April 12, 2013 – “On the Road…..Again”

We departed our winter home in Weslaco on April 4 in route to an overnight stay in Victoria, TX. Our first destination of our travels this season is actually Spring, TX, just north of Houston, but since that is about 6 hours from Weslaco, we decided to break it up into two legs. Why rush things? We wanted to arrive in Spring on Friday afternoon to begin our weekend visit with friends Rodney and Dena, so why hurry?

We bucked a pretty good headwind as we made our way north to Victoria, but other than that, the trip was uneventful as we made our way to the Lazy Longhorn RV Park. It had better than favorable reviews and ratings on our travel “bible” www.RVParkReviews.com. Nice park; clean and well kept, but very narrow streets and campsites made it challenging maneuvering the rig. In fact, the first spot we tried to get in was so tight due to tree branches, we decided to unhook the toad, and move to an adjacent site. We probably would not stay here again.

Last week, as we were preparing to leave Weslaco, we did some regular maintenance on the rig. One of which was servicing the six batteries. Every time I undertake this chore, it reminds me of the fact the engineers and designers at Winnebago don’t own an RV. For if they did, they would not have designed the battery compartment the way they did, making it impossible to service the batteries without removing the door completely from the rig. My knees are not as “supple” as they once were, and almost every time I’m forced to perform work tasks on said knees, they are unappreciative and “talk” to me later. We managed to complete the battery service, and re-attach the door, but they following day my knee was not only talking to me, it was screaming obscenities to boot.

Last Friday we departed Victoria in route to Spring. I was not especially thrilled at the thought of driving in and around Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, but we timed it so we arrived on the outskirts around 1:30 pm. Our Rand McNally for RV’s (we fondly refer to as Randy) routed us on US-59 to the 610 loop north to I-45, since we had “Avoid Toll Roads” active on Randy. If I have it to do over again, I would gladly pay the tolls on the #8 Sam Houston Tollway around Houston. If your RV travel plans include this sprawling metropolis, either take the #8, or plan your travel through on a Sunday morning.

We finally arrived at Rayford Crossing RV Resort in Spring, TX around 3 pm and quickly got settled. After eliminating the stress sweat from our bodies in the showers, we called our friends to make plans for the evening. We drove the short 5 miles to their place, and after an adult beverage (only 1), we made our way to Pappacito’s Cantina for dinner. As frequent readers of our blog already know, CC’s favorite food is Tex-Mex, and her second most favorite is Mexican; and yes, there is a difference between the two. I would rate Pappacito’s as some of, if not THE best Tex-Mex we have ever eaten. Check out their website and look for one coming to your area in the future, as they are part of the Pappadeaux Cajun Seafood group. The food was great and the company of Rodney and Dena were equally enjoyed. We had a great time, made even better when Rodney picked up the check ;-) Thanks buddy!

The following day we ventured to Old Town Spring, had an adult beverage at the Loose Caboose and did some shopping. I hate shopping, so maybe the one margarita I had was stronger than I thought. Or possibly CC knew that una margarita would weaken my will? Yeah, that’s it! (As usual, click on any image to enlarge.)

Late in the afternoon we were back at the rig, where we grilled ribeye steaks and uncorked a bottle of great vino. Good food, good friends, and good conversation; it just doesn’t get any better than that. The last time we saw Rodney and Dena was 3 years ago, and we had a lot of “catching up” to do so it was late when we bid them farewell for the evening, saying “to be continued manana!”

What visit to Spring, TX would be complete without a visit to Old Town Spring? We did that yesterday you say? Well, yes, BUT we didn’t get to see it all, so back we went. First things first, as we lunched at one of the local’s favorites, Wunsche Brothers Grill & Bar.

A short walk down the street was a little shop, The Steel Horse, that in the 1930’s was actually a bank. Not just any bank, but one that was robbed by the infamous Bonnie & Clyde. The shop owners have left the safe intact, and created a mini-museum inside. CC and I couldn’t resist recreating the historic event.

As they say, (who is they?) all good things must come to an end. Our visit with Rodney and Dena drew to a close on Sunday afternoon. Dena had a 3 hour drive ahead of her, and Rodney had some “work” to do for a Monday morning meeting, so we bid our adieus, vowing to stay in closer touch. CC and I are just glad we got to spend the time we did with our longtime friends.

Monday morning we departed Spring in route to Martin Dies Jr. State Park just west of Jasper, TX. As we drove around looking for just the right spot, we decided it was so pretty and peaceful here, to stay for a week. CC could catch up on some of her reading and I could do a little fishing. Here is a bit of free information you won’t find anywhere else, so it more than makes up for price you paid for the subscription to our blog.  At any of the Texas State Parks, after paying the daily entrance fee of $3 - $6, or purchasing an annual pass for $70, you don’t need a state fishing license to fish from the bank, docks or piers. You only need a fishing license if you fish from a boat. Take that to the bank………….….Shampoozie!

That’s all folks! Until next time from an undetermined at this time location; take care and stay well……………………..

ps It's only April 12, and our Verizon air card shows we have already used 75% of our monthly allowance, so we hit the road early in search of a wi-fi hotspot. So, here we are at Whataburger in Jasper, and although the connection is good, it's limited bandwidth makes posting slightly frustrating. (Expletives deleted)

March 31, 2013 “Happy Easter”

 

Our time spent as “Winter Texans” is nearing the end for 2013. The park has been slowly becoming less populated in the past two weeks, and today only about 25 units remain in the RV section. Most of those, including us, will depart in the coming week, as we know of only a handful that will stay through April. CC and I both commented that this winter has gone by quicker than in the past, but we then realized we were about a month late in arriving to our winter home in Weslaco.

To be continued when our internet connection improves………………..

February 8, 2013 “Kites and Piñatas”

Try as I do, to keep current on the blog, it seems increasingly harder the longer we are Winter Texans. When we first arrived here in the RGV, CC and I were both easily frustrated by how slow life’s pace was. The people here drive slow, walk slow, talk slow (unless you are trying to communicate in Spanish, then they spit out the words faster than my ears can comprendo). In fact we both commented when we first arrived, “If I get slow like that, just shoot me”. But, since actions speak louder than words, it seems we have in reality, adjusted quite well, as the frequency of our blog illustrates.

The first weekend in February, the 13^th Annual Kite Festival was held on South Padre Island (SPI), and we planned on driving the 55 miles, spend the day, and return home Saturday evening. We got caught up in traffic due to a parade in Los Fresnos, and more congestion in Port Isabel, due to construction on the causeway. What is normally an hour drive, turned into almost 2 hours. It seems the locals have adopted the sluggish behavior of the Winter Texans. We finally arrived to SPI around 11 am, and proceeded to the festival held on the flats north of the Convention Center. The weather was perfect; warm with a slight breeze. (As usual, click on any image to enlarge)

Maybe we had high expectations, due to all the pre-festival hype on the local television stations. We both were a little under-whelmed, thinking we would experience something similar to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, only with kites, since this was billed as the largest kite festival in North America. We stayed for a couple of hours, hoping to see more, but that didn’t happen, so as we left, we checked that off our bucket list, and headed home.

It’s hard to believe we have been here for 10 weeks, as it seems like we just arrived yesterday. Over the past weeks on our visits to Nuevo Progreso (NP) I have accumulated photos of various Piñatas available. In Mexico, they are used at birthdays, and anytime a party for kids is given.  They are empty when you buy them, and are then filled with candy, small toys, money, etc., by the person hosting the party.

The papier-mâché constructed Piñata is usually hung from a tree branch on a rope, five or six feet above the ground. The children are blindfolded, one at a time, spun around a few times to disorient them and given a stick to swing at the hanging Piñata. The children take turns attempting to hit the Piñata hard enough to cause it to break, thus freeing the candy and gifts for the screaming party-goers.

These are but a small sampling of Piñatas available. They will even “custom-make” one if you provide them a sketch or picture. Prices are really cheap, and range from $5 for the smaller ones to less than $20 for the larger more elaborate ones. What sets the host back is the plethora of candy and gifts placed inside.

Almost all of the department stores in NP sell Piñatas. There is even one “Party Store” that specializes in anything and everything associated with parties that have a huge selection of Piñatas ranging in size, price and subject matter. They also sell costumes, which are also very popular in Mexico.

Over the last three winters we’ve been in the RGV, we’ve seen many parties and parades hosted by the local Hispanics, as well as south of the border. They LOVE a party, of any type. But a true party includes a Piñata (or two), food (lots of it),  cerveza fria, loud, loud music and fireworks. If you are ever invited to a party given by them, accept the invitation, and go and witness something you have never seen before. They LOVE their parties; maybe that’s why they are always happy and smiling.

That’s all for now. Take care and stay well, until next time………………….

January 5 - 14, 2013 "Friends - New & Old"

Slap my hands and call me Shorty. As hard as I try and stay current on our blog, it is becoming more difficult to do with so many distractions that pop up at a moment’s notice. So, daily I must choose between doing “something”, or writing about what we’re doing. With that said, I’ll try and catch up.

We had visitors from Cheyenne, WY; our friends Tom and Trudy, with whom we try and see if our travels take us close to their place. They were accompanied by their daughter, Pam, as we introduced them to Nuevo Progreso (NP). We all had a wonderful time, and one of us had a few too many margaritas. I’m not one to name names, so I’ll just leave it, and chalk it up to the fact that they were probably just young and inexperienced with such beverages. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Every day since we arrived, CC continues with exercise classes at 8 am, now moved to 7:15 to allow for two classes each morning as more Winter Texans arrive. She has also virtually eliminated margaritas from her routine in NP when she realized that one margarita contained over 700 calories, about half of her total daily target. That also got my attention, as we are both trying to shed a few LB’s, and after some extensive research, we have both switched to a healthier alternative; gin and diet tonic, which has 130 calories and zero carbs. Since tonic water (agua aquina) is not available in NP, we must take our own. No problemo as our favorite bartender, Tony, is only too happy to oblige!

The weather has been cooler than normal, and has drastically curtailed our favorite daily activity; “pool time”. Occasionally, we bite the bullet and venture to the hot tub to relax and ease my aching back. This is an extremely difficult lifestyle we live, and is taxing the limits of my sciatica. For those of you who may be considering full timing, please take this into account before making any life changing decisions. J

Fellow blogger HeyDuke50 (http://zeetraveler.blogspot.com/) commented a few weeks ago to notify them the next time we were going to MX, and so we did. John and Sharon embarked on their full time lifestyle just a few months after we began ours, and our travels over this past summer covered many of the same places, albeit in the reverse direction. We made plans to meet them at the border and walk over the bridge into NP together. Rather than being redundant, I just realized as I’m writing this that John & Sharon already beat me to it and posted about our trip to NP. Log on to their blog and read all about it. Their rendition is much more eloquent than mine could ever hope to be. I will only add that we had a blast and when we met John & Sharon, we felt an instant connection. As my Dad would say, they are good people, and we hope to see them again on Friday. Cheers!

To further illustrate the challenging aspects of this lifestyle, last Friday morning CC and I had our day planned, only to be disrupted into total chaos by Carl & Carla, when the phoned us around 9 am and informed us that they and 4 others from South Padre were going to NP for dental appointments. We already had our daily plans made, but, sacrifice if we must, after all, what are friends for? They would reciprocate if the tables were turned. Right? Aaah….maybe not! So I tell CC, “We have to suck it up, and take one for the team.”

After lunch, a few in the group wanted to get manicures / pedicures, so we ventured southward and dropped them off as we continued to Arriba’s, located across the street from the school in Progreso Plaza. As luck would have it, it was Happy Hour, which meant 2 for 1 drink specials. I think we all agreed, the margaritas were definitely not as good as Tony’s. Pictured below, left to right, John, Sharon. CC, Carla Jack & Cindy.

I know it seems that we spend ALL of our time in MX, but that is not true. We do have a lot of fun here in the park as well. It’s just that several of our neighbors are either on the LAM or in the Federal Witness Protection Program, and wouldn’t take to kindly of us if we published their names, pictures or event accounts. Just one more reason this lifestyle is so taxing; you really got to be on your toes 24/7.

Until next time, take care and stay well………………….

January 4, 2013 - "2012 Budget"

The final numbers are in, and we did much better than last year when we were OVER budget by an average of $105 per month. This year, as the chart below shows, we were $312 per month UNDER budget, which is a net improvement of over $5,000 annually. (Click on the image to enlarge)

As you can see, we were over on some categories, and under on others. We traveled more miles in 2012 than we did in 2011, but we traveled West vs East. Campground fees are generally more the further north one travels, simply because those destinations have a shorter camping season to generate revenue. Our Entertainment expenses were down, simply because we focused on visiting as many National Parks as we could, and bought an annual parks pass. Vacation expenses were down, as we only took two mini-vacations last year. I know what you’re thinking, and even though to outsiders it looks like we are on vacation 365/24/7, this lifestyle is a lot of work; not for the faint of heart; and, we do need a break from it every now and then. Overall, I’m pleased with our efforts, and while we didn’t live extravagantly, we surely did not live like church mice either.

We have been busy watching the BCS Games, and following the Denver Broncos, fully realizing we are nearing the end of football season until next Fall. We were happy to see our OSU Cowboys roll over Purdue and the Broncos lock up home field advantage through the playoffs.

Since today is Friday, and CC’s favorite; Nuevo Progreso Day. I’m certain we will meet our friends from other parks in the RGV and have a terrible time, as usual. One of them will inevitably insist on buying us a margarita, and so as not to hurt their feelings, we will just have to accept it, and, as they twist my arm with at least 0.2 foot pounds of torque, will begrudgingly drink it. Oh, the sacrifices we make living this lifestyle. Another $2 margarita you ask? Oh what the heck, why not; every hour is Happy Hour! This one is on me.

Until next time, take care and stay well………………..

December 31, 2012 "Happy New Year"

CC and I want to wish everyone a healthy and prosperous Happy New Year! The fireworks are booming in the background as I write this. Those Hispanics / Mexicans love their noisemakers. If we don’t make it to midnight, we’ll surely be awakened by their exuberance. We’re sitting outside watching the LSU vs Clemson game as it’s 72 right now. It is truly a blessed life we live.

I’m working on the 2012 Budget, so that will be forthcoming, but preliminary figures indicate we came in about $500 - $600 per month under budget. That’s enough for me to say Hooray!

Until next time, take care and stay well…………..

December 4 - 23, 2012 "Welcome Back Winter Texans"

The time since we arrived at Ranchero Village has flown by, even quicker than usual by meeting dozens of new people in the new park and getting acclimated to the way things are done here by the long-time Winter Texans who have flocked here for years. We have made some amazingly wonderful new friends and reunited with friends from past years here in Weslaco.

CC and I are both on a quest to shed a few pounds, so we have been eating more responsibly and preparing more meals versus going out to eat and not knowing exactly how the food is prepared. One thing is for certain here in the RGV, if the tortilla chips taste good, they have been fried in lard! It’s especially hard for CC to resist, considering chips and salsa are one of her primary food groups; but I must admit, she is doing quite well at resisting the temptation. Another helpful activity in our quest is Happy Hour; everyday at 4 pm. Helpful because here at this new park, food and snacks are omitted, unlike past years; eliminating that aspect HAS to help, right?

On December 7, the Welcome Back Winter Texan Appreciation Day was held in Nuevo Progreso, MX, a mere 6 miles south of us. When they advertised free food, drinks and gifts, we were “all in”. To begin the day, we met a group of friends from last year for breakfast at Rene’s Bakery in NP around 8 am, and from there it was on to El Disco for one of Tony’s famous margaritas. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right? From there, we ventured outside and strolled along the sidewalk and watched the parade, various street performers, and the beer girls. It’s a tough life.

Until next time, take care and stay well………………..

December 3, 2012 - "Back in the RGV"

It’s been a month since our last post, and suffices it to say, it has felt like longer. With that said, it reminds me of advice given to me by my parents, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. So now on to the positives………….

We finally left McClains RV in OKC, not because everything was fixed, but the contrary. It seemed everything they fixed involved further, additional “mysteriously costly” repairs. So after three weeks of that, we moved to Childress, TX, to visit CC’s daughter, Letta, and her family.

CC had a great time hugging on her new great grandbaby, Haley. Luckily for CC, Mary stayed close by over the weekend, as that little girl is most definitely a mama’s girl. Pictured below are four generations, from left to right, CC, Haley and her mom, Mary, and Letta.

GGCC and Haley; see any resemblance?

We called MCD in McKinney, TX, to make an appointment to get the shades repaired, and the soonest they could get us in was Monday, Nov. 19. OK, we’ll just extend a week here and CC can get in a few more hugs because the next time she will she Haley, most likely after she begins walking. The week flew by, as it usually does when visiting family and friends, and had a fantastic time.

The following Monday morning we drove the 250 miles to McKinney, and arrived at MCD shortly after noon. They backed us in to one of their 12 RV sites, and told us they would get us in ASAP. Tuesday at 8 am, they knocked on the door, and proceeded to repair the damaged cab shade. While the two techs were in the rig, they checked ALL of the MCD shades and adjusted the tension and stops, so now they are all working like new. We departed MCD shortly after 11 am, only 23 hours after we arrived; now THAT is what I call customer service. We cannot say anything bad about MCD. If you are thinking about replacing your old pleated day/night shades, MCD is the best. Granted they are not cheap, but quality made in the USA; we like that!

Finally, all the needed repairs complete, and Murphy behind us, we move southward to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), about 3 weeks behind our preliminary schedule. After overnight stops in Santos and San Antonio, we arrived at our winter home at Ranchero Village in Weslaco, TX shortly after noon on Thanksgiving. We located the manager and he opened the south gate and escorted us to our site; actual grass without sand burrs and large concrete pads, something unfamiliar to us in past winters here in the RGV.

Friday morning we did the usual WDYWTDT, and you guessed it, CC opted for going to Nuevo Progreso, MX for shopping, margaritas and lunch. It was like old home week, as we met up with old friends from past years at Pancho’s in El Disco I. Do we look like we’re having fun?

That’s it, that’s all for now. Until next time, take care and stay well………….

April 1 - 8, 2012 "Big Bend National Park"

We departed Del Rio in route to Lajitas, TX. As we climbed in elevation along the Rio Grande, we stopped at the Pecos River Overlook. As we stood there, enjoying the view, CC asked, “We have to drive across that thing?” It’s a bridge, and the answer is yes, IF, you want to continue to Big Bend. I must admit, from where we were, the bridge looked a little under-engineered. (As usual, click on any image to enlarge)

After a brief one night stay at the Marathon Motel and RV Park, we ventured on to Lajitas. The “directions” on their web site said, check in at the Lodge Registration, just past the boardwalk. OK, boardwalk in site, now where to park this beast. As I pulled off the road on the right shoulder, there was a sign that read, Steep road ahead - 10 miles 15 degree slope. Holy cow! I sure don’t want to attempt that with this rig.

CC walked across the road and checked us into the Maverick Ranch RV Park, and said, “The lady said it’s about a half mile from here.” OK, which way? To which she replied, “She said this way”. With that, we continued on. It wasn’t looking good as we drove on, the road narrowed, and I remembered that sign. Almost instantaneously, we both said, stop here! The right shoulder was wider and had partially been paved. Now all we had to do was unhook the toad, and attempt to turn this 43 footer around on a two lane road. At first I thought it would take 2 or 3 wiggles to make it, but CC guided me back to the very edge, and as I pulled forward, cranked the wheels hard left, narrowly missing a road sign. Now, with only one wiggle, I have come to appreciate the 55 degree wheel cut Freightliner put on this chassis. With that little bit of suspense behind us, we headed in the other direction to the RV park, past the registration. Now why would they locate registration past the park? Why not just register at the RV park office? There are just some things I will never understand, but we finally arrived at our new home for the next five days.

The Maverick Ranch RV Park is part of the Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa. They have a private airstrip, and offer a wide range of equestrian activities, as well as 4-wheeling, river rafting, and skeet shooting. This was originally a 26,000 acre ranch, and was used in the 1800’s as a border crossing and the Lodge was built to mimic this era.

The next morning, we decided to take the steep road to Presidio, along Highway 170, and had only traveled a few miles when we came upon an old movie set. The small village or Rancheria was never a real village. It was constructed in 1985 as a set for the boarder-western comedy “Uphill All The Way” starring Roy Clark, Mel Tillis and Burl Ives.

Since that time, nine different movies have been made on this original set and later more buildings constructed at this location.

Other movies filmed here: 1993-Rio Diablo; 1994-Gambler V: Playing for Keeps; 1995-Streets of Laredo; 1995-My Maria (1996 Music Video of the Year); 1996-Dead Man’s Walk; and in 2000, Journeyman.

It is hard to believe that Mexico is just across the river! The vibrant culture of this borderlands region spans the river and has long inspired both artists and filmmakers.

Since we were so close to the home of CC’s epicurean desires, we decided it was indeed a “Kodak Moment” in the Rio Grande, with Mexico in the background. You’re probably thinking, one could just walk across to Mexico or vice versa, and you would be correct, as the water was less than a foot deep.

On the road again, just a few miles from the movie set, we rounded a corner and came upon this social group of Mexican Edsels. It’s amazing they can survive in this environment, and this part of west Texas hasn’t had any significant rainfall in almost 2 years; even the cacti were / are withering away. (That’s a picture of the same narrow road we turned the rig around on yesterday.)

In just a few more miles, we came to the steep grade. Not only steep, but winding as well; a 15 degree climb for about a mile, followed by the reverse. No way would I want to take a big rig on this highway.

We arrived in Presidio around noon, and decided on El Patio, a little Mexican joint that had come highly recommended by numerous people. The place was packed, and it did not disappoint. Behind us, in the corner, was this unique wood carving.

The following morning, we ventured into Big Bend National Park, and made our way to the Chisos Basin, centrally located within the park, about 23 miles from our entrance at Maverick Junction. As we drove, CC and I both commented on the desolation, and extreme drought conditions that exist. We had expectations of cactus blooming, since this was, afterall, Springtime. Temperatures were in the high 80’s with single digit humidity levels.

Arriving at Chisos Mountain Basin Junction, we turned southward for the 6 mile climb to Chisos Mountain Lodge. The road is steep and winding, and is not recommended for trailers over 20 feet, or RV’s in excess of 24 feet. The Equinox had no problem, but the recommendation was duly noted, and after the round trip, understand completely. Below is what locals refer to as, “Window View”.

As we descended from the Mountain Lodge, we came across this lil’ fella just having the time of his life with an orange road cone. We watched for over 5 minutes as he or she, bit, scrunched, tossed, and otherwise tried to bear-handle that cone; it was quite conical, even comical. We kept our distance AND stayed in the car as we photographed the yearling.

OK then. Enough sight-seeing for the day, as the temps were approaching 90; time for the pool. Maverick Ranch has a nice pool, and we fully expected to enjoy it thoroughly; the water, on the other hand, was not agreeable at around 70 degrees. The office told us they were installing a heater on the pool, and would be operational in 2 weeks. Now, how exactly does that help us on our 5 day stay?

The next morning we awoke to temps in the 40’s; typical for the desert this time of year. After coffee and breakfast, we motored eastward almost 75 miles to Rio Grande Village, on the eastern edge of the park. While there, hiking around, we spotted this rascal chasing bugs. Every time I see a Roadrunner, it brings back childhood memories of Wylie Coyote chasing one all over the desert, with numerous devices from ACME, designed for the massive destruction of the Roadrunner, which never happened; beep beep.

The Boquillas Canyon Overlook is only a few miles from Rio Grande Village, and so it was next on the bucket list. Near the edge of the overlook, some 100 feet above the river, was this collection of trinkets, placed there by residents of the nearby Mexican village of Boquillas Del Carmen.

As we gazed at the assortment, we also noticed 4 men across the river, sitting under a shade tree, watching us. My guess is, that if we would have put any money in the can, they would have scurried over to collect it, as we could see the “trail” across the river they had been using. The National Park Service has put up numerous signs warning tourists from buying these trinkets with threats of seizure and / or fines, as well as threats of imprisonment to the Mexican Nationals for entering the US illegally. From the appearance of the “trail”, I don’t think the Mexicans were too worried.

OK, time for Happy Hour, as we looked westward to the 75 mile drive to Lajitas. On arrival, about 2 hours later (speed limit in the park is 45 mph), we plopped into our chairs, cold adult beverage in hand, and reflected on what we had experienced today. It’s easy being thousands of miles away, saying let’s close down the border with Mexico’ but closing the border in this part of Texas would be nearly impossible, which is why they haven’t even attempted building a fence or a wall.

The Homer Wilson Ranch, also known as the Blue Creek Ranch, was one of the largest ranches in the early twentieth century in what would become Big Bend National Park in Texas. The ranch was established by Homer Wilson in 1929 at Oak Springs to the west of the Chisos Mountains. Ultimately comprising 44 sections of land, amounting to more than 28,000 acres (11,000 ha), the Oak Canyon-Blue Creek Ranch was acquired by the State of Texas in 1942 for incorporation into the new park. A large portion of the ranch comprised portions of the old G4 Ranch (named after Survey Block G4), established by John and Clarence Gano in the 1880s. Wilson's ranch focused on as many as 4,000 sheep and 2,500 goats, the first such large operation in the Big Bend area. Wilson continued to live at the ranch until 1943, when he died. His family moved from the ranch in 1944. Wilson, born in Del Rio, TX in 1892, had studied petroleum engineering at the Missouri School of Mines and was a World War I veteran. The ranch, with the headquarters at Oak Springs and its operational center at Blue Creek, was one of the largest in Texas, and the most significant ranch in Big Bend.

The Blue Creek residence measures about 24 feet (7.3 m) by 60 feet (18 m) with a 16-foot (4.9 m) by 60-foot (18 m) screened porch on the south side of the house. The single-story residence comprised two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen, with a large central fireplace. The house features a double roof, the inner layer a traditional reed roof of the type locally used, with a sheet metal roof above. Another building housed ranch help. The structures were abandoned when the Wilsons moved out.

The Blue Creek area of the Wilson ranch was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1975.

We continued on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Santa Elena Canyon, at the western edge of Big Bend. The canyon averages walls up to 1,500 feet, and is a must see on the list of places to see at Big Bend. There is an easy 1.6 mile roundtrip hike up the canyon. We had hoped to raft or kayak down the river from Lajitas, about 13 miles upstream, but as you can see, the water levels were not adequate to allow this.

We spotted this group of 3 Mexican Nationals headed downstream with a boatload of bags, and the 3 kayaks behind them headed upstream. Wonder what was in those bags? As you can see from the photo, the river was only about knee deep, and about 100 yards later downstream, they had to ford the boat across a dry stretch of the river.

Once again, back at the rig, we had time to reflect on our observations of the day, and our entire stay at Big Bend. While overall, we are glad we took the time to experience the park, but definitely under-whelmed by its beauty; the drought has taken a severe toll on her, and will most likely take years to recover, when and if she receives some much needed rain.

From here, we venture northward to Marfa, to experience the “Marfa Lights”. Thanks for stopping by, and until next time, take care and stay well…………………