Texas was just down the road from our last campsite. We decided to head south before finally heading north towards home. The weather in the mid and northern states was much colder than usual and Texas was our last hope of getting bit of warmth and sunshine.

We drove though El Paso and just stopped for grocery shopping and a quick drive around El Paso and along the border.  It was odd to see a Mexican city abutting El Paso.  It reminded us of driving along the border in Israel. A similar wall, similar architecture with houses clinging to hills on the one side, and intricate highways on the other.  It would have been interesting to stay for a longer visit, but we wanted to push south, so perhaps another time.

 

You can see forever driving around along the vast flat fields of Texas.  Every now and then, you come across a farm or an oil rig.  There seems to be wealth and derelict areas competing with each other and we wondered about the history of some of these places.

 

We stopped in Shafter, population 33 (up from 11 in 2000).  It’s considered a ghost town, but people are moving back in.  Most houses are abandoned and in ruins.

Mining operations near the town started in the 1880, and the town boasted a population of 4,000 in 1940. Soon after, the mines closed and the town went into rapid decline.

 

Marfa is the opposite of a ghost town with a growing population of artists. This town has a different flair with its many art installation in and around town.  We loved how they stand in contrast to the older, beautiful architecture in town.

 

We stopped for the night just outside of Presidio and checked into the Loma Paloma RV Park.  The camp host was really excited to see “neighbours” from Canada and exclaimed that  she spends half the year near Ottawa.

Again, we witnessed a most spectacular sunset.

 

A quick shower hack: we stretched a bungee cord across the back between the door hinges and flipped the shower curtain over it after showering.  The shower curtain was dry within minutes.  We didn’t like tying the curtain up when it was still wet, so this is a quick solution providing it is not raining outside.

 

The next morning we headed towards Big Bend National Park through the Big Bend State Park.  A bit confusing to have them side by side with a very similar name, but hey, if we get more park we are not complaining.  The road mostly follows the Rio Grande with several stops along the way.  The river is less mighty here than we thought it would be, but very pretty nonetheless.

Big Bend State Park has some breathtaking scenery and the Rio Grande kept peeking out in unexpected places.  We need to come back here and explore some of the many hikes.

 

Another cool stop was the Hoodoos overlook and trail.  The rock formations are really cool and we even got our picture taken, a rare event!  Did you know that the word hoodoos originated in Africa?  It refers to rock formations that resemble animals and believed to embody evil spirits.  From the parking lot you can take a short, 1 mile trail to the Hoodoos and back.  The trail follows parts of an historic trail known as Muerte del Burro, or “the death of the donkey” – at the time it was a very difficult trail connecting Lajitas and Redford.  This is one of 2 trails where pets are allowed.  The other is Closed Canyon Trail.

 

We stopped in Lajitas for gas and lunch.  Lajitas is a Quaint town that caters mostly to a golf club resort, but looks like there are a lot of trails around.  Our lunch was actually amazing and the big Texas welcome was refreshing!

 

There was another ghost town along the way and we had to stop.  You may have noticed that we have a bit of a fascination with ghost towns?  Terlingua follows a history similar to Shafter’s; a town built on mining of cinnabar and mercury in the 19th century and abandoned in the 1940s when the mines closed down. Most of the buildings are in varying states of crumble and there is evidence of hurried abandonment.  There are people living there again now; a gift store, a bar, and some other businesses that cater to tourists are scattered among the ruins.  We wonder how long a place can qualify as a ghost town if it is being repopulated.

Curious fact: in the 70s during an annul chili cook-off competition, the organizers sponsored a Mexican Fence-Climbing contest. Hmm…

 

The drive through Big Bend National Park is simply beautiful.  The landscape of mountain ranges and canyons, the Chihuahuan desert topography, volcanic Dikes, unique flora and fauna (yes, more of the elusive Javelinas), and history – ancient and more recent.   Our whirlwind of a drive through really call for a repeat, more thorough visit here!

 

We took a detour south to stay with the Rio Grande and found an intriguing display in one of the overlooks.  Apparently after the nearby Boquillas Border Crossing was closed, the Boquillas del Carmen village across the river lost its main income source – tourism.  A lot of people had to relocate to find employment elsewhere, and some who stayed, resorted to a creative solution.  They row their boats across the river and display their wares on the US side where tourists can buy them and deposit payment in the bottle.  In the evening they cross back and collect the money. There is some sort of an understanding between them and the Border patrol it seems, or otherwise it wouldn’t work. You can see their camp on the other side and hear music playing, dogs barking, and children running around.  Life goes on. We hope that they can keep on doing this…

 

For dessert, just before leaving the park and the desert, we stopped to take a look at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit.  The architecture of the building was impressive and the displays were very informative and well done. We loved the indoor/outdoor display and the beautiful surroundings.  A short interpretive hike to the top of the hill revealed a beautiful panoramic vista of the area.

 

The temperature is around 29c.  We are stoked, but we know that it is just for a short time – an illusion almost. Time to go home.

We left the park and headed towards Alpine for the night.  The scenery continued to be breathtaking and we drove through a magnificent sunset.  Arrived at the Lost Alaskan RV Park for the night, and started heading north the next day.

That’s it.  We are northbound now.  There is a huge storm enveloping the continent and another one right behind it.  We’ll need to squeeze through and make it to Ontario between the 2 of them.  Stay tuned for an epic drive and everything that went wrong along the way and afterwards…

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Cost: CAD 315.5 (US228.6) gas, groceries, and eating out
• Distance: 1034 km (644 miles) 
• Fuel Average: 6.7km/l (15.8mpg)

We’ll have an overall cost breakdown at the end of the trip.

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