El Paso, TX, Big Bend, NP

Tuesday, Nov 19

Weather: Saint Charles 40s, El Paso 60s, good travel weather.

Travel Day

Mid morning flight to El Paso arrived on time at 12:41.

Went to lunch at Toro Burger and Bar Fast service, tasty burgers!
Did some shopping to pick up bear spray (you can't pack it in your luggage) and groceries for the week (breko, lunch, snacks).
Staying at the Hilton Embassy Suites and went to their happy hour for drinks and snacks. Easy Travel Day.

Wednesday, Nov 20

Weather: 60, sunny, light breeze, low humidity, perfect!

Drive to Big Bend

The drive to Big Bend was 5+ hours / 300+ miles. Easy drive on good highways with very light traffic. No problem.

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is a hidden gem. It is very hot and potentially dangerous in the summer months but in November the weather was perfect! It is the 14th largest National Park located within the Chisos Mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert at the Southern tip of Texas bordering Mexico and the Rio Grande River. You can read more about the park here: Big Bend National Park

Window Trail Hike - Chisos Basin Sector

We hiked the beautiful Window Trail (5 mi, 750', moderate, out and back, very light traffic). Views on the hike were amazing and the hike was great. A couple just behind us saw a black bear on the trail just 15' away. He growled at them and continued on his way, exciting!

As the sun dropped below the mountains the lighting changed and we were treated to some nice colors and shadows late in the afternoon.. We did see a yearling deer munching on a shrub and did not mind us getting with a few feet from him. Great hike!

Chisos Basin & Lodge & Dinner

The ten mile winding drive from the hike into the Chisos Basin, where we are staying at the lodge for two nights, was spectacular. Just as we got back to the lodge area people were gathered watching a teenager bear foraging in a tree next to one of the buildings. Hard to see him in the pictures and video but it was fun seeing him and he did not seem to mind all the attention. Nice!

The lodge is pretty old and will be torn down next spring to build a new one. The rooms are built of cinder block and are like dorm rooms with no wifi or tv (unplugged!). But, it is very cool staying in the park.

We had dinner at the lodge restaurant and both had Rainbow Trout. The view was great, the service fast and the food delicious! Ice cream for dessert.

Thursday, Nov 21

Weather: Same, perfect!

Views from the lodge

Pretty nice views from our porch this morning! Looking forward to a full day in the park.

Lone Mountain Hike - Rio Grand Sector

First Hike, Lone Mountain (3 miles, 250', loop, no traffic). The hike circled the lone mountain with nice desert views all around and zero traffic (see our lonely car in the parking lot). A peaceful, tranquil hike, nice!

Look Outs - Rio Grand Sector

25 mile scenic drive to our next hike stopping at several look outs along the way. The Boquillas lookout was particularly interesting known by the locals as the "Boquillas Mall". Locals from the town of Boquillas, Mexico, just across the river, display their crafts at the look out with an honor system to pay. The quality was good and prices were low and we both bought a souvenir. Nice!

Boquillas Canyon Hike - Rio Grand Sector

A short hike in the Canyon right along the Rio Grande River (1.4, 102', out and back, very light traffic) taking us down to the shallow waters of the Rio Grande. Often, the river completely dries up so we were lucky. Along the trail were some more crafts put out by the locals. At the end of the trail was a spectacular basin (good spot for a picnic!) we shared with a couple of donkeys snoozing on the beach. Great short hike!

Rio Grande Village Nature Trail and River Spur - Rio Grand Sector

Our final short hike of the day (1.5, 80',out and back, no traffic) was interesting hiking through a marshy area with lots of greenery, an oasis in the dessert. Some more local crafts on the trail and a nice hike.

Back at the Lodge

After a nice day of hiking we had dinner again at the lodge (Kathryn Soup and Salad, Mike Chicken Asiago). Same as yesterday, great service, tasty food!

Friday, Nov 22

Weather: Same, perfect!

Early Morning Views from the Lodge

Basin Loop and Window View Hikes - Chosin Basin Sector

Short day in the park before our drive back to El Paso so we decided to stay in the Chosin Basin for our last couple of hikes (going to the Westside of the park would have added another 1 1/2hrs to our already 5+ hour drive). The Basin loop hike (2 miles, 280', loop, very light traffic) was a nice short hike with lots of stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The only two people we saw on the hike were to volunteer rangers who have been hiking in the park since the 80s. They were happy to hear how much we have enjoyed our time in the park. We shared the trail with another deer munching on a shrub, Nice! Finally, a tiny hike, Window View (0.4,20',loop,no traffic), finished off our hiking in the park.

Drive back to El Paso

The first 30 miles within the park was nice, the rest, boring dessert! Still, worth the trip to visit Big Bend. Arriving in El Paso we ran into some ugly traffic in town which soured my impression of the city after a long drive.

Stayed at the same Embassy Suites as the first day and enjoyed their happy hour again.

Here I am calculating the time we should leave for the airport tomorrow!

Satruday, Nov 23

Weather: Good travel weather.

Travel Day

Breakfast buffet at the hotel then a casual morning at the hotel (working on the blog) before heading to the airport. On time flight to O'hare and drive back to Saint Charles.

Home Sweet Home.

Summary

El Paso: Mixed reviews, people are very friendly and the food is good but ran into some unpleasant traffic. Also, coming back from Big Bend we noticed significant smog hovering over the city.

Big Bend National Park: A hidden gem! A very large park in a remote area of West Tx. The Chisos Mountais, the basins, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Rio Grande, the wild life, lodging within the park and lightly trafficked hikes make this a memorable park well worth the effort to get there. But...not in the summer!