Over the years I've passed up visit after visit to the Big Bend in spite of my great appreciation for our National Parks. Part of it was geography. It's too far to go there and back in a day trip. And longer trips - from Austin to California, for example, or Utah to Austin were already too long for an excursion that far off I-10. And then there's aesthetics. When I retired and started these road trips I knew I'd like Colorado - mountains, after all, don'cha know? But that magic moment I stumbled on Canyonlands really got me, and following it up over the next several days with Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, and Zion? Deserts are AWESOME, Bubba! It shouldn't have been a surprise - in most of these places the newfound desert awesomewness was added to always awesome mountains. There really needs to be an adjective that equates to awesome squared. However, someone else will have to come up with it.
I finished up the Sunday at White Sands with an RON (remain overnight) in El Paso. I was tired enough to sleep when I got there, but I don't sleep too long these days so I could still count on an early start. I suspect this stretch of I-10 is between Sierra Blanca and Van Horne before I turned onto US90. Near Valentine I passed the Prada Marfa "store" where three guys were shooting selfies - go figure. Do a Google Images search for Prada Marfa - it seems a huge number of passers-by stops to take pictures. And, wouldn't you know it, the "store" turns out to be a Marfa artist's very successful attempt to surprise passers-by.
I hooked a right at Alpine and headed south on TX118 for Terlingua and Big Bend's back door. The more I saw of this area the greater my expectations for Big Bend. Take the picture above (looking NW towards Alpine), for example. This beautifully lanscaped pulloff a couple miles south of the city just made my spirit soar when I saw it. The Chamber of Commerce must be doing a bang-up job.
This shot was taken just up the road from the Border Patrol station. I almost didn't stop, but it seemed like I saw that lone rock outcrop (identifiable, I think) in a dozen different directions all morning. So shoot me; I thought it had earned some recognition.
Check out the skyline above, and note that the jumble of mountains to the right of that darker ridge that extends from the left edge of the frame is the same one below. I'm used to the regular Appalachian features of the Great Smokeys and this mish-mash just fascinated me. And, because it's so far off, it fascinated me for a good long while.
Yeah, it does. It fascinates me enough to get closer and present a better view of it. I always loved the layer after layer after layer of mountains you get to see from the Blue Ridge Parkway. But you never see anything like this, each peak or ridge going its own way. Each one a true rebel.
I don't know that this is the same group as above; I think it is but kept getting confused when I tried to correlate features. But the real reason it's in the set is because it includes the first Texas flag I can remember seeing on this trip and that, my friend, struck me as very unusual.
I can't tell you right off the bat how far this is from the Big Bend, but we're getting there. I reckon there'll be two more posts on this trip, then perhaps a day or two break before posting some Hill Country Bluebonnets. In for a penny, in for a pound - hang in there, amigo.
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