The road to Big Bend seemed never-ending. Miles of straight highway flanked on each side by desert prairie engulfed in hardened grounds, sporadic cacti, yucca plants, and the occasional cows. It was not very interesting scenery, and often, I found myself dozing off due to the lack of stimulation.

It was a beautiful sunny day for a hike. It’s funny when starting at the bottom of a mountain hike, you notice people climbing, and I often say, “Oh no, this is going to be a killer!”. Then the ascent starts, and the realization hits that it’s not a straight-up steep climb but a steady series of switchbacks. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a piece of cake, but the switchbacks are more welcoming. When you reach the top, the sense of accomplishment is as satisfying as the incredible view once you get there.

After the hike, we toured the Ross Maxwell drive through the park. This drive should be taken when you have time since it’s a thirty-mile stretch to the end. At the end of this drive, the Rio Grande River flows and runs through the mountain, and on the other side of this is Mexico. As a side note, be prepared to stop at a few border patrol stops on the road to get there.

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We left Victoria after being there for two and a half months. We felt blessed to spend that time helping our daughter with our new granddaughter. Holding her in our arms as she slept was just heavenly. I love the baby stage, but Mitch, not so much. However, she wrapped him around her little finger, and he loved every minute spent with her. My daughter didn’t want us to leave, and part of me wished we could stay, but Mitch was ready for our new 2024 journey. We will be visiting some exciting places, so check in every Saturday for our postings.

Our first two-night stay was a stop to our next destination (posted next week) to ease our travel time. It was in San Pedro Campground in Amistad National Recreation Area in Del Rio, Texas. We have never been so close to the Mexican Border. It was boondocking for $3 a night. What a deal! Each site had a covered picnic table, however, there is no water available on site so bring your own before coming. We also took a short 2.5 hike through the desert. Alltrails stated that the Sunrise hike would take you to the reservoir; however, no water could be found. It seems water has been scarce in Texas, with many water levels dropping to low. The nights were quiet, and we were glad to break up our trip with this stay.

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