Today was the kind of day we dreamed we would have in Big Bend National Park. The day started out a
bit iffy with overcast skies, and I decided to go back to the camp store and
see if the Wi-Fi was working. It was,
and I was able to post the blog entries for the last two days. While I was there, surveyors from Texas
A&M University asked if I would be willing to answer a few questions. I’m good at multi-tasking, so I answered the
questions while I typed. Tim joined us,
and we ended up talking with one of the students about landscape architecture,
New Urbanism and assorted other topics.
She was such an interesting and bright young woman, and we enjoyed
listening to her perspective.
By the time we finished talking, the clouds had blown
away and the sky was a gorgeous shade of blue.
The temperature was in the 60s, and the gentle wind felt good under the
warm sun. Finally, we could enjoy
hiking, and that’s how we spent the rest of the day.
We hiked down to the Rio Grande and then were rewarded
with panoramic views after we climbed a high promontory. We could see the Mexican village of Boquillas
across the river, as well as the Sierra del Carmen escarpment and the Chisos
Mountains in the distance. The view was simply
beautiful.
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Restored Wetlands along the Rio Grande |
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The Rio Grande with the Chisos Mountains in the Distance |
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Across the Rio Grande |
Along the trail we saw numerous displays of crafts for
sale by Mexican border merchants.
Bracelets, pins and walking sticks were placed on a rock, prices were
listed on a piece of paper and a jar was left to receive the money. Everything was on the honor system. The thing is, all of this is illegal. The Mexicans who cross the Rio Grande to sell
these items are in the United States illegally and could be deported. Items purchased are considered contraband and
could be seized. It was an interesting
part of the Big Bend experience, but Tim and I behaved and left empty-handed.
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Border Merchant Crafts for Sale |
We enjoyed a picnic lunch at Daniels Ranch, which
features an adobe house built by John and Mary Coe Daniels who farmed this area
before 1942. Farming was the main
industry here until the 1940s. Tim
spotted a roadrunner, and this time I had my camera with me. We still haven’t seen a javelina, an odd
creature that resembles a pig but is not closely related to the pig family at
all. They are supposed to be everywhere,
but we have yet to encounter one.
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Daniels Ranch |
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A Roadrunner |
We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking the trail to
Boquillas Canyon. We climbed a hill that
offered more views of the Rio Grande and the surrounding countryside and then made
our way down toward the river. An
interesting feature on the trail was the bedrock mortar holes that were made by
Native Americans. We walked along the river
as far as we could toward the canyon walls.
On the way, we were serenaded by Jesus, one of two or three Mexicans who
sing for tourists in hopes of a small donation. I resisted the urge to leave a dollar in his
bottle.
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Looking Down and Across the Desert on the Hike to Boquillas Canyon |
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Mortar Holes in the Bedrock |
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Boquillas Canyon |
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Sarah in Boquillas Canyon |
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Tim in Boquillas Canyon |
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Jesus Singing in the Canyon |
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What a Vista! |
We couldn’t have asked for a better day, and it was so
nice to finally get out into the park and see at least a small sampling of what
makes Big Bend so special.
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Desert Wildflowers |
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Desert Wildflowers
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