I took approximately a billion photos today. Certain parts of the world are photogenic, some aren’t. For instance, at any given moment more pictures are being taken in Venice than anywhere else in the world (that’s a completely made up statistic that is totally true) whereas in the past five years not a single photo has been taken in Pecos TX that wasn’t for a birthday or wedding. I guess I’m trying to say Big Bend is photogenic – it ranks up there with Bryce Canyon amongst National Parks.

We took the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive (that really is the name of the road) all the way to Santa Elena Canyon and the Rio Grande. I have to say the canyon was spectacular, huge, and impressive, while the Rio Grande should be named the Rio not so Grand. It’s no bigger than the Meramec River, but it IS an international border. The west side of the park is filled with mountains, bluffs, dry river beds – it’s in a constant state of altitudinal flux. We also drove into the Chisos Basin which is very impressive – surrounded by a ring of mountains except for a single “window” where all the water flows out and drops to the valley below.

Big Bend is our penultimate stop on the Journey to the Far Side of the South West. We have three more nights in the Motel Time Forgot before we move on to San Antonio and our final AirBnb. So far the two Airbnb’s with laundry facilities have been at just the right time to keep us going, but we may be forced to hit a laundromat in San Antonio. It’s one thing to get off the trail stinking and filthy, it’s another hit the trail that way.

And on that bombshell, it’s time to end the post!

If you’re happy and you know it take an usie
The end of the lower mule pour off trail. A pour off is where a stream just drops to the valley below, least ways when there is actually water in the stream.
A 360 view of the Eastern part of the park from Sotol Vista.
Our view at lunch, of Castolon (peak) from Castolon (former town)
Santa Elena Canyon from a distance, you don’t appreciate how high the escarpment is from this distance
Santa Elena Canyon, the Rio Grande runs through it. Mexico is on the other side of the river.
Santa Elena Canyon from the overlook
My soothing water sounds for the day. You may have to crank the volume
360 view of Chisos Basin, or the mountains surrounding the Basin more accurately
Just the two of us, and our friends for the day from Austin TX who took the picture. We kept seeing them at the different spots along the road.
Selfie in the USA, Ussie in The UK, Y’awlie in the South? How many in the picture before it becomes an All Y’awlie?
At some point the hat came off. Ok I forgot it in the car when we stopped in Chisos Basin because I was so dazzled by the scenery, not because I’m getting old and forgetful.
Mountains are all around.  

I hope you admire that decorative motif in the underside of the brim of my hat, it’s taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to achieve. Ok, just sweat.
An artistic photo to say goodnight, Dick. Goodnight, Dick.