Landlubber Interlude: Taking on Texas Part 1
I know this blog is supposed to be about our travels by sea, but after receiving many heartfelt requests from my adoring fans (or tacit agreement from some random people I happened to talk to recently) I agreed to write a post about our latest trip over land.
We went to Texas!
No, we didn't take the trawler, but I guess you could say we took a land yacht. Justin and I rented an RV for the week so that I could have constant access to a bathroom everywhere we went. As you might remember from much of my whining in previous posts, Justin and I are not the sort of people to rough it, so our concept of camping includes hot showers, temperature regulation, and flushable toilets. An RV was the only way to bring those luxuries to the remote locations we had in mind.
Before I get into where we went, I'd like to tell you a little more about who went there. Obviously Justin and I were on board. (I thought about leaving Justin in Buffalo when his Valentine's Day present to me was a one-dollar drug store box of chocolates, but then I ate some chocolate and felt better about it.) And of course, we had our feline crew: Tiny, Sputnik, and Apollo. They were not terribly enthusiastic about leaving their comfortable four-bedroom house and cramming into the comparatively miniscule RV. Apollo spent the entire first night meowing his displeasure at the top of his lungs. Sputnik expressed his disapproval by peeing all over Justin when he was being shoved into his travel crate. And Tiny (not our brightest crew member) completely forgot where she normally lives and believes the RV is where she has spent her entire life.
In addition to our seasoned furry crew, we added two new crew members: twelve-year-old Shianne and ten-year-old Makenna! While slightly less fuzzy than the cats, Shianne and Makenna have been a fantastic addition to our adventures. They both helped last summer moving Dumbledore down from Quebec to Buffalo and had a great time exploring the Erie Canal. Conveniently, they were off school this week and free to go on a whirlwind trip to Texas!
Justin showed up at my work on Valentine's Day with the RV completely packed full of snacks, supplies, and crew. I rushed out the door and jumped inside, and we took off for the 24-hour drive to our first stop, Big Bend National Park.
The drive itself wasn't too exciting. Shianne, Makenna and I managed to find things to do while Justin was at the wheel. And when I was driving, the others were good sports about putting up with my show tunes. I will say that I noticed a few differences between driving an RV and driving a boat. First, RVs can stop, which is very convenient. Second, RVs can go more than eight miles per hour, which can also be very useful. And third, driving a boat is way more fun.
About two thirds of the way through our drive we realized that sitting in a 30 foot metal tube for an entire day was starting to make us insane. So we briefly stopped at a restaurant in Kansas to stretch our legs. We found a small park just outside the restaurant with a giant chess board for us to play. Makenna wound up proving herself to be our resident chess champion.
Somehow, the 24-hour drive wound up taking a total of 30 hours. I don't know how that's possible when we gained an hour passing into the Central time zone and only stopped for one meal and a few gas re-fills. With an RV stocked full of food and a functional bathroom, there was no reason to stop for anything else. We must have passed through some sort of wormhole or time vortex; that's the only rational explanation. But eventually, we made it to Texas!
Now, for those of you who are not geographically inclined, Texas is big. Really big. We knew when we started planning this trip that there was no way we could see the entire state in a week. Luckily, Justin and I are picky about the sorts of things we like to do on our adventures. We love nature, hiking, and landscapes we can't see at home in Buffalo, so it made perfect sense to start our trip in Big Bend National Park. Big Bend is in the southwest corner of Texas, and it's an enormous park filled with mountains, desserts, and all sorts of places to explore.
Everyone was thrilled to put on shorts and t-shirts and run around in the warm sun, especially after months of cold, dreary Buffalo.
Right away, we got to check out some cool rock formations; we stumbled across some rocks in the shape of an elephant!
A short while later, we discovered the Rio Grande, which serves as the border between Texas and Mexico. My immediate question upon seeing it was to ask where was Trump's wall, and nobody seemed to have an answer for me. We decided not to illegally cross the river into Mexico both because nobody had their passports and it's generally not a good idea to invade a country armed with only a few beanie babies and one stuffed unicorn.
A few miles later, we entered Big Bend National Park. We were immediately treated to some stunning mountain views.
Our first hike was in the Santa Elena Canyon, where the Rio Grande winds through steep rock walls overlooking the southwestern edge of the park.
We were excited to hike up the (American) side of the canyon and get to see for miles across deserts and mountains.
Everyone ran up the the twisty-turny trail, and we were all chattering excitedly as we descended deeper into the canyon and discovered it was a uniquely perfect place for echoes. Of course, what are you going to yell into a giant echoey crevasse with two preteen girls... and Justin? That's right: the spirit call from Frozen 2. Wait, you don't know what I'm talking about/haven't seen the movie? That's fine. I'll wait.
Now that you know what I'm talking about, (and have thoroughly enjoyed the dulcet tones of Idina Menzel) you understand why I had to sing those poignant four notes into a place with such naturally spooky acoustics. What surprised me, however, was when I heard every other unseen little girl in the canyon echo it back at me each time I sang it.
We then hiked back to the RV and made a quick stop at Mule Ears trail. I think you can figure out where the name came from.
The girls got some extra hiking in as the sun set, and Justin made us burgers and fries for dinner. We ended our first day in Big Bend at our campsite in neighboring Terlingua tired, but content.
The next day we got going bright and early (by our non-morning people standards, that means around ten) to pick up a Jeep that we would be using to navigate the tight mountain roads of the park. (I wouldn't let Justin attempt the switch-back turns in a giant RV.) We slathered on a few gallons of sunscreen, packed a backpack with enough snacks and water to feed a small army for a month, and set out into the wilderness.
The hike we chose was called "Window Trail" because it ended at the top of a steep waterfall with canyon walls on either side, framing an incredible overlook like a window.
The trek back to the Jeep was a trying one for our crew. It was mostly uphill in over 80 degrees of dusty, dry desert heat. Everyone was dutifully rewarded with plenty of ice cream and cold drinks once we finally made it back to civilization.
None of the crew was in the mood for more hiking, so we piled into the jeep. But instead of going straight back to the RV, we took a detour off-road.
Technically, we were still on a road, but it was more like a bunch of rocks and some dirt that happened to line up in the vague semblance of a something driveable. With any ordinary driver, this would mean a slow, cautious trip to minimize bumps and damage to the vehicle and passengers. Justin, however, is not an ordinary driver. He made a point of hitting every rock at top speed, making my teeth jam together like a nutcracker's. He revved the engine and sped up whenever he saw a hill or rise and we went flying over the top. (Literally flying. All four wheels left the ground.) Now, I have had my share of rough rides in the sailboat, but instead of being tossed from side to side by rolling waves, I felt more like a piece of popcorn suddenly exploding all over the car. And speaking of exploding, that very nearly happened. The jumping and jerking around was not kind to my bladder. Right before getting back into the jeep, I had guzzled down a few bottles of water and an entire bottle of Gatorade. As you know, I do not believe in going to the bathroom anywhere other than a bathroom, and there are disappointingly few toilets in the middle of the desert. So I found myself clinging to my seatbelt for dear life while crossing my legs and trying my hardest to keep from making a smelly mess of our rented Jeep. I thought our younger crew members would have felt some pity for me, but instead, they spent the entire time cackling madly and shrieking at Justin to "go faster!" and "hit more bumps!" and of course "make Casey pee her pants!"
The next day, the only thing our new crew wanted to do was go off road. This time, however, I was prepared. I took a Dramamine as we left and went to the bathroom four or five times before getting out of the RV. By the time we hit the road, my stomach was settled and my bladder was as dry and empty as the desert around us. I thought I was ready.
The day before, Justin took us on relatively well traveled dirt trails. But on our second day in the Jeep, the crew decided to plot a course through the dreaded Black Gap Road. Hopefully nobody from the car rental company is reading this because going this route voided our rental contract. The nice lady who handed over the keys the day before said we were expressly forbidden from attempting Black Gap Road. Naturally it was the one thing Justin, Shianne and Makenna wanted to do.
Somehow I managed to convince them not to go on Black Gap Road first thing that day. Instead, one of our earlier stops was an old abandoned Mercury mine from the early 1900s.
It was fascinating exploring the old mine buildings and structures and wondering what it would have been like to live and work there.
The mine shafts themselves were boarded up, but we were still able to peek inside and imagine what mysteries were lying at the ends of the deep, dark tunnels.
We also discovered some mysterious round holes at the mine site. I'm not really sure what they were originally used for; maybe they stored water, maybe they housed important mining equipment. Either way, we managed to find a new use for them.
Eventually, we managed to see everything there was to check out at the mine, so they dragged me kicking and screaming--I mean I willingly got back into the Jeep to attempt the dreaded Black Gap Road.
Unsurprisingly, this road was filled with gigantic holes, bumps, and boulders as big as the Jeep itself. And then we discovered the gap where Black Gap road got its name. Steep walls frame a jagged outcropping of rock that dropped three sharp feet to meet the rest of the road. A normal person would turn around and go back. A daring person would carefully navigate over it. An insane person would park the Jeep half way through it and have the kids stand next to it while it was precariously balanced on a few random rocks. Which type of person do you think Justin was?
Even though I felt like I was at an amusement park that was lacking in more than a few security features, the other crew members had a blast.
We all managed to survive the Black Gap, but after a few really busy and terrifying days, I was ready for a little break. Lucky for me, Big Bend National Park is home to some luxuriously warm natural hot springs. Shianne and Makenna were very confused when we pulled their bathings suits out of the back of the Jeep and asked them to change. After all, while it was definitely warmer than it would have been in Buffalo, by the time we finished our off-roading adventure it was a chilly 60 degrees. But after the short walk from the Jeep along the shore of the Rio Grande, everyone was excited to kick off their sneakers and jump in the hot-tub-temperature water.
The minerals in the water a rumored to have special healing properties, so our younger crew jumped at the opportunity to give me a mud bath. I'm not sure if my legs needed any healing, but they certainly didn't feel worse afterwards.
That night we ended our last day in Big Bend exhausted, but very satisfied. We drove back to the RV and let our furry crew members know about our adventures. (They had been standing guard over our anchored vessel all day.) Everyone was definitely going to miss Big Bend, but we were ready to move on to our next stop in Texas: San Antonio!
tl;dr: We drove an RV to Big Bend National Park!
PS: I had too many good pictures, so here's a bonus pic dump for you! Enjoy!
We went to Texas!
 |
| It would be very difficult to get here by boat. |
No, we didn't take the trawler, but I guess you could say we took a land yacht. Justin and I rented an RV for the week so that I could have constant access to a bathroom everywhere we went. As you might remember from much of my whining in previous posts, Justin and I are not the sort of people to rough it, so our concept of camping includes hot showers, temperature regulation, and flushable toilets. An RV was the only way to bring those luxuries to the remote locations we had in mind.
Before I get into where we went, I'd like to tell you a little more about who went there. Obviously Justin and I were on board. (I thought about leaving Justin in Buffalo when his Valentine's Day present to me was a one-dollar drug store box of chocolates, but then I ate some chocolate and felt better about it.) And of course, we had our feline crew: Tiny, Sputnik, and Apollo. They were not terribly enthusiastic about leaving their comfortable four-bedroom house and cramming into the comparatively miniscule RV. Apollo spent the entire first night meowing his displeasure at the top of his lungs. Sputnik expressed his disapproval by peeing all over Justin when he was being shoved into his travel crate. And Tiny (not our brightest crew member) completely forgot where she normally lives and believes the RV is where she has spent her entire life.
 |
| Sputnik and Apollo were disappointed by everything. |
In addition to our seasoned furry crew, we added two new crew members: twelve-year-old Shianne and ten-year-old Makenna! While slightly less fuzzy than the cats, Shianne and Makenna have been a fantastic addition to our adventures. They both helped last summer moving Dumbledore down from Quebec to Buffalo and had a great time exploring the Erie Canal. Conveniently, they were off school this week and free to go on a whirlwind trip to Texas!
Justin showed up at my work on Valentine's Day with the RV completely packed full of snacks, supplies, and crew. I rushed out the door and jumped inside, and we took off for the 24-hour drive to our first stop, Big Bend National Park.
The drive itself wasn't too exciting. Shianne, Makenna and I managed to find things to do while Justin was at the wheel. And when I was driving, the others were good sports about putting up with my show tunes. I will say that I noticed a few differences between driving an RV and driving a boat. First, RVs can stop, which is very convenient. Second, RVs can go more than eight miles per hour, which can also be very useful. And third, driving a boat is way more fun.
 |
| Those Monster High dolls have now been in nine states. And I now know what Monster High is. |
About two thirds of the way through our drive we realized that sitting in a 30 foot metal tube for an entire day was starting to make us insane. So we briefly stopped at a restaurant in Kansas to stretch our legs. We found a small park just outside the restaurant with a giant chess board for us to play. Makenna wound up proving herself to be our resident chess champion.
 |
| It took me a while to remember what the horsey does. |
Somehow, the 24-hour drive wound up taking a total of 30 hours. I don't know how that's possible when we gained an hour passing into the Central time zone and only stopped for one meal and a few gas re-fills. With an RV stocked full of food and a functional bathroom, there was no reason to stop for anything else. We must have passed through some sort of wormhole or time vortex; that's the only rational explanation. But eventually, we made it to Texas!
 |
| The sign says "Texas" on it. I promise, the whole state wasn't this blurry. |
Now, for those of you who are not geographically inclined, Texas is big. Really big. We knew when we started planning this trip that there was no way we could see the entire state in a week. Luckily, Justin and I are picky about the sorts of things we like to do on our adventures. We love nature, hiking, and landscapes we can't see at home in Buffalo, so it made perfect sense to start our trip in Big Bend National Park. Big Bend is in the southwest corner of Texas, and it's an enormous park filled with mountains, desserts, and all sorts of places to explore.
 |
| I stole this picture from the internet |
Everyone was thrilled to put on shorts and t-shirts and run around in the warm sun, especially after months of cold, dreary Buffalo.
 |
| Shianne had almost forgotten how to walk more than a few steps. |
Right away, we got to check out some cool rock formations; we stumbled across some rocks in the shape of an elephant!
 |
| What's more unusual in this picture: rocks shaped like an elephant or two sisters getting along? |
A short while later, we discovered the Rio Grande, which serves as the border between Texas and Mexico. My immediate question upon seeing it was to ask where was Trump's wall, and nobody seemed to have an answer for me. We decided not to illegally cross the river into Mexico both because nobody had their passports and it's generally not a good idea to invade a country armed with only a few beanie babies and one stuffed unicorn.
 |
| Shianne and Makenna were in international waters. |
A few miles later, we entered Big Bend National Park. We were immediately treated to some stunning mountain views.
 |
| We made it! (The cats refused to pose for a picture.) |
 |
| Good news! No crew members fell off any of these mountains. |
Our first hike was in the Santa Elena Canyon, where the Rio Grande winds through steep rock walls overlooking the southwestern edge of the park.
 |
| It would take a lot of spackle to fill a crack this big. |
We were excited to hike up the (American) side of the canyon and get to see for miles across deserts and mountains.
 |
| I still can't find the wall. |
Everyone ran up the the twisty-turny trail, and we were all chattering excitedly as we descended deeper into the canyon and discovered it was a uniquely perfect place for echoes. Of course, what are you going to yell into a giant echoey crevasse with two preteen girls... and Justin? That's right: the spirit call from Frozen 2. Wait, you don't know what I'm talking about/haven't seen the movie? That's fine. I'll wait.
Now that you know what I'm talking about, (and have thoroughly enjoyed the dulcet tones of Idina Menzel) you understand why I had to sing those poignant four notes into a place with such naturally spooky acoustics. What surprised me, however, was when I heard every other unseen little girl in the canyon echo it back at me each time I sang it.
We then hiked back to the RV and made a quick stop at Mule Ears trail. I think you can figure out where the name came from.
 |
| One mule, two mule...pink mule tall mule? |
The girls got some extra hiking in as the sun set, and Justin made us burgers and fries for dinner. We ended our first day in Big Bend at our campsite in neighboring Terlingua tired, but content.
The next day we got going bright and early (by our non-morning people standards, that means around ten) to pick up a Jeep that we would be using to navigate the tight mountain roads of the park. (I wouldn't let Justin attempt the switch-back turns in a giant RV.) We slathered on a few gallons of sunscreen, packed a backpack with enough snacks and water to feed a small army for a month, and set out into the wilderness.
 |
| This is evidence that Shianne made sure to stay hydrated. |
 |
| Justin got an extra workout carrying ten pounds of snacks on his back. |
The hike we chose was called "Window Trail" because it ended at the top of a steep waterfall with canyon walls on either side, framing an incredible overlook like a window.
 |
| There was no defenestration through this window...at least that I'm aware of... |
The trek back to the Jeep was a trying one for our crew. It was mostly uphill in over 80 degrees of dusty, dry desert heat. Everyone was dutifully rewarded with plenty of ice cream and cold drinks once we finally made it back to civilization.
 |
| Some of the ice cream even got in their mouths. |
None of the crew was in the mood for more hiking, so we piled into the jeep. But instead of going straight back to the RV, we took a detour off-road.
Technically, we were still on a road, but it was more like a bunch of rocks and some dirt that happened to line up in the vague semblance of a something driveable. With any ordinary driver, this would mean a slow, cautious trip to minimize bumps and damage to the vehicle and passengers. Justin, however, is not an ordinary driver. He made a point of hitting every rock at top speed, making my teeth jam together like a nutcracker's. He revved the engine and sped up whenever he saw a hill or rise and we went flying over the top. (Literally flying. All four wheels left the ground.) Now, I have had my share of rough rides in the sailboat, but instead of being tossed from side to side by rolling waves, I felt more like a piece of popcorn suddenly exploding all over the car. And speaking of exploding, that very nearly happened. The jumping and jerking around was not kind to my bladder. Right before getting back into the jeep, I had guzzled down a few bottles of water and an entire bottle of Gatorade. As you know, I do not believe in going to the bathroom anywhere other than a bathroom, and there are disappointingly few toilets in the middle of the desert. So I found myself clinging to my seatbelt for dear life while crossing my legs and trying my hardest to keep from making a smelly mess of our rented Jeep. I thought our younger crew members would have felt some pity for me, but instead, they spent the entire time cackling madly and shrieking at Justin to "go faster!" and "hit more bumps!" and of course "make Casey pee her pants!"
 |
| I may have used this picture as an excuse to escape the Jeep for a few minutes... |
 |
| I am holding in Niagara Falls in this picture. |
The next day, the only thing our new crew wanted to do was go off road. This time, however, I was prepared. I took a Dramamine as we left and went to the bathroom four or five times before getting out of the RV. By the time we hit the road, my stomach was settled and my bladder was as dry and empty as the desert around us. I thought I was ready.
 |
| Poor unsuspecting Casey. |
The day before, Justin took us on relatively well traveled dirt trails. But on our second day in the Jeep, the crew decided to plot a course through the dreaded Black Gap Road. Hopefully nobody from the car rental company is reading this because going this route voided our rental contract. The nice lady who handed over the keys the day before said we were expressly forbidden from attempting Black Gap Road. Naturally it was the one thing Justin, Shianne and Makenna wanted to do.
Somehow I managed to convince them not to go on Black Gap Road first thing that day. Instead, one of our earlier stops was an old abandoned Mercury mine from the early 1900s.
 |
| Is it yours or mine? |
It was fascinating exploring the old mine buildings and structures and wondering what it would have been like to live and work there.
 |
| As pretty as this is, I would have hated working here in the summer. |
 |
| Can you spot Shianne and Makenna in this picture? |
The mine shafts themselves were boarded up, but we were still able to peek inside and imagine what mysteries were lying at the ends of the deep, dark tunnels.
 |
| I did not drop my phone down this mine shaft. |
We also discovered some mysterious round holes at the mine site. I'm not really sure what they were originally used for; maybe they stored water, maybe they housed important mining equipment. Either way, we managed to find a new use for them.
Eventually, we managed to see everything there was to check out at the mine, so they dragged me kicking and screaming--I mean I willingly got back into the Jeep to attempt the dreaded Black Gap Road.
 |
| Our last chance to turn back. We didn't turn back. |
Unsurprisingly, this road was filled with gigantic holes, bumps, and boulders as big as the Jeep itself. And then we discovered the gap where Black Gap road got its name. Steep walls frame a jagged outcropping of rock that dropped three sharp feet to meet the rest of the road. A normal person would turn around and go back. A daring person would carefully navigate over it. An insane person would park the Jeep half way through it and have the kids stand next to it while it was precariously balanced on a few random rocks. Which type of person do you think Justin was?
 |
| This Jeep does not look excited about its position. |
Even though I felt like I was at an amusement park that was lacking in more than a few security features, the other crew members had a blast.
 |
| I have been told that this photo cannot be used as evidence of fun in a court of preteens because everything is always lame. |
We all managed to survive the Black Gap, but after a few really busy and terrifying days, I was ready for a little break. Lucky for me, Big Bend National Park is home to some luxuriously warm natural hot springs. Shianne and Makenna were very confused when we pulled their bathings suits out of the back of the Jeep and asked them to change. After all, while it was definitely warmer than it would have been in Buffalo, by the time we finished our off-roading adventure it was a chilly 60 degrees. But after the short walk from the Jeep along the shore of the Rio Grande, everyone was excited to kick off their sneakers and jump in the hot-tub-temperature water.
 |
| Who's the babe with the six pack? |
The minerals in the water a rumored to have special healing properties, so our younger crew jumped at the opportunity to give me a mud bath. I'm not sure if my legs needed any healing, but they certainly didn't feel worse afterwards.
 |
| Bargain spa treatment! |
That night we ended our last day in Big Bend exhausted, but very satisfied. We drove back to the RV and let our furry crew members know about our adventures. (They had been standing guard over our anchored vessel all day.) Everyone was definitely going to miss Big Bend, but we were ready to move on to our next stop in Texas: San Antonio!
tl;dr: We drove an RV to Big Bend National Park!
PS: I had too many good pictures, so here's a bonus pic dump for you! Enjoy!
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| They're almost ready for their permits. |
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| Don't jump! You have so much to live for! And you have the car keys! |
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| Our archaeological explorers |
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| No, we can't hike up all of those mountains. |
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| The girls asked Justin to find a place to pull over. He did. |
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| Parking lots are for squares. |
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| These rocks were almost as bad as Buffalo potholes. |
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| Not something I'd like to drive my Mini Cooper on. |
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| We hadn't seen wild cacti before. It was a big deal. |
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| One of the few places we couldn't go: down a mine shaft. |
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| You have no idea how hard it is to get everyone to stop, look at the camera AND smile. |
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| I'm glad they were wearing pink. It made dominating at hide and seek a lot easier. |
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| I thought about crossing into Mexico, but I didn't want to get wet. |
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