Texas Roadtrip, Part 4: I thought you might appreciate a break from all the bird-y posts
and enjoy some scenery and wildflowers from Big Bend National Park. 

Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

We began our exploration of Big Bend National Park with a drive down to the Río Grande via the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Maxwell, a geologist and the first superintendent of the park, laid out this route “to highlight the more spectacular geologic features on the west side of the park,” according to the park website. The drive winds through the desert country that is typical of much of the park’s landscape, with views of the Chisos Mountains in the background.

Santa Elena Canyon

At the end of the scenic drive, we reached the river, where we had decided to take the short hike into Santa Elena Canyon. You have to wade across the river to get into the canyon, which is fine when the river is low and you’re dressed properly. I was wearing shorts, and the water came up to my hips — which was not a problem on that warm afternoon: my clothes dried out as we walked. My shoes and socks, on the other hand, did not fare so well. They took days to dry and were still so full of sand even after they had dried that I didn’t wear them for the whole rest of the trip. Craig, on the other hand, was rocking his usual sandals and had no such problem. Of course, he wasn’t at all smug about this!

Soggy shoes notwithstanding, we had fun exploring the dramatic scenery of this spectacular canyon.

A floral interlude

Up in the Chisos

The Chisos Mountains rise up in the middle of Big Bend National Park, the result of ancient volcanic activity. This mountain range covers forty square miles and is entirely contained within the park. Rising to 7,835 feet at their highest point (Emory Peak), the Chisos provide a striking contrast to the desert below, with different ecosystems and generally cooler temperatures.

We were lucky enough to score a couple of nights at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, which is the only hotel inside the park — but not lucky enough to get our nights back to back! In fact, when we made our reservations in January, these were the only two nights available for the months of March and April!

From our hotel room, we had a spectacular view over the Chisos Basin, and that first evening we took a short sunset walk to get a closer look at “The Window.”

The next morning, we took a short hike on the Chisos Basin Loop Trail.

Floral interlude #2

Nature walks

The Blue Creek Trail and the Río Grande Nature Walk are supposed to be — and doubtless are — birding hotspots. Not when we were there, however! Even so, we enjoyed our short explorations into these areas.

• National Park Service: Big Bend
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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• Birding in Big Bend