[tcb] Re: Big Bend trip report...long...5 days
- From: "Ronnie Hughes" <y4s6wd5@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 20:09:14 -0600
Sounds like a good time and a great way to spend New Years Eve. I was
really reluctant to start working on Sparky because I thought some camping
would be a nice break also. Oh well, you gotta start sometime.
Welcome back & see you around.
Ronnie
----- Original Message -----
From: <KatrinaMartin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 3:55 PM
Subject: [tcb] Big Bend trip report...long...5 days
> Hello all Dan & I made it back from the Big Bend and I wanted to
> tell everyone about our wonderful adventure.
> If you haven't been to the Big Bend you better make plans to go,
>
>
> Monday Dec.28
> Left Houston at 9am. Took 290 to Beltway8 to I-10 to Luling and
> got some B-B-Q for lunch.
> Then Hwy 90 to Sanderson.
> We got a call from Steve & Sharon around 4pm, Steve said he was
> not feeling good and they had to stop driving. He said they were in
> Sanderson at the Desert Air Motel. Dan & I was one hour from
> Sanderson, so I told Steve we would try to stay at the motel also.
> I brought Thor with us so I wasn't sure they would like a 100 lb
> Great Pyrenees in the motel.
> We arrived at the Desert Air Motel in Sanderson about 5:30pm.
> Saw Steve and Sharon's white n'red bus at the motel,they were in
> room 111. It was a small motel,with barking dogs and sheep. Ya
> sheep. So I asked the guy running the motel if having a huge dog
> would be ok, then he said"As long as he's house broken and no
> donkeys". Donkey? Someone has actually tried to keep a donkey in
> a motel room,whatever! We got the key and went to our room#107
> it was warm and clean. So I went over to Steve and Sharon's room
> to see what they were doing. They asked if we were going to eat
> anytime soon, I told them no we had B-B-Q from Luling. They went
> across the street to a Truck Stop Restuarant. Dan & I had B-B-Q.
> So we had dinner then talked to Steve & Sharon, talked to some
> strangers. There was a lady,her husband ,and 2 sons that we talked
> to for a while about Thor and the lady was moving back to
> Sanderson from San Antonio. She said she was tired of the city and
> needed some peace and quiet. Ya me too. Dan & I went back to the
> room and we laughed so hard because Thor was walking around &
> you could hear every move he made. Dan & I went to sleep about
> 10pm.
>
>
> Tuesday Dec.29
> We got up around 7:30am. We looked out the window to see if
> Steve & Sharon were still there, they left already. We knew they
> would be in the Big Bend somewhere, we could find them.
> Dan tried to start the bus, no luck.
> So then Dan took Thor for a walk. He came back to the room and
> told me Thor was scared of the sheep next door to the motel.
> Dan tried to start the bus, no luck. The nice guy at the motel
> helped me push start it, cool Homer was running. The guy was
> concerned about the bus and he told me to park down a hill just in
> case it quits on us. Homer is usually in storage during the winter.
> So he was not cooperating under these conditions.
> Left the motel at 9 or 10am and go to Stillwell Ranch with R/V hook
> -ups and camping. All the camping in Big Bend is primitive, no
> electricity or water. So we made it to Stillwell and I told the lady
> (Linda)at Stillwell that we would be back to get a R/V site after we
> go look at Chisos Basin. We arrived in the park about 11:30am,
> bought a week pass and drove into the beautiful mountains. Got to
> Panther Junction, drove around the parking lot and drove on to
> Chisos Basin. The campsites were all full for Chisos Basin, we took
> a drive around the camp ground anyway, the campsites were too
> close together. I looked over at Dan since he was having fun
> driving on a 10% grade road(Homer was going 10 mph downhill,
> then maybe up to 20 mph up the hills) You could see a far peace
> from the Basin. I was so relaxed looking at the mountains. We left
> the Chisos basin then was headed towards Rio Grande Village. Well
> guess who was on the other side of the road in Panther Junction?
> Steve & Sharon! They had just been to Rio Grande Village. I asked if
> it was a beautiful mountain and if we needed to go see it also.
> Sharon said there was Javelina's going through peoples tents. I
> really wanted to go see the javelina's, but we had lots of time no
> rush. Steve & Sharon asked about Stillwell and I told them they
> have electricity & water sites available. We all loaded up and drove
> our Volkswagens to Stillwell Ranch. Got to Stillwell and they told us
> to go to the strip and the further we drive out the nicer the
> camping will be. That's what we did got away from everyone else.
> Dan & I got the tent set up. Thor was off the leash and being a
> good dog. Thor got Cactus stuck in his nose then he just shook it
> off his nose like nothing happened. The weather was just perfect, it
> started getting cold.
> Steve made a fire,he burns wood really fast. Dan got the Karbachi
> all ready for the steaks.Then we all ate steak,sausage,and potatoes.
> Then we watched the sunset, ya spectacular. Then stars were
> everywhere. All of us went to bed at 8pm.
>
>
> Wednesday Dec.30
> Dan & I got up about 7am. Steve & Sharon got up much earlier than
> us. We all had some coffee and breakfast, while watching the
> sunrise. Steve & Sharon was going to the Chisos Basin then back
> home. Dan tried to start Homer before they left, started up. Whew.
> We said our goodbyes. Dan & I just hung out at the camp site all
> day.Then we walked up to the store to take a shower about 3pm.
> Then walked back to the camp site and watched the birds go crazy
> for a while. The birds were so busy just getting seeds off the
> ground, they would land & have some seeds they fly off into a bush
> then fly back & land for more seeds. Back and forth all day. Then
> the bees were all over everything all day. Birds & The bees ,cactus's
> and the bushes. Then a spectactular sunset coming up,time to
> cook dinner. Dan got out the Karbachi and cooked butter lemon
> chicken, had potato sald with it. Dan started a fire. I turned on the
> heating blanket and also got the bed arranged for watching a
> DVD,"Spiderman". Dan,Thor, & I piled into the bed and watched
> Spiderman. So it's just perfect, watching a movie and looking at the
> campfire from outside the back window. All of a sudden
> "Boom,Boom,Boom,Boom,Boom,Boom!" I asked Dan,"Is it a gun?"
> Then it got quiet so we continued to watch the movie.
> Kind of startled me a bit. Then Boom over and over again. Well we
> looke out the window and fireworks were going off in the distance.
> We turned off the movie and watched 30 minutes of fireworks.We
> realized New Years was coming up. It was about $1000 worth of
> fireworks. Finished the movie and went to sleep about 10:30pm.
>
>
> Thursday Dec.31
> Woke up about 8am. Got to see another sunrise,wow.
> Made some ham,egg,cheese tacos.
> Dan & I took our time getting ready for some more driving into the
> mountains. Drove up to Sotol Vista,Burro Mesa,Mule
> Ears,Cottonwood, and Santa Elena Canyon. Then back up the same
> way to get back to Stillwell Ranch for more camping. Got back to
> Stillwell at 3pm and bought a 6pk of beer. Walked back to our
> camping spot. Oh shit a R/V pulled up a few spaces down we were
> not alone now. I had to put Thor on the leash since they had a dog
> - miniture pincher. The sunset was just great again. Finished the
> beer. It started to get cold so Dan made a fire,we cuddled,looked at
> the stars. Then he cooked the hot dogs. After we layed on the
> picnic bench watching the stars. Saw the little dipper. About 30
> minutes later the moon was so bright you couldn't see stars
> anymore,wow! Turned on the heating blanket then went to sleep
> about 10pm.
>
> Friday Jan.1
> Got up at 6am. I had such a great time I was a little disappointed
> we had to leave. I hope we can go up to the Big Bend again. The
> views of the mountains are breathless. Headed back to Houston at
> 7am. Saw some Javelina's right outside the park. Also 4 Golden
> eagles. Chaperal(Roadrunners) everywhere. Also Jackrabbits. Also
> Mule Deer.
> We also saw Two Great Pyrenees with a heard of goats on the way
> home. Pyrenees at work instead ofa dog like Thor laying back in
> the bed sleeping.
> I said we should make it home by 7pm. We did!!! Safe and no
> problems with Homer on the way home. That's one tough bus,up &
> down mountains no problem.
>
>
>
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