I Can See Mexico

If you ever go to Big Bend National Park, do not miss Santa Elena Canyon. We hiked in for about a mile beneath towering cliffs on either side of the Rio Grande. If it were safe (and legal) I would have waded over to the Mexican side just so I could say I'd been there. As it was I was content to dip my toes into cool and refreshing U.S. waters and to bounce my voice internationally back and forth between the rock walls.

Although I've only left the United States once (to Canada in 2015), this is the farthest south I've been in my life so far.

Big Bend National Park

Let me say right off the bat that this is in my Top Ten list of National Parks.

We camped in the Chisos Basin and hiked in the surrounding mountains. It's much cooler than the surrounding desert due to the higher elevation. The Chisos range is a "sky island" with many plants and animals that have evolved in isolation. Biologists worry that as the climate changes many species will have nowhere to live if these areas start to heat up. We'll see...

By the way, we saw several roadrunners but no coyotes chasing them.

It's All George Soros' Fault

We made it to West Texas. It feels like a place I would like to explore since my name means "from the west country."

We stayed overnight in the small college town of Alpine. The next morning at breakfast there was a guy about my age at a table near us quietly playing a banjo and mumbling (sotto voce) his conspiracy theory about a one world government involving George Soros and some lady named Stormy Daniels. He must have been a regular because all the locals in the coffee shop ignored him.

I thought all the loose nuts gravitated towards California, but apparently a few ended up here.

Camping In A Winter Wonderland

Spring Break. It certainly feels like a break, but it doesn't feel very much like Spring. We camped at El Morro National Monument (7,000 ft.) Due to the early season and the high elevation, we knew it would probably be cold at night. We didn't think much of the cloudy skies because it cleared just before bedtime and a beautiful waxing moon shone over the campground.

Now, normally I'm an all-weather shorts and t-shirts kind of guy, but look what we woke up to the next morning...

The Mother Road

Well, the last time I posted on my blog was at Christmas. I took a three month break but now I'm back with new adventures in 2018. We are heading to the Southwest with a first night's stop in Needles, California. It's actually cool here (around 70 degrees). That's a first!