Yesterday and today we were at Falcon Heights State Park. Very nice lake in a desert setting. We could only hike about 4 miles per day due to limited trails.We were serenaded to sleep by coyotes last night. We didn't see much wildlife on our hikes. However, while doing yoga outside this afternoon, a very large javelina wandered through the back of our campsite during downward facing dog. He was only about 20 feet away but didn't seem impressed by my excellent form :) We had some showers this afternoon so Denny did a few "home" maintenance projects while I worked on a quilt.
Tomorrow we will move to an RV retirement community for a few days to visit some friends. That should be an entirely different experience from the mountains and desert where we have been camping. The hiking will end but we'll get out our bikes!

We spent 2 nights at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. It was a strange park, in that it was located in the middle of Laredo. The lake was lovely and there were a lot of birds. We identified a few that we had never seen before. We hiked all the available trails, about 6 miles each day. The prickly pear cactus here are much taller and with bigger leaves because of the water.

It was strange being on a seemingly desert path, seeing javalina, deer and rabbits and at the same time hearing the traffic in the distance and seeing airplanes land at the airport nearby. Time to move on...

We forget how dependent we are on technology. It was so nice last night to have cell phone reception, TV and internet. I had a nice long talk with Rochelle after little communication for over a week. We are having a great time but need to know that things are okay at home too! Denny was happy to be able to see TV, we have gone through nearly all of the DVDs we brought with us! I think we are back into more populated areas from now on. So, hopefully, we'll be better able to communicate.

1/26 through 1/28
Seminole Canyon State Park. We took a guided tour of the Pecos River Pictographs, hiked 6-8 miles per day, saw deer, rabbits, jackrabbits, and several awesome canyons. I'd like to say we are getting leaner and stronger, but unfortunately all of my clothes still fit  :)

Seminole Canyon and the cave where the pictographs are located

Seminole Canyon

 Here are a few pictures of the 4000 year old pictographs. Click or double click on any picture to enlarge.

The next day we hiked the rim of the canyon. We saw some deer, rabbits and jack rabbits as well as some awesome scenery.

And, the answer to does a bear shit in the woods....

Cause...

and effect

1/24/15

One last day at Big Bend, one last canyon. The Rio Grande runs through the Boquillas canyon  and Mexico is on the other side.Click or double click on any picture to enlarge.

An illegal border crossing...he crossed the river into the US and bought hay for his horse and forded the river back to Mexico with the hay under his arm. He is riding a mare and that is her 8 month old colt following.

We also went across the border to the small town of Boquillas, there is actually an official border crossing in the park.We had lunch and then crossed back.

View from our lunch restaurant

This was our transportation across the border. His shirt said International Border Crossing Ferry. Lol!

We are at Seminole Canyon state park and have very bad internet and no cell reception.Back in a couple of days!

1/22/15
Hiked all day in Big Bend. It was cold, 46 degrees was the high but the wind chill made us feel like we were in Michigan! We hiked with gloves and winter coats. I won't bore you by posting a million pictures of mountains, but they were awesome!

We did find a little fixer-upper that we are considering buying but I don't think the national Park will let it go.

1/23/15 Woke up to snow in the mountains, but at least it was sunny and warmer. It was strange to see big blobs of snow hanging on the cacti. All the snow had melted by mid-afternoon. Hiking was much more pleasant today.
I kept looking for a mountain lion or bear but only saw these coyotes who stopped and let me take a picture.

A mama javelina with 3 babies was not as cooperative so all my pictures are of  blurry javelinas running away! We have seen many road runners but usually only running across the road. I kept saying "meep, meep" to them but none answered my call. Denny did get a picture of one today when we were hiking at Santa Elena Canyon, This canyon was cut by the Rio Grande river and divides Mexico and the US. Just a few pictures to show you how awesome it was. One more day and then we move on.

Only one word for west Texas-ugly. Okay, maybe three, flat, dry and ugly! We got to this campsite at night, thinking we would spend 2 nights but when we saw how barren it was, we packed up and headed for the Davis Mountains. BTW, we were the only ones in this whole state park! Hard to believe, eh?

Within two hours of arriving at Davis Mountains State Park, we saw these guys, some sort of deer with large black ears,

and these guys, javalinas!

I think we will stay here a few days and do some hiking in the mountains. No cell reception and limited wi-fi but beautiful!

1/20/15 Hiked 6 miles in the mountains today.



 I’m sure these trails were really just billy goat paths (see the red rock path beneath my feet in the second picture), very narrow and with loose rocks. Only one small casualty, a barbed plant reached out and touched someone (me).  I cleaned it up with spit and Kleenex.  Now Neosporin is on my list of things to take with us when hiking! We are both feeling great after these long hiking days and feel we really deserve a beer or two! Texas state parks have a no public alcohol rule so we are careful to either drink inside or close by with our bottles concealed in cozies.
1/21/15 We woke up to rain and a forecast of snow, so we ditched our plan of one more day of hiking at Davis Mountains, and headed for the awesomeness of Big Bend National Park. No cell reception here either except at Park Headquarters.

We are camped between two mountains with very bad internet. I will update when our internet improves!

Good-bye, Arkansas!

We left our beautiful campground this morning and visited historic Hot Springs. Denny toured the town while I indulged in an old fashioned hot spring bath treatment. Buckstaff is the only continuously operating bathhouse in Hot Springs. It is like walking back into the 1940s.  First, you are treated to a 20 minute soak in a hot mineral water whirlpool. The tub room has all marble walls which are 10' high and the large old rolled edge tubs are raised on marble slabs. After stewing in the tub and having the attendant scrub your back with your personal loofa, the attendant takes you to a padded table and totally wraps you in steaming towels, except for one cold one on the forehead. You stay there until all the towels approach room temperature. Next up, a steam cabinet for about 5 minutes and then a 5 minute sitz bath (Really!) Then a lukewarm needle shower to wash off the sweat. Last, a lovely 20 minute massage. All this pampering for only $71! They try to keep you covered with a sheet at most times but I can't lie, there are glimpses of nudity! Luckily, males are in a different part of the building.
I left feeling like a limp,wet noodle and we drove on toward Texas.

Buckstaff bathhouse

 This is in the museum, not the actual bath house, but similar.

 Needle shower

Bathhouse menu

Open hot spring






This is a lovely place to visit and there are tons of bathhouses (most are modern) and spas. My grandmother used to spend the winter here getting mineral spring treatments for her legs. We looked for the hotel she stayed in but it has been torn down :(

Beautiful day today in Hot Springs! Sunny and near 60 degrees. We got into our campground last night right after dark. We hadn't wanted to do that but had stopped to have the RV de-winterized so we could use the sink, shower, toilet, etc. It took longer than we thought. But a travel free day of hiking today made up for it. We walked about 6 miles and I can feel it but it sure feels better than 6-8 hours of driving :) We hiked to the top of the mountain and went up in the observation tower. First morning of no snow! Yay!

1/10/15 Planned date of departure-snow delay, leave tomorrow
1/11/15 Snow delay
1/12/15 Road conditions delay
1/13/15 Bright and sunny...on the road! Spent the night with Denny's sister, Mary, in Baroda, MI.

1/14/15 Negative14 degrees last night, RV (Kabotcruiser) wasn't sure it wanted to start! Finally stopped in Cape Girardeau , MO after dark. Campground temperature just above freezing with rustling leaves underfoot. Leaving early in the morning for Hot Springs National Park, AR.
1/15/15 Awoke to this:

Roads are snow covered and slippery. I guess we'll wait a few hours to head south. I hope this is the last day for a while that we wake up to snow!