Big Bend Park Trip

I do not have any pictures from this trip, and I cannot remember the exact year of the trip. Our family vacations either started the week before July 4^th or that week. My dad’s company closed during the week of July 4^th every year. Dad had worked there long enough that he got two weeks of vacation each year. Dad had bought a new Dodge Texan 1956, and that was the only car we had at that time. That was Joyce’s last family vacation with us.

The Interstate 10 highway was not completed at the time of this trip, and Highway 90 (Texas Pecos Trail) was the way to go west. We went to Del Rio and made a short drive into Mexico. This occurred before the creation of Lake Amistad, so current maps do not represent the area’s previous condition. We stopped for the night in a small town where there was a motel with a vacancy sign. There were multiple small buildings surrounding a gravel parking lot.  None of the buildings had A/C, only window screens and a screen door. The room had two double beds, and I got to sleep on the floor. Out in the parking lot was a fenced-in cage with rattlesnakes. Not only did I not sleep, but I never closed my eyes. It had been over 100 degrees during the day and not much below 90 in the room that night.

We got on the road early the next morning, heading toward Marathon. We made a stop in Langtry, where Judge Roy Bean held court as the “Only Law West of the Pecos”. From Marathon, Highway 385 goes south 82 miles to the Big Bend National Park entrance. There were no buildings, roads, and only one tree on that road back then. Our car did not have A/C, and the air blowing in the windows was very hot. It was a little cooler when we got to a higher elevation in the park, but not much. The Park Rangers were very busy, and we learned later that a couple was missing who had taken one of the hiking trails. We grabbed snacks and drinks, then walked around the visitor center to stretch our legs.

There was no place to spend the night except for campers with tents, and it was another 100 miles on Highway 118 to Alpine. That two-lane road took us through the Davis Mountains that twisted and turned, heading in a northly direction. Texas has added large areas of parkland in recent years, including since the creation of Big Bend Ranch State Park. There are likely many more things in that area now. From Alpine, we drove to Marfa, where we planned to stay the night.

After we got a motel room for the night, we went to a café to eat. On the scale of one to five stars, it was maybe a two or one if the flies bother you. Our table was located where I could see our car parked just outside the door. When they brought our food to the table, I said “Oh my God” loudly, and my Mom thought I was talking about the food and called me down. I said someone just hit our car, I explained. I went with Dad to see what had happened. A guy had turned too much when he was backing out and hit our car on the back door on the driver’s side.  He worked for an insurance company, and his office was in Van Horn. They exchanged information, and he assured Dad that his company would pay for the repairs.

From there, we went to the Carlsbad Caverns to see our first cave. I remember being surprised by how big it was, and back then, there were only guided tours in groups. That was the first time in New Mexico for our family. Years later, Eva and I took our girls to Carlsbad Caverns. It was different with self-guided tours and drier formations. From Carlsbad, we headed back to Houston, and we were all glad to sleep in our own beds. We did not have A/C, but we did have an attic fan.

That was the longest trip I had ever been on, and I saw things I had only read about. That planted a seed of wanting to see more of this country and to share those experiences with my family later in life. We create memories every day; however, it takes special experiences to be able to recall them. Take time to create special memories with your family. A time will come when your memories are the most valuable possession.