Life is a patchwork of experiences
No, this is not Italy – this is still Texas. The Gage Gardens in Marathon, TX is a beautiful garden in the middle of the desert. It’s a surprisingly green and lush landscape amid the dry native desert that surrounds it. The 27 acre garden includes ponds, walking and jogging trails and a nine hole putting green.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
“I’m tired” whined my three-and-a-half year old son. He was dragging his feet and kicking up sand on the flat part of the Grapevine Hills trail to the Balanced Rock in Big Bend National Park. As I trekked along the same trail 28 years later, I could still clearly hear his voice across time and space. How had the years flown by so quickly?
Continue reading “On the Trail to Balanced Rock in Big Bend – Taking a Hike Down Memory Lane”
The balanced rock hiking trail is one of the most popular day hikes in Big Bend National Park, probably because it is fairly easy. The first 9/10 of a mile are level and only the last 2/10 require a scramble up and over rocky terrain. The reward is a lovely view across the desert toward the Chisos mountains through the “window” formed by a very large balancing boulder.
Thanks for visiting
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
I can’t resist a reflection photo when I see one, so I had to take this one of the canyon walls reflecting in the Rio Grande in Big Bend’s Santa Elena canyon area. The river was too high and the bank was too muddy to hike to the mouth of the canyon, so I had to be satisfied with this early morning view instead – not a bad alternative.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
In the historic Castolon district in Big Bend National Park , you can still view the remnants of human habitation and learn about the farming history that began here around 1900 and continued through 1961. The site also includes the remains of a military outpost that was built in 1916 in response to the revolution going on in Mexico at that time. The area is especially scenic with the 3000 foot Cerro Castellan Peak hovering over the terrain.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
As I was driving through Big Bend National Park it was hard to believe that I was passing through a desert. The park consists of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Chisos mountain range. The rainy season was just ending in early Sept. when I was there, so the desert approach toward the Chisos was still very green. In fact, the mountains were attracting more storm clouds as I was approaching the area, creating very dramatic scenery that was perfect for photography.
Thanks for visiting,
Rose.
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas”
I knew that when my 3 1/2 year old son came home from preschool singing these lyrics from the song “Deep In the Heart of Texas” that he had acclimated to our move to Houston. Six months after we moved to the Lone Star State, we took a trip into the heart of Texas and discovered the truth behind the Texas dark skies in Big Bend National Park. The Big Bend dark skies were the best place to see the milky way in the lower 48 states.
Big Bend National Park is not just a beautifully scenic park in the traditional sense with the Rio Grande cutting grand canyons through the desert landscape. The area is also designated an International Dark Sky Park with one of the best, biggest and darkest night skies in the lower 48 states of the US. On a cloudless night during my recent visit, I was able to clearly see the milky way arc from horizon to horizon. Such an amazing sight for someone who lives on the East Coast of the US where I can barely see the big dipper.
Thanks for visiting
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
One of the easiest and most rewarding trails in Big Bend National Park is the 0.3 mile Windows View Nature trail. The best and most popular time to walk this easy trail is at sunset – and you can see why. Benches along the paved walkway let you sit and enjoy mother nature’s show. In this photo, I’ve included a silhouetted of one of the many desert plants in the park, a common sotol with its mound of spiky leaves and its tall flower stalk.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Please note that my visit to the Big Bend area was hosted by Visit Big Bend but all content is my own.
It was the best little quilt show in Texas. The little old grandma standing in line ahead of me was clutching tightly to her large stack of quilts. Her adult grand daughter was carefully unfolding each one so that it could receive its random number tag for judging in the Marathon Quilt Show. Every once in a while, grandma would correct her grand daughter on which part of the quilt was up. It was clear that grandma was unabashedly proud of all her hard work and was eager to show it off.
Continue reading “The Best Little Quilt Show in Texas – Marathon, Texas That Is”
