Big Bend, the Window, Canoeing the Rio Grande, and Santa Elena

I am so pleased with how our trip is unfolding. We have explored Big Bend National Park. Each day, we went to another area, and did something different from the previous days. This park is huge. Our first day here found us hiking the Window Trail in the Chisos Basin. The trail moves down a narrow canyon with stone steps along the canyon walls around some of the more extreme sections of the creek. At the mouth of the canyon, the water pours off the cliff through a narrow "window" between the canyon sides. Spectacular.

Trail narrows.

Looking out the window.

The approach. The creek was mostly dry until near the end.

Prickly pear fruit, ready to eat.

Cholla in bloom.

We got up on time the next morning to meet up with our guides from Big Bend River Tours and drive to our put-in on the Rio Grand. We canoed to the Hot Springs and enjoyed the hot water for a short while in the 98 degree Fahrenheit weather before quickly moving to the much cooler river. Russ and I weren't very good at steering our canoe and kept bumping into the river cane along the sides of the river, but we got better as the day progressed. There was also a guided hike on the Hot Springs Loop Trail and a sack lunch in the shade. Spending a day on the river seemed like the right way to appreciate Big Bend. It was quiet and the river was clean, if shallow and murky from silt. My pictures are limited, since my phone and its camera spent most of the day in a dry-bag.

Canoes resting near the Hot Springs

The old Hot Springs Spa hotel.

The old Hot Springs Post Office and General Store.

View of the river from above.

There are some nice petroglyphs in the photo.

Cheese sandwich. The orange was delicious.

Our final day was mostly spent doing mundane computer chores. I paid bills, arranged to get a part for our freezer door replaced at an upcoming stop, and planned more camping locations. But we also took the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive through the park to the Santa Elena Canyon overlook.

This hinge is cracked right next to the main screw.

The center notch is the Santa Elena Canyon.

Mesquite tree.

This formation is called the Mule's Ears.

Santa Elena Canyon. The river shows as a bright dot low in the center.

The river after exiting the canyon.

My hat on my knee on the drive home.

We have also enjoyed two surprisingly good restaurants here in Terlingua, Texas. We has a nice late lunch after our hike at the Chili Pepper Cafe. They had WIFI and I got my phone software updated at last! Following our river trip, we ate dinner at the Starlight Dinner Theater and Saloon. We did have to wait in a line outside before it opened... this place is popular. I liked the folk art atmosphere and the old theater building.

Tex Mex and a big margarita.

Russ gets ready to dig in.

It's all about waiting in line.

Small details inside made the place sing.

Cheers. A prickly pear margarita. Perfection.

A long shot of the interior to the stage.

Green salad and spicy brussels sprouts.

Shrimp tacos. Russ got the antelope burger.

Bourbon chocolate pecan pie with ice cream.

It was painted on our table, along with some cows.

Speed bump.

I do feel like I am waking up a bit on this trip and learning to notice the day's moments as they are in the present. I find it hard to balance planning for the future and living in the now, but I do seem to get better at the now as I give my attention to each moment.