Big Bend 2008

Sally and I went out to Big Bend for a few days.... Stayed at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, eat one of the best meals that we have ever eaten at Courtyard Restaurant next door to the Gage. Went down to the La Linda Border crossing to have a look around. Then on to Big Bend National Park where we stayed three nights at Chisos Mountain Lodge in the "Basin".

Between Fort Stockton and Marathon....Ranch of a friend...Janet link Groth

Historic Gage Hotel in Marathon

At the Gage, the bath is down the hall

 

Gage Hotel Lobby

Fantastic dinner at the Courtyard next to Gage Hotel

 

 

Closed Border Crossing at La Linda, Mexico

abandoned DuPont fluorspar mine in La Linda

Starting down the Window Trail

The Window

The Window

The Window

Window Trail

Window Trail - headed back to Lodge

Mexican Buckeye

 

Cattail Falls trail - 3 miles roundtrip

Sally coming up  the trail

Sotol

blooming Indian Paintbrush

Cool spring water in Cattail Falls canyon

 

Yellow Columbine at Cattail Falls - one of the few places in Texas to see this plant in it's native habitat

Ideal rest stop at the site where the Wilson homestead once stood. This tree was in the front yard.

 

 

Driving to Castelon, Mule Ears landmark

Santa Elena canyon

Santa Elena trail - blooming cactus

Santa Elena trail - a stone's throw to Mexico

Santa Elena trail

I hope they never try to put a border fence out here

One of many rock/adobe ruins near Castelon

 

Scoping out the village of Boquillas, Mexico

Partially restored Boquillas General store

Boquillas, Mexico residents sneak across the border and leave these items for sale along the trail.... It is illegal to buy them but some people do.

 

There was a big crowd enjoying the hotsprings

Soaking in the hot mineral water of the spring with the Rio Grande river only a rock wall away

 

Javelina crossing road at Dugout Wells

I got in close for this shot

Dinner at the Starlight Restaurant

 

 

This bus was in parking lot of Starlight Restaurant in Terlingua.  It was a traveling circus that has been traveling the world since 1997. Started in England. They were performimg at the Starlight until they got enough gas money to move on.