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Written by Shirley T
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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 08:34 |
 'Sotol' is the name give to a speer-like plant that thrives on cooler, north facing terrain usually found at midway between the deserts and mountains. Also known as 'Desert Spoon', the scientific name is Dasylirion wheeleri from the lily's family. During April to May, sotol plants produce a stalk 10-20 feet high which claimed the name as 'Desert Candle'. Since thousands years ago, the early inhabitants at Big Bend consumed the roasted heart of Sotol as food whilst the leaf fibers were used to ma… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Tuesday, 19 January 2010 09:17 |
 Not too far from Sam Nail Ranch is Homer Wilson Ranch. It is one of many examples of frontier ranching in Big Bend. The ranch house were made from native materials whereby the reed ceiling was from the river, timbers from the mountains while large stones were brought from Blue Creek Canyon in early 1900s. But it was abandoned in 1945. In the early days, the Big Bend country was a rancher’s dream. Native grasses grew in abundance and there was adequate water flowing from the creeks and springs. L… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Sunday, 17 January 2010 10:39 |
 Nestled at the western slope of Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive covers a paved route of 30 miles, accessible from two junctions namely Castolon-Santa Elena Junction and Maverick Junction. Both entrances work well for high clearance vehicles but Old Maverick Road does not work for a typical sedan like ours. The park's famous road is named after the first superintendent of Big Bend National Park, Ross Maxwell (1904-1993) in honor of his contribution to lay the… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Friday, 15 January 2010 08:25 |
 If you are visiting Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park, 'The Window' is a mandatory! Some even described it as 'the best view in Texas'. Technically speaking, The Window is an opening between two peaks and plays an important role to preserve Chisos Basin's ecosystem. It is the only spot in Chisos Basin where all the falling rain is drained onto the desert floor below through a steep pouroff. There are a couple of 'The Window' Trails that are accessible from the Visitor Center at Chisos Basi… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Wednesday, 13 January 2010 08:52 |
 Upon returning from Boquillas Canyon Trail, we decided to explore Rio Grande Village Nature Trail and Beaver Pond. From my reading, the trailhead is located adjacent to campsite #18 campground. We found the place unfortunately, the trail was closed due to flood washout. Without much ado, we proceeded to the next destination on our list - Ernst Tinaja. Tinaja means 'water hole' in Spanish and this pool is a canyon of highly-convoluted rock layers. Rarely if ever goes dry so it is the water source… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Monday, 18 January 2010 09:39 |
 The sun peeked through our window to greet us as I stretched myself to wake up. I swiftly grabbed my jacket and rushed out to catch the sight of sunrise from Chisos Mountains. The first rays of rising sun was indeed beautiful and I started singing in heart..."What a beautiful morning! What a beautiful day! I've got a beautiful feeling, Everything's going my way" ~ James TaylorAfter gearing up for our day, we made a brief stop at Kathy Kosmic KowGirl Kafe at Study Butte to source for hot coffee. … |
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Written by Shirley T
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Saturday, 16 January 2010 09:53 |
 Basin Loop is a short trail whereby the trailhead is located near Basin Store. Graded as moderate, this trail connects to Laguna Meadow and Pinnacles Trails. Featuring the nice view of Chisos Basin area, the total round trip took about 1.6 miles. I found that Basin Loop Trail provides numerous spots to capture the awesome sight of 'Casa Grande', 'The Window' and Century Plant or scientifically known as 'Havard Agave'. Agave serves as the main source of food to Mexican Long-Nosed Bat (leptonyceri… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Thursday, 14 January 2010 10:05 |
 When one is driving into paintings of rocks and mountains, the distance of 6-mile paved road leading to Chisos Mountains Basin seems so short. Jagged and abrupt peaks dominates most of these mountains view. Guess what the Indians said was right. All the leftover rocks were dumped at Big Bend after the Great Spirit made the Earth! The air was moister as we ascended to lower mountain slopes and the cool breeze that sneaked into our car was soothing. The view of flat desert land turned into greener… |
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Written by Shirley T
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 09:00 |
 I was amazed when I found out that Big Bend National Park offers more than 200 miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore. Of various grades, trails can range from strenuous primitive paths through rugged desert to short handicapped accessible pathways! My Significant kept asking me when was the next destination so that he would get a chance to hike instead of just walking several steps at the overlook. Here, finally we arrived at the trailhead of Boquillas Canyon Trail. |
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