Casa Grande bathing in dawn sunlight, from the ascent of Lost Mine Peak

Big Bend holds a special place in my heart, as it was where I had my first National Park camping experience, shortly after moving to Dallas. I went with a group of co-workers in the same rotational program I was in – we were a close-knit bunch and I have fond memories of that trip. I returned later that year with some college friends who also happened to live in Texas, which only cemented my passion for this park.

Ever since those two visits, I have remembered how much Big Bend has to offer. With 1,200 square miles of pristine wilderness, it would take too many trips to see the whole thing. During my stay in Marfa in January of 2022, I visited Big Bend three times; I simply could not get enough. And as with many places, I have discovered just how much more is waiting to be explored.

Continue reading “Big Bend National Park ’22”
View from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, during a terrific sunset

WONDERLAND OF ROCKS

Last winter I stayed in Marfa, Texas during the month of January. When February rolled around, it was time to transition to a new place called Bisbee – a small and historic mining town down in Southeast Arizona. Southeast Arizona is known for its “sky islands”, or regions of isolated mountains surrounded by a “sea” of otherwise barren and desolate desert. While I had not learned the term until my stay in Arizona, I had technically visited one in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park in Far West Texas.

Continue reading “Chiricahua National Monument”