Big Bend Texas // Spring Break 2020
Big Bend had been on our Texas Bucket List for quite some time before we finally decided to pick some dates and plan a trip.
Obviously Texas is a large state, but nothing illustrates this point better than the distance we would have to drive to get to our destination. In an effort to cut down on the car time we decided to head up to the lake on Friday after school and then head to Big Bend on Monday from the Austin area. This effectively cut out three hours of our overall drive.
We were treated to some gorgeous Spring weather and took full advantage and spent most of the weekend outside.
Saturday we started our day in Pflugerville at Brothertons Black Iron BBQ. We had been meaning to try it for a while after seeing it featured in a couple Texas media outlets. The lunch didn’t disappoint, but the cobbler we shared for dessert was the real winner of the day.
After lunch we headed back to the lake for a little walk to help our large meal settle.
The next day we planned to spend the day downtown in Austin. We started by meeting up with some friends who also happened to be in town at Cosmic Coffee.
The kids had fun playing while we chatted about this “new virus” that surely wouldn’t be too big of a deal but was certainly scary (face slap emoji)…
We had dinner at Home Slice before heading to Rainey to meet up with someone Jordan worked with and had spoken to over Twitter, but never actually met in person.
We were home and to bed pretty quickly as we had an early morning start coming up the next day.
Day 1
Day One was all about the journey, and as you can see we had quite a ways to travel…
This was totally fine with us as there were lots of spots that we wanted to stop and check out in between. First stop was Marathon and lunch at the Oasis Cafe.
Not knowing exactly how many more stops we’d have for groceries we also stopped here and got some essentials.
From Marathon we headed to Alpine where we attempted to find “The Desk” . Sadly after bumbling around for about 45 minutes we couldn’t find it. We reluctantly headed down the hill feeling just a little disappointed. However, the feeling was short-lived as our next stop was Marfa.
Even Isla was jazzed to see the famous Target Marfa and spent quite a bit of time taking selfies after putting too much makeup on in the backseat of the car.
We spent some time in Marfa exploring and enjoying a drink before the final push to our house which was technically located in Ruidosa, Texas.
Finally it was time to head to our rental. After spending all day in the car we wanted to get to our house before sunset. We were exhausted and also concerned about the roads as we were warned that they were a little tricky to navigate. Being in the middle of nowhere, and crazy dark would not have been ideal.
After nearly 13 hours in the car we finally made it to our home for the next three days. Even after pouring over photos of the property, we were blown away. The feeling of being totally alone and tucked away from civilization was incredible. While a global pandemic was ramping up we felt like the last people on earth.
Like the rest of the world, we had been listening to news on the pandemic throughout the weekend. The day we got to the house was the day they announced that Tom Hanks had contracted the virus, and that they were postponing the NBA season. The reality of the situation started to hit, and while we were grateful to be in a spot so far away from everyone else, it was also a little unsettling. You definitely got the feeling you were a character in an apocalyptic movie where you went home and life as you knew it was over. Which in hindsight, although dramatic, was not too far from the truth.
We made it before sunset and enjoyed the views while cooking dinner and unpacking.
After dinner we all wound down pretty quickly after such a busy day. Jordan and I were enjoying a movie when we got this text from Isla… “Guyssss I just saw a black pig walking around in front of my room.”
Of course we went out and investigated! The pigs would become our friends over the next couple of days, even if we were slightly terrified of them. We even named them - Isla came up with some creative ones like El, Chapo, Cupcake, Peppa, Pancake…”
Day 2
Day two began bright an early as we made our way to Big Bend State Park to go on our first planned hike at Closed Canyon. As much as we loved our rental, and the seclusion it provided, that also became a downfall. For such a short trip driving to get to the hikes in the State and National Parks at Big Bend were pretty lofty goals. The State Park wasn’t too bad at only about 1.5 hours each way, but it was a full 3 hours there and 3 hours back to get to the National Park.
The kids were as cooperative as they could be - motion sickness included, and overall, I’m proud of the way they handled all the driving. It was expected, but still seemed like a lot. Did I mention Texas is big? ;)
We all truly enjoyed this hike. It’s perfect for a family, and the canyon provided a ton of shade keeping us nice and cool.
From the State Park we got back on the road and made our way to Terlingua where we planned to have lunch.
The drive offered beautiful vistas and views of the Rio Grande.
Terlingua, Texas is known as a Ghost Town. It’s situated in between the state park and the national park and sits near the Rio Grande and Lajitas, Texas. It’s a slightly kitschy sort of place, playing hosts to Big Bend tourists.
We visited the cemetery and Terlingua jail as well as the souvenir shop before having lunch.
Our plan was to eat chili at the famous Starlight Theatre, but unfortunately it wasn’t open until later in the day.
Our plan was to hike the Santa Elena Canyon. However, this is one of the most popular family friendly hikes in the park, and we got there too late. Parking for the trail was closed and we would have had to hike 1 mile just to get to the trailhead. With all that taken into account we wouldn’t get home until really late with two pretty fussy kids. We made the decision to skip out on the canyon and head back, but were treated to a beautiful drive through the park all the same.
Day 3
After such a busy couple of days we decided not to push it on our final day. The plan was to head back to the park and hike Balancing Rock, get some lunch and a view at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, and then enjoy a leisurely walk to get a better view of “The Window”.
Lunch at the Chisos Mountain Lodge was amazing. You can actually stay here as well, which is insanely convenient as you are inside the actual park.
We didn’t do the actual Window Hike, rather the trail that takes you to some scenic overlooks.
After another full day, it was time to head back.
It was the earliest we had been back to the house since we got there and we all took advantage of the time to relax and enjoy this special place.
It definitely was a trip to remember - for so many different reasons. We really didn’t know what we were heading back to. We certainly didn’t know that we would be locked down and our lives upended for going on 8 months now.
Whatever was happening back home, our hearts were full and we were, (and still are) grateful for this trip to a Texas gem.