Day 5: The day Kathy will claim Chris tried to kill her.

We finally reached our destination this morning when we entered Big Bend National Park. (Pictures on Flickr.)

We saw a family of javelinas, collared peccaries, crossing the road even before we reached the visitor center to pay. We have also seen numerous roadrunners, but no Wil E Coyotes.

We spent the day driving from the north gate to the Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon.

The scenery is a typical Western landscape: dry desert sliced with dry arroyos and sprouting with rocky mesas and ridges with talis skirts. The desert is full of color. Prickly pears, for example, can appear light green or purple. The purple appears in drought conditions.

As you approach the Rio Grande you see a cliff. Finally, when you are about a mile away you realize how big this cliff is. It's like a wall, almost perfectly vertical. And big, really, really big and it goes a long way east and west. It is amazing. In the middle of this wall is a narrow opening called the Santa Elena Canyon. The Rio Grande flows through this canyon. So Texas owns one half the cliff wall and Mexico owns the other half of the cliff wall.

Kathy and I walked down the canyon. This requires walking up several ramps and flights of steps to an elevation of about 100 feet, then walking about a mile. Chris kept asking Kathy if she wanted to turn back. She kept saying no. So when Kathy says I tried to kill her, I want you to remember that she knowingly took a full dose of this poison.

The canyon is very narrow, but the straight walls go up and up. It is amazing.

The Rio Grande passes through three canyons in Big Bend park. Chris wanted to raft through the canyons, but, according to the rangers in the visitor's center, the water is too low for good rafting. June and July are better. Oh well.

In the old days, US citizens could visit Mexican towns on the other side of the river. Now we can't and US citizens trying to get back in the US are fined $5,000.

Tonight we are bedding down at a campsite at Terlinqua west of the park. Before settling down, we drove to Terlinqua, the ghost town about 5 miles further West.

When we arrived we took a dirt road on the east side of town that went up on the desert floor and down into the dry arroyos. Up and down, up and down for at least half a mile on dirt roads.

We finally got to the West side of town where the remains of the old town stood. The place was jumpin' with a reunion of the descendants of mercury miners. The original town was started by a man named Howard Perry as a mercury mine, Chisos Mining Company. Several of the old buildings have been renovated for new uses. So, despite the name, "ghost town" the place is still active, possibly even thriving.

Kathy and Chris returned to the new Terlinqua to eat in a Mexican restaurant called The Roadrunners. The salsa for the chips was actually spicy hot. The gaucamole was good too.

Tomorrow we will return to Big Bend for another visit, then off toward San Antonio. On the way we will pass by Langtry where Judge Roy Bean held court.

Day 4: Big Bend or Bust

We spent the morning visiting the state park headquarters of Monahans Sandhills State Park and trying to slide down a sandhill. We rented one snow discs for a $1. Kathy actually slid down the sand for about 20 feet. Chris could not slide at all because too much weight was spread over too small an area.

We spent the rest of the day driving toward Big Bend National Park.

On the way south we stopped in the small town of Marathon, named because an old sea captain told them that the surrounding land reminded him of Greece. And the land does look like Greece.

We stopped at the public library to use their Internet connection, only to discover that they do not have wireless. We had a nice professional chat with the librarian. This town of 500 has some wealth. They have nice hotel with fireplaces in the rooms. A grocery with gourmet foods. This grocery store, called French Grocery, has wireless Internet. So we bought some food and sat at picnic tables out front and added Day 3 and 4 to vacation blog. While we were there, customers in nice, new cars pulled up. The town is doing ok.

After finishing our blog we drove the rest of the way to Big Bend. Before reaching the front gate of the park we turned left 18 miles to Stillwell Store, RV park and museum. It's the only RV park near the north entrance of the national park. What a dump. RVs are right next to each other. Fortunately, it's off season and so some lots remained empty. These people are related to Hallie Stillwell, a famous woman in these parts.

Our RV was backed-up against a rocky hill covered with cactus. As it got dark, three horses walked around the hill snorting and stamping their feet. We could see them be the light of an almost full moon.

There were no clouds in the sky today. The nights are chilly, even cold earlier in the week. The mornings are cool. The days are warm, but not hot. Perfect weather.

Day 4 bulletin

We will post again later about today, but decided to tell you we are currently in Marathon, heading for Big Bend tonight. We will probably stay at something like Stillwell's Store (& RV park) on the north side.

This announcement is for those who think you need to know where we are for emergencies...since we don't have a cell phone!

Day 3—A loser and a winner...

When leaving the Abilene State Park, we saw eight deer (3 groups) at around 10 AM! We had also seen at least three in the dark going to the campground the night before.

We first went to Buffalo Gap, Texas; the nearest community (population 400-some). They have a replica village that illustrates the history of west Texas from about 1875 to 1950. There are buildings from three different eras in that timespan with displays. I guess they often have living history demonstrations during the summer and/or weekends.

It's really different vacationing at the end of October. For one thing, you don't see families touring like we usually do! Most of the few (!) other travelers we see are either our age or older. At the IHOP on day 2, I could have ordered off the Seniors menu! (Age 55 and up!)

The Buffalo Gap Village was quite peaceful and we were the first customers of the day. However, some other folks came along later, while we were still there.

Down I-20 we go...we lunched in a picnic area along the way. We have only eaten out once (IHOP) so far; actually, we've eaten brisket sandwiches for most of our meals! We stopped at the Salvation Army store in Midland to see if we could find a blanket to add to the ones we have. We were successful and purchased a promising item for $1.61! We saw lots of furniture Chris wanted to buy.

Time to go loser visiting! We drove to 1412 Ohio Street in Midland and stopped at one of the childhood homes of President George W. Bush. We arrived right at closing time, so we didn't get to do the tour. But we peeked in some windows and read a few of the outside descriptive signs. The house actually looks like a nice family home with a sizable backyard for kids.

They carelessly left the dog house unlocked so any bum could wander in.

Then we knew Ben and Jason would like us to visit some winners...so we headed for Odessa and, after going grocery shopping in a great store (HEB), we drove by.....

Permian High School!

It appears that there was a game that was going to be played, many cars were arriving and the parking lot was filling fast.

Drove on the Monahans Sandhills State Park outside of Monahans. Mitchum kids, you would really like this! Our campsite is actually in the side of a sand dune (the sand is spilling onto the floor of the ramada). The campground is small; about 25 sites. There are maybe four other groups camped here tonight.

In the morning, we think we will rent some sand boards or discs to slide down the slopes in the park. I THINK I can still do something like that without seriously injuring myself! (K)

Day 2 continued –For whom the turnpike tolls...

After leaving the IHOP in Norman, Oklahoma, we spent several hours paying for the turnpike system in Oklahoma. Their payments are done differently from Kansas. Drivers pay before entering the turnpike and pay by the axle. No tickets are issued. Then, periodically, there are other toll booths between ramps where you pay more to continue on your journey.

We stopped in a WalMart at Burkburnett, Texas (right over the border, north of Wichita Falls). This was the last day that WalMart was open and many of the shelves were empty. Employees were also inventorying and removing items. The cashier told us the employees were transferred to the new SuperWalMart that was built in Wichita Falls.

Cotton-pickin' times in Texas.

Kathy picks cotton to raise funds for the vacation.

Chris says, "Unpicked cotton smells just like clean underwear!" Kathy is considering telling everyone he is just a hitchhiker she picked up!

We stayed the night at Abilene State Park outside Abilene, Texas. Did you know that it was named for Abilene, Kansas? The campground was was nice with lots of space between sites and the showers were nice and warm. We needed the warm showers because our feet got really cold during the night. The ranger told us the temperature had dropped to 33º during the night. Pecan trees were all around the park.

There were rustlings in the bushes from the time we pulled in. We discovered that it was armadilloes! (The Texas State Small Mammal, for those of you who didn't know that!) When we were walking to the showers, we caught up to one little fellow. He did not seem too scared of us, but wanted to get back to his rooting through the dead leaves.

It rained on us most of the first two days.

Day Two: Breakfast at IHOP

We left Great Bend yesterday around 1 PM.

Drove to Wichita and headed south on I-35 south, destination San Antonio, Texas.
We camped at Lake Thunderbird State Park, south of Oklahoma City.

Last night we looked at Texas guide books.

Kathy mentioned that she had always thought it sounded neat to go to Big Bend National Park.
After reviewing information about the park, Chris agreed, so this is our first destination via Wichita Falls. The guidebook says that aficionados of national parks would rank Big Bend N.P. in their top five list!

We will visit San Antonio on the way back. We plan to be their by Saturday, so we can attend the Mariachi Mass on Sunday at a mission that was started in the 1720's (the mission started, that is!)

This morning we ate breakfast an an IHOP in Norman, Oklahoma. They have WIFI, so we decided to start this blog.

We will continue to use this for further reports on our vacation.

Family members will be sent the first post. In the future, you can log on to rippelvacation.blogspot.com

Day 1--Finally on the road!

During Saturday we had done last minute yard work, clothes washing, and Chris went into work to finish the CKLS Post. Kathy cleaned the camper refrigerator and floor and everything was ready but clothes and food.

Sunday we loaded the missing items (above) and went to the library to turn in a purchase order for payment that Kathy needed to get in before we left. Then it was time to actually leave.

We fueled up in South Hutchinson, Kansas, and caught the turnpike at Wichita. First night was at Lake Thunderbird State Park outside Norman, Oklahoma. Restrooms have NOT been cleaned for awhile! Chris took a shower there, but the water was only lukewarm.