Big Bend National Park, Texas, May 2009

This was Cindy's first visit to Big Bend National Park, a world of its own in Texas. We found May of 2009 there to be hot but with thunderstorms and some welcome rain.

On the way there: Overnight in Alpine, TX

Museum of the Big Bend

Holland Hotel

Marfa Lights Visitor Center

First Day in the Park: The Basin

On past Study Butte and into the Park at Maverick Junction
(1st stop: Dugout Wells cottonwood oasis)

Up to Chisos Basin and the Chisos Mountain Lodge

Reaching cabin 100 and settling in

Windows Trail hike, complete with storm

Spectacular sunset in the Basin

Second Day in the Park: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive area

From the road

Mule Ears trail and welcome spring

Native (lizard); Castolon

Old Maverick Road panorama

Sunset view from our cabin

Third Day in the Park: Grapevine Hills and Boquillas Canyon

Grapevine Hills

Boquillas Canyon

Fourth Day: Drive to Terlingua and River Road, Rio Grande Village, Hot Springs

Terlingua color

Barton Warnock Museum and Big Bend Ranch State Park

Rio Grande Village

Hot Springs (we found that the springs were currently under water!)

Fifth Day: Santa Elena Canyon, the Basin, Lost Mine Trail

Santa Elana Canyon (due to rain, it took us 3 tries to get there and we had it to ourselves.)

Bear sighting on the road back to the Basin

A stop at the Basin Visitors Center

Inside the cabin (satellite LCD tv NOT pictured!)

Lost Mine Trail (we thought we heard a panther but it was a guy running down the mountain).

Last Day: Homeward Bound

The lodge, the cabin, the muddy car, the moon

The sign, the scenery, the washed out road to Dagger Flats

These and more images are also available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaykeys/sets/72157618646287480/.