The Magical Desert

It was shortly after leaving San Antonio that the countryside became more desert-like with smaller bushes, expansive views and dry sand. There was a mountain range in the distance and the road seemed to go on forever.

The drive west to Del Rio took 5 hrs. It was quite a flat border. town on the Rio Grande river between Mexico and Texas. After shopping for some groceries, I stayed at the Walmart parking lot for the night before continuing on to Big Bend National Park in south west Texas. It was another 5 hr drive which felt very long. I felt somewhat uneasy at first as there was no cell phone signal and almost no traffic. There was only desert as far as I could see, almost no buildings. The occasional ranch just had a gate and a dusty lane leading to the ranch house which could not be seen. After a while I relaxed and felt the peace of the desert. What is so appealing about the desert where there are few signs of civilization, where there wasn't much vegetation and where water is at a premium? 
The magic of it is the big open space and the incredible stillness, a stillness seldom experienced in life. I could feel any tensions dissolving, a feeling of peace spreading over me, and a sense of timelessness. 
As the gas gauge gradually went down towards 1/4 tank, I was wondering how long it would be to find a gas station. It was with a sense of relief to get to the town of Marathon and fill up with gas at $2.59/gal.
Mountains became visible on the horizon and finally I reached the Big Bend park gate. The campground I chose was in the Chisos basin. RV's over 24ft not allowed due to the very windy road and high altitude. I was grateful my Rv is 24ft and was able to go. It was quite exciting to drive up such a steep road with so many curves and sheer cliffs but I got to the campsite safely. At an altitude of 5401 ft, it felt awesome.
The scenery was spectacular

 There were some fantastic hiking trails with warnings to watch out for mountain lions, bears, and rattle snakes! Fortunately the snakes don't come out much when it's cold (in 30's overnight but nice and warm during the day at 70's)
I had some very nice neighbors at the next campsite and enjoyed sharing some meals. They were from Austin, Texas.
The campsite also has a lodge nearby where there was internet access and a pay phone, There was no cell phone signal.
The stars at night were brilliant due to the clear dark sky.

                                                      











It would have been great to stay for a long time but I needed to keep going to get to El Paso for my appointment.
Back down the steep windy road took careful driving .
On Dec 20 I drove the 4 hrs to Fort Davis State Park and that is a story for another day.