CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Spent 2 nights one day in Carlsbad to visit the caverns

Entering the park

The following pictures are our best attempt to capture the colors and grandeur of the Carlsbad Cavern..it was truly awesome!

This is called the Rock of Ages

This is called the Chinese Theater

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK TEXAS FEBRUARY 7, 2014

Road to Hot Springs

Here we are!

Came across someone enjoying the hot springs.  In the late 1920's there was actually a 7 room motel and a post office here.   There are still remains of the motel standing.

Boquillas' Crossing...this crossing into Mexico was closed after 9/11 but was opened again April 2013.

Walking to catch the row boat across the border to the village of Boquillas

The singing Mexcican (sitting), to the left our driver and in the center is our tour guide waiting for us on the Mexican side.

About a 3 minute row across the Rio Grande to Mexico

Once you are on the other side, you can choose to ride a burro, horse, truck or walk to the village which is about 3/4 mile away.   We chose the truck...a 1973 ford, cracked windshield, engine skipped, the door kept opening and the hood flew up but we made it!

Main Street, Boquillas

Little children come running up to sell souvenirs.   I had to buy a bracelet from this cute little boy...everything cost $5.00

There was a nice restaurant in the village...we had lunch there.

The food was delicious..we had Tacos with refried beans and Mexican cokes.   We were in the village about 2 hours.   The locals really are anxious for tourists. Before 9/11 about 30-40,000 American visited each year and the population of Boquillas was 2,000.   After 9/11 the border closed and villagers lost a lot of money so they left the village..today the population is about 173.

Back to the US side we noticed the Prickly Pear Purple Tinged Cactus and took a picture of Gary the Snail beside it.

Chihuahuan Desert at Dugout Wells

Hiking the Lost Mine Trail @ Chisos Basin

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK TEXAS FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Fog frost on our way from Rio Grande Village to Chisos Basin this morning.

And the sun broke through as we climbed into the Chisos Basin.

Looking at what is called "the Window" in the Basin--the Chisos Basin campground is at the base of the mountains.

Driving to Santa Elena canyon.  The Rio Grande cut this canyon through the western end of Big Bend.

Getting ready to hike through the canyon.

Hiking through the narrows...the walls of the canyon are 1500 ft. above the Rio Grande River.  Mexico is on the left and the US is on the right.

Looking North out of the canyon.

Looking across the valley from Santa Elena canyon.

Mule Ears as we are driving back to Rio Grande Village from Santa Elena.

Javelinas!  They look like a pig smell like a skunk but are actually part of the hippopotamus family.  They were crossing the road in front of us. 

Another beautiful view...Sotol Vista.

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX FEBRUARY 5, 2014

On our way to Big Bend National Park....taking a little side trip to Hallie Stillwell.  Hallie Stillwell ran a ranch with her husband in the Big Bend Country in the early 1900's.   The farm was originally 220,000 acres.  Currently, there is only 8,000 acres left but we heard that it has been sold by her great grandchildren.  This land is located about 6 miles east of Big Bend's entrance.

Hallie's Hall of Fame...she was a "city" girl who gave up her fancier life and became a rancher's wife and rancher herself...she wrote about her life in the book "I'll Gather my Geese".   She was a remarkably strong woman.

This is the little store that she set up in her RV park in the 1950's.  Still operating today.

Photo of Hallie...she died just 2 months shy of her 100th birthday in 1997.

Approaching Big Bend!!

Road into the Rio Grande Village where will park the RV while we are in the park.

Beautiful sunset our first night in the park.

MARATHON, TEXAS FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Traveling from San Antonia to Marathaon, TX on rt. 90.  Yet another border control inspection.

Note the 2 dirt roads on either side of the highway...this is where border control vehicles patrol for illegal immigrants.

A stop at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center on rt. 90 about 30 miles west of Del Rio on the Mexican boarder.

Judge Roy Bean's actual bar & law office.

Sign over the the bar.

The bar.

We passed Dryden on the way to Marathon! That is Texas, not NY!

Marathon...population 1700

Only grocery store in town...very small

Only gas station in town...non-digital gas pumps

The neatest place in town....the Gage Hotel..pretty fancy place!

Interior of the hotel

The White Buffalo Bar & the 12 Gage Restaurant at the Hotel.

Inside the bar...note the white buffalo head mounted on the wall.

Inside the 12 Gage Restaurant.

Beautiful sunrise from our campground the next day before we headed to Big Bend National Park.