Spanning over 800,000 acres, or 1,252 square miles, it can be an extremely overwhelming task to try to take everything in at Big Bend National Park. We decided that the best course of action would take on the idea of divide and conquer: divide the park into thirds (since we were spending three days there), … More Grapevine Hills Trail
One of the “must see” hikes at Big Bend National Park, the Window Trail proved to be an excellent introduction into this remote area. On the National Park Service website, the distance of the hike is about 5.5 miles from the Visitors Center near the Chisos Mountain Lodge. However, we found parking in the campsite/picnic … More The Window Trail – Big Bend National Park
A very short, yet interesting trail lies about four miles west of the Hoodoos Trail: the Closed Canyon Trail. It’s namesake is well earned as hikers will discover since the vast majority of the 1.4 mile round-trip trek takes them through a very narrow canyon! It was unseasonably hot that day in March, and yet, … More Closed Canyon Trail at Big Bend Ranch State Park
Part of our eastern Arkansas road trip taken a few years ago included a trip to Walnut Ridge. Kurt, a civil engineer, wanted to visit the site of the first highways that he designed many years ago. Little did I know that a big discovery awaited in this tiny Arkansas town. The Beatles, yes, I … More The Beatles Invade Walnut Ridge, Arkansas!
Even In The Most Remote Areas You Can Always Find A Way To Keep In Touch!
Having been in the car for the majority of the morning, a hike was a perfect remedy for stiff muscles and lethargic dispositions. It just so happens that, about twenty miles east on 170 from Fort Leaton, the Hoodoos Trail is situated within view of the roadside, inviting all to begin exploring the Big Bend … More Hoodoos Trail – Big Bend Ranch State Park
What serves as the Visitor Center for the western portion of Big Bend Ranch State Park was formally a bustling trading post originally owned by Benjamin Leaton and Juana Pedrasa. Even though several hiking trails are located right off FM 170, passes must be purchased and displayed in car windows to avoid fines. These passes … More Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Located in the heart of the Chinati Mountains, on none other than Church Road in Shafter, Texas… is Sacred Heart Catholic Mission Church. Built in 1890, the exterior is simple, unadorned, complimentary of the sparse, desolate terrain surrounding it. In spite of the fact that Sacred Heart hadn’t the “bells and whistles” of more ornate … More Sacred Heart Catholic Mission Church at Shafter Texas
A unique formation lies north of Shafter, Texas on US 67. There, perched on a hill in a sparse field littered with a few rocks, yucca and tumbleweed, is the Elephant Rock. Separated from humans by a barbed wire fence, it spends each day keeping watch over the Chihuahuan Desert, ensuring peace and tranquility for … More Elephant Rock
Grandmas hold our tiny hands for a just a little while, but hold our hearts forever. – Unknown
