It’s only been a week since we left Bandera, and already I’m on sensory overload. It’s like that old movie, “If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Belgium,” where a busload of Americans go on an 18-day tour of nine European cities. We’ve set up camp five times in seven days, so I need to get this written and posted while I’m able. I’ve already learned that way out here, being connected to the world can’t be taken for granted.

I’ve taken a ton of photographs and have already posted a lot of them on Facebook and Instagram, so this blog will be mostly narrative…there has been so much I want to remember about this trip.

Whenever we’ve been sitting awhile in any one place, like we were in Bandera, short trips at first are best, especially when a longer, more remote, and more strenuous one is in the offing, such as our hopeful destination of Big Bend National Park. Our first stop would be only 150 away. When we lived on a boat, we called them ‘shakedowns’–if anything was destined to go wrong, it would hopefully happen early on in the trip and be repaired forthwith. So that’s what we did.

We left Bandera on Thursday, March 1. After topping off our fuel in Kerrville ($2.65/gal), our first stop was the Caverns of Sonora, halfway between San Antonio and our ultimate destination of Big Bend National Park (BBNP) on I-10 , a ‘must see’ according to Trip Advisor.

It had a small RV park, and operated on a “first come, first served” basis. I wouldn’t say that I’m a worrier, but I do like to know where I’m going to sleep at night. As it turned out, there was no need to worry; when we arrived at noon, we had our pick of the eight or so sites that were available. By nightfall though, nearly all of them were occupied.

Once we got the RV situated, walked the dogs, and had lunch, we wandered up to the store to purchase our tickets for the tour, careful not disturb the peacocks pacing back and forth.

The tours are kept small, and there were only eight in our group. We descended 155 feet into the earth, past spectacular formations that seemed to go on and on.

When we got to the bottom, Malcolm, our tour guide, turned off the little amount of lighting that illuminated the cave. We sat in complete, absolute darkness for a couple of minutes. Nothing except my glow-in-the-dark t-shirt from the solar eclipse could be seen; it was pitch black. When he turned the lights back on, he turned to Dave and me and asked where we were from. We said ‘western Kentucky,’ thinking he probably wouldn’t recognize Hopkinsville. But he did. As it turned out, he was born in Greenville, only about 30 miles away. Small world!

Day 1: Miles traveled: 154. RV site: $25

The next morning, Friday, found us on the road shortly after 9 a.m., heading west towards Fort Stockton. We’d been advised by several people to top off our fuel whenever possible before heading south to Marathon, where we’d be spending the second night. There are not many places to get fuel way out here.

We arrived at the Marathon Motel & RV Park mid-afternoon. What an unexpected oasis that turned out to be! Small, quiet, impeccably clean, and dim at night. Very dim. As it turns out, Marathon has earned the distinction of “Class 1 Dark Sky” (that’s as dark as it gets!) and businesses and residents intentionally protect their dark sky status from the intrusion of exterior lighting. (We were even politely asked to lower our window shades at night.) It’s easy to see why: way out here, the stars seem greater in number, bigger, and more brilliant. The view is worth protecting.

A short walk down the wide (wide enough for us to make a U-turn towing the 5th wheel) but nearly deserted (two vehicles in succession is an oddity) main drag (Hwy 90) is The Gage Hotel, built in 1927, which was recently named #1 Small Hotel in Texas and #17 in the United States by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. It’s in the middle of nowhere, but go figure: it’s a destination!

Across the street and down a ways is the Gage Gardens, 27-acres of meticulously manicured landscaping. It’s beautiful, of course, and it definitely stands out in the wide open spaces of west Texas. It just seems a little over the top and out of place. Even so, I could’ve easily spent hours here.

On the other hand, the buildings that comprise “Eve’s Garden,” a B&B, seem VERY appropriate.

I wish we could’ve stayed one more night here. Marathon was a delightful discovery to make, and I would definitely come back here in a heartbeat. We topped off the diesel again while we could: $3.44/gal.

Day 2: Miles traveled: 252 today (406 total). RV site: $35

From Marathon, it was 40 miles to the entrance of Big Bend National Park, and another 50 to the Rio Grande Village Campground. I had signed up for two days of REAL camping: no utilities and limited generator usage. And felt grateful to do so since it was the start of spring break in Texas and most availability was for one night here and one night there.

I had no expectations as to what I’d find at BBNP except that the night sky would probably be unimaginable. And it was. So clear and dark. Stars were everywhere. It was truly awesome. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Like Texas, BBNP is enormous, more than 800,000 acres. What makes BBNP unique among other national parks is that it’s the only one to contain an entire mountain range within its borders, the Chisos (highest peak is 7,825 feet.) From the Chisos Mountains, to the Chihuahuan desert, to the Rio Grande that flows along the park’s southern border, BBNP’s plant and animal diversity is amazing.

BBNP is so big that we explored the eastern half during the two-day stay at the park’s campground, saving the western half for when we relocated to the town of Terlingua on Monday. We drove along miles and miles of scenic roadways, often punctuated with turnouts allowing visitors to stop and enjoy. I hiked as much as possible and tried to take in as much of the scenery as I could during our brief stay.

Days 3-4: 90 miles today (496 so far). RV site: $7/nt.

Our batteries were dead when I awoke early Monday morning, so Dave had to jump the generator with the truck (not before 8 a.m. though.) After one last hike, we started packing up. Our neighbors across the road had Missouri plates, and I wondered if they might be from St. Louis.

I noticed the husband had on his STL baseball cap and he noticed my Rick Ankiel t-shirt, so we approached each others like long, lost friends. Hermano!😄 Yes, they were from St. Louis (Webster Groves) and were brand new RVers (as in, sold everything and bought a Class A right off the bat.😳) We ended up talking to John and Diane quite awhile, mostly about the Cardinals and other things STL, like Imo’s Pizza and Ted Drewes. What are the chances of meeting someone from your hometown more than a thousand miles away? This world is sure small!

After two days of living off the grid, I realized how much I take for granted, like electricity, water, and sewer. I was glad when we got to our fourth stop, Terlingua, nestled in between the national park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.

In the late 1880’s, the town blossomed around the discovery of quicksilver, used in the manufacture of gunpowder cartridges and shells. The mining industry boomed, especially during WWI, but the Great Depression hit, reducing the need for mine labor. Most miners moved on, making Terlingua a virtual ghost town.

Some intrepid diehards stayed on, and in the 1970’s some enterprising individuals came, lured by the abundance of year-round outdoor activities, such as river rafting on the Rio Grande, mountain biking, camping, hiking, and motorcycling. Today, the Terlingua Ghost Town is on the National Register of Historic Places, but it’s hardly deserted. In fact, it’s one of the most vibrant ghost towns imaginable. Especially on Monday nights, when hamburgers are half-priced at the historic Starlight Theatre, where live entertainment can be enjoyed nearly every evening.

Days 5-7: 50 miles (546 total). RV site: $28/nt.

This sums up our first week of making our way back home…the long way! We broke down camp this morning, headed north, and here we are in Alpine. This is home for the next three nights, giving us plenty of time to see THIS part of west Texas. I always knew Texas was big, but this trip has given me a newfound appreciation for how beautifully diverse it is. I enjoy sharing it with you.

Miles today: 76 (622 so far). RV site: $32/nt.