Big Bend Adventure

Be overwhelmed at the majestic beauty of the area. It’s big, it’s awesome, it’s Texas! Spend two nights in the very center of Big Bend National Park at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. Surround yourself with jagged outcroppings and mountain woodlands. Marvel at the Santa Elena Canyon carved by the Rio Grande River with walls extending 800 feet into the sky. Visit the Hallie Stillwell Museum, a tribute to a woman who braved the wilds of this rugged area. 

DAY 1 – What an adventure! Follow the Rio Grande River going West to Rio Grande City, home to Fort Ringold, the first fort west of Fort Brown. On to Roma, site of the filming of Zapata. After a lunch stop in Laredo, we move inland toward Carrizo Springs before turning again toward the Mexican border and Del Rio. Settle in for your overnight at the La Quinta or similar in Del Rio.

DAY 2 – An included continental breakfast begins a big day of sight-seeing!  Just a hop and a skip down the road is the Seminole Canyon. Next stop, Langtry, supposedly named for Actress Lillie Langtry and known for the antics of Judge Roy Bean, who was, in the 1880’s, the “Law West of the Pecos.” As you enter the Big Bend, you will visit Hallie’s Hall of Fame Museum opened in 1991, a tribute to Hallie Stillwell, a pioneer woman who braved the wilds of the West. The museum tells the history of a ranch family in the Big Bend region. Admire displays of antique farm and ranch equipment and a candelilla wax camp. Enter the Chisos Basin as the sun’s rays are at their very best angle to appreciate the majestic, towering rock formations of the Big Bend. Sit quietly and watch for the white tail deer. Listen for the canyon wren or the call of the raven. Enjoy a filling meal at the Lodge Restaurant. Overnight in the Chisos Mountain Lodge. CB, PL

DAY 3 – After breakfast, explore Big Bend by taking the 1/4 mile self guided Window View Trail right at our Lodge. Begin our driving tour at Panther Junction, park headquarters, where a fifty yard loop trail over level terrain will acquaint you with the many cacti and other common plants of the Chihuahuan Desert. A trip along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive will give you a good taste of the desert and will lead you to the Rio Grande and Santa Elena Canyon, one of the park’s most beautiful natural wonders. There are scenic overlooks and exhibits all along the way. Bring plenty of film for your camera. Take a short walk into the canyon to see where the steep canyon walls meet the Rio Grande. Enjoy a picnic lunch back at Cottonwood Camp Ground. Visit Castolon Historic Compound, a cavalry encampment during the days of Pancho Villa’s border raids. Overnight in the Chisos Mountain Lodge. PL

DAY 4 – Reluctantly, we leave the basin. Prairie verbenas, ocotillo cactus, and prairie daisies brighten our way as we take the scenic drive along the river to Presidio. As we leave the Big Bend National Park, our road leads toward the ghost town of Terlinqua, brought back to life each year by an annual chili cook off, a festive event enticing thousands of visitors to the Big Bend each fall. Relive the old west in the privately owned town of Lajitas. As we leave this area, you can truly say, “I have experienced Big Bend.” After Presidio, continue to Alpine, the largest city in the largest county in Texas. Home to Sul Ross University and cowboy poetry. Arrive into Fort Stockton where we tour the old fort and the Annie Riggs Museum. Included dinner. Overnight at the La Quinta or similar in Fort Stockton. D

DAY 5 - After an ample included continental breakfast, it is on down the road to visit the fantastic Caverns of Sonora called unbelievable by cave authorities. A past president of the National Speleological Society said, “This is the most indescribably beautiful cavern in the world. Its beauty cannot be exaggerated even by Texans”. After your no-host lunch in Sonora, you will be treated to some of the most spectacular scenery in the Texas Hill Country as we travel through Junction, Leakey, Concan and into Uvalde, former home of Vice-President John Nance Garner. Tonight, be entertained by a rousing performance of the Sahawe Indian Dancers. A comfortable bed awaits you for your overnight at the Quality Inn in Uvalde. CB

DAY 6 – A visit to Uvalde just would not be complete without visiting the local bank with their fine collection of paintings. And, of course, the home of former United States Vice President, John Nance Garner, also known as “Cactus Jack”.  Leaving Uvalde we pass through the Spinach Capital of the World, title claimed by the little town of Crystal City. Arrival back to the Rio Grande Valley should be about 5:00p.m. CB