Big Bend National Park

The Big Bend NP, located in West-Texas along the border to Mexico, was our next destination. The park's name comes from a large bend in the Rio Grande (the borderline to Mexico), which changes its direction from southeast to northeast. With 800,000 acres (3.240 qkm), Big Bend NP is one of the largest national parks in the US, and much less visited than other, better known parks. It features three very different landscapes:  the river, the Chihuahuan desert, and the rugged Chisco mountain range. We spent three nights there, two of them in a no-hookup campground close to the Rio Grande, inside the national park.

Our campground at the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande - left side is Mexcico, right side is USA

Notice the green color: It's spring time in the desert!

 The desert part of the national park

 

 



Inside the Chisco mountain range

The Boquillas Canyon of the Rio Grande

The Santa Elena Canyon

 

Austin, Texas

The next station on our way along interstate 10 (somewhat north, to be exact) was Austin, the capital of Texas. We had pondered to stay in Houston a little longer, which is a few hours east, but decided for Austin instead.

Passing through Houston, TX

I like Texas!

Located southeast of downtown Austin is a little park, McKinney Falls State Park, with a campground providing water and electricity hookups, where we stayed for a couple of days.

Our campsite, minutes before a rainstorm

Across from downtown Austin



The State Capitol in Austin

This memorial commemorates the Civil War. The inscription reads:
"DIED for State Rights Guaranteed under the Constitution
The people of the South, animated by the spirit of 1776, to preserve their rights,withdrew
from the federal compact in 1861. The North resorted to coercion.
The South, against overwhelming numbers and resources, fought until exhausted.
During the war, there were 2,257 engagements; in 1,882 of these, at least one regiment took part.
Number of men enlisted: Confederate armies, 800,000; federal armies, 2,859,132
Losses from all causes: Confederate, 437,000; federal 485,216"

Downtown Austin

 

Back at the Mississippi

Last Friday, February 15, we started again in our fifth wheel trailer to go out West, this time to Snowmass, Colorado, for skiing and then back to Hilton Head, where we plan to be back in mid-April.
Because of the wintery conditions in the north, we took the interstate 10 that traverses from Jacksonville in Florida across the south of the US all the way to California. Our first overnight stops were at Tallahassee and then two nights at the Gulf Coast near Pensacola, FL.

Our campsite within walking distance of the gulf coast

Gulf coast

Across the Mississippi at Baton Rouge, LA

For many miles across the swampland in Louisiana, the interstate is built on pillars about 30 ft above the swampy ground.

Entering the state of Texas on the I10, the welcome area with the oversized lone star indicates how Texans feel about their state: Everything is big, and big is beautiful. "Don't mess with Texas" is an (inofficial?) motto of the state.