Big Bend Ranch State Park

By the time this is published Monday, we will be getting ready to pull up stakes and tow into the national park.  We have great wifi here at BJs RV Park, but there will not be much of that in the park except at the general stores.   Still I hope to put up something from inside the park.

We took a drive to the west from Terlingua.  First you encounter the "town" of Lajitas, which was bought up by a rich guy with a dream of making a first class resort and spa.  Now it is all new buildings, a fancy golf course, and fake old shops.  It's pretty goofy in its setting.

The state park is mostly just rugged mountains for hiking, and there is some ranching going on in it too.  I can't see how it is much good for ranching though.  There is nothing resembling grass.  Just little woody shrubs and cacti.  Although, maybe the ranch land we were observing was already grazed and was in a state of rest and recovery.  I would not be shocked to find they can only do one "animal unit" (mother and calf) per 100 acres.  A normal grassy ranch could be 10 times that.   Anyone living out there is a long way from anything.

Here is a shot of the Rio-not-so-Grande River.  You could walk across it just about anywhere here.

We took a short hike up this canyon, known as Closed Canyon.   It goes all the way down to the river, but we didn't go that far.  It's about as easy a hike as you could ever find.

One thing missing around here has been any sign of spring.  There were a few bluebells blooming though, and a nice sprinkle of yellow once in a while.  Desert Marigolds.