum of the Big Bend. I immediately realized I had forgotten the camera. Sorry about that. This phenomenal exhibition thoroughly explains the geologic, prehistoric, Native American, military, pioneer and railroading eras of the area and then outlines the genesis and evolution of Big Bend NP itself. Numerous monitors are strategically located throughout the museum and play (on demand) a short educational video explaining the artifacts found in that section of the museum. We learned many facts about some of the features we had seen (as well as some we had skipped) on our

From Skyview Road

Looking over the camping area and Indian Lodge in Davis Mountain State Park - Fort Davis TX

Thursday driving tour and decided we would place museum stops earlier on our agenda in the future. Hopefully, we will gain more from our second driving tour next week.

After we departed the museum, we embarked on a self-guided historical tour with a plain yet comprehensive brochure as our guide. Our easy-to-find “treasures” were quite a disappointment! Most were dilapidated and in varying states of disrepair. After lunch in the public park, we drove to Marfa. The brochure we had picked up along the way was extraordinarily ornate but had no map, no address and no phone number for the few commercial landmarks it touted. We sought out the Visitors’ Bureau for guidance. It was locked. As we pondered our next course of action, the attendant returned and treated us like we were an inconvenience. Striking out and driving around town almost blindly, we discovered many examples of unique architecture that were in excellent states of preservation - something one would think the COC would be proud to promote. What contrasting styles between two proximate communities!

Saturday, March 20 was planned to take us to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center for the 6th Annual Cactus and Succulent Festival.

New Friends or Hunters???

Taking a walk in the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center - Fort Davis TX

No, we weren’t interested in purchasing plants but were looking forward to participating in some of the special (spring break, thanks again) activities in the offing - including guided, interpretive walks through the grounds. Our plans were cancelled when we awoke to snow flurries and winds in the 25-30 mph range. The day was spent catching up with the travel blog, planning for our upcoming visit to San Antonio and “kicking back.” We decided the Davis Mountain State Park would have to share our Sunday with the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center. Sunday morning was clear but blustery so our hiking plans in Davis Mountain State Park were cancelled, but we did drive through for a look-see.

The afternoon was warmer but still breezy when we kicked up a small herd of deer on a short hike through the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and then went on an excellent educational tour along the Botanical Gardens Walk and through the Cactus and Succulent Greenhouse. We finished with a self-guided walk through the Chihuahuan Desert Mining Heritage Exhibit. While walking through the Research Center, I discovered a book titled, Return of the Peregrine. In the 1970’s and 80’s, my friend and former

Probably hunters!!!

Elk mount in the reading area off the main lobby of the Gage Hotel - Marathon TX

co-worker, Jack Oar, had been heavily involved with the salvation of the peregrine, so I glanced at the Index. Jack had been referenced several times and I found a picture of a much younger Jack Oar while on a research project in Greenland - a neat way to bid adieu to Fort Davis.

Marathon TX is a small, unremarkable town about 75 miles north of Big Bend National Park. We set up, had lunch and conducted the requisite “historic walking tour.” With the exception of the Gage Hotel, the tour objectives were quite ordinary in appearance, but the brochure offered some interesting historical perspectives. The Gage Hotel is elegant beyond all expectations for a community of 455 people - a telling commentary of Marathon’s robust past. In the morning, we headed south on US 385 for Persimmon Gap - the northern entrance to Big bend NP. Once we entered the park, the “been there, done that” landscape exploded into an array of spectacular vistas - oftentimes seen in every direction.

Having only one day, we avoided the “roads less traveled” but stopped frequently for photos and short walks. After a stop at the Panther Junction Visitor Center, we

What's for lunch?

Visitors to the campground near Chisos Mountains Lodge - Big Bend National Park TX

headed east for the Rio Grand Village where I learned the National Park Service RV campsites do not have hook-ups but that the RV campsites managed by a private concessionaire does have electric and water hook-ups. Now all that conflicting information I received earlier has been clarified! From the Boquillas Canyon Overlook dead end, we backtracked past Panther Junction on our way to the Chisos Mountains Lodge where a band of javalina watched us eat lunch. The scenery around the lodge is awesome, and the accommodations appear comfortable. We didn’t enter the restaurant itself (the only restaurant in the park, by the way) but plan to dine there on our next visit.

After lunch, we returned to the main highway before diverting onto the road for Castolon. At the Visitor Center, I queried the Park Ranger about the condition of the unpaved, “high clearance vehicle recommended” Old Maverick Road and learned it was okay for 25-30 mph driving speeds in most spots. After visiting the Rio Grande where she exits the Santa Elena Canyon, we finished our fabulous visit on the Old Maverick Road with a Ford Taurus as our traveling companion. Although there are some pretty vistas along

The Eye For The Sky

Impressive - McDonald Observatory - Fort Davis TX

the route, I would confess the benefits are probably not worth the costs to yje soundness of your vehicle. Seing the Santa Elena Canyon is worth the trip whether you choose to backtrack on the paved road or exert your sense of adventure on the Old Maverick Road. We got back to the Pilgrim about an hour before sunset. The 304.6 mile trip took eleven well-spent hours. Our next destination is Del Rio TX which should be more relaxing and should result in a shorter blog.

Additional photos below

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