January 3, 2011

Big Bend National Park~The River

This is the final installment of our Thanksgiving camping trip to Big Bend National Park...These photos highlight our trip down to Boquillas Canyon along the Rio Grande river.  The river is a natural border between Texas and Mexico.  The little town of Boquillas sits on the other side of the river from where we were hiking.



It's a short hike down to the river from the road - maybe a mile and a half or so.  As you drop down into the canyon there is an expansive view of the river and Mexico on the other side.

Mexico residents travel the border with their wares and set them up along the river for tourists to buy.  They had little beaded novelties for sale.


Boquillas canyon is impressive.  The walls are massive and really give perspective to just how small we are on this earth.  One of the reasons we travel to the canyon each time we visit Big Bend is the Sand Hill. 


Everyone enjoys climbing the hill and then rolling or free falling down.  I wish I could have given you a better perspective of just how steep and tall this hill is...anyone over 35 typically has to climb up on all fours!



It's quite the accomplishment to master the Sand Hill!


A variety of wildflowers were blooming along the river bank.  Usually the temperature is about 10-15 degrees warmer along the river than in the Chisos Basin so we were in shorts and t-shirts enjoying the warm weather.  There were lots of bees and butterflies enjoying the warm weather too.










As we hiked out of the canyon we were delighted by the singing of Victor from across the river.  (See him up on the rocks across the river?)  He positions a cup for tips along the U.S. side of the trail so you can make donations as you leave.  His voice rang beautifully through the canyon.


Victor's boat parked on the Mexico shore of the river. 


Big Bend is a wonderful National park and well worth the time to explore all it has to offer.  I hope these posts have given you an idea of how expansive and beautiful the park is and that you will visit some time soon!

16 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos. A trip to Big Bend is definitely on the bucket list.

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  2. Spectacular. It looks like the scenes from an Oscar winning western (sorry, I just saw True Grit, it's on my mind). As a born and bred easterner, I am endlessly fascinated by the stark open beauty and sheer scope of the west. My heart is in Wyoming where we have summered, but your pictures of Big Bend are equally as breathtaking.

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  3. Looks like a fabulous trip. When we lived in Austin I always wanted to make a trip to Big Bend but we never made it (we had two children under age 5 at the time). It is still on my list of places to go. Thanks for sharing your visit and wonderful pictures as always.

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  4. TG, I'm certain your adventurous spirit will lead you to Big Bend some day...it's your kind of place ;)

    Laurrie, We spent a week in Wyoming this summer and it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I can see why your heart is there!

    Karin, It's no short trip from Austin that's for sure, especially with two young kiddos...I hope you find yourselves there some day. It's one of Texas' hidden treasures.

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  5. What a beautiful place to visit. I will definitely have to put it on our list of 'to do'... Pretty photos!
    We will have to get together. Unfortunately, we spent most of our break with the flu. :/
    We are all much better now.

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  6. What a wonderful place you visited and hiked. You got some amazing shots, I love the canyon shots. Thank you for sharing them.

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  7. Lovely photos!

    About The 365 Project: You have to join the site to follow, and it would be fun to have someone else join in a gardeners-taking-over-the-world kind of way. :-P

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  8. I can only visit in my dreams now, but your photos gave me some spectacular images to work with.

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  9. When I went out west last summer it was hard to take a photograph of the amazing views that didn't look good... but yours look great! I think it is charming that someone sits in a national park singing for tips... I'd much rather listen there than in a stale subway station!

    Your beautiful water lily photo is listed in today's issue of How to Find Great Plants. Thanks so much for participating!

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  10. Big Bend is a beautiful park as you demonstrate here in your lovely post. That you were serenaded with song as you hiked out of the canyon makes the day even more memorable.
    I also read through the last post and very much like the idea of a word as a goal rather than the standard resolution. I think your choice of word is perfect. What would I choose for my word for 2011? Hmm.. let me think...

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  11. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better Amy and so sorry that you were sick during the holiday break. Let's talk soon!

    Thanks Donna, the canyon is so vast and I'm afraid the shots didn't capture that to its benefit - I was using a 105mm lens...but with my family in the shot it at least gives the idea of the scale.

    NSARH, Thank you...I look forward to following along...your photography is inspiring ;)

    Carolyn, that is the lovely thing about blogs - the way we can visit so many places in a day and almost feel like we've been there!

    Thanks for hosting Eliza - I appreciate you including me ;)

    Jennifer - Victor was a really good singer to boot! I'd love to hear what word you choose - it is so cool to review your accomplishments at the end of the year and see how they reflect the word chosen in January.

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  12. Beautiful photos of a stunning landscape and flora. And who wouldn't love the sand hill - once they were at the top... Thank you for sharing your trip, I will add Big Bend to the list if I ever get out to the southern US again.

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  13. Ah - another bit of time well wasted looking at all your gorgeous shots of Big Bend park. What a place !

    Thanks for sharing, and it goes on my list of places to see before I leave for good.

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  14. Once again, Cat, stunning photographs! You've really opened up my eyes to the gem that is right here in our home state of Texas. Big Bend is indeed a treasure. Thank you for sharing your time in the park with us.

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  15. thanks for the tour of big bend! i need to get out a map to see exactly where it is. best times to visit? your photos are wonderful!

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  16. looks like a really pretty place to visit. Is that hill really made of sand?!

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