We were extremely excited to hit the road after a long, busy holiday season. We had planned this trip to Big Bend National Park knowing we would have to camp in freezing temperatures, but we were up for the challenge. After a beautiful drive trough west Texas we entered the park just after dark. We claimed our campsite and set up camp. We were surprised that it wasn’t cold at all, so we made dinner and enjoyed the night. The wind slowly started to pick up so we decided it was time for bed… Then the wind vortex happened. 30 to 40 mph winds hit us that night. After our tent was almost flattened by the wind, a few times, and our rain fly was blown off, we broke down camp and retreated to the SUV. We didn’t blow away that night thanks to our vehicle!!
The sun rose a vibrant orange and we started our day with a warm cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. It was the perfect way to warm up since the temperatures had dropped.
All of Big Bend’s roads offer amazing scenic views. On our drive to the visitors center we drove through the Rio Grande Valley and saw the Chisos Mountains in the distance.
We stopped in the visitors center at Panther Junction and learned all kinds of cool things. We learned that the park is one of the last natural lightscapes and harbors of darkness, making the starry skies even more brilliant and spectacular. We also learned that the Chisos Mountains were the only mountain range contained completely inside a National Park. We watched the informational video, which we recommend you do too, and then drove out to start our hike on the Lost Mine Trail.
It was an intense hike up the Chisos Mountains. We hadn’t done our research so we didn’t know it would end up being a 5 mile hike round trip, 2 hours straight up and 1 hour down. We saw some of the most amazing mountain views and by the end of it we could now say that we had climbed the Chisos Mountains.
We drove out of the park that night feeling exhausted, but accomplished. For the next couple of days, our home would be in Marathon, Texas, at The Casa Ortega.
Since we wanted to explore the town a little we decided to grab some dinner with the locals. We were told there was a chance of snow in the forecast and sure enough, as we got back to the house after dinner, the snow started to fall.
That morning we woke up, made our yummy fried egg, crispy bacon and cheese sandwich and began our journey back into the park. It seemed like the day may not go as planned when our moods were affected by a cracked windshield, but we figured it was a small casualty in the grand scheme of things and that we had to move on and focus on the day ahead! Our goal was to take the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to the Santa Elena Canyon and The Rio Grande River. There were exhibits and small hikes through valleys and ruins all along the way. Plenty to see and explore.
We had a blast on the Old Maverick Trail, which required a little bit of off-roading. We drove until the sun set, got our photo with the Big Bend sign and we even got to see a couple Javelina on the side of the road. We saw so much but we barely scratched the surface of what the park has to offer. It was time to go home but we were already planning our trip back. Our next visit will be all about the South Rim!!
The French Grocer was our savior both nights we spent it Marathon. They had everything you could ever need and while the rest of the town closed early, they were always open. We purchased our dinner and went home to get cooking. It was the yummiest spaghetti and once we were done, we called it a day.
We checked out of our home away from home the next morning and drove around the little town of Marathon to snap some photos. The buildings were collapsing and the yards were trashed, but this dilapidated town was sprinkled with luxury and artistic flare. We said goodbye to Marathon that morning. But we will be back.
