How do you escape an everlasting Wisconsin winter?
By taking a mini-tour of some US National Parks... or so we thought.
Little did we know, there would actually be little escape from the winter temps at our first destination, Big Bend National Park in Southwestern Texas. Even after driving over 1,600 miles south, although we no longer saw that white fluffy stuff on the ground, we still felt a crisp nip in the air.
We were in Big Bend January 30th - February 2nd and the temperature ranged from a low of 32 degrees Fahrenheit o a high of 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
It was colder than we would have liked, but at least we were prepared.
Arriving on day 1 around 2:30pm, we found out that the backcountry camping we were hoping for was all booked up.
We thought it wouldn't be busy this time of year, but boy were we wrong. In fact, we were told that if we didn't race to the Rio Grande campground, which was 30 minutes away from the Panther Junction Visitor Center where we started out, that we may not get a campsite in the park at all.
(Tip: when visiting this Texas National Park, make sure you book your campsite early in the day or you just may be out of luck - even in the off-season)
Thankfully, after circling around and around feeling certain there was nothing left, we stumbled upon a small site that was available for that one night only. We snagged it up and later found out it was the last site available in the entire park. Lucky us!
Park #1 and already over budget.
Unfortunately, we also found out that as of January 1st, the fee policy changed. Now, instead of paying a one-time $16 fee covering the duration of your entire visit with the backcountry sites free, which is what we planned for, you'll pay $16 per night and the backcountry site fee is $10 per night. At least the prices remained reasonable.
Time for dinner.
We set up camp, had a quick dinner of Mac n' cheese and hot dogs, washed dishes, got ready for bed, and then sat out to stargaze. The #sky was lit up unlike anything the kiddos had ever seen. Eventually we went into the trailer and fell asleep to the sound of the howling coyotes.
An early start to day 2.
Not wanting to risk another campsite debacle, we started our day by scouting for an open site at the Rio Grande Campground. Fortunately, we were successful and quickly relocated.
As we settled in, we saw our first ever road runner. We had already come across bunnies and coyotes so we were starting to feel like we were in an episode of Bugs Bunny. After some photos and a good laugh we set out to the Window View trail on Chisos Mountain for our first hike of the day.
Majestic is an understatement.
The hike was slightly challenging, but all three kiddos were able to do it on their own. Afterwords, we refueled with dinner at the campsite and then it was up the Rio Grande Nature Trail. Although the hike was on the super short side, at only 0.3 miles round trip, it. was. #awesome.
Once on top, we sat down to gaze
across the Rio Grande at the
Mexican border and take in
the stunning #sunset views.
It was the perfect way to
wrap up day two.
Our final full day was the all-around favorite.
After breakfast we put on our swimsuits and headed out to Hot Springs Trail. True to its name, about a half mile into this trail you come to a natural hot spring. The water is full of dissolved mineral salts and maintains a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. A mere 30 seconds after arriving to the spring our dear Emmylou was already dipping her toes in. The rest of us weren't far behind.
WOW, what a relaxing and therapeutic experience.
Of course, we couldn't just sit and soak.
Eden found amusement in making mud pies while sitting in a shallow area of the hot spring. I enjoyed watching her create, but distracted by the Rio Grande River directly behind me. It seemed to be taunting me as the spring water was cascading out of the hot "tub" directly into it. There was a sort of open invitation asking me to slide over into the river right along with the hot spring water. I mean, who can pass up the opportunity to swim in international waters? Short answer: not me. I sucked up my courage and slipped over the wall into the river.
The temperature change was intense.
My reaction to the cold water didn't stop the rest of my family from following suit behind me. We found the best spot to stand was against the wall where the hot and cold waters met. So, after a short splash in the river we warmed back up at the magical wall where the two waters mixed. Then it was time to dry off while we walked the final mile of the loop trail.
The 60-something and sunny temperature was a welcome change.
It felt like 90 degrees Fahrenheit to us in comparison to the cold nights that we had been having. We took our time and soaked in the warm sun. As we finished the loop and were walking back to the car we were spotted by a donkey who was hanging out on a mountain near the parking lot. He seemed excited to see us and quickly came down to say hello. We weren't sure if he was friendly or not so decided to play it safe. We all ducked into the car or trailer, whichever door we were closer to.
This donkey decided to hold us hostage for a good 20 minutes while walking around and peering into each window. Those of us in the trailer used that time to change into dry clothes. Eventually, Mr. Donkey got bored with us and moved on just far enough that we were able to drive away. We were all pretty amused by his shenanigans. Classic Jackass - Hee Haw.
It was finally time to hit the #Backcountry.
We had a bit of a bumpy drive in our low riding mini-van, but we made it to K-Bar 1, the backcountry site we had been long looking forward to.
The rough ride was well worth it. Where else can you camp in the middle of the mountains and desert with no one else around you for miles and miles?
The moon was too bright for the stars to be as awesome as they were on night one, but it was a beautiful night regardless. We all slept like babies in the silence of the remote desert.
Up again with the first crack of sunlight.
While the others were still asleep I made some coffee and then brought our rv toilet outside to take care of business while watching the rising sun. I think the saying goes "When in Rome..." (i.e. the backcountry), right? TeeHee. It was a beautiful show. The sunrise, that is.
We could have spent weeks exploring Big Bend.
But, as amazing as Big Bend is, the time had come for us to move on to the next destination of our mini-tour. After enjoying the peace of the morning for just a bit longer, we packed up and headed north towards destination #2, Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
If you enjoyed the writing style of this article, I'd love to create content for you. #TravelBlogger
Reach out today. 414-232-2723 or TheCopywriter4me@gmail.com
Comments