Big Bend 2022 The Last Entry

Our time was growing short on this spring vacation. We still had places to go and things to see! Our last place to stay was a place called Ten Bits Ranch. It is virtually run and looks like a scene from a Western movie. We stayed in a room labeled the General Store which was right across from the Jailhouse. We were on our best behavior so as to not end up in a jail cell. From our porch, we saw a beautiful sunset over the hills. As the stars rose in the eastern sky, we were treated to some spectacular views. One of my favorite photo opportunities that night was of the Milky Way over the rugged hill tops. You will see this image in the video.

One of our must see sights was Big Bend State Park. We traveled down Park Road 170 which parallels the Rio Grande River all the way to Presidio. We must have stopped at least 20 times to take photos and gaze at the beautiful scenery along this park road. This is a must see if you get a chance to drive it.

The next road trip on our list was a drive down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive back in the national park. We stopped at Castolon and visited the museum and store. It is hard to believe that cotton crops flourished in the valley here. Some of the original, rusty, heavy machinery used to process it is still there. From there we drove to an overlook to get a good picture of the Mule Ears mountain peaks and then to Sotol Vista, where the Homer Wilson Ranch house is still standing. After a few pics, it was on to the Chisos Mountains where we saw one of the more iconic views Big Bend is famous for – “The Window View”. As we were walking to the restaurant to eat lunch, there was a commotion in the parking lot as a black bear was stripping a native plant of its leaves and chewing on the tasty snack. The Chisos Mountains have seen a come back of the black bears that once lived in this region. The Park Rangers and personnel do a great job of teaching the public how to coexist with them. During our lunch, the same bear came back down the hill and made a pass by our lunch table near an open door. I grabbed my camera and seized the video opportunity as he slowly lumbered around to the back of the building.

An acquaintance we met in the park shot a really good picture of the bear and sent it to me when we got back home. I included his pic in the video below. His YouTube channel is Kaylor Adventure. He also has a really cool video featuring his hike to Balanced Rock. Check out his YouTube channel if you get a chance.

Before we made the drive back to the Midland airport, we took some shots of the Terlingua Cemetery. It is a famous landmark still being used today. I don’t think we ever went by the cemetery that there was not some one taking pictures of the unusual head stones and burial sites. As we drove back, we went through Alpine and made a pledge to come back and see the town along with the town of Marfa and the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis.

Needless to say, we had a blast visiting this amazing part of the country. Texas is truly a fantastic state with so much to see and do. Thanks for coming along on our journey, and we hope you get to go experience some of God’s wonderful creations in Big Bend and beyond.

God bless you, and thanks for reading my blog. Enjoy the video!

Tim Lumpkin

Legacy-outdoors.net

Instagram:@Tlump10

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