Time to pack your bags, slip on your hiking boots, and raise your tents! I took my first trip to West Texas and made a few important stops on the way… Marfa, Terlingua, and Big Bend!
My boyfriend and I made these reservations almost a year ago, which in hindsight seems nuts since I pitched this trip idea to him after only 3 months of dating. Luckily the trip, and our relationship, continued as planned and I was finally able to cross this incredible experience off of my bucket list.
We woke up bright and early to start the drive to our hotel in Marfa. It took about 7 hours (which included all of my partner’s NUMEROUS amounts of bathroom breaks) to get The Hotel Paisano. If you don’t feel like doing a quick Google search, this hotel was built back in 1930 and is most notorious for being the filming location of James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor’s western drama film, Giant. The beauty and charm of the hotel kept us hopeful for the trip ahead as we spent one last night dining at the downstairs restaurant, lounging on our private balcony, and sleeping in away from nature.
The morning came and we made a quick stop for a delicious breakfast at Aster Marfa before packing up and driving an hour and a half towards the park. My parents are big campers and were the ones who have inspired me to continue to seek adventure in nature. So when they took their trip to Big Bend earlier this year, I couldn’t help but feel so insanely jealous. They both insisted that we stop and take a break in Terlingua, one of the infamous “ghost towns” of West Texas. It seems like we timed this trip perfectly because the town celebrated Día de Los Muertos the night before! There were beautiful decorations, alters, and an overall feeling of culture and community that lingered through their historical Terlingua Cemetery. It truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
After saying goodbye to the quaint desert town, we instantly had a change of scenery as we crept further into the entrance of Big Bend National Park.
Driving towards to the park was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. To see Texas go from a busy city to an empty desert and then grow into a green biome filled with elevation was something that I never expected. We checked into our campsite in the Chisos Basin, set up our tent, went on a sunset stroll near the Window View Trail, and took the rest of the night off by eating at the restaurant on-site. Sleeping under the stars and waking up early to make pancakes with a mountain view quickly turned into a core memory for me. Saturday was spent hiking up to Emory Peak which, I will be honest, was a challenge. My number one tip for ANY hiking trip is to leave the cockiness behind and pack more water and food than you believe that you need. If it wasn’t for that extra bag of trail mix, my boyfriend and I would have never been able to enjoy views from the highest peak in the park together! On our last morning, we woke up sore but eager to continue the adventure! Thanks to my trusty new Subaru I was able to check out some of the OHV trails including the Glenn Springs Road Trail. Sitting in the car after our incredibly long hike the day before was exactly what we needed, but it wasn’t until we dipped into the Hot Springs to aid our aching muscles that I realized how well we had planned our day.
The worst part about Big Bend was having to leave. The entire experience was a dream come true for a nature-lover like me! Having a National Park right here in our wonderful state is an opportunity that I never wanted to pass up, and I am so grateful to be able to have the resources (and reservations) to fully immerse myself into the beautiful views of Texas!
I know you want to see some pictures. Check out my full gallery below and feel free to share your own Big Bend photos with me at emily@101x.com!
