We had just one day to explore Big Bend National Park. Our original plan of a 2-day stay was foiled by leaking water lines and not one, but two visits from a mobile RV repairman. Them’s the breaks…but we arrived to our rescheduled campsite just outside the park and pulled in between a couple whose father/father-in-law lives just down the road from our old Mariposa, California home, and a young couple who are living and traveling (since 2020) in their giant 5th wheel…along with their 5 children.
This has been our favorite hike of the trip…so far. Just under 5 miles with enough elevation gain to test us. Watching the massive rock formations catch the morning sun as it rose was spectacular. I’m afraid the photos don’t do it justice.
With the afternoon ahead of us, we drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive stopping along the way at points of interest. Our goal was to reach the Rio Grande River, signaling the end of the road and the border between the United States and Mexico.
Purple cactus 
Mule Ears 
What looks like a concrete spill is actually ash from long ago volcanic activity. 
The remains of the Sublett family’s early 1900s home. 
Looking through what remains of the house. 
The trail to the Rio Grande River. 
The Rio Grande River. 
Signs warn against swimming or crossing to Mexico. 
The mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon.
And now it’s time to leave Texas behind. We’ll be hitching up Minnie and heading west tomorrow. See you in a few days.
carryoncouple 