Terlingua/Big Bend Station – Big Bend

January 30, 2026

January 30

After returning to the U.S. from Boquillas with Chris in tow, we made our way to Big Bend Station on the west side of Big Bend. That evening we had dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua. The Brussels sprouts were incredible.

After dinner, we walked through the cemetery in the quiet desert evening. Desert cemeteries feel different — wind, silence, and sky stretching forever.

January 31

Chris left early the next morning. Cal made pancakes for the kids, and we headed toward the Chisos Basin.

The kids turned in their Junior Ranger books and proudly took the Junior Ranger pledge, earning their Big Bend pins. They were so proud.

We hiked to The Window and ate lunch looking out over Big Bend. The view feels like the earth just drops away. Vast and humbling.

Back at camp, the kids rode bikes around while we settled in for the evening. Dinner was an H-E-B frozen sausage and peppers meal with salad, and we ate outside under the desert sky.

Then at 10:30 p.m., the phone rang.

Deanne called — Chris needed rescuing.

We packed up quickly and drove toward Presidio. We found him on the side of the road outside of Redford. Cal drove him into Presidio while I drove the kids. We dropped him in a parking lot outside an elementary school and then made the long drive back.

The moon was unbelievably bright — lighting the desert like daylight. It turned what could have been a stressful night into something strangely beautiful.

RV life: never boring.

February 1

We started the day with six full loads of laundry — a victory in itself.

Then we drove to Panther Junction and finished the final challenge to earn two more Big Bend badges. The kids are building quite the collection.

Later, we drove down a bumpy road and hiked out to Balanced Rock. The desert never stops surprising us.

Back at camp, the kids rode bikes while Cal made chili. The sunset was too beautiful to ignore, so we went on an impromptu family bike ride to chase the light.

Big Bend sunsets refuse to be ordinary.

February 2

We headed out on an overland tour to Moon Valley and Christmas Mountain with Mr. Randy — oilman turned desert rat. He was exactly the kind of guide you hope to find in West Texas.

We hiked through mountains of ash and visited a site where astronauts trained in the 1960s in preparation for the lunar landing. Standing there, it felt like the desert could double as the moon.

From there, we drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Santa Elena Canyon. We hiked into the canyon and had a snack in the middle, dwarfed by towering limestone walls.

We saw other kids — a rare sight in such a remote place — which made it even more fun.

At one point, Bethan confidently forded the Rio Grande by foot, and we had to call her back from Mexico.

We ended the day at Sotol Vista Overlook for sunset. Once the sun slipped below the mountains, we followed its fading light out of the park — a beautiful sendoff from Big Bend.

Dinner that night was at La Kiva in Terlingua. A fitting final meal for an unforgettable stretch.