Luci was ecstatic when she realized she was finally coming along on one of my adventures. Big Bend National Park doesn’t allow dogs inside to avoid disturbance of wildlife but she still had a great time being in my presence 🙂 Aren’t all dogs just excited to be with their owners?
From Austin it was about a five and a half hour drive. We were staying at the cutest airbnb in Marathon. Definitely large enough for a couple and the host, James, was very nice and helpful. I enjoyed my morning coffee on the back porch.
View from back porch 
View from the back porch 
Coffee on the patio 
Luci Lou 
After getting settled I made my way towards the Fort Davis mountains to check out a star party at The McDonald Observatory. Big Bend and the surrounding areas of West Texas have some of the darkest skies in the United States meaning optimal views of the stars!
En route to McDonald Observatory 
En route to McDonald Observatory 
En route to McDonald Observatory 
Sunset
It got pretty chilly once the sun set so I grabbed a hot chocolate in the lobby. I was thankful I grabbed my jacket. There is a small indoor exhibit to explore before heading to the outdoor viewing area. The presentation area is situated on a small hill with dozens of stone benches. They discourage phone usage because the screen light can diminish your star visibility. Once outside, only red light is acceptable. Don’t ruin it for everyone else by pulling out your phone. After discussing the constellations and what would be visible this time of year we were given the opportunity to individually look through the large telescopes. We had great views of the Moon, Jupiter and several star clusters. It was very cool and I highly recommend checking this out.
On a real note, West Texas is covered in suicidal birds and rabbits! Every night they would fly straight for my windshield. I hit a couple of them; well they hit me. Talk about needing to stay awake while driving at night. That’ll do it!
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Ready for the day! It took around thirty minutes to reach the entrance of Big Bend via Rt 385 from Marathon. With only one gas station in the center of the park it is imperative that you get gas before leaving Marathon. Actually just fill up every time you pass a gas station, LOL. My first stop was the Fossil Discovery exhibit that has ancient fossils on display. It’s a very small exhibit and quick to check out. I gotta say, the dune looked quite sexy in the desert.
Big Bend 
The DUNE
The Lost Mine trail was my first stop. The trail is 4.7 miles long with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet. It’s a moderate hike with a lot of switchbacks. I turned around at 3 miles. Don’t worry, I’ll be back! Despite being one of the most popular hikes in Big Bend, I only passed a few people. I ended up meeting a really kind, kickass person named Kim. We were both exploring solo, she enjoyed Pearl Jam and we were on the same page politically so conversation was pleasurable. This hike was a huge accomplishment for her and I was totally impressed with everything she had overcome.
The Lost Mine Trail 
Following Basin Junction road led me to the Chisos Basin Visitor Center which is where The Window Trail starts. I only hiked .5 mile just to get a quick peek. With limited time, I was trying to see as much as possible.
Beginning of the Window Trail
I decided to head towards the east side of Big Bend to check out Boquillas Canyon. I can’t remember exactly but I think it took me almost an hour to reach the east side from the center. Everything is so spread out. I love driving so this was cool with me. Windows down, sunroof open, blaring the EV “Into The Wild” soundtrack. I’m just happy to be alive and have the opportunity to explore this beautiful part of our country.
Solitude
I love the photo above. This parking lot is right next to the Boquillas Canyon trail and there is not a soul in sight. I was unable to find the trail leading back into the canyon so I decided to come back the next morning. There was one more spot I wanted to check out before calling it a day.
Finding the hot springs can be confusing because there is the Hot Springs Historic Trail and the Hot Springs Canyon Trail. I chose the Hot Springs Historic Trail because it was a shorter hike to the actual hot spring. Getting there means driving down a skinny gravel road with high ledges. The hike itself was very easy. Following the trail along the water will eventually lead you to the springs on your right. Its just a small square probably 14ft x 14ft but the water felt fantastic!
I feel like I got a lot done in my first day. The remainder of the evening was spent at the airbnb with Luci Lou eating dinner and watching tv. Check out the sunset on my way out.
Day two I wanted to check out the tiny Target in Altuda along Rt 90 between Marathon and Alpine. Of course its just a prop and there is nothing for sale inside but it’s a must see.
I wanted to be sure that I found the Boquillas Canyon trail this time so that was my first stop in Big Bend and WOW was it worth it. Downloading the google offline map was a huge help for staying on the right trail. I use this feature every time I travel some place new. This means you can see the map without any cell service. Big Bend = Zero service!
The US/Mexico border runs directly through the Rio Grande river. Standing on the inner left side I was in the US but if I crossed the water I was in Mexico. Would hate to see a border wall destroy this beautiful land.
Wild Donkeys 
On the Mexico side! 
Boquillas Canyon
Next, I drove alllllllll the way across Big Bend to St Elena Canyon. This took at least an hour and a half if not longer. The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive offered killer views!
Driving through Big Bend 
Driving through Big Bend 
St. Elena Canyon 
St Elena Canyon
I finished the day with a drive to Terlingua, a small town just outside of Big Bend. I went to the Starlight Theatre for dinner to try their kickass chili I hear so much about. It was delicious! They also had some live music so I hung out for a bit before heading back towards Marathon.
The Moon from Terlingua
By that time is was dark and the sky was covered in a blanket of stars. I parked the dune on the side of Gano Springs Rd, opened the windows and sunroof, turned on Ed’s ukulele album and just enjoyed being detached from civilization. As mentioned earlier, Big Bend National Park offers some of the darkest skies in the United States. I could see thousands and thousands of stars. The park rangers checked on me twice but they let me be when I told them I was stargazing. Eventually I made my way back to the airbnb; again having to dodge the suicidal birds.
The next morning we started our five and a half hour journey back to Austin. One of my favorite memories with Luci was during this drive. As we were driving across 385N the Eddie Vedder cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Growing up” came up in my shuffle. The sun was shining through the sunroof, warming my right thigh. Luci looked over at me with warm, loving eyes, thanking me for the trip. I rubbed behind her left ear as she stared out the front windshield. She then put her left paw on the middle console where my elbow was resting so that we would be touching. I swear there is a human in there. <3
