Big Bend - Big Beauty - No Security

From the Caverns of Sonora, it was still 142 miles to Fort Stockton plus another 58 miles to Marathon and still another 63 miles to the Big Bend National Park.  After touring the cave, I knew that the night would be spent in Marathon (with luck) and not Big Bend.

No problem, with each passing day I feel a new affinity for my developing pattern of slower paced and more relaxed travel.

Marathon is a laid-back village of less than 500 inhabitants, which probably owes its existence to the fact that it is on one of the two main highway arteries leading to Big Bend National Park.

After spending the night at the only RV Campground in Marathon, I set my course for Big Bend with no plan beyond camping in the Chisos Basin (elevation 5400 ft.) in order to attempt the avoid what I had been told would be sweltering heat.

Of course, the of Big Bend does not start at the boundary of the park, the landscape now features rising mountain vistas as it has for many miles.

While still outside the park, I saw a sign advertising Hailey Stockman's Museum; and so, I turned to see what Hailey did to earn her claim to fame.

Not a major attraction, the museum door was locked with only a small sign advising anyone interested in seeing the museum to pick up the key at gas station next door - not a high security operation.

Once inside the ranch house (turned) museum, I signed the guest register, scanned the small rooms and read a couple of the numerous newspaper clippings featuring the accolades of Hailey's life as a West Texas rancher.  Having been advised to help myself through the museum and, if interested, turn on the video on the life of Hailey Stockman, I couldn't resist.

The video was professionally done and quite interesting, but after 45 minutes (I later learned the video was 55 minutes long) I knew more about Hailey Stockman and the Stockman family than I ever cared to know - and turned it off.

From the museum, the map showed that the road continued on the banks of the Rio Grande; and so, I continued on to see what the Rio looked like.  I wanted to see how our border was secured and what ever else was awaiting me - I can't say that I was surprised.

The road ended at a bridge where passage to Mexico was blocked by a barricade topped with concertina wire, but not guarded.  Then, I remembered having passed the border patrol check point a few miles to the north on main road leading to the park (I guess, in terms of border security, it was as best as could be expected) under the circumstances.

In any case, it was clear that fording the Rio Grande was no real obstacle against entering the United States illegally.  It was a theme that I found prevalent throughout the park.  So prevalent, in fact, that at one point (unable to resist the temptation) I rolled up my pant legs and waded through the less than knee deep water to an island no more than ten feet from Mexico.

In the end, it was the fear of slipping on a rock and submerging my camera that finally deterred me from becoming an illegal alien in Mexico!

What stuck me most about Big Bend is its ever changing scenery; from the shear rock face of Casa Grande in the Chisos Basin, to the up heaved rocks that mark the volcanic active of bygone centuries of the Castolon region, to the smooth white lava flows from the same region, to the canyon walls of the Santa Elena Canyon divide between Mexico and the United States and the ever present beauty of the cacti throughout the vast desert lands.  The park is huge (covering over 800,000 acres) and I traveled the total lengths of the three paved roads coursing through the park, but there are numerous unpaved roads, which are not particularly "Harley friendly", I was forced to leave unexplored (darn, darn, darn).

Big Bend is a popular destination for bikers and my second day, I found myself riding with one Larry Russo, a New Jersey transplant now living in Florida.  Larry is a bit of a "rookie" when it comes to biking, his 2002 Harley Davidson Road King has a mere 196,000 miles and has gone through one engine and three cam shafts.  As he told me, "he bought it to ride - not to set in the garage".  Compared to him (with only 46,000 miles on my 2003 Fat Boy) I'm definitely the "rookie".

Our ride together took us to Study Butte and the Ghost Town of Terlingua (actually, both of which are located just outside of the parks boundaries).

Today Terlingua is not a total Ghost Town (if it ever was); the old Howard Perry (the owner of the Chisos Mining Company which extracted mercury from the cinnabar ore containing the mineral terlinguaite) mansion is undergoing renovation and has two rooms available and the Ghost Town Gale & Co., are both still in operation.

The Caverns of Sonora and the West Texas Hills

Heading west out of Austin, my first stop was expected to be Stockton, Texas.  From there it would be decision time, whether to go north to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and by-pass to Big Bend National Park, or add Big Bend to the itinerary - I already knew what the decision would be.

In case you're wondering, the entire Panama plan has been abandon.  Perhaps, the decision to not go there was made when the mother of my Louisiana friend (Bernie's mother), Miss Genevieve (or as everyone calls her) stated so succinctly - "don't go to Mexico - They'll Kill You!"  It's hard to argue with such candor.

I don't like to vacillate, and announce one plan only change it at a later date; and so, I will only state for the time being, that after Big Bend, I'm going - "that away, (north) and places in-between"      

The ride out of Austin took me in into the West Texas Hill Country (a term that I didn't recall having heard before).  Due to my late departure, I was expecting to take a more or less straight shot to Fort Stockton; however, with no time constraints (and, perhaps, because it's - just my nature) I have a tendency to want to see it all.  In any case, it just didn't seem right to pass through Johnson City without a making a stop at the Linden Baines Johnson (LBJ) Ranch.

In what's probably a common tourist mistake, but I learned that the LBJ Ranch is not, in fact, in Johnson City at all - it is listed as a Stonewall, Texas address.

In fact, Johnson City was named for LBJ's second-cousin James Polk Johnson (and not his grandfather as is often mistakenly stated).

The LBJ Ranch (also known as the Western Whitehouse) is located on the banks of the Pedernales River and covers over 700 acres.  It is beautiful bucolic setting with green grass, the flowing Pedernales River and numerous deer running along its banks.  I very much enjoyed the time spent there; however, if you are traveling through the area and are constrained by time, you might well decide to pass up the LBJ Ranch - this time it will be your decision.

Farther, down the road on highway 290, is the old historic town of Fredericksburg (noted for its numerous and very interesting bed and breakfast homes).  I didn't stay long, but just a walk down Main Street to see old historic buildings was a treat.  

It was Friday when I arrived and the town was hosting one of the many week-end car shows that it hosts throughout the year; and also, was preparing for the following week-ends Annual Crawfish Festival.  Fredericksburg seems to have something going on throughout the year.

With all of the unexpected stops, I knew that there was not any way that I would make it even close to Stockton before dark; and after a quick check of the map, I continued westward hoping to find a campground around Sonora, Texas.

Finally, as it was turning dusk, I made it to Sonora, Texas, still in quest of a campsite.

At the service station, the lady advised me that the only campgrounds that she knew of were at the Caverns of Sonora (about eight miles to the west).  Her directions were good, and I arrived there with just enough daylight left to set up my campsite before resting for the night.

The next morning, as I was paying for my campsite (due to last night's late arrival), the girl began to give her very convincing sales pitch for the Caverns of Sonora.   I was sold (I'm kind of an easy sale, as you might have already guessed); but it was no mistake, the caverns are beautiful, an 85% living cave that extends for some 7 miles of explored areas, and who knows how many miles lie beyond - yet to be discovered.  The owners (Sonora Caverns are privately owned) have chosen to discontinue further exploration for the time being.

I have yet to visit Carlsbad Caverns, but I've been to Mammoth Onyx Cave and more recently to Longhorn Cavern and they pale on comparison with the beauty of Sonora Caverns - in my opinion, you have dive to the depths of the ocean to see such comparable beauty as found in crystalline formations of Sonora Caverns.