Heading to West Texas is one of my favorite journeys for several reasons. I’m going to make a list because these points deserved to be recognized.
- It’s H O M E. Texasssss
- Road trips are fun and West Texas has the best scenery
- Dark skies + no light pollution = OPTIMAL STAR GAZING
- The perfect chance to disconnect. Limited cell service
- Hiking/swimming
- Lots of ass! (See Below)
My first trip to Big Bend was back in 2017. This time Hannah was driving and nearly stranded us half way to Marathon. Her gas light came on and the nearest station was 26 miles away, which we made it to with “0 miles” left. After that we were filling up every half tank, haha.
We reached Marathon and didn’t waste any time before grabbing lunch at Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue. We sat outside on their front patio and enjoyed our meal before heading to The Gage Hotel and The White Buffalo.
The Gage Hotel was built in 1927 and offers lodging with a rustic touch. Marathon is about thirty minutes from one of the Big Bend Park entrances so this is a desirable location when visiting West Texas. The White Buffalo, a bar within The Gage Hotel, follows suite with the rustic decor. Inside they have a wall-mounted white buffalo named Henry. White buffalos are extremely rare and said to be sacred. Henry died in 1935.
Henry 
Between Marathon and Alpine lies the infamous Tiny Target. No, it’s not real and there is nothing for sale inside. The shopping cart is a new addition since my last visit in 2017. Unfortunately, there is a lot of graffiti on the building taking away from its inimitable touch.
We planned this trip in May of 2019 for February of 2020! 9 months in advance because that’s how hard it is to get a reservation for The Bubbles at Basecamp Terlingua. We also chose our dates in accordance with the New Moon for optimal star gazing. I know, it’s nerdy.
Our stay in “The Bubble” is one of my favorite, most unique lodging experiences. Inside, you’ll find a queen size bed with a coffee bar, refrigerator and full bathroom. We spent a lot of time outside at the fire pit making smores, throwing back some beers, listening to music and star gazing beneath some of North America’s darkest skies.
Sunrise 
Glowing Bubble, thanks to my Mpowerd Luci Light
I purchased the iPhone 11 Max Pro right before this trip. For once in my life I had a better camera than Hannah 😀 😛 In all honesty, she took most of these photos using my phone. Her mama’s a photographer (@texas.pixels) and they just have that special touch when it comes to capturing perfect moments.
We got an early morning start into the park. Boquillas del Carmen is an extremely small town in Mexico neighboring The Rio Grande within Big Bend National Park. Boquillas mainly survived on tourism so when the borders shut down in the early 2000’s (post 9/11) it caused a large decline in their population (ie. there were 100 people living in Boquillas in 2010). When the border reopened in 2013, tourists started revisiting the little town, bringing it back to life.
In order to visit Boquillas you must bring your passport to the International Border Crossing at the end of Boquillas Crossing Rd. Once you get through the Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry, you’ll follow a short trail to The Rio Grande where you can cross by foot or pay $5 roundtrip for a row-boat across the water.
Once you reach Mexican soil, a short walk or donkey ride will get you into town, although cash is required for the latter. Boquillas has two restaurants, one bar, hot springs, historical tours and several cute donkeys and puppies. We munched on enchiladas while drinking extremely strong and tasty margaritas from Boquillas Restaurant.
My drinking’ partner! 
You’ll have several opportunities to buy homemade souvenirs from the locals which include wire trinkets, kitchen towels, coozies and more. Days and hours of operation to visit Boquillas vary depending on the season. This information was taken from the Big Bend National Park website:
- Hours of Operation:
- Winter Season: (November 2 – April 30)
8:00 am–5:00 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. - Summer Season (May 1 – November 1)
9:00 am–6:00 pm, Friday through Monday.
- Winter Season: (November 2 – April 30)
While visiting the eastern side of Big Bend, we moseyed over to the Boquillas Canyon Overlook and also the Boquillas Canyon trail.
Later that evening we had a special star viewing scheduled at The McDonald Observatory in the Fort Davis Mountains so we headed that way in the early afternoon. To our surprise, Marfa was a ghost town. We didn’t know that a lot of places are closed on Sundays 🙁 We had a quick bite at Hombre’s before checking out The Prada “store” past Valentine. MARFA, I WILL BE BACK FOR YOU!!
Hombre’s 
Prada on Rt 90 past Valentine
If you read my first Big Bend blog post, you would recall how much I raved about McDonald Observatory. I couldn’t wait to show Hannah the telescopes, but of course when we arrived, the gift shop was closed and the place was deserted. When they took us to the special viewing telescope, we were told the skies were too cloudy to open it up. Therefore, we did not get to view any stars. Major bummer. They kept us there for a long time before deciding to cancel and issue refunds. It was honestly an awful experience but I know deep in my heart that McDonald Observatory is a worthy experience. I’m beginning to wonder if Hannah and I should quit putting observatories and planetariums on our itinerary. This happened to us in Canada as well.
We took our time in the morning before heading to the Chisos Basin Visitor Center and partially hiking The Window Trail. Afterwards we had some brews and burgers at The Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant.
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads <3
The Window Trail
The easiest way to reach the Langford Hot Springs is by traveling down a narrow, gravel road (Hot Springs Rd.) which eventually ends with a parking lot near the springs. This way requires a short hike along The Hot Springs Historic Trail. The other option would be parking near the Rio Grande Visitor Center and hiking several miles.
Hot Springs 
The Rio Grande 
A trip to Terlingua would not be complete without a stop at The Starlight Cafe for their margaritas and world famous chili. Connected to the Starlight Cafe is the Terlingua Trading Post where I found this vibrant, “Tiffany style” lamp. They had various color options but this one spoke to me and became one of my many “Travel Treasures”.
I still cannot believe the night mode capability on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Below are photos of the stars USING MY PHONE!
I woke up in the middle of the night and could not fall back asleep. It was nearly impossible with the view of the stars above me. How often do you get to lay in a comfy bed, inside of a temperature controlled bubble and watch the stars above you? I wanted to soak it in as long as possible before drifting back to sleep.
I enjoyed my last cup of joe while watching sunrise from the bed. Sad to leave and already overly excited for my next Big Bend adventure.
